Midnight Jewels

be talking about far more personal, more important matters. A flickering feeling of communication went through her. It was as if she already knew him on some level, though she didn't even know his name. "I've got hundreds of books for sale."
    "Burleigh's
Valley of Secret Jewels
. I've come a long way for it."
    He made it sound as though he'd come from the outer reaches of Hades. "Oh,
that
book." Relieved that this whole thing was going to be over very quickly, Mercy rushed on with the news. "I'm sorry, I've already sold it." She smiled brightly. "It's unfortunate that you had to drive out of your way for nothing."
    His hazel eyes narrowed. "When did you sell it?"
    "A couple of days ago. A man in Colorado phoned and said he'd take it sight unseen."
    "Has he picked it up yet?"
    "Well, no, as a matter of fact, but—"
    "I'll top his offer."
    Mercy was nonplussed. "I couldn't sell it out from under him. That would be unethical. He's already paid me for
Valley
and I've promised to deliver it to him."
    "You would find it… unethical to sell to a higher bidder?"
    "That's right," Mercy said quickly, not liking the new, even more intense interest he was displaying. She sought for a way to break the strange spell that seemed to be engulfing her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a few more things to do before I close this evening. It's already after five." She deliberately moved down the aisle toward him, hoping he would take the hint and get out of her way and leave the shop. The fact that she was alone with him was making her nervous.
    This was not the sort of man one wanted to encounter in a dark bookshop aisle or a dark alley, Mercy decided firmly. But she had no sooner finished phrasing the silent warning to herself than her mind leaped to the image of a dark bedroom. Impatiently she brushed aside the evocative mental picture of meeting this man in such dangerous surroundings.
    He didn't move as she moved bravely down the aisle. He stood at the end of the narrow corridor watching her. His stance was both relaxed and balanced. Somehow his very stillness was as alarming as anything else about him. Less than two paces away Mercy was forced to hah. Her hands tightened around a couple of books she had picked up to reshelve as she began to seriously wonder just how dangerous he was. Ingatius Cove had very little crime, but an isolated shopkeeper at the end of a working day was always a vulnerable target.
    "I said, will you please excuse me?" She put as much force as possible into the superficially polite query. Somewhere she had read one had to be confident and controlled when dealing with situations such as this. There was always the hope that one could bluff one's way out of danger. She mustn't lose her nerve. "You're in my way."
    "I would like to see the book."
    "It's not here."
    "Where is it?" he asked with a patience that was unnerving because there was absolutely no indication of how long it would last.
    Mercy swallowed. "I've got it at home. I didn't want to take a chance on anything happening to it here. It's rather valuable."
    He stated at her for a minute, his hazel eyes pinning her. Then he nodded once, apparently coming to a decision. "All right. I'll go to your place. How far is it?"
    Mercy hesitated, trying to figure out the safest course of action. "Not far. Walking distance." Once they were out on the street she would have a chance of calling attention to her situation, if she indeed was in a situation. Outside there were cars and pedestrians and other shopkeepers closing up for the night. She would feel much safer. "If you care to wait outside, I'll just be a minute."
    He nodded again, that single, economical movement of his head, and then turned, walked to the end of the aisle and disappeared.
    Mercy stared after him, holding her breath as she waited for the bell to sound, indicating he had actually left the shop. She couldn't believe it was going to be this easy after all. The part of her that was convinced she was in jeopardy was still sending bursts of fight or flight signals through her nerves. But another part of her was perversely disappointed to see the stranger leave. She had never met a man who had such an instantaneous effect on her senses. It was a strangely beguiling, if perilous experience.
    The bell didn't tinkle and she didn't hear the door open or close, but Mercy knew she was alone in the shop. Cautiously she walked to the end of the aisle and glanced out the window.
    The dark stranger was