51

 

THE RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL, HALF MOON BAY, CALIFORNIA

Nina Simone sang “Wild Is the Wind.” Gwen stood eye to eye with Daniel. Their bodies touched, molded to each other. They swayed together, not speaking. Gwen felt as if every nerve ending were supercharged. She had that heightened sense of reality she felt after riding a huge wave. Jumping in, taking the risk, riding it with utter concentration and at the same time complete abandonment to a terrifying physical force. Beauty, danger, and thrill all mixed. There was an air of contained violence about Dan, a dark intensity she had just glimpsed. She could feel the power in his body. She wondered how it would feel to unleash both in her bed.

“Er, Dan,” she said, pulling back from him. “You’ve either got skills to die for or your phone’s vibrating.”

“Damn!” Dan hauled his cell phone from his chino pocket. He read the message, swore.

“My editor. Mack the Fuckin’ Stack,” he added, somewhat bitterly, thought Gwen. “I have to call him. Urgently, it says.”

Gwen held up her hands. “Do what you’ve got to do. I’ll just quietly self immolate here.”

He grinned. “Never heard it called that before.”

They walked out into the hallway.

Dan’s face hardened as he put in the call.

“Yeah, Mack. Hell of a time.”

Gwen watched as Dan grabbed the hotel pen, scribbled on the notepad.

“OK. I’ll do it. I’ll make sure I fly to San Diego too next private weekend I need.”

He finished the call, turned to Gwen. “I have to go. I am theoretically on call. As is my colleague Sam Sanderson. He just had the brains to fly to San Diego. So I’m the idiot in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Ooh, I don’t know,” said Gwen, snuggling closer. “Felt like a pretty right place to me.”

Dan laughed. “To me too.” He kissed her lightly. “To be continued.”

“What’s the story, anyway?” asked Gwen.

“Body’s been found. Seventeen Mile Drive.”