Musk Rain (by Terri Branson) website exerpt...

[EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 1]

...The rhythm of the rain filled Phoebe’s ears and calmed her nerves. She picked up a wrinkled paperback that had been stuffed in with the hard-bounds. Disappointment churned in her stomach. Eventually she would solve Grandma’s riddle, but now she needed help dealing with Jack. She did not want Twyla to know the truth. Did not want to admit she was afraid of Jack.
     A sensual aroma warmed Phoebe’s nostrils.
     She looked over her shoulder and found a man watching her from the other end of the aisle.
     Dressed all in black, from denim shirt to jeans to dusty sneakers, he made a striking appearance. Long limbs complimented a solid six-foot frame. Shoulder length coal-black hair was woven into a sturdy single braid. A tan complexion and handsome features denoted Native American ancestry mixed with something else. Thick lashes framed intense gold eyes. His aroma was primal and exotic, as if nature had poured musk into the rain clouds and sprinkled in a few pheromones just for good measure.
     Offering a smooth smile, he broke eye contact and ambled forward, like a panther stalking prey through the rain forest, his movements powerful yet agile. In fluid motion, he brushed her with a shoulder. Then a hip. And did not apologize for either.
     Usually Phoebe objected to men intruding into her personal space, but this implied panther’s kiss was nothing short of orgasmic. She took a deep breath to shake off a silly schoolgirl flush, and then turned. To her surprise, he was gone. Only the scent of him remained to coat the store. That black-haired panther was not like anything she had ever seen on the edge of the Oklahoma prairie.
     After stuffing the old paperback into the nearest slot, Phoebe walked to the front of the store. The tiny brass bell hanging over the door had not rung. He should still be in the store—somewhere. Forgoing any pretense of nonchalance, she stalked the length of the store and peered down straight aisles. In the far corner she found only Twyla.
     “Where is he?” Phoebe demanded with an odd mixture of confusion and annoyance.
     Setting down an armful of books, Twyla headed to the front and slipped behind the counter. “Where’s who?”
     “You didn’t see him?” Phoebe followed, sliding up to the old counter and dropping her arms on its scuffed surface.
     “What did you see? Another ghost?”
     Phoebe shook her head in absolute certainty. That was no ghost. “A man, dressed all in black.”
     A small perfume bottle sitting on the countertop caught Twyla’s eye. “Did you put that there?”
     “No.” Phoebe picked up the amber bottle and noticed it was from the small display box in the window. The label read: Musk Rain. “That’s what I was just thinking, musk and rain. Are you sure you didn’t leave it there?”
     “Not me.”
     Curious, Phoebe unscrewed the bottle’s cap and took a strategic sniff. It smelled like the panther, whoever or whatever he was. She dabbed a drop on the inside of both wrists. Then rubbed a little behind each ear.
     “I’ll take three bottles,” Phoebe announced....