Marty Wilson stood near the sliding glass window, watching as Shannon and Darr talked to another couple. She knew Darr’s deep, dark secret--one that most everyone else at the anniversary party had no idea about. Shannon had never told her the truth about Darr but Marty knew what it was--he was from a world faraway from theirs.

She felt it deep down inside of her soul. Everyone has their own secrets they don’t want out, Marty thought while her hand began to grip tighter around the tall glass of water. She looked away from Shannon’s laughing face when she turned to look up at Darr.

Marty reached up to twirl a lock of blonde hair around a finger while her eyes kept moving around the room until they landed on a tall man with black shoulder-length hair pulled back into a ponytail and arms thick with muscles.

Kane.

Her heart began to beat wildly and her breath caught in her throat. Tilting her head to the side she got a strong feeling that he was not what he appeared to be. Something isn’t right with that man; he’s like Darr and the others, she thought while her eyes moved to another couple standing the middle of the room.

She stepped away from the window to make her way across the room toward where Shannon and Darr stood. Marty felt Kane’s eyes watching every move she made and it caused her body to tingle.

Tomorrow she was leaving Nebraska for a naval station in the south coast in Texas. They needed the new communications system put in and she’d been appointed to the job. This was to be her last year in the Air Force, then she’d be out. After she’d done her tour, she didn’t know what she was planning to do for the rest of her life. I could always design software, she thought as she drew closer to Shannon.

“I’m leaving now,” Marty said to Shannon. She glanced away from Shannon’s eyes toward Kane as he stood watching her from across the room. Awareness drifted over her and she forced herself to unlock her gaze with his.

Shannon frowned at Marty. “Already? It’s too soon; the party is just getting started,” Shannon replied while looking over the people crowding in the living room for the party. Loud music was blaring from the stereo system tucked away in a corner of the room. Her son was sound asleep in one of the guest bedrooms in a portable crib and there was a sitter watching over him.

“I need to leave for Texas early in the morning, so I have to leave now,” Marty explained, a finger sliding along the rim of her glass. She felt his eyes on her and she tried hard not to look at him. Her body was beginning to feel tingly and she tried to suppress it. Her spine grew stiff when she felt Kane began to move toward her.

“I have to go,” Marty spoke breathlessly; she handed Shannon the glass and then stepped around her. With quick strides, she was across the room and out the door before Shannon could even blink her eyes.

“What was that about?” Shannon asked stunned at what had just occurred and turned to look at Darr with puzzled eyes.

Darr glanced over his shoulder at Kane making his way toward them. Darr turned his eyes to the door that Marty had walked out through. Hmm, this is interesting indeed, Darr thought as he turned back to Kane. His gaze collided with Kane’s and he saw the pain filling in his eyes. Yes, this is really interesting... Darr told himself.

Kane stopped halfway across the room to Darr and Shannon; his eyes were on the closed door. His fingers tightened into fists at his thighs, pounding the hard muscles with light taps before slapping them with his palms. With a hard grimace on his face, he spun around as the door was closing behind her and stormed across the floor toward the sliding glass door where Marty had stood.