Dedicated to SebastardMorgenstern because I love their stories so much.

"Watch where you're going the next time, you ignorant fool!" - Mister Tall, Dark and Handsome

Chapter I

Just my luck. Why did I have to oversleep? Harlynn, you are such an idiot! I cursed at myself under my breath. Forcing my legs to move faster and pushing people out of the way, muttering apologies as I went.

I made sure to avoid places as Times Square that is busy all day around, so I took side allays and less famous streets to reach my work. Alleys that most people wouldn't dare to cross.

One of the very few downsides of living in Manhattan is the fact that it is always so busy in the mornings, especially when you are late for work. My high heels clicked on the uneven ground of the street I was running on. It was a challenge to not fall over, but because I ran on heels so often I had gained experience with running around in heels.

I ran into another alley. The morning sun barely managing to shine over the tall buildings, casting me into darkness.

Clenching my purse closer to my chest, I gripped it tightly, while running as fast as I could through the streets of Manhattan, which I knew as well as my own home. I ran as fast as I could with heels and on an uneven ground, at least. Long, pale blonde hair whirled after me like a long golden cape. I checked my watch.

8:35, it read.

My work started at 8:30 and I still had roughly ten minutes to go before I would arrive. My boss would not be so happy with that.

I cursed under my breath once more and ran around the corner, past the bakery where they had those delicious lemon cakes. I went straight into another alley.

The smell of fresh-baked bread hit my nostrils, distracted me, making me run straight into another passerby, who seemed to be in a hurry as well.

A shriek left my mouth when we tumbled to the ground. The man - he was definitely male - landed on top of me with a startled yelp, clearly just as surprised as I was, crushing the air out of my lungs with his tall and heavy frame.

Looking up, I found myself looking into mesmerizing blue eyes who looked down at me in what seemed to be an honest surprise. The surprised look was gone soon though, like snow melting in the harsh sun of the summer heat. His look became more guarded, much more closed off, and colder.

He has beautiful eyes, I thought to myself, holding my breath. I have often seen people with blue eyes, but their eyes were mostly a lighter shade of blue. This guy has the darkest eyes I have seen so far, almost black, like the darkest night sky during a storm; without the guiding light from the stars, with hints of deep violet in their depths.

All my muscles tensed up, the blood draining from my face. There was something about his gaze that unnerved something deep within me. A gut feeling that warned me about this guy. His eyes held knowledge beyond my imagination, and a world of loss and pain.

What startled me the most about his eyes was not their unusual color, but the amount of hatred that seemed to be carved deep into his very soul.

Nobody should be able to feel that much hatred.

Life is short, so how is it possible that this man seemed to carry the hatred of centuries within himself?

Almost as soon as his body had come into contact with mine, he gracefully jumped off and dusted off his clothes, giving me a cold glare. A shiver went down my spine and my instincts told me to run away, now. However, I could not find myself to do so. I was paralyzed on my spot, a deer caught in the highlights of an oncoming truck. His jaw tensed and eyes narrowed, looking me up and down almost judgmental.

With shaky legs, I slowly stood up and faced the stranger. Only then realizing how tall he really was. I had to strain my neck in order to look at him, and he still towered easily over me.

He could easily be one of the tallest guys I have encountered in my entire life. I was not the shortest girl around, but compared to this guy, I felt like a rabbit looking up towards a dangerous lion, ready to devour her any moment.

My body froze in a gut-deep fear and I could do nothing but stare at him wide-eyed. My heart rate rose sharply and my hands started shaking lightly. Adrenaline pumped through my veins and I felt like I had run across the globe.

The guy took a few cautious steps forward. Graceful like a cat. His dark eyes looked calculating, scanning the area and taking everything in. Nothing stayed unseen by those beautiful yet sad orbs. I remembered how I once watched a panther hunt down a group of gazelles on Animal Planet, creeping closer towards his prey without them noticing by the danger approaching. He reminded me of that very panther.

He had the kind of aura around him that would have most people stay far and far away from him. Some gut feeling did told me to run for the heels, to get the hell away from this man, that he's dangerous and might even kill me. Yet - somehow - I found myself fascinated and mesmerized by him.

A naïve moth drawn to the dangerous yet beautiful flames.

"Uhm, I'm sorry for running into you," I managed to whisper, finally finding my voice. I felt proud for not stuttering in front of this beautiful being, and mentally praised myself. Even though I felt embarrassed for staring so much.

His lips formed a scowl and his eyes dangerously narrowed, it seemed to grow colder around us as well, my breath forming clouds in front of me and I shivered.

"Well, you better be," he snapped, his voice as kill and cold as ice, eliminating all the warmth that was left, "watch where you're going the next time, you ignorant fool!" His eyes flashed, momentarily showing hints of a bright red. My eyes slightly widened and my mouth dropped open upon hearing his harsh words. And before I could say something snarky in response, or anything for that matter, he stormed past me, not deeming me worthy of even giving me a second glance.

His shoulder bumped against mine and I almost fell over, again.

I stood there for a while, gaping at what just happened, before whirling around in the hopes of seeing him again, but the man was gone.

He seemed to have disappeared into thin air, without leaving even a single trace about his whereabouts behind.

My mouth dropped open and I looked around in bewilderment. Where could he have gone in such a short period? While I was pondering about the mysterious man's whereabouts, the wind howled past me, making a shiver run down my spine. I wrapped my coat tightly around my slim body and looked around once more.

He really has disappeared.

It almost felt like I had imagined the whole thing. But I knew that he couldn't be a figment of my imagination. I am not that imaginative. In my dreams I maybe am, but this is clearly not a dream.

The sunlight has just managed to climb over the buildings, warming my skin slightly. I was in a narrow alley that ran between two buildings. A small stray cat darted between my legs, disappearing in the shadows. The alley was the shortcut I always took whenever I was late for my work.

Oh crap, my work! I recalled, eyes wide.

Putting the thoughts of the man with the hateful eyes to the back of my mind, I started running again, heading for my work.

.

I went past the security guards and headed through the entrance of the publishing company Walker Books, smiling at Claire from the Reception as I sprinted past her. Claire gave me an amused look and shook her head at me before focusing back on her work.

"Late again, Harlynn?" Jason – one of my colleagues – asked when I raced past him.

Stopping in my tracks, I turned around and placed my fingers against my lips. "Hush, be quiet!"

Leaving Jason alone, I went to my office on the top floor, running past offices and greeting people I knew along my way. I tiptoed past Jack's office, hoping that he would not notice that I was late.

The door to Jack's office was closed and I could hear talking behind the door. It seemed like he was in the middle of a meeting.

Opening the wooden door to my own office, I sneaked inside, closing the door behind me. I closed my eyes and leaned against the door, calming down my racing heart and taking some deep breaths.

A smile found its way on my face. I felt more than happy that I was not caught by the boss for being too late.

Pushing myself away from the door, I walked towards my desk and sat down in the spinning office chair. Opening my MacBook and checking my mail first thing in the morning.

I had gotten a job as an editor at Walker Books right after I finished college. I have been working here for almost a year now and I love every second of it. I have always loved books and reading, so editing the works of new possible authors was a dream-job becoming a reality.

To put it simply, my job was to read books, edit them, and I was being paid for doing so.

I took the manuscript I started with yesterday and got to work. Being completely engulfed in the story, I forgot all about the man with the stormy blue eyes - for the time being.

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The first chapter is up, my little demons! If you like it please vote/comment and share it with your friends :)

Harlynn is the female main character of my story, what do you think of her so far? And the guy she - literally - ran into?? What are your predictions about what's going to happen? What do you think of my story so far? Please let me know, I love to hear from you :) If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

I will do my best with updating every Saturday.