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“What did you find out?” she asked in an afterthought

“Nothing yet But if there’s anything to learn, we should know in a few days” Quint paused at the doorway to flip off the kitchen light

Darkness closed around the fro it as his beacon, Quint crossed the living roo floorboards beneath him

She sighed, a slender hand fitting itself to the ridge of his shoulder “We probably won’t be lucky enough to prove Rutledge is behind it”

“We’ll just have to wait and see”

Truthfully Quint thought their chances were slied hi gun But small mistakes could occur in even the most careful plans

He gave her bedroo open soundlessly to reveal a pool of light spreading fro bedcovers turned back in readiness He carried her to the bed and lowered her onto it Her arhtened their hold on him to keep him there

“Wait, Quint”

But it was the loose softness of her lips that pulled him down, that and the need to tunnel into the pressure of his kiss The contact was long and languid, slow to build to an earthy hunger

Before it did, Quint drew back scant inches “It’s late You’d better get some sleep”

Regret flickered briefly in her eyes Then a tiny frown puckered her forehead “I thought of so Now I can’t remember what it was”

“That’s because you’re tired It’ll co,” he said and braced a hand on the bed to push himself away from it

“You don’t have to go, Quint” It was a statement, issued softly, not an appeal

More than te of her eyes and set ht now”

“I know” Her sled a little deeper into her bed, settling herself in for the night