A Taste of Spring

DEZMOND

Dez couldn't take his eyes off the vision that had him pushing aside all the damn crap that was suffocating him over the past few months. Anna was an instant balm on his scattered mind from the moment he laid eyes on her.

(Anna.)

Dez repeated the name in his head a few times as he unpacked their food. It was a fitting name and it was climbing up on his favorite names list.

"Do you live in this huge loft alone?"

Her voice slid over him like a soft caress, causing Dez to shiver. That sort of response to a woman's voice was peculiar and it took Dez a full minute to shake off the unusual sensation. Once he did, he realized he hadn't answered Anna's question. When he looked up, she was watching him.

"Uh, yeah, I live here alone."

"Hmmm," Anna said. She turned around and looked at his bookcase.

from the drawer. He kept looking up, watching Anna glide around looking at this and that. With Anna inspecting his books, movies, and décor, he felt strangely inadequate. Like he hadn't read the right books, watched the

to the table. He went back to the kitchen and grabbed the wine and two glasses when he

(What the hell?)

carried wobbled in his grasp. He had to juggle to keep them from falling as he rushed to the dining room to peer into the open space of his common area. His heart raced until his eyes fell on

rather, Anna seemed to look fine as she stood in front of one of his full-sized arcade games.

I love this game!" The smile on her face was mesmerizing.

made Dez forget that he was ready to kill to protect her. He smiled as he stared at her.

woman is sexy, cute,

back to the

he watched her. When she turned back and glared at him he laughed again at the hopeful look in her eyes. "I rigged it to just start but it's unplugged. Damn thing is an energy drain." He turned and walked back to the dining area, avoiding the pillar he almost plowed into when he heard her scream. Dez glanced over his shoulder and said, "Food is ready. Come eat, we can play

table, Dez was there to pull

Pulling chairs out and opening doors." She had a scowl on her face as she stared

it showed she was confident. "The men you date, they don't hold doors and pull out chairs for you?" He watched her curl a stray braid around her finger then place it behind her ear as she looked