Page 42 of Winter

He nodded and gestured towards the mainland. “That’s why I’m here. Going to camp out in bookshops, have some coffee, maybe catch a band later. You?”

She smiled. “The same. Hey, there’s a great covers band at the Paramount on Ninth and Pine.” Suddenly, she felt shy. “I mean, I’m going, and I don’t know if you’re sick of the sight of me, but…”

Knox laughed. “Would never happen, Scarlett Rose. I’d like to come. I’ve heard good things about that place. Maybe we can grab some dinner before?”

She grinned. “You bet.” The way he said her name made her stomach flip excitedly.

They sat on the deck and talked for the rest of the journey, about music, books, art, carefully avoiding any mention of the murders or what had been going on. It was late morning by the time they got to Seattle, and as they walked off the gangway onto Alaskan Way, Knox took her hand.

Inca toldNancy about the night she’d had—well, the sleepwalking part, not the good part that had come before. She grinned to herself. Her thighs ached and her vagina throbbed with the pounding it had taken. Tommaso’s teeth marks were still on her belly.

God, what a night.

On her break, she surreptitiously took her laptop into the backroom and looked up some BDSM websites. She had never indulged before, but last night had awoken something inside her. She wanted to know more, try more …

“What’s that?”

Inca started and slammed the laptop shut. Luna Rosenbaum grinned at her. “Too late,” she said, and flopped down onto the couch next to Inca.

Inca, bright red, grinned.

“You are a pain in the ass. And where the hell have you been? I’ve barely seen you since you got back.”

“I know. I’m sorry, honey.”

“The English boyfriend?”

Luna grinned. Inca studied her. “So, you over whatever I did to piss you off?”

“What do you mean?”

Inca sighed. “When you came back, it seemed like you were angry at me.”

Luna looked guilty. “I wasn’t. I promise. Not really. It was just that, I thought I would have to keep my distance because of you and Olly splitting, and it broke my heart. I love you like a sister, Inks, and it killed me that you weren’t together anymore.”

“I didn’t do the dumping,” Inca reminded her gently, and Luna nodded.

“I know, and I am sorry. But seeing how you and Olly are still good friends—I came around. I hate that you’re not together, but as long as we can all get along, I’m good. He doesn’t like your boyfriend though.”

Inca was stung. “I knew he wasn’t sure about him, but I didn’t think he actively disliked Tommaso.”

Luna looked askance at her. “No? Becausewhywould he hate his ex-girlfriend’s drop-dead-gorgeousbillionaireboyfriend?”

Inca conceded that, laughing. “That does sound good when you say it. But, I couldn’t give two hoots about Tommaso’s money, you know.”

“I know that. The brother’s gorgeous too.” Luna grinned wickedly. “That’s a threesome I could get on board with.”

“Luna!” Inca gave a shout of shocked laughter.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it. And they’re Italian too—I bet you all the money in their bank accounts, they’ve shared a woman before.”

“Not me, they won’t.” Inca was feeling very uncomfortable now and was glad when Luna changed the subject.

It was later, when Inca was alone in the Sakura—Nancy having ducked out for a moment—that the thought came back to her, and she couldn’t shake it. Raffaelo … she closed her eyes and imagined him being the one fucking her, tying her up, his quiet, brooding nature at odds with the sensations he was engendering inside her …

“Hello, Inca.”

Ice flooded through her veins. She knew that voice. She opened her eyes and felt the blood drain from her face.