Sizzle and Burn

nothing more. Nevertheless, the reality of having him here, under her roof, sent little shivers of anticipation through her.
    “Okay,” she said, opting for cool and composed.
    “Not going to argue, huh?”
    She raised her brows. “A serial killer invaded my home tonight and more or less announced that he is targeting me. I am not an idiot. I am delighted to have a houseguest who knows how to cope with people who attack other people with knives.”
    “Gotta love it when common sense prevails. Are you going to call Gordon and Andrew and tell them what’s going on?”
    She shook her head. “There’s no point. They’ll cancel their trip and sit around worrying about me. There’s nothing they can do. In fact, if they stay here in town they might be in jeopardy. If the freak finds out how important they are to me he might—” She broke off suddenly.
    “Your choice. Where do I sleep?”
    “I made the second bedroom into a library. There’s a pullout sofa bed in there.”
    “I was afraid you were going to say something like that. Lead the way.”
    She turned and went down the hall. He followed her, duffel and jacket in hand. Batman and Robin padded after them, interested in the unusual situation.
    “Maybe you should think about getting a dog,” he said. “Cats are great but they have their limitations when it comes to guarding a household.”
    Raine looked at him over her shoulder. “I’ll let you bring up the subject with Batman and Robin. Something tells me they’re going to be a tough sell.”
    She led the way into the library. Bookcases lined the walls. There was a sleek glass-and-wood desk near the window. The sofa bed, black leather like the rest of the furniture, was in the center of the room.
    She got some sheets and pillows out of a closet. By the time she returned to the library, Zack had pulled out the bed. They made it up together. It was an oddly intimate experience, she thought. But then, everything she did with Zack felt that way.
    “There are two baths,” she said, indicating the door across the hall. “That one is all yours.”
    “Thanks.”
    Unable to think of any reason to linger, she went to the door.
    “Good night,” she said.
    He made no move to stop her but she knew from the heat in his eyes that was what he wanted to do.
    Was that what she wanted? To have him lunge toward her, scoop her up and toss her down onto the sofa bed? Take the decision out of her hands?
    Well, sure. What woman with blood in her veins wouldn’t have wanted to play out that scenario? Life was getting complicated.
    She made it out into the hall without succumbing to the urge to fling herself into his arms. So far, so good.
    Two steps beyond the door he spoke.
    “Almost forgot to tell you. Fallon gave me a lead on Lawrence Quinn. He’s a big blues aficionado. Evidently there’s a club here in town.”
    She turned and went back to the entrance to the little library. “The Alley Door. I’ve never been there but I’ve heard it’s quite popular.”
    “Fallon thinks it’s worth checking out, and since hunches are his specialty, I’d better take a look. Tomorrow night—” He checked his watch. “Make that tonight, you and I are going to spend the evening at the Alley Door.”
    Her curiosity stirred. “Sounds interesting.”
    He watched her with a knowing expression.
    “You like the hunt, don’t you?” he said. “Even though there’s a heavy downside.”
    “ Like isn’t the right word,” she said slowly. “But yes, I do get something out of it. Using my talents is satisfying. I can’t explain it but in a way I need to do it occasionally.”
    “So do I. I’ve come to the conclusion that finding justice for the victims is the way we exorcise the visions and the voices.”
    A sense of intuitive wonder swept through her.
    “Yes,” she said. “That’s it. I’ve never thought about it in those terms but that’s the way it works for me, too.”
    He walked to her and cupped her face in one hand and kissed her slowly, taking his time. When he finally raised his head, excitement was sparking through her.
    “Good night,” he said.
    She managed to make it all the way to her bedroom without looking back over her shoulder. She didn’t need to do that. She knew he was watching her from the doorway. She could feel his eyes on her. Everything inside her got very, very warm.
    A few minutes later she climbed into bed, took the deck of cards out of the bedside table drawer and propped herself