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"Hey, sorry!"

"It’s all right," she ht, I know that there have been horrible serial killers who had neighbors who had sincerely believed they were just nice, quiet people But I knew Carlos And I don’t think so--no matter how it looked"

They had reached the house and he opened the door, drawing her in He locked the door and asked, "Do you want so Kahlúa and creahed "H that ails you," he said He walked into the kitchen and put the kettle on

As the water boiled, he tried to casually look around the house for Bartholohost was nowhere to be seen

Probably out with his lady in white, Lucinda, the new love of his life

Probably still angry with hiht; he didn’t want to be haunted that night

The water boiled Vanessa got out two cups and he procured the tea cups and the whiskey When both were prepared, he suggested, "Let’s take them up to bed"

She nodded "Works for me"

He meant to have a little finesse Give her a few ht comedy But they were still too new to one another Once they had shed their clothing, they made love He couldn’t bemoan his lack of subtle courtesy, because she was so passionate, so urgent, and completely and erotically seductive She see to feel the ultimate in cli, it happened all the ti else to feel the wonder when he lay with her after, so in the world could ever be so co…even so necessary

They drank their tea then, cold, and though she kept drifting to sleep at his side, she would awake again and again with a start

He found the reht talk show The noise seemed to soothe her

She slept next to hie of eternal darkness

Waking with Sean was aht, and she had slept deeply She opened her eyes and felt wonderful He had been on his stoainst his back Great back, broad shoulders, long clean lines, bronze flesh She drew her finger down the length of his spine delicately, waking him i, of course He turned and took her into his arms, a wicked look in his eyes, and they made love to start the day

Afterward, Vanessa headed to Katie’s room to shower and leave Sean in his own space, and once she was dressed, she came downstairs and to the back of the house where he’d set up his office He was there already, telling her that coffee was poured and that when she was ready, they’d go over the shooting schedule and she could tell hi into the kitchen while reading the schedule that Sean had printed for her, she stopped, stunned--as if she’d been hit by a brick

For a ht that she saw the pirate again Tall, lean, dashing, rich black hair, plu-roo out at the day

She saw hione

She blinked There was nothing there Sun strea in played on the dust motes in the air

She hurried over to the coffeepot and poured a large cup She nearly scalded her throat in her hurry to drink it down

Now she was seeing things nearly on an hourly basis And after such a ht of deep and undisturbed sleep

Sean walked into the kitchen to pour hi at her "What’s the "

"Really? You look--scared"

She sh She walked over and hugged hiht add in on your schedule"

"Right," Sean said, sht, walking down to wherenothing Where I found the bodies the next ruesome"

"I like it Write it in Obviously, we’ll fil out, but any scene that you think ht enhance the project, just tellthat he ry--and that, as far as a working relationship went, he was completely confident and co It occurred to her then that they both wanted the sa She hoped theyand made others think, as well

Until that enda

The phone rang, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin

Sean arched a brow to her "Hey, telephone It’s a landline--remember those? Granted, we don’t use them much anymore" He walked over to answer it

She couldn’t be so juet to the project

Sean answered the phone He frowned and reached into his pocket "Sorry, forgot to plug it in last night" He glanced at Vanessa and sot distracted," he said