Page 65 of Tightrope

He let the curtain drop back into place and turned to face her. “Feeling better?”

“A little. But I won’t be able to sleep for a while.”

“That’s not surprising.”

“Now that I think about it, the dream was a little different this time,” she said. “The Death Catcher was wearing a mask that looked like the face of Futuro.”

“I need to get back to Burning Cove so that Chester and I can starttaking that robot apart. We’ll leave here right after we talk to the waitress who knew Charlie Hubbard.”

“I understand.”

A charged silence gripped the room. Amalie was intensely aware of Matthias standing a few steps away, nude except for the briefs and undershirt.

“Last night in the conservatory—” she said.

She stopped talking.

He closed the distance between them.

“What about last night in the conservatory?” he asked.

She cleared her throat. “I just wanted to assure you that I didn’t read too much into that kiss.”

He raised one hand and wrapped it gently around the back of her neck. His touch sent a flash of electricity through her. His palm was warm and strong and gentle.

“Exactly what did you read into that kiss?” he asked.

“I realize that we were both probably more than a little rattled by the possibility that the tire blowout was not an accident. And then there was that man who happened by a little too conveniently afterward. Not to mention that we thought we had gotten a solid lead from the ambulance attendant. The kiss was just one of those things.”

“One of what things?”

“The sort of thing that is brought on by the heat of the moment.”

“It was a very hot moment, wasn’t it?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes it was. Very hot.”

He tangled his fingers in her hair. “Maybe a lot hotter than you intended?”

“Probably hotter than either of us intended.”

“I was fine with the heat.”

“You were?”

“Definitely. What about you? Too much heat?”

“No,” she said. She used her tongue to wet her lips. “It was just the right amount of heat.”

He urged her closer. “What do you say we try it again and see if the temperature feels right?”

The atmosphere was so hot and so charged she was sure they could ignite a wildfire.

“I would like to run another experiment,” she said.

“You’re not worried about the results?”

She smiled. “I used to fly for a living, remember?”

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