"The girl that Alice helped yesterday-do you know anything more about her?"

"Not a thing. She'd already taken off on a bus by the time I caught up. I asked, but Alice said she'd only given the girl money, not bought the ticket, so she didn't know where she was headed."

Reese didn't buy it. Alice wasn't one to leave things to chance. "You believe her?"

"Hell, no. Alice is a little too sharp for blind trust."

That Rowdy knew her well enough to understand that rubbed Reese the wrong way. "She told me the girl had a unique tattoo."

"Told me that, too. So?"

Damn it, he did not want Alice confiding in Rowdy. Jealousy was a son-of-a-bitch, so Reese did his best to deny it.

He heard a toilet flush, heard water run. "You still there, Reese?"

"Yeah." Pinching the bridge of his nose, he said, "It could be unrelated."

"I need coffee, so if there's a point to this, let's get to it."

"All right." Going to the requisite tree -the spot Reese now thought of as his "taking out Cash tree"-he leaned against the trunk and gave Cash enough leash to explore. "Peterson found a similar tattoo on another girl."

"No shit? Maybe a new fad, huh?"

"The girl was dead."

Rowdy fell silent. "You said it was like the tattoo Alice described?"

"From what I could tell, yes."

"One girl running, another dead, both with the same tat. That's one hell of a coincidence."

"I know." Since Alice often surprised him by joining him outside, Reese kept watch on the apartment doors while telling Rowdy what he knew about the tattoo. "You think you can keep an eye out?"

"Sure thing. I've already noticed a couple of tattoo parlors not that far from the mall. I'll check them out."

"Thinking of getting inked?"

Rowdy snorted. "Not my thing. But I'm buying a bar, so I scoped out the area."

Buying a bar? That was news to Reese. "You're serious?"

"Yeah. Alice didn't tell you?"

Damn it. There was a lot Alice didn't tell him. "She hadn't mentioned it, no."

"It's not a big deal. I figured since Pepper was settling down here with Logan, I may as well do a little settling of my own."

A bar counted as being settled? To Rowdy, probably. "Is it nice?"

"Hell, no. It's a total dump. But I have plans for it."

Interesting. "I owe you, so if there's anything I can do, let me know."

"Maybe. We'll see." Rowdy paused.

"So...I guess I'm up now after all. Might as well go check on those tattoo parlors.

I think I get the gist of the design, but if you can text me over a photo, it'd help."

"I'm not officially back on the clock yet, so it'll probably be a couple of days before I can do that. But soon as I can, I'll take care of it."

"We're meeting at the station today?"

"Early afternoon." Which would give him time to prepare Alice first. If what she'd said was true-and with Alice, he wouldn't swear to anything-she hadn't been in a police station since the days immediately after her knight in shining armor rescued her.

Thinking that soured Reese's mood real fast. How often did she touch base with the elusive bastard?

"Don't worry about it then," Rowdy said, adding with thick sexual innuendo, "I'll see if Peterson will give me a peek."

Innuendo was wasted on Peterson, but he still chuckled. "She'll neuter you if you're not careful."

He heard the grin in Rowdy's tone when he said, "Later, Reese."

After disconnecting, Reese called over Cash, and together they went in to find Alice. Anticipating a shower with her, thinking of how he'd help brace her for the interview at the station, he walked in...and found Alice sitting in the kitchen.

Eating jelly beans.

"For breakfast?" he asked.

The look she gave him didn't bode well. Body slumped in the chair and her head propped on a fist, she tossed back two more jelly beans while glaring at him. She looked pissed, but when Cash came over and leaned on her leg, she made him feel as welcome as ever.

While getting the dog fresh water and food, she said, "I forgot last night, and then again this morning." She ate more jelly beans.

Hmm. Alice hit her candy the way some people hit alcohol. Reese crossed his arms and leaned against the counter.

"Forgot what?"

She cast him a dirty look and set the dog's dishes back on the floor. Snatching up the bag of jelly beans, she marched into the other room.

Hands on his hips, Reese took in her stiff spine and squared shoulders as she left. She expected him to chase after her, to ask her what had her upset.

As if he didn't already know.

But damn it, he was the one with a bone to pick. Let her stew, he decided, and went about making coffee. He was filling the carafe when she stormed right back in. She ate three more jelly beans while staring a hole in his back.

"Something on your mind, Alice?" He added the water to the machine and turned it on.

"I'm mad at you."

And so she went on a jelly bean binge?

"Care to tell me why?"

"I thought we'd be more comfortable on the couch, away from Cash. I don't want to upset him."

Instead, Reese pulled out a chair.

"Soon as I get my coffee."

Her eyes narrowed. "You want to do this here, in front of him?"

"Plan to shout, do you?"

"Maybe." She hunted through the bag for a red candy. "It'll be better if I just go take my shower while you get your caffeine fix."

Before she got too far away, he spoke softly, calmly. "I thought we were going to shower together."

"Why?" She kept her back to him.

"Did you want to interrogate me more?"

A sneer from Alice? Great. He must've really hurt her feelings, and suddenly he felt guilty. "Until I get all the answers, yes, I'll keep asking questions. But that's not why I wanted to shower with you."

She pivoted to face him. "Why, then?

Did you hope to get busy in the shower, too?"

Forget guilt. It annoyed him that she kept using Rowdy's term for sex.

"Actually, yes."

Her chin lifted. "I was hoping so, too.

I've never had sex in the shower."

Taking two steps closer, the bag of jelly beans clutched in her hand, she lowered her tone from annoyed to more curious.

"How's that work exactly?"

Leave it to Alice to turn him on in the middle of an argument. There was nothing conventional about her, and he liked that. A lot.

Slowly pushing back his chair, coffee forgotten, Reese approached her. She didn't storm away.

Nice. Definitely not the typical female response.

He took her shoulders and turned her around so that she faced the fridge.

Staying close to her back, he aligned their bodies. "First I'd wash you all over," he whispered near her ear. "My hands would be soapy and slick and they'd slide over your wet skin."

She held still and nodded.

So quick, so easy to turn her on. Even in the middle of anger and hurt feelings, she didn't deny either of them.

That was a very special thing- because their relationship was special.

He wondered if Alice realized it.

"Here," he said, caressing her breasts, moving his palms over her nipples.

"And here." He lowered a hand over her stomach, pressed it between her legs.

Her head fell back to his shoulder.

"Would I wash you, too?"

He was already half hard, and with her provoking question, he went fully erect.

He could practically feel her small hands working over him, and he said hoarsely, "If you wanted."

"I would."

Yes, she would. Alice never held back during sex.

If only she was that honest the rest of the time.

Unwilling to have that thought intrude, Reese blocked it and instead concentrated on the here and now with Alice. "After we're both nice and clean -"

"And excited."

Taking the bag of candy from her, Reese tossed it onto the counter. "I'd position you in a way to make it easier.

Like this." He took her wrists, helping her to plant her hands flat on the front of the appliance. "Leave them there, but step back a little. Widen your stance, but keep your legs straight."

Her ass cuddled into his groin.

Biting off a groan, Reese held her hips.

"That's it. Now arch your back."

She did, and he thought he'd lose it.

He trailed his hands up her taut body, over her waist to her breasts. "I could take you like this, with the water running over us." He matched action to words, pressing the hard ridge of his erection to her sweet bottom. "It's a favored position of mine. I can easily hold your breasts and play with your nipples while going deep."

She groaned.

Giving up, Reese said, "I'm sorry if I upset you."

Her nipples were tight, her breath broken and fast. "Okay."