Page 3 of Dark Medicine (Strange Gifts #2)

Adam stared at the woman across the table from him. Her blue eyes were clearer than his own. They were like a crystal blue sky on a clear day in the mountains. His, well, his were just blue. Her fire-red hair, pulled into a messy braid down her back, set off her ivory skin, freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

When he lifted her from the sidewalk, he was mentally taking inventory of her internal organs to be sure she wasn’t injured severely. She was accurate in her own assessment. The ankle would be sore, and she might limp for a few days, but she would be fine.

However, what he did find was astonishing. She was in excellent physical health. It was obvious that she wasn’t a casual runner. She was a hardcore runner, and her heart and lungs reflected it.

There was something else, though. Something he couldn’t put his finger on. When he touched her, there was this sizzle like a small electrical shock. However, her brain activity had him puzzled and staring intently. He studied her as she took another bite of her stew, the hot steaming bowl making her cheeks rosy with warmth.

“You’re staring at me, Adam Thorn,” she said, smiling up at him. She crossed her legs and casually rubbed the sore ankle, her long delicate fingers gently kneading the flesh.

“I wish I could apologize, but I like staring. You’re very beautiful.” He was being honest, but he was also trying to cover for the fact that he was examining her again in his mind.

“So are you. If men can be beautiful, that is.” He laughed, and she smiled up at him again.

“So, how far do you usually run every evening?” Adam changed the subject, wanting to find out more about her.

“How do you know I run every evening?” she asked suspiciously, uncrossing her legs.

“You look like a runner, and your heart… your legs look like runner’s legs,” he said, correcting himself quickly. Fiona eyed him cautiously and nodded.

“I ran in high school and college and have just kept up the habit. I usually get in ten a night, and then on weekends, well, most weekends, I run almost twenty, sometimes more.”

“Wow! Color me impressed! Seriously, that’s damn impressive. I was in the Army and still run every day, a carryover from my training. But twenty miles? Max is usually twelve for me, and that’s only if I’m feeling extra superb or have a lot to think about.”

“Well, maybe I can convince you to run with me while you’re here,” she said, wiping a drop of gravy from the stew off her face. Adam secretly wished he could lick that drop off her porcelain skin and then chastised himself for being so crude.

“I’d like that. I have to say, I’m not impressed with the weather, nor the thought of running in cold rain,” he said, grimacing.

“Ah, well, Irish weather is just that, weather. You just have to have the right clothes for it ‘tis all.” She took a swig of her Guinness and set the glass down. “Tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful, and it’s Saturday. Why don’t you tell me where you’re staying, and I’ll come by around nine, and we can take a good run from there.”

“I have to be up at a little town called Tinnehinch by two o’clock. My friend and his fiancée are getting married up that way, near, uh, I think it’s Wicklow National Park.”

“Yes, it’s beautiful up there. That’s even better. I’ll pick you up at eight. We’ll run through the park, and then I’ll take you to your friends.”

“Are you sure? That’s quite a drive from what I understand,” he said.

“No trouble at‘tall. I like running up there and haven’t been in a while.” She looked down at her food, avoiding eye contact with Adam. A sizzle of something traveled through his arm, and he eyed her curiously.

“Why?” She looked up, confused at first, and then looked away. “I mean, if you like it so much, why haven’t you been running up there.”

“It’s… it’s not always safe for a woman alone,” she said quietly. Adam’s alpha-male instincts kicked into high gear, and he clenched his fists beneath the table.

“What do you mean? Did someone hurt you?”

“Take it easy, big man,” she said with a wicked grin. “No, they tried, but I had a bit of training as well once upon a time.”

“Oh? Did you do time in the military?” He asked the question casually, but he wasn’t about to let the subject go. He wanted to know everything about this woman.

“No, I-I had a brother once, and he-he was trained.” She bit her lower lip and looked back down into her bowl of stew.

“Once? I’m sorry, Fiona. How did he die?”

“I’m not sure, actually. He was ten years older than me, but we were very close.”

Adam furrowed his brow. He sensed she wasn’t telling the whole truth, but he reached across the table and laid his long, lean fingers over her own. The soft pink polish was chipping on her thumb, and he grinned to himself. Adam felt his instincts kick in and made a mental note of the overwhelming sadness and fear in her body. But it wasn’t the emotions that got his attention. It was the ankle. The ankle she had been rubbing only moments before was now completely healed. No swelling, no tissue damage, and no bruising beneath the skin.

He eyed her suspiciously and ran the process through his mind once more. Nothing.

Fiona looked down at his large hand covering her own. No man had ever been able to cover her hand with his own. She looked up at Adam and stared into his eyes for a moment. They were such a rich, deep shade of blue, almost sapphire. She could get lost with this man, easily lost. There was something else about him, though. Something that made Fiona feel on edge and excited at the same time.

“Well, I should get back home and into dry clothes. There are taxis outside now.” She stood and watched as Adam laid down the cash for their meal. “Thank you for dinner and for coming to my rescue.”

“It was my pleasure,” he said, leading her from the still-crowded pub. His hand settled on her lower back just above the waistband of her running tights, and she shivered from his touch. He watched her walk easily, no sign of a limp or any pain.

“Where are you staying? I’ll pick you up at eight in the morning. There shouldn’t be any traffic on a Saturday.”

“I’m at the Sherbourne.”

“Fancy! It’s a beautiful hotel,” she said, smiling. Stepping outside, she waited under the cover while he whistled, and the taxi moved forward. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” He nodded and opened the back door of the taxi.

Fiona gave a small wave and wondered what it would have been like to kiss Dr. Adam Thorn. She shook her head and gave the driver her address. Maybe tomorrow.