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Had they really made love for four hours straight?
Anne bit into her own PB&J and laughed. “You know, they do say that the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. But you’re proving to have a really low threshold for quality.”
“On the contrary. You underestimate your skills.”
“Well, then I’m going to have to send Wonder Bread a thank-you letter. And Julia Child needs to watch out for the way I add a cup of water to that can of tomato concentrate.” As she reached for her glass of milk, a twinge deep inside of herself was a delicious reminder of exactly how much exploration they had done with each other’s bodies. “Personally, I think the exercise has made all the difference.”
Because, really, what exercise it had been.
“What we did was so much more than aerobics,” he murmured as he glanced over at her.
Anne flushed with a feeling of well-being. For all the ferocity he’d unleashed, the light in his eyes was gentle. Loving. And for some reason, that was the best part of the sex.
Okay, fine. It was second best to all the orgasms.
“For me, too,” she said softly. “More than a workout, that is.”
They finished their sandwiches in silence, and as she popped the last bite of hers into her mouth, she was fairly sure, if she were to turn the lights out, that the glow in her heart would be illumination enough to read by.
“Tell me,” he said as he settled more deeply into the pillows, “how was your day?”
“Well.” She cleared her throat. Took another sip from her glass. “More milk?”
“No, I’m fine.” He frowned. “So what happened today, Anne?”
“Oh… I…”
Darius took her hand. “Talk to me.”
She really didn’t want to spoil the moment. But between his direct eyes and the way he was holding her palm, it was as if he had opened up a void she just had to fill with words.
When her mouth started to move, she wasn’t sure what she was saying, not exactly, at any rate. But the story came out about Charlie and then her trip down to the CPD’s homicide division. She also shared her fears about Bruce. And her questions about the photographs.
“I wish I could have gone with you,” he said remotely.
“Me, too, actually.” She finished off the milk they’d been sharing. “I just… Charlie was a good man. I mean, not that I knew him outside of work, but even before the Bruce stuff, he never treated me or anyone else in HR or any of the secretaries as less than. He was always respectful. And even though that detective told me not to feel bad, I can’t help but blame myself. If I hadn’t gone to Charlie and told him about all the lies that affected me, he wouldn’t have hired the PI and found out about everything else. He wouldn’t have fired Bruce and then maybe… but I guess it is stupid to think like that.”
Darius’s mouth grew thin. “So they believe Bruce killed him?”
“They’re looking into it now, for sure. And Tim Sulley was not screwing around.”
There was a pause. “Anne, I know this is… tell me, are you worried Bruce is going to come after you?”
She wanted to brush off the question. You know, so she didn’t seem paranoid. Her silence as she tried to figure out how to respond seemed to be answer enough, though.
“If you’re worried about your safety here,” he said, “you need to come stay with me.”
For a minute, she pictured that cozy kitchen, such a haven in the otherwise formal house—and then recalled Fritz, who was so solicitous… and those people who, though fierce, did not frighten her.
“I wish I could.”
“Why can’t you?”
“It’s your boss’s house, right?”
“He won’t care. Trust me.”
“Well, I appreciate the invitation, I really do.” She glanced around her modest bedroom. “But this is my home. I live here… I don’t want to just abandon my place.”
“I’m not suggesting you vacate permanently.” He squeezed her hand. “You could just stay with me for a little while. Until things settle down and you’re sure that bastard is going to jail for a long time.”
Smiling ruefully, she whispered, “Actually, I think I’m worried… that if I lived with you even for a week, I won’t want to come back.”
“Good. Because I’m sure I’d never want you to go, either.”
When she looked at him in surprise, he just stared back at her—and then his eyes dimmed with some kind of dark emotion.
Suddenly… she was scared. Not of Bruce, though. She was frightened by what the change in expression meant. Something was upsetting him, and it was the deep kind of upset.
“What’s wrong?” she said softly.
Darius closed his lids and seemed to brace himself. “Listen, before this goes any further, I need to tell you something about me. A lot of things, actually—”
