Who could have tripped the silent alarm? The question haunted him. He had double-checked both the alarm and door before leaving.
Maybe it’s Dawn, he joked.
Reaching the shop, Chase inspected the front entrance and plate-glass window, but saw no obvious damage. He unlocked the door and pushed it open. A red light flashed on the security panel, indicating the back door was open. In case the burglar was still here, he grabbed a replica of Thor’s hammer. He turned off the alarm and tiptoed toward the back. Chase stopped short.
There was a gaping hole in the center of the room that housed Dawn. Chase raced over and peeked inside. She was gone. The hairs of his neck stood on edge. Reaching around the splintered wood, he turned on the light. The room was empty. Of course, she would blow a hole in the wall. It was a pocket door that opened with a hidden panel. But to see it in person… Man alive!
Panicking, he backed away, knocking over a box. What? How?
Chase’s heart pounded as he crept toward the back. At first, there was resistance on the knob; then it creaked opened. Dawn stood on the other side. Wind whipped her hair around her shoulders. Her breasts heaved beneath her leather jumpsuit. His gaze wandered to her erect nipples but he looked away. The toy hammer slipped from his hand. A while back, he and his buddies in the Dawn of the Day chat room had fantasized about what they’d do upon meeting Dawn in person. Chase had bragged he’d be cool as an ice cube, but he had lied. He was about to explode.
“Dawn?”
Suddenly, Chase was on fire. A current of electricity exited Dawn’s hands and entered him. Clutching his chest, Chase fell to his knees. Dawn vaulted over him toward the entrance. On reflex, he grabbed her ankle. She didn’t fall or stumble. Instead, she pivoted in midair and kicked him in his face. With a grunt, he released her and fell onto his back. Dawn’s boots clicked against the pavement as she rushed through the opening.
Cool.
Chase climbed to his feet and stumbled through the back door. He had to stop her. “Dawn. I don’t want to—”
A sucker punch knocked him on his back. He blacked out. When he came to, Dawn hovered over him like an angel. Chase gazed at her high cheekbones and full lips. Even in the darkness, he could make out her blue eyes. His heart fluttered. For years, he had fantasized about waking up to her face. He started to get up but was stopped by her foot on his chest. Gingerly, he lay back against the carpet.
“Identify yourself, villain,” she commanded.
“I’m not a villain. My name is Chase. Chase Donovan.”
“Chase? That’s an ordinary name for a villain.”
“I’m not a villain.”
Bending, she dug her heel into his chest. He flinched. Chase tried to disarm her with a smile, but judging by her stern look, she was unimpressed.
“What is your motive?” she asked.
“I don’t have one.”
Tilting her head, she studied him. What did she see? He hoped she would understand he wouldn’t hurt her. Dawn’s expression softened but she didn’t remove her foot from his chest.
“You say you have no motive,” she said. “Yet you are holding me captive.”
“What? No.”
“Why was I being imprisoned in that tiny room?”
“Until a few moments ago, you were a statue.”
Dawn raised an eyebrow. “Statue?”
Chase nodded. He saw wheels turning in her head, but Dawn clearly didn’t trust him. He couldn’t breathe. Not just because she was standing on his chest, but because she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. She took her foot from his chest, picked him up by the collar and set him on his feet. Damn. Chase was a soldier but this woman could snap him like a twig. And that turned him on. He straightened his clothing. When he looked at her, Dawn’s hands were balled into fists. Her hands shimmered in sparks of white and blue electricity. Chase gulped.
“Talk,” she commanded. “What’s this about me being a statue?”
“I made you. Well, I made a likeness of you to display in my store. I know I could’ve just bought you online, but I thought it would be fun and I’m trying to find a new hobby.”
She gazed at him from head to toe. “Store? This isn’t the library of your lair?”
“No. I don’t have a lair. I mean, I have a townhouse out in Vienna, but—” He paused. “Wait. How did you come to life?”
“My guess is this.” Dawn motioned to the locket around her neck. “The turquoise is a magic stone from my homeland. It’s said if you wish upon it, and your intentions are pure, it will give you the desires of your heart.”
Chase nodded. At the moment, his thoughts weren’t pure. He had to fight himself not to gather her in his arms and make love to her. His heartbeat was slow and steady, but watching her breasts heave had blood rushing to his groin. Glancing away, he tried to think of something other than the woman of his dreams standing in front of him. His erection, however, wasn’t going away.
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