Her
eyesight slowly adjusted to the darkness and she could see Officer Herro’s
silhouette. His head was turned and he was listening to the thuds of heavy
boots getting louder; the intruders were coming their way.

Then
the thunder of footsteps sounded right next to them. “There’s no one here,
Red,” someone announced.

“Look
for documents,” a man ordered, who Dani could only assume was Red. “I want the
name of the person I’m going to kill.”

A
moment later, there was a reply. “All the mail is addressed to a Dr. Hart.”

Hearing
her name said aloud by one of the men who had ransacked her place made her want
to gasp. Her mouth fell open and her breath was reversing into her lungs, but
before she could make a sound, Officer Herro lowered his lips to hers,
silencing her. Stunned, she could only lie beneath him with her eyes wide and
her body tense. She couldn’t believe he was kissing her. She wanted to push him
back, but knew if she did he might hit the inside of the chest, giving away
their hiding place. That was when she realized he was kissing her so she
wouldn’t gasp.

She
let her body relax. After her initial shock faded, she was able to feel his
lips. They were comforting and caused a reaction deep inside her. She couldn’t
stop her lips from reacting to his. It was an innocent connection, a soft touch
of lips. Until his hand slid from her shoulder to her neck and the kiss
deepened into something else.