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It see

Nikki didn’t reh when she awoke she had to wonder if she was really in her right ht

But sleeping so well had been wonderful Noare of her physical attraction to theher room, even to put the coffee on

But she needn’t have worried about the coffee Her guest had started the pot

She poured a cup and found hi," she said

"Good " Those eyes of his were instantly on her She decided to get a firht He studied her gravely, as if he were a zoologist and she were a rare species--but nothing else And yet…

There was so with hi him near her

"Sleep well?" he asked

"Perfectly You? Julian complains about the bed in there all the time"

He arched a brow "It’s not so bad" He sipped the coffee he had fixed hihtest change in his eyes as he frowned "So Julian… is he gay?"

She shook her head, se that people eitherbetween thehed aloud then and realized that the sound was good "Sleeping with Julian would be like sleeping with my brother It’s as simple as that I’ve heard that it’s impossible for amore, but we really are just friends, and always have been"

"I see"

She wondered exactly how much he saw

"Tell me about the people ith you," he said "And who the hell is Max, and where is he in all this?"

"Max has enius when it co work He has ht now Colorado or someplace And the others… tell you what about them?"

"You know Who they are, how you met the you’ve known them… all that"

She wasn’t sure why, but she was instantly on the defensive "You’re asking because of Andy?" she said

"I’et a better picture of the situation"

"They’re nice people, all of the they’re not," he told her, green eyes on her "I’ht you were supposed to be helping with the ent," she said sharply

"I am But I’m convinced that Andrea Ciello was a murder victim, and that the ine why you keep seeing the both of them Not to mention the obvious Two overdoses Heroin Needle marks in the same place in the arm"

"But Andy used to be a junkie"

"Doesn’t matter You know she didn’t do it to herself"

"Maybe I’uilt And maybe you’re in an even worse delusional state Totally out of your er; he just kept looking at her with those eyes that see

She looked away He’d e to touch hiuides? Let’s head over to Madame’s"

"Madame D’Orso’s? That’s where you first saw Garfield"

"I thought he was a bue I’ll have to head back to my bed-and-breakfast first"

"Why don’t you just shower and change here? Julian has some clothes in the closet, and you’re about the sas"

"He won’tthe tension of anger, but she didn’t want hiot to her

"Really He’s a nice guy, and he dresses well I’"

He lifted his hands, then let theo in with him; he could fend for himself She had to keep some distance She barely knew him, despite the fact she’d invited hie to throw herself at theher because of what had happened

And it wasn’t as if he had atteht As far as she knew, she thought dryly, he hadn’t come near it

"Go ahead, shower, take what you need I’ll be out here"

"All right," he said, still looking at her strangely

"What?"

"Nothing, sorry I’ll get ready"

She nodded

A fewof soap and sha even htly daravely

"Of course"

The café was busy, but Madareeted Nikki with her custo the counter

"Nikki, good , you’re the first to arrive Just take your usual table" She smiled at Brent "Hi, I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced I’m Madame D’Orso Everyone just callsher lips<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>