"Who wouldn't be? Of course, as the sister of a police captain, I should add that I don't approve of private citizens doing police work."

"Why not? He seems to get the job done. I wouldn't mind having him on my side." He frowned as she stopped at a light. The streets were nearly empty here, with dark pockets and narrow alleys. "Do you do many runs like this alone?"

"When necessary."

"Why don't you have a driver?"

"Because I like to drive myself." She shot him a look just as the light turned green. "You'renot going to be typical and give me a lecture about the dangers facing a woman alone in the city..."

"It's not all museums and French restaurants."

"Ry, I'm a big girl. I've spent time alone in Paris, Bangkok, London and Bonn, among other cities. I think I can handle Urbana."

"The cops, and your pal Nemesis, can't be everywhere," he pointed out.

"Any woman who has a big brother knows just how to drop a man to his knees," she said blithely. "And I've taken a self-defense course."

"That should make every mugger in the city tremble." Ignoring the sarcasm, she pulled up to the curb and turned off the engine. "This is it."

The quick surge of pride rose the moment she was out of the car and facing the building. Her building. "So, what do you think?" It was sleek and feminine, like its owner. All marble and gla.s.s, and its wide display window was scrolled with the Lady's Choice logo in gold leaf. The entrance door was beveled gla.s.s etched with rosettes that glinted in the backwash from the streetlights.

Pretty, he thought. Impractical. Expensive.

"Nice look."

"As our flagship store, I wanted it to be impressive, cla.s.sic, and..." she ran her fingertip over the etching "subtly erotic."

She dealt with the locks. St.u.r.dy, Ry noted with some approval.

Solid. Just inside the door, she paused to enter her code on the computerized security system. Natalie turned on the lights, relocked the front door.

. "Perfect." She nodded with approval at the mauve carpet. The walls were teal, freshly painted. A curvy love seat and gleaming tea table were set in a corner to invite customers to relax and decide over merchandise.

Racks were recessed. Natalie could already envision them full, dripping with silks and laces in pastels, bold, vibrant colors and creamy whites.

"Most of the stock hasn't been put out yet. My manager and her staff will see to that this week. And the window treatment. We have the most incredible brocade peignoir. That'll be the focus."

Ry moved over to a faceless mannequin, fingered the lace at the leg of a jade teddy. The same color as Natalie's eyes, he thought.

"So, what do you charge for something like this?"

"Mmm..." She examined the piece herself. Silk, seed pearls at the bodice. "Probably about one-fifty."

"One hundred and fifty? Dollars?" He shook his head in disgust.

"One good tug and it's a rag."

Instantly she bristled. "Our merchandise is top-quality. It will certainly hold up to normal wear."

"Honey, a little number like this isn't designed for normal." He c.o.c.ked a brow. "Looks about your size."

"You keep dreaming, Piasecki." She tossed her coat over the love seat. "The point of good lingerie is style, texture. The sheen of silk, the foam of lace. Ours is designed to make a woman feel attractive and good about herself-pampered."

"I thought the idea was to make a man beg."

"That couldn't hurt," she tossed back. "Look around, if you like.

I'm going to run upstairs and check a couple of invoices while I'm here. It won't take me more than five minutes."

"I'll come with you. Offices upstairs?" he asked as they started toward a white floating staircase.

"Just the manager's. We'll have more merchandise up there, and changing rooms. We've also set up a separate area for brides.

Specialized wedding-dress undergarments, honeymoon lingerie.

Once we're fully operational-"

She broke off when he grabbed her arm. "Quiet."

"What-?"

"Quiet," he said again. He didn't hear it. Not yet. But he could smell it. Just the faintest sting in the air. "Do you have extinguishers in here?"

"Of course. In the storeroom, up in the office." She tugged at his hand. "What is this? Are you going to try to cite me for fire-code violations?''

"Get outside."

With her gaping after him, he darted toward the back of the store.

She was organized, he had to admit. He found the fire extinguisher, up to code, in full view in the crowded storeroom.

"What are you doing with that?" she demanded when he came back.

"I said get outside. You've got a fire."

"A-" He was halfway up the steps before she unfroze and raced after him. "That's impossible. How do you know? There's nothing-"

"Gas," he snapped out. "Smoke."

She started to tell him he was imagining things. But she smelled it now. "Ry..."

He cursed and kicked aside a streamer of papers and matches. It hadn't caught yet, but he saw where they were leading. The glossy white door was closed, and smoke was creeping sulkily under it.

He felt the door, and the heat pushing against it. His head whipped toward hers, the eyes cold. "Get out," he said again. "Call it in."

A scream strangled in her throat as he kicked the door open. Fire leapt out. Ry walked into it.

Chapter 5

It was like a dream. A nightmare. Standing there, frozen, while flame licked at the door frame and Ry stepped in to meet it. In the instant he disappeared into smoke and fire, her heart seemed to stop, its beat simply ceasing. Then the panic that had halted it whipped it to racing. Her head buzzed with the echo of a hundred pulses as she dashed to the door after him.

She could see him, smothering the fire that sprinted across the floor and ate merrily at the base of the walls. Smoke billowed around him, seared her eyes, burned her lungs. Like some warrior, he challenged it, fought it down. In horror, she saw it strike back and lick slyly at his arm.