Max dashed for the house, but veered at the last minute, sweeping across the lawn. She ran all out, stretched to her full extent. In the arbor by the house, she shifted human without breaking stride, and then she was racing fleet-footed and naked through the house.
Gio caught up with her at the doorway to the bedroom. Laughing, he encircled her with his arms. "You know, I don't think you're trying very hard to get away."
Max wrapped her arms around his neck. "I think if you want your reward, you're wearing too many clothes."
He stripped quickly while Max helped. Naked, they fell laughing onto Gio's enormous bed. The house was still slightly musty from being shut up during his absence, but the sheets on the bed were clean and fresh. Max was still vibrating with adrenaline from the run, thrilled and aroused; she needed no preparation beforehand.
As Gio entered her, she arched back under him, her body shuddering with ecstasy and joy.
"My Max," Gio murmured, bending over to kiss the hollow of her throat as their bodies moved together. "My love. My heart."
"My heart," Max whispered. She placed a hand over his chest, where the runic markings had faded to faint silvery scars, barely visible through the curls of gold-and-gray chest hair like traces of old burns.
They went over the edge together, marked by her gasp and his cry.
Afterward they lay stretched out on the bed, side by side, as sweat dried on their naked bodies. It was warm enough that Max wasn't uncomfortable. She had her head pillowed on his shoulder, and Gio lightly played with her hair.
"It's going to be something to get used to, being able to go between here and my clan lands whenever we want," Max said. "I felt like my world was so narrow I could barely live in it. And now it's suddenly become huge."
"It doesn't have to be. Right now, I think all I want to do is settle in for a while."
"I could use something to eat, though. Gotta replenish those calories for round two." She poked him playfully and sat up, remembering only then that the clothing she had been wearing was all at the bottom of the hill. "Where's my suitcase?"
"I knew I should have hidden it," Gio said, propping himself up on one elbow.
Max snorted. She found it at the entrance to the bedroom, opened it and decided to treat herself to one of the colorful skirt and blouse combinations that she had brought back with her from the clan village. It seemed to suit her surroundings.
"I don't want to do anything useful at all today," she said, stretching. "I think we've earned a break. All I want to do is eat grapes and lounge around on the patio."
"You have come to the right place for that, my love."
* * *
Grapes were regrettably out of season, but they ended up outside at a patio table with a bottle of wine and a delicious lunch spread of fresh, crusty bread with cheeses and meats and cherry tomatoes.
"You're planning to keep doing your fixer work, of course?" Gio asked Max.
"Of course. I might be a bit choosier about what cases I take on now, that's all."
"You also have a partner if you want one," Gio pointed out. "Technically, you could take on twice as many cases."
Max snorted and prodded him with her bare toes. "I don't know, I think I like the idea of being semi-retired for a while."
"I have a feeling your retirement will last exactly as long as it takes you to find a hard-luck case who needs your help. Or, failing that, something to blow up."
She laughed. "I'll try to keep the property destruction to a minimum."
"My family estate will thank you for it. Speaking of which ..." Gio got up from the table and held out a hand. "Let me show you one of my other favorite places."
Max slipped on a pair of sandals, and they walked together up a winding goat path that led to the top of the hill above the house. The afternoon light was like liquid gold.
There was a small, sun-warmed stone bench at the crest of the hill. They sat together, and Gio put an arm around her. Max rested against his shoulder.
"I didn't think I could love anywhere as much as the mountains where I grew up," she said, looking across the dusty green and gold hills. "The desert Southwest came close. But this is like the best of every place I've ever been."
"And I have more to show you. When we're both ready to travel again, we'll visit Westerly Cove and you can meet my gargoyle friends there. I haven't even had a chance to meet Mace's baby nephew yet."
He sounded wistful. Max said, "How do you feel about kids? We haven't even really talked about it."
