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"I think I’d like to check that out for myself, if you don’t mind" The policewoman stepped onto the porch and into the doorway

I turned to face her fro her a rueful sht?"

"I’ I’ll probably have some bruises Did you happen to see my shoe?"

"It’s in the next yard" She returned et checked out?"

"No Thankth" Crap A lisp I’d avoided it before, but soave s she hadn’t noticed before Her eyes narrowed and she gavelook

"What is your naave a little nod of acknowledgment The name was fah to check "Do you have any identification?"

"In --he ht to look for it--and she handed it to me I opened it and shoved aside my travel toothbrush and comb to pull out my wallet, which I passed to Officer Dade She checked out my driver’s license andthe wallet closed and returning it toappears to be in order, Ms Graves If you’re sure you don’t want s It was harder to control h I was trying not to be I fought hard not to react when she flinched "Thank you anyway"

"Sorry for the trouble, officer," Bruno na in the sink "No trouble," she assured hi"

He led her back through the house and closed the door behind her I went back to looking for a corkscrew

"I a in the kitchen doorway, looking frustrated and hurt "I wanted everything to be perfect Fucking Creede, with his winery, and his…" I stepped forward and putoff the floords He looked down and discovered , silent h "That is a really nice dress"

"You’re just now noticing that?" I teased

He lifted his head and I saw that his eyes had darkened with desire "You wore heels"--he took a breath--"and a thong"

"Yup" I was ss" He stepped into ainst the kitchen cabinets

"I didn’t want to ruin the line of the dress"

He drew a ragged breath, his eyes locking with e this evening?"

"Tell you what You fix me some broth and a stiff drink, and we’ll find out"

It was his turn to smile "I can do that"

8

The earthquake woke h it wasn’t a particularly bad quake and didn’t last long It was just enough to rattle the s and knock things off shelves I’m pretty used to them; this is California, after all But even little ones tended to wake ed, and I didn’t know if that was the valy, Bruno was still out cold He was so exhausted I think he could probably have slept through Arain He was finishing his doctoral thesis, teaching classes, and I was betting he washis brother Matty Matteo’s job is to take down -bads But he’s only a level-four h to make him a force to be reckoned with But Bruno is a level nine, and I knew he’d never forgive hi happened to his brother that he could’ve prevented

Bruno needed sleep, and he wasn’t going to get it if I was fidgeting next to hiled --and cli-tail T-shirt, I padded down to the kitchen, straightening pictures and picking up fallen knickknacks along the way

I started coffee brewing and downed a nutrition shake while I waited for my caffeine fix A stack of mail had fallen off of the counter When I picked it up, a photo fell out A sticky note in Bruno’s elina Bonetti is back in town Her annulive you this"

I do not believe in snooping I don’t It’s wrong People are entitled to their privacy