The Edge

God, Laura, I've wanted to make love with you from the moment I saw you talking to that teenage boy in the library."

    "I wanted you over the chicken satay," she said and tightened her arms around my back. "Yes, hold still, Mac, and let me feel you. I hadn't imagined this tonight, I really hadn't, I-"

    She climaxed. I watched the pleasure take her, felt her tightening around me and knew I couldn't hold on much longer. Wonderful thing was, it didn't matter. In a frenzy, I joined her.

    "It's the two of us now, Laura."

    "That's more than fine by me," she said. "I'm really glad you came to the library, even if you don't know a thing about Latvian drug wars."

    At ten minutes after one o'clock in the morning, we were both awake again, still not going slow and easy but frenetic and urgent. There wasn't any laughter this time, just the darkness surrounding us, Laura's lovely flesh, and the lovely groans coming from her mouth. Afterward I came up on my elbows and touched my forehead to hers. "It's all over for me, Laura."

    "Yes, I can feel that it is."

    The damned woman had the gall to laugh.

    "That isn't what I meant."

    "I know." She kissed my chin, bit my earlobe, and polished it by chopping my elbows so that I fell on top of her again. She wrapped her arms tightly around my back and held me close. "It was over for me, Mac, when you walked into the reference section and made me laugh with the first thing out of your mouth. The truth is, for me, this is a rather incredible thing."

    "Yes, for me as well. I just wish we could have met in a more normal way. Getting poisoned and shot at during the courting period tends to make a guy look over his shoulder a whole lot, and it wasn't even your dad."

    "I forced it on you. Every time I think of all the lies I told you-had to tell you-it makes me furious and sad. Promise me that you've forgiven me."

    "Since I'm lying naked on top of you and you've kissed me just about everywhere, I guess I'll have to. But no more lies or evasions, Laura, ever. Okay?"

    "I promise. Now you make me a promise, Mac. Promise me that everything's going to turn out okay."

    "I can promise you that we're going to survive this, Laura. But how can it ultimately end well if Jilly's involved?"

    She kissed me again in answer, and we fell asleep, her warm breath against my neck.

    I had incredible dreams.

    There were werewolves prowling around outside the cottage, but they weren't trying to peer in.

    I came awake suddenly to the sound of loud banging on wood, and a voice calling out.

    My brain woke up in high gear. I pulled on old cotton sweats, grabbed my SIG off the nightstand, and eased out of bed. Laura was still asleep, sprawled on her back. She was naked and my hands were on her before I could stop myself. I covered her quickly.

    Daylight hadn't made it through the curtained windows. It was dull gray and cold in the small living room, the fire in the grate long cold. Where was Grubster?

    Someone banged on the door again. "Open up. Come on, Mac, open the bloody door."

    I recognized that irritated, sweet voice. I jerked the chair away from under the doorknob, turned the lock, and pulled open the door. Standing on the small porch was Special Agent Lacy Savich, known as Sherlock by everyone except her parents. Early-morning sunlight backlighted her. With all that red hair, she looked like a Titian painting come to life.

    She was on me in an instant, hugging me tight. "Hi, Mac," she said, drawing back, giving me a big smile.

    "My angel," I said, grabbing her up in my arms, and swinging her around. "I hadn't expected you this soon. What did you do, immediately hop a plane?"

    She kissed my ear. "Yes, we took the red-eye." Then she said over my shoulder, "Hello, who are you?"

    I let Sherlock slowly back down on her feet. We turned together to see Laura, in her sweats, her hair tangled around her flushed face, Grubster curling around her bare feet.

    "So soon, Mac?"

    "This is Sherlock, Laura. I got her through her final physical exam at the Academy. She would have failed miserably if I hadn't been there."

    "Ha. He was noted for his magnificent brawn, but I had the brain power." Sherlock and Laura shook hands, Sherlock eyeing Laura like you'd expect a mother to do.

    "Where's Savich?" I asked, giving Sherlock a final hug. "You did let him come with you, didn't you, Sherlock? I mean rather than leaving him home to take care of Scan? He's come in handy before, hasn't he?"

    She laughed and poked