The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance

‘isolation’ and is ‘potentially embarrassing’ to both of us. As one of the potentially afflicted, I have a right to know.”
    And have you screaming and running for the hills at the mere thought of being intimate with me? The woman you cannot stand outside of business hours?
    She shook her head. At least she had a better excuse to use than her fragile ego. “You know why I can’t do that, Steelhand. Foreknowledge of an incompletely foreseen event can potentially lead to an even worse situation. League rules.”
    “Fine. Then let’s talk about you trying to dump me as your partner. What is up with that?” he demanded, shifting in his seat to look at her. “I thought we were good together.”
    Good together . . . The words flashed through her, leaving behind an entirely different connotation than the one he meant. Once again, she could see their bodies intertwining, vulnerable and intimate, reducing her from Foresight, heroine of the city, to Carrie, lonely, longing woman. Flushing, she cleared her throat and dragged her mind back to the more neutral aspects of life.
    “You and I do make a good team out in the field. I don’t deny that, I have never denied that, and I swear that what I said just now in front of the others stands,” Foresight repeated. “You are an excellent addition to the team. I just . . .”
    His dark brown eyes had narrowed at her blush. They narrowed further now. “You just . . . what? You just want to get rid of me? You just want another partner? You just want to go solo? Is that it?”
    I just want you to look at me like you look at Farshot! But that wasn’t entirely accurate, so she bit back the words, frustrated. He was polite to their red-suited teammate, even flirted a little with her, but Foresight - Carrie - wanted more. She wanted more than he was giving her; she just didn’t think there was anything more within him for her, and was afraid to find out for sure.
    Aware of the passing minutes, she shook her head. “We don’t have time for this argument right now. We’ll talk later.” Then swallowing the unpleasant lump of her discomfort, shoving it deep down where it wouldn’t interfere with her job, she headed for the ladies’ locker room.
    It didn’t look like Steelhand the Uninterested was going to try to get himself into her armour-reinforced stretch pants anytime soon. Shame.
    “I’d be happy to. It’s one of the few perks of the job,” Foresight/Carrie said to yet another citizen wanting to have a picture taken with her and her partner.
    Steelhand’s smile was definitely looking strained, and hers was beginning to feel that way. She smiled a little more, posed with a giggling young woman between the two of them while the girl’s eye-rolling boyfriend took the picture. Over Steelhand’s shoulder, Carrie spotted a mother and a little boy coming out of one of the doors in the concrete-block wall. The moment the pictures were done, she gave the crowd around them an apologetic smile.
    “Thank you all for your continuing support, but I see that the bathroom is now free, and even superheroes need to, well, you know. Steelhand? Shall we?” she asked, indicating the door behind him. The bathroom trick was really simply a ruse to get away from all the people. Sometimes it was the only thing that worked - the public could be so demanding.
    “Please do excuse us,” he said graciously, wading through the crowd with an eagerness that betrayed his dislike for the press of people. As he had explained during the interview process for this job, it was one thing if he initiated the contact and could brace himself against a person’s thoughts, but an unexpected touch was unnerving and unwanted. She would’ve liked to believe that his disinterest in her was due solely to his dislike for inadvertently reading other people’s minds, but he didn’t seem to hesitate when it came to being close to Farshot. After all, today wasn’t the first time they’d gone to the movies together.
    Thankfully, the citizens parted way, and the pair made it to the bathroom door. As soon as the two of them were inside and Steelhand had thrown the lock, he faced her, guessing her intention. “You’re going to read the future?”
    She nodded. “It’ll be easier now that we’re closer to the events.”
    Leaning back against the wall next to the door, she stared across the room and unfocused her eyes. Her awareness of the crowds out on the mezzanine level faded as her attention