"Look at Dad." It was her father, holding up the biggest large-mouthed bass Annie had ever seen.

"That's huge. You fish in Arizona?"

Sarah nodded. "We fish a lot."

"Good," Annie said, "I've got a boat and we'll go out on Lake Michigan. Have you been out there yet?"

"No one's ever asked me." Sarah covered her mouth, yawning again. "But if you're asking, I'd love to go. See any books you want?"

"You'd give your books away?"

"To you, of course."

Annie gave a little laugh. "Well spoken." She pointed at the family photo. "Does your mother work, or is she retired like your dad? She looks younger than him."

"She'd love to hear you say that. She's five years younger than he is and is a working archeologist. She works for a national museum, actually. My mom is something else. Well, you talked with her."

"That explains your degree in archeology."

"Enter Patricia. Did I have a brain?"

"Your mother sounds very energetic. I enjoyed the conversation, and you're one of her favorite topics." Annie turned to the other wall.

"Sarah, what's this?" She was looking at the photos of crows and the carvings.

a 226 a "You're the first person I've met that likes crows like I do," Sarah said, picking up a small statue. It was carved from black onyx and sitting on a piece of pyrite. "Do you know much about them?"

"Some. They're highly organized and mate for life."

"They're all black. There's no difference in color between the male and female, and they're probably the smartest bird on the planet.

Survivors." Sarah set the statue down. "Annie, let's go sit on the couch.

I can't believe I'm this tired. I'll sleep out there tonight."

"Didn't like sleeping with me last night?"

"Don't say that. I'm just trying to make you comfortable, and you've had a rough day."

"Good, then we'll sleep together. I don't take up much room."

Annie patted her legs, and Sarah collapsed into her lap.

"Oh," she groaned, "this feels wonderful."

Annie looked down at Sarah lying in her lap and knew it would just take minutes. She bent, kissing her, tasting the tang of beer on her mouth. "Go to sleep. I'm going to sit here and shake the dust out of the rafters." She ran her fingers through Sarah's dark wavy hair.

"You've had quite a day." Sarah touched her mouth where Annie's had just been.

"I want to go see that woman in the hospital tomorrow."

Sarah reached up to touch Annie's face. "How are you? I think we should talk. I mean about the shooting and Hamel."

"I need to think about it for a while, actually." Annie's breath hitched. "You shot someone too, for the second time. The thing at the airport, that's just my job, and Hamel? At least I know and it's over."

Annie was quiet and Sarah looked up at her. "Tell me where you've been, Annie," Sarah said.

Annie started to talk about her first winter in Kosovo, watching Sarah's long eyelashes droop and come to rest against her cheeks.

Sarah was soon asleep. Annie sat quietly, finishing her beer, studying the sleeping woman. She reached down, pulling Sarah's T-shirt up just enough to look at the stitches across the taut muscles.

"Dammit, Booker," she whispered, angry tears in her eyes. "You got someone hurt, someone you care about. Sarah, I just found you."

She stared out into the space in Sarah's living room, replaying the woman in the house today. She never thought she'd have to fire a gun in her own home. Then she thought about the woman's eyes just a 227 a before the car bomb. It had been an appraising look, as if she knew she was only a drawing on a piece of paper, another woman from another country. Annie laid her head on the back of the couch and groaned softly. Christ, stop it, Booker. You've got to let it go. You can't solve it.

You can't change it. All you can do is leave it and never go back.

She got up carefully, wiping her eyes with her hands, and covered Sarah with a blanket. Finding a long T-shirt, she took a long shower and wandered back to Sarah's office. She looked at the family photo again, studying it for several minutes. Sarah was a beautiful combination of both of her parents. She had her mother's wonderfully sculpted mouth and her dad's long, lean body lines. But where did she get those beautiful eyes? The photo wasn't clear enough. She reached for a book and saw another photo in a silver frame, a much younger Sarah. She put it back carefully, walked back to the living room, and sat on the other end of the couch, putting Sarah's feet in her lap. She stared out into space, then rubbed her tired eyes, looking back at Sarah. Was it her imagination, or did this woman always smell like the outdoors? Like fresh air and lavender? She grinned and whispered, "Damn straight we'll sleep together, Moore. I think you're officially off duty."

a 228 a

ChAPTER TWENTy-Six.

Sarah woke up on the couch, one low light still on in the room.

Annie was asleep, her head on Sarah's stomach and arms wrapped around her waist. Sarah lifted her head, looking down her own body at the sleeping woman. I've got to move, she thought and ran her fingers through the brown-blond hair lying across her ribs.

"Annie," she said softly.

Annie raised her head, disoriented, and Sarah held her arms out.

She crawled up Sarah's body, reaching between the two of them, and pulled both of their T-shirts up as she moved. She mumbled "better" in a sleepy voice. Warm skin touched warm skin.

"Fall asleep?" Sarah said. She heard her voice shake. Every single cell in her body was moving toward Annie.

"Mmm, still asleep. Want to feel your skin."

Sarah kissed her ear, her cheek, and then her lips. Annie groaned.

Sarah pulled her closer, soft skin skimming soft skin.

"Annie," she whispered just as Annie struggled to her knees, straddling Sarah's hips, and pulled her shirt off. Sarah stopped breathing as the naked woman hovered above her, slender as smoke. Annie cupped Sarah's face with her hands, hair falling forward onto Sarah. She kissed her mouth. Once, twice, and then she stretched lightly and fully on top of her once again. The only sound was their own labored breathing.

Sarah, helpless in front of her own desire, turned Annie over, fingers running roughly over shoulders and breasts, harshly across ribs to hips.

She felt Annie flinch beneath her relentless hands.

a 229 a "Christ," Sarah's voice hitched with an uneven breath. She scooped Annie up, going for the bed. She couldn't believe how little she weighed.

Sarah couldn't have said where her clothes went except that they were gone, and she was kissing the hollow of Annie's throat, a shoulder, and a perfect erect nipple. Annie shivered. Sarah looked down into shadowy unfocused eyes and kissed her, hard, her restless hands stopping inside Annie's thighs.

Afterward, Annie curled into her, talking and kissing her softly.

Her hands and voice lulled Sarah's body. Sleepy with satisfaction, Sarah closed her eyes. Annie had the sexiest voice she'd ever heard.

Annie's soft mouth nibbled on Sarah's skin in between words and hands caressed her hips, across her stomach. Her heart jumped as Annie's soft voice, sweet mouth, and gently aggressive hands charmed her body back into slow, unhurried sex. Finally exhausted, they fell asleep in each other's arms.

v A shaft of moonlight lay across the foot of the bed as Sarah woke, stretching into Annie's warm body, breathing sex mixed with her rainy scent. Annie had quietly, almost shyly, seduced her. Sarah stared at the dark. No one had ever done that before. Emotion shook through her.

Now that she had touched and tasted her, she would always want her, even when she left.

Annie's body trembled against Sarah, caught in a dream. "Sarah, be careful," she mumbled.

"Baby," Sarah whispered, smoothing her hair, trying to wake her.

"A dream," Annie said as she woke. She pulled Sarah on top of her. "A dream about you."

v At 10:05 in the morning, Sarah's cell phone woke them. Arms and legs disentangled and everything moved at once. Sarah grabbed the phone. "Damn," she said. It was Don.

Annie laughed and asked about a toothbrush. Don was talking, but Sarah wasn't listening. Her eyes were glued to Annie's naked body. She a 230 a had to ask him to repeat himself. Twice. She hung up as Annie came back in, a borrowed toothbrush in her mouth.

"Here, let me help," she said around the toothbrush, picking up Sarah's clothes from the floor.

"Damned meetings," Sarah said as Annie tossed clothing at her.

Annie maneuvered the toothbrush around in her mouth, grabbing Sarah's feet, pulling her socks on and finally, tugging her off the bed, ending up in her lap.

"Do we have to go?" Annie looked longingly at the bed.

"Freaking meetings," Sarah grumbled again and then looked at Annie. "Is that my toothbrush?"

Annie took it out of her mouth and kissed her.

Sarah talked about her ranch as they drove to Annie's house in bright winter sunlight. She glanced across the car at Annie. Everything made them smile and lean toward one another. Annie inched slowly toward Sarah. By the time they drove into the driveway, Annie was almost in her lap with her hands under her shirt. Sarah almost drove into the wall.

Walking inside silenced both of them. Yellow tape was stretched across the deck, drawn drapes darkened the rooms, and the kitchen was still cluttered with yesterday's mess. Sarah put her arm around Annie's waist and walked with her to the bedroom. Annie sighed and went to change clothes. Sarah walked out on the deck, ducking under the yellow crime tape and around the side through the snow. The small bottom pane in the loft was still open and Sarah frowned at it. It should have been closed yesterday. She looked at the prints in the snow. The man had gone in first just as he had before, then opened the patio doors for the woman. Sarah followed the trail out to the woods to an old panel truck. She pulled out her phone and called Don.

"We knew the truck was there but haven't had the time, Sarah.

The lab team will be back there in less than two hours. We'll finish up and close this out." She could hear him organizing out loud as his voice rambled on. "Can you make the meeting? We'll wrap this up and get you some down time."

They hung up and Sarah looked at her watch as she walked back to the house. Clouds had captured the sun. She stood on the deck, looking down at the lake. The falling snow looked like fog creeping up the slope.

Bending over the railing, she noticed coyote tracks trailing across the a 231 a snow. She gripped the rail. Annie will leave again, she thought. She's too good not to, and that's what she's supposed to do. She shivered as light snow blew around her.

The doors opened and Annie came out onto the deck, shrugging into her coat. She wore a yellow sweatshirt with jeans and boots.

"Where have you been?" Annie asked. The bright sweatshirt reflected the tan still on her face, like a small sun in the now gray winter surrounding them.

"Trying to see how they got into the house," she said. "The vehicle they used yesterday is out there."

"How did they do it?" Annie walked past her, looking out into the woods.

"The same as before, the garage to the loft. I was driving your car, and they didn't think anyone was here. The crime scene folks will be out soon and they'll take the vehicle. Also, we'll have to close that shutter in your loft." She pointed up at the open window.

Annie nodded, looking down at the lake as the cold wind bit at them. "Look, Sarah, lake effect snow. The wind's shifted, and the lake's snowing on us." She wrapped her arms around her and put her mouth close to Sarah's ear. "We managed just fine in your bed last night. I really don't take up much room."

"You're the first woman I've had in my apartment or that bed."

"I want to be there again."

Sarah put her arms on Annie's shoulders. "We'll finish all of this at the meeting this morning. Annie, where do we go from here?"

"I'm cooking dinner for you tonight." Annie reached for her hand.

"Come with me. I have something for you."

Annie took Sarah inside to the kitchen and said, "Wait here."

Several minutes later she was back, and she told Sarah to turn around as she carefully propped the painting on the chair. "Now, stand over there by the doors, and, yes, I closed the window in the loft." Sarah started to grin. "Take a few steps forward until you're almost against the doors," Annie said. "Okay, now turn around."

Sarah glanced first at Annie's face, now shy, a look that Sarah had never seen before. Then she looked at the painting. She pulled in a breath, stunned.

"It's not done, but-" Annie said, but Sarah interrupted.

a 232 a "When was this, Annie? I mean, I can see it's the couch in the den." The painting of Sarah was like a touch, explicit in its desire.

"The first night you stayed here, after your workout."

Sarah put her arms tightly around Annie, not trusting her voice.

"Okay, now that's a first for both of us." Annie's voice was soft against her ear. "I've never let anyone see a painting before it was finished, and I was the first woman in your own bed. We're even."

Sarah stared at the painting over Annie's shoulder. My God, she thought, where do feelings begin? "Thank you, baby. It's beautiful."

She cleared her throat. "Annie, you were just so unexpected." She leaned in to kiss her. "What time tonight?"

"Just come home," Annie said.

v Annie watched Sarah drive out of the driveway into the blowing snow. The ruined hallway made her edgy, and she refused to look at it as she walked back to the kitchen. Her dad had said he'd come out today and look at the damage. She thought he had his work cut out for him. The phone shrilled in the quiet house, making her jump.