Having Faith by Abbie Zanders

capris.  “I didn’t realize I’d built up a static charge.”  It didn’t help that instead of abating, the feeling only seem to intensify as he regarded her.  The wonder remained in his eyes, but it was joined by a grin that slowly crept over his features and made him ... utterly devastating.  Faith caught her breath – again – and averted her eyes. 
    * * *
    K ieran had heard his brothers describe the phenomena several times over, but nothing could have prepared him for it.  That moment when everything changed.  An epiphany.
    Kieran Callaghan, the last remaining eligible male of the clan, had just recognized his croie .
    Unfortunately, Faith didn’t seem to be as familiar with the phenomena.  She thought the lingering tingle she must also be feeling was the result of a “shock” brought about by the build-up of static electricity.  His grin widened further when Maggie’s words came back to him in a rush:  You’ve just got to have Faith .
    Kieran chuckled inwardly.  Maggie’s eyes had twinkled devilishly then.  He should have known.
    * * *
    F aith hadn’t planned to stay for the demo.  It wasn’t that she didn’t like martial arts, but as a woman with limited time and limited means it had been a good opportunity to kill two birds with one stone:  Matt could spend a few hours enjoying something he loved, and she could return to the farmer’s market for some hopefully low-cost decorating supplies and maybe some bargains on fresh fruits and veggies.  Most vendors tended to slash their prices toward the end of the day to avoid having to cart things back to wherever they’d come from. 
    She’d gone from room to room that morning, sketching the designs that had been developing in her head.  Everything from color schemes and fabrics to incidentals.  It was a gift, a special talent that had her mentally rearranging every room, every house, every place she visited.  Except BodyWorks .  This place, she had decided right off, was already perfectly done. Her designer’s mind was serenely quiet here.
    The rest of her was not.  Watching Kieran Callaghan in action was mesmerizing.  Hypnotic.  He was big, yes.  But he was also incredibly lithe, graceful, and, she realized with a start, incredibly lethal.  It seemed strange that that particular word would pop into her mind for such an easy-going man so obviously generous with his time.  But the truth of it resounded through her like a perfectly pitched bell.
    Faith was not the only one in awe.  When Kieran made his final bows to his fellow instructors and the spectators, Faith noticed that nearly everyone else had been as mesmerized as she had been.  And when Kieran winked in her direction, she felt the heated gaze of a dozen envious females, not to mention the curious stares of quite a few men.
    Apparently anyone who warranted the attention of Kieran Callaghan automatically warranted the attention of others as well.
    Faith was uncomfortable with the sudden interest, and tugged Matt out of the large room rather hurriedly.  It was good to have such a tall son, she thought gratefully as they waited beside the massive potted plant in the corridor.  Only the tip of her head was visible over the ever-broadening shoulders of her teenager.
    * * *
    I t took a while for Kieran to make his way out of the demo room.  People were converging from all sides.  The demo had had exactly the response he’d hoped for.  Judging by the amount of people hanging around the sign-up tables and asking questions, he’d be adding more classes.  Though that had been his intent, it was now relegated to the back of his mind.  There was only one thing consuming his thoughts now.
    Getting to his croie .
    She was fast, he had to give her that.  One moment she was there, and the next, she’d simply disappeared.  The natural hunter in him sat up excitedly.  The thought of a brief chase coming on the heels of what had been a flawless demonstration had adrenalin