She kept her smile. "One good-bye dinner, coming up. And then when you get back, I'll cook you a welcome-home dinner."

"I love you, you know that?"

She could almost, almost, say it back. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but by the time she was about to release them, Bobby was pulling into a parking spot. They were at the restaurant.

During dinner, they talked about cases, people at work, plans for the summer, the possibility of Bobby trading his car in for a newer model, if he could get promoted from junior attorney.

"Either a newer car," he said, holding her gaze, "or I could switch to a larger apartment."

He took her hand on the table. She let him play with her fingers. Was he getting ready to ask her to move in with him?

Was she ready to say yes?

"Or maybe just an apartment closer to work," she said. Rush-hour traffic was the bane of both of their existences.

The duck tasted great. They had a fun time together. Bobby was gentle, attentive, and he loved her. When, postdate, he asked to come up to her place, she said yes.

She made two decaf cappuccinos.

He flipped through the TV channels and settled on a basketball game. As she brought over the cups and set them on the coffee table, he reached for her and pulled her onto his lap.

"I want you crazy much." He kissed her.

He was a good kisser.

He was also extremely good at manipulating her out of her dress. She barely even realized what was happening before she was in her panties and bra, on her back on the couch, Bobbie over her.

He kissed her neck. "G.o.d, you're beautiful."

He caressed her b.r.e.a.s.t.s through the lace of her bra. He pressed his erection between her legs. Then he eased back a little and put his hand inside her panties.

She unbuckled his belt and slipped her hands in, between the pants and his underwear, cupped him, rubbed her palm against him. He groaned into her ear.

While his fingers played with her, she slid hers inside his silk briefs. He pressed his hot length into her palm.

"I know you're not ready for more-"-he gasped the words in a ragged whisper-"but..." He groaned. "You're driving me crazy."

She wrapped her fingers around his hard length and worked him as he pumped into her hand. Then he bowed his back and came, and collapsed on top of her, breathing hard, laughing weakly.

He gathered her against him and kissed her. "I love you. And I can't wait to be able to do that inside you. I know you don't jump into bed with people easily, and I respect you for that. I love you for that. I'm not going to push."

He kissed her again, this time without heat, with mellow love and affection.

She kissed him back. And decided that next week, after the good-bye dinner, she was going to let him inside her bedroom, in her bed, inside her.

But first, she was going to tell him about her past. She didn't want to have secrets from the first man who'd ever told her he loved her, someone who was working up to asking her to move in with him, and maybe more. Letting him believe that her reluctance stemmed from old-fashioned morals and shyness was the same as lying.

Here was a man who loved her, someone she could grow to love back. They couldn't build their future on lies. She'd built an entire relationship with Ian out of nothing but fantasies. She'd learned from that mistake.

This time, she wanted something solid and real.

Eduardo Eduardo had a name, Ian Slaney, and he had an address. Trouble was, he'd been in DC for two weeks and n.o.body had showed up at the address yet.

He'd picked the lock-no security system, piece of cake-but he found nothing to help him to track down his target. At least he wasn't at a complete dead end. The apartment hadn't been cleaned out: cans in the kitchen cabinets, clothes in the closet, books on the shelf. Maybe Ian Slaney was on a trip and would be back soon.

So Eduardo rented a place across the courtyard, in the same apartment complex, on the same floor. From his bedroom, he could monitor Slaney's windows. Any sign of movement, and he could be over there in two minutes.

Daniela Daniela was swamped between school and work. Ian had called, his usual once-a-week check-in. He'd asked about Bobby. He was okay with the relationship, even encouraged it.

Daniela was glad that they'd found their way back to friendship.

Bobby called every night. Tonight, he was in high spirits. The case he was working on finally moved forward. Daniela suspected he'd had a few drinks out of his hotel room's mini fridge.

"What are you wearing?" he asked.

"Judge's robes and nothing under." A fantasy of his that he'd told her about.

"G.o.d, you're torturing me."

She grinned. "What are you wearing?"

"Legal briefs." He snickered.

She rolled her eyes. But she had a smile on her face.

"I miss you," he said next.

"I miss you too."

She had chickened out of telling him about her past before he'd left. But she was determined to do it right away when he returned. She'd cook for him. They'd have a good talk. Then they would go to bed and see where they could take their relationship.

"So, a cop, a lawyer, and a judge walk into a bar," Bobby began.

She settled in and let him tell her silly jokes for almost an hour, and enjoyed the company.

After they said their good-byes and hung up, she felt restless. She wasn't ready to go to sleep.

She thought about the legal dictionaries and college notes she'd left behind at Ian's apartment and decided to drive over and get them. She wanted to check on his apartment for him anyway. He'd been away for over six months. She had a key. She went over every couple of weeks to make sure he didn't have a leaky pipe or an ant infestation, or...okay, because she missed the place.

She glanced at the clock on the microwave as she headed out. Past nine p.m. Good. At least, she wouldn't have to fight traffic.

She was there in thirty minutes, let herself in, walked around, checked out every corner. Everything looked fine. She cracked a window open to let some fresh air in, since the apartment smelled stale.

Then she went back to her old room-everything still as she'd left it-and browsed through her bookshelf, pulling out the books she wanted.

She ended up with a bigger pile on her bed than she'd antic.i.p.ated. She went to look for a cardboard box. She didn't find any.

She did find Ian's gym bag. He wouldn't mind if she borrowed that. She'd bring it back. They'd probably meet up anyway when he finally returned.

She packed the bag full of books and set it by the door. Then she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. Of course, since the fridge was unplugged, the water was warm. She didn't care.

She walked into Ian's bedroom and regarded his empty bed.

Old emotions, needs, dreams bubbled up. She fought them back, but she did walk over and sit on the rumpled cover. She put the water bottle on the nightstand. Lay down. She turned her head and inhaled. Even after months, his pillow still smelled like Ian.

Longing washed over her, so strongly that it stole her breath. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She shouldn't have come here.

But she didn't leave. She curled up in Ian's bed and fell asleep.

Chapter Twenty.

Ian "Case is rolled up. I'm heading home," Ian told Daniela over the phone. Man, he was ready. Russia was great, actually a lot better than he'd expected, but he couldn't wait to sleep in his own bed again.

"When?"

"Tuesday."

"That's the day Bobby is coming back from Montreal."

She sounded happy. He found himself carefully listening to her voice every time they talked.

"How is that going?" he asked.

"He's been hinting that he wants us to move in together. Crystal says he's going to propose."

A crack formed inside Ian's chest, rapidly growing into a sinkhole. "You should follow your heart."

"I will."

"Congratulations." He winced. He should have said that first. He wanted nothing but the best for her.

She laughed on the other end. "Let's wait with that until the engagement actually happens."

He tried to imagine her with Bobby. Wasn't hard. She had pictures of the two of them posted to her social media pages. Bobby wasn't an ugly kid. They looked good together.

Kid had had good grades in law school. Good job now, with good prospects. No red flags. Ian had run a background check on him and his family. Upper-middle cla.s.s, decent people.

Ian was going to support the relationship if it killed him.

Eduardo Eduardo watched the apartment across the courtyard. No lights on tonight.

There'd been lights a week ago. Not Ian Slaney. A young woman. The cleaning girl? A girlfriend?

He didn't go over. He didn't want to show himself to her. She might tell Slaney that a stranger was snooping around, and then Ian might never come home. Or he'd come prepared. Eduardo wanted to catch the b.a.s.t.a.r.d unaware.

Like Marcos had been caught unaware. Never knowing death would pounce, until they'd brought out the machetes.

Daniela "Dinner was perfection." Bobby leaned back in his chair. "Thank you. Are you ready for your presentation Friday?"

See-Love-Aid was having a big conference at the convention center on human trafficking. The goal was to solicit funds for dissemination of information so people would recognize signs of trafficking and report it. See-Love-Aid was making flyers for truckers and managers of large farms who regularly came in contact with migrant workers. When, months ago, See-Love-Aid was looking for corporate sponsors, Daniela brought the issue up at the law firm where she and Bobby worked.

The firm agreed to a very generous sponsorship. As a result, they were invited to give the introductory speech. But since the lawyers billed about a gazillion dollars a second and didn't have the time to hang out at the conference, they were sending Daniela.

"I'm ready." She put the dirty plates in the sink. "It's just a ten-minute little thing."

Bobby stood to help with the dishes.

Daniela tried to wave him away. The kitchen in her apartment was tiny. "It's your welcome-home dinner. You're not allowed to work."

He snuck his hands around her waist from behind and dipped his head to kiss her neck. "Am I allowed to do this?"

She could feel him harden against her backside as he kept kissing her.

She filled her lungs. Either she was doing this or not.

Doing it. Definitely doing it.

She turned off the water, dried her hands. Dishes could wait.

She turned around and gave him access to her mouth. "Everything is allowed on the day of your return."

His blue eyes filled with hope and desire. "Everything?"

She smiled. "I'm prepared to be fully welcoming."

"Naked and welcoming?"

"If that's how you like it."

"That's how I like it," he said so fast, it sounded like one word.

And then he was kissing her, lifting her, her legs around his waist as he carried her to her bedroom.

Somehow, he got them on the bed without ever letting go of her. And she smiled at him because, maybe, just maybe, this could work.