“Huh.” Okay, now he felt like a certified ass. That’s what the old primal-response thing did to a man, he thought. It made him stupid.
Abby watched him with her mysterious eyes. Energy continued to swirl gently in the atmosphere around her. He realized that he was still running a little hot. An edgy hunger stirred things deep inside him.
“That gadget that you used to stun Nick,” she said after a while. “Is that your own invention?”
“Works on crystal energy. But it can only be triggered by psychic currents.”
“In other words, only someone with talent can use it?”
“Yes. I think of it as a bug zapper.” He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to suppress the restlessness. “This isn’t a good time to talk about technology. We both need sleep.”
Newton appeared from the hallway. He looked plaintively at Abby.
“He wants to go out,” Abby said.
“He went out earlier. I can’t believe you’re in the habit of taking him out at two in the morning every night.”
“Of course not,” Abby said. “But we don’t usually have so much excitement going on in the living room at this hour. Now he’s wide awake, and so am I. We could both use a stroll to work off some of the adrenaline. I’ll take him up to the garden.”
“In your nightgown and robe?” It dawned on Sam that he sounded like a scandalized husband.
Abby was amused. “Calm down. I’ll put on a coat and a pair of shoes. No one will know that I’m in my nightgown.”
Sam thought about saying something along the lines of “It’s theprinciple of the thing” but decided that it would only make him look like a Neanderthal.
Abby went down the hall and opened a closet door. Newton trotted enthusiastically in her wake.
“Hang on,” Sam said, resigned. “You’re not going up there alone.”
They took the elevator to the rooftop terrace, went through a set of glass doors and out into the crisp summer night. Low-level lamps marked the winding path through the elaborately planted rooftop garden. Abby and Newton went ahead, to the gate of the section that had been set aside for dogs.
Sam pulled up the collar of his jacket. At least it wasn’t raining, he thought. Abby was bundled up in a long trench coat. She had on a pair of shoes that his sister, Emma, would have called slides, but they looked a lot like slippers to him.
He watched her stoop down to unclip Newton’s leash. As soon as he was free, Newton hurried through the gate and began to investigate a row of bushes, selecting just the right spot.Choices,choices,Sam thought. It seemed like there were always choices to be made in life. And once a man had made his decision, he was committed.
He moved to stand beside Abby, savoring her scent and her unique vibes. She did not try to put any distance between them.
“Sorry I zapped your friend tonight,” he said.
“Nick had it coming. He had no business sneaking into my home tonight to go through my mail. As long as there was no permanent harm done.”
“He’ll be fine. At least I think he will.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Relax. According to my design calculations, there won’t be any permanent damage.”
She looked up at him, her eyes pools of mystery in the darkness. “Have you ever used that gadget on anyone else?”
“No. Haven’t had the opportunity. But I’ve had some experience with a prototype.”
“Great. Wonderful. I’m so relieved to hear that.”
He exhaled slowly. “Nick asked me if I was qualified to act as a bodyguard.”
“You’re not my bodyguard,” she said quickly. “You’re my hired investigator.”
“Comes down to the same thing. And you have a right to know my qualifications.”
