Murder in Marlin Bay

A Marlin Bay Story

by Jinxavier

Rating: NC: 17
Warning: This story contains scenes of graphic consensual sex between a man and a woman. If you are under 18, this offends you, or is illegal where you live please read something else.

Disclaimer: The character of Paul Cosic and others are taken from the New Zealand tele-series Marlin Bay, no copyright infringement is intended.

The terminal at the small airport that serviced the New Zealand town of Marlin Bay was bustling with activity as the passengers from the Qantas plane disembarked, then stood patiently in line as they waited for their luggage. Several men ran here and there between the small groups of travelers, offering rides and recommendations for accommodations. Most of the passengers were obviously tourists, with a lone businessman scattered here and there.

One woman, however, stood alone and just a bit apart from the rest. Her deep brown hair hung in loose waves to just below her shoulders, and the noonday sun caused red highlights to dance amongst the curls. Her midnight blue eyes watched the frantic activity with mild amusement that brought a ghost of a smile to her full red lips. She was not a conventional beauty; her mouth was a bit too wide and her nose a bit too short for that, but still, most of the men in the vicinity cast a few hopeful glances her way.

Andrea Beckett wasn't even aware of their scrutiny. She absentmindedly pushed back her hair, then grabbed her suitcase and hefted it. She secured her hold on the case holding her laptop computer, then moved away from the others as her eyes scanned the available transports. No one was expecting her, and she had no clue how she would reach her destination.

A man was coming in her direction however, his dark brown eyes alive with interest as they traveled over her form. Andi was accustomed to such looks, and usually they annoyed her to no end, but today she was just too tired to care. Besides, she couldn’t help but reciprocate. The man was tall; she thought he might be as much as a foot taller than she, and his navy blue knit pullover clung to his muscular form in a rather tantalizing fashion. His dark brown hair was expertly cut and styled and showed a tendency to curl on the ends. A beard and mustache gave him a slightly wicked air, something the gleam in his eyes only accentuated. From long experience, Andi recognized the man as trouble personified, and she admonished herself internally to watch her step.

"G’day," the man called pleasantly to her. "You’re going to the Lodge."

It wasn’t a question, and Andi couldn’t help but smile at his confidence. "Yes, I am," she admitted. "Are you the driver for the Marlin Bay Lodge?"

One eyebrow arched in response, and his eyes began to sparkle with something that looked suspiciously like barely contained mirth, but he nodded. "Sure am," he agreed amiably. "My car’s just over there." He made an expansive gesture behind him.

Andi eyed him carefully. He certainly didn’t LOOK like your typical taxi driver, but she was anxious to get to the Lodge, so she nodded. "All right."

"Let me get that," he said, reaching for her suitcase.

She handed it over but kept a death grip on her laptop. No one touched her computer.

He started toward the bank of cars, and Andi followed, doing her best to keep up. His legs were probably twice as long as hers were. Luckily she had on her Nikes instead of heels, or she’d probably be flat on her butt on the pavement by now.

The man walked up to a beautiful white Porsche convertible and stowed her suitcase in the trunk. Andi did her best not to gape at the fancy vehicle. No, he was definitely not your typical taxi driver.

"Nice car," she observed faintly.

"Thanks," he said with a grin, then opened the door for her.

Andi slid inside with a small smile. She had ALWAYS wanted to ride in a Porsche. She leaned back, enjoying the feel of the wind in her hair as her driver pulled out of the parking lot. Her smile widened. She could definitely get used to this!

"I’m Paul Cosic," he introduced himself after they’d pulled out on the main highway.

"Andi Beckett," she offered. When his eyebrow shot up, she laughed and embellished. "It’s short for Andrea."

"Pleased to meet you," Paul replied. "You here on holiday?"

Andi shook her head. "Not really. I’m visiting family."

Paul glanced over at her with a slight frown. "At the Lodge?"

She nodded.

"Beckett, huh? Let me guess. Christian."

Andi grinned. "Yep. He’s my brother."

The eyebrow arched again. "Your brother?" he asked, obviously surprised. "But you’re American."

Andi couldn’t help but laugh. "What gave me away?" she teased, then added by way of explanation, "He’s my half-brother."

Paul glanced her way, and she could tell he was waiting for her to elaborate, but she had no intention of doing so. Something about his expression tugged at her, though, and she couldn’t help but ask, "You don’t like Christian?"

He shrugged. "He’s all right. Just not one of my nearest and dearest, you know?"

Andi chuckled lightly. "That doesn’t surprise me. You don’t strike me as Christian’s type."

Paul’s head swiveled around toward her, and Andi smiled at the expression on his face. "I’m kidding," she assured him. "You’ll have to forgive me. I have a very twisted sense of humor."

"No worries," he replied just a bit uncertainly.

The car topped a hill, and Andi caught her breath as a beautiful building was revealed below them. It was a huge, stately place with obviously extensive and well-groomed grounds and a large round pool in the front. "Is that the Lodge?" she asked.

Paul nodded. "Yeah."

"It’s beautiful." Andi straightened in her seat, soaking up all the sights around her. Christian had definitely lucked out.

"I’m surprised Christian didn’t meet you at the airport," Paul mused.

Andi shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "He’s not expecting me," she explained. "It’s . . . well . . . it’s sort of a surprise."

Paul glanced her way again, a considering expression on his face, but Andi kept her own expression carefully blank. He was a stranger, no matter how gorgeous he might be, and she really didn’t want him to know more about her situation than was absolutely necessary.

He pulled the Porsche up in front of the Lodge, then retrieved her suitcase as she stepped out of the car. Now that she was here, Andi was suddenly terrified. She hadn’t seen her brother in a while. What if now, when she really needed him, Christian turned her away?

She followed Paul inside, her eyes raking over the interior of the Lodge. It was just as beautiful inside as out, plush and serene and obviously expensive. Christian had definitely done well for himself. A pleasant looking middle-aged woman with short blond hair came forward as Paul carried her suitcase to the front desk.

"Hello, Paul," she said with a slight tint of coldness to her voice. Andi smothered a smile. She’d been right; he WAS the local bad boy.

"Charlotte," he acknowledged the woman with a polite nod, then indicated Andi. "This is Christian’s sister, Andrea. Ms Beckett, Charlotte Kincaid. She owns the lodge."

"Christian’s sister?" Charlotte exclaimed softly. "How lovely to meet you, my dear. I’m afraid I didn’t even realize Christian HAD a sister."

Andi gave a pained smile. That certainly didn’t bode well for her. She shook the woman’s hand, but before she could do more than acknowledge her greeting, Andi glanced up to see the lanky form of her half-brother staring at her from across the wide lobby of the hotel.

Christian's straight dark hair was impeccably groomed as always, and his features were carefully composed, but she knew him too well to ignore the fact that he was stunned to see her. She tried a smile in his direction, but when he didn’t return it, she let it fade away. She could see Paul and Charlotte watching the tableaux with interest, but she couldn’t seem to break the paralysis that seemed to have wrapped her in its embrace. The moment seemed to drag out for an eternity, but at last Christian took a step forward and in a heartbeat he was across the lobby and gathering her up in his arms for a crushing hug. Relieved beyond words, Andi returned the embrace, wondering how on earth she could have ever thought Christian would have turned on her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked at last. His gaze flicked over to Paul, and Andi noted with interest that her brother’s eyes seemed to frost over. "Cosic," he acknowledged the other man in a barely civil tone.

"I’m on holiday," Andi announced. "I thought I’d come see how the other half lives." She gave her brother a crooked smile, but she could tell he wasn’t fooled. She knew, however, that Christian would never voice his suspicions in public.

"You’ve met Charlotte?" he asked, then glanced pointedly at Paul.

Andi nodded. "And Mr. Cosic. He gave me a ride from the airport." She smiled slightly at the handsome young man. "Thanks."

"No worries," he replied amiably. "Suppose I’d better head out now. Got some business to take care of." He nodded to Charlotte and Christian, and then he said, "I hope to see more of you, Ms. Beckett." He graced her with a devilish grin, and then he sauntered out of the room. Andi couldn’t help but watch as he left the Lodge. She knew he was trouble, but damn, he was a fine looking man!

"Why don’t you put her in Julie’s old room, Christian?" Charlotte suggested, bringing Andi back to the present. She smiled at the younger woman. "I assume you’d prefer to be close to Christian."

"That’s perfect, Charlotte," Christian assured his boss, then picked up Andi's suitcase. "We’ll just go get her settled in."

"It’s very nice to meet you, Andrea," Charlotte said warmly. "I do hope we’ll get a chance to visit while you’re here."

"I do, too," Andi replied fervently. She really did want to get to know the people in her brother's life, and she hoped more than anything that he would let her stay.

She followed Christian into the elevator, where several other guests joined them. Her brother was his usual taciturn self. He spoke not a word to her until they exited the lift and entered one of the rooms.

It wasn't a very large room, but it looked very comfortable. It held a full-size bed covered by a rose colored spread, a small nightstand bearing an older model black telephone, a round table with two ladder back chairs, a large wardrobe, and a dresser on top of which sat a small television. Despite, or maybe because of, the room's simplicity, Andi immediately felt at home and safe. As soon as the door was shut behind them, however, Christian tossed her suitcase on the bed, then turned on her with quiet fury in his eyes.

"What the hell were you doing with Cosic?" he exclaimed.

Andi stared at her brother. "Wh . . . what? Christian, why are you so mad? He just gave me a ride from the airport."

"Jesus," Christian said, running his hands through his hair in agitation. "Leave it to you. You’re in town for five minutes and already you’ve picked up the least respectable male available. What is it with you?"

Andi crossed her arms and glared at her brother. "What a lovely way to say hello. Not ‘I’ve missed you,’ or ‘How have you been?’ or ‘What have you been doing?’ but ‘I see you’re screwing up again, Andi."

Christian glared back at her for a moment, but then he sighed and came forward to take her by the shoulders. "I’m sorry. Cosic rubs me the wrong way, that’s all. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you."

"Why?" she asked, intrigued despite herself. "What’s wrong with him?"

"He’s a crook," Christian snapped. "If there’s anything shady going on in town, you can bet Paul Cosic is right in the middle of it. Seriously, Andi. Stay away from him. He’s trouble."

"I already figured that one out for myself, bro. I do have a brain, and occasionally it even works." Andi couldn’t resist a crooked grin, and she was relieved when Christian returned it.

"So," he said. "What’s really up? I thought you were working in Sydney."

Andi pushed her suitcase aside and sat down in the middle of the bed Indian-fashion as she tried to formulate the best way to explain her dilemma. "Well, I suppose you could say I quit," she began.

Christian snorted lightly, and then he pulled up a chair, flipped it around, and straddled it. "Why am I not surprised?" he said.

Andi’s eyebrow arched delicately. "You’re one to talk. What’s the longest you’ve held a job, Christian?"

Her brother held up his hands in surrender. "Point taken. So what happened? Dad said you were working for Max Hecate."

Andi nodded slowly. "Yeah. He wanted me to design some systems for him."

Christian’s gaze flickered over toward her laptop, then back again. "Computer systems?"

"Yep," she agreed with a grin.

"My sister, the genius," he said with a small smile. "So you had a nice, cushy job. Why’d you quit?"

Andi shrugged. "Got tired of it, I guess."

"Andi . . . "

Andi ducked her head. "Well, things just got a little too complicated. I wasn’t comfortable there anymore, so I split."

"Comfortable? Okay, what was his name?"

Andi’s head shot up in anger. "Why do you always assume it’s a guy?"

"Because, my sweet little sister, it always is. Now who was he?"

Andi cringed, dreading his reaction, but she did answer. "Max Hecate."

"You slept with your boss," Christian said flatly.

Andi nodded miserably. "I know, I know. I’m stupid. But Christian, he was rich and powerful, and it was so much fun at first. We went places and did things I’d only dreamed of. It was like some kind of fairy tale."

"What happened?" Christian asked, his voice softening a bit at his sister’s obvious anguish.

"I don’t know," Andi replied with a shrug. "He was great at first. Treated me like a queen. Then he started getting real possessive. He wanted to know where I was twenty-four hours a day. It was weird; everywhere I went, he’d show up. I know he had his goons following me. Them or that creepy assistant of his, Miriam Anderson. He’d get furious if I even talked to anyone else, male OR female. I felt so trapped, Christian. I couldn’t breathe. I finally just ran."

"Why didn’t you just go to your mother in the States? Or Dad?" Christian asked.

"He knows where they live," she explained. "I’d never told him about you or Marlin Bay. I thought I’d be safe here." She gazed at her brother with tears in her eyes. "I won’t stay long, Christian. I just needed a place to get my head together. To decide what to do next." She dropped her head again and said in a small, plaintive voice, "I was scared."

Christian came over and sat beside her on the bed. He put an arm around her and pulled her close, hugging her tightly. "It’s okay, Andi. You can stay as long as you need to."

"Really?" she asked, looking up into his handsome face with hope filled eyes.

"Sure," he said softly, bestowing a quick kiss on her forehead. "You’ll be safe here," he promised her.

Andi perched on the exposed root of some kind of tree that she’d never seen before as she gazed out over the bay that gave the town its name. She felt a peace inside her that she hadn’t felt in a very long time. She’d knew that Max had been having her tailed in Sydney, and she kept expecting him to show up at the Lodge, but so far, the coast was clear.

She was enjoying her stay in Marlin Bay immensely. She thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her brother again, and Charlotte Kincaid was a wonderful woman. Christian had introduced her to a few of his friends, including one who he seemed to have more than a passing interest in, Ginny Gannaway. The locale was lovely, and the people were friendly. Andi had never felt so comfortable in a place before. She’d always felt pulled between two worlds: her father’s in Australia versus her mother’s in America. For some strange reason, this quiet little New Zealand town was beginning to seem like home. She leaned back against the tree and wondered with a small smile how Christian would react if she decided to stay here for good!

Suddenly, she heard a shout, and she looked up to see a familiar figure trotting down the beach toward her. Andi shook her head in amusement. It was really amazing how, no matter where she went, the chances were very good that she would see Paul Cosic around. He seemed determine to keep himself on her mind. She knew she should listen to her brother on this score, but Andi couldn’t help but be intrigued with the man, if for no other reason than he was devastatingly handsome. She caught herself idly wondering how he’d be in bed, then shook her head ruefully. Would she never learn?

"Ms. Beckett!" he called as he came up the beach toward her.

Andi shaded her eyes so she could see him better, and she couldn’t help but admire the sight before her. Paul wore dark slacks and a white shirt that had just enough buttons undone at the throat to offer a tantalizing glimpse of dark, curly hair. Andi swallowed nervously. Was he aware that he practically exuded sex? Observing the grin on his face as he took note of her obvious interest, she was very sure that he did.

"Hello, Mr. Cosic," she said pleasantly albeit a bit sarcastically. "Imagine running into you in this rather isolated spot."

Paul looked out over the bay. "It’s a good thing I came along," he said pointing out toward the water. "The tide’s coming in. I’d say you have about fifteen minutes before you’ll be cut off." He smiled as her eyebrows shot up in consternation. "And the only way back to the Lodge is back over that hill and through the bush. Not a fun tramp, I assure you."

Andi stood up quickly and brushed sand from her white slacks. "Thanks," she said gratefully. "I didn’t realize that."

"No worries," he replied pleasantly. "I’ll just walk you back."

Suppressing a sigh, but not wanting to be rude, Andi nodded then fell in step beside him. "What were you doing out here?" she asked.

Paul shrugged. "I saw you head out this way. I was at the Lodge."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," he agreed amiably. "I had to meet a friend there."

Andi suppressed a smile. Everyone she’d met seemed determined to let her know exactly how much they DIDN’T like Paul. She had yet to meet a single person that considered the man a friend.

"Are you enjoying your stay?" he asked. "I hear they’ve put you up in the servants' quarters rather than the main Lodge."

Andi fought to keep a straight face. "Checking on me, Mr. Cosic?" she asked.

"Call me Paul . . . please," he replied, then added, "No, I just overheard someone mention it, that’s all."

"I see."

"You’re the talk of the town, you know?" he continued. "First, you’re American. Second, you’re related to Christian, and no one knew anything about his family, and third, you’re a beautiful woman. The gossip hasn’t stopped since you got here."

Andi flushed a bit at the compliment, but she chose to ignore it. "It must be incredibly boring here if I’m all the locals have to talk about," she observed airily.

"Not at all," Paul disagreed in a smooth voice that sent shivers down her spine. "Everyone is fascinated." He paused, and then he added softly, "Including me."

Andi glanced at him and immediately became ensnared by those beautiful chocolate brown eyes. She forcibly dragged her gaze away and took a deep breath, trying to quiet the sudden chaos in her mind.

"I was hoping we might have dinner together some night," he said.

"Mr. Cosic," Andi began.

"Paul," he reminded her.

"Mr. Cosic," she repeated firmly. "I came to Marlin Bay because I needed to get away from a bad relationship. I’m not looking for a replacement."

Paul studied her for a moment, and then he smiled slyly. "I wasn't necessarily offering you a relationship, Ms. Beckett. Just dinner."

Andi gaped at him for a moment, and then she blushed hotly. She began to walk faster, but Paul caught up with her in two long strides.

"Seriously," he continued. "Would it be so terrible to have dinner with me? I promise I don’t bite."

Andi couldn’t resist a jab in his direction. "Oh," she retorted softly. "I’m disappointed."

His eyebrows shot up, and she burst out laughing. "I told you I had a twisted sense of humor."

"Is that a yes then?"

Andi shook her head. "I really don’t think that’d be a good idea."

"Let me guess," he supplied. "Christian’s been filling you in about me."

Andi shrugged and said nothing.

"So do you always do what your big brother tells you to?" he asked nonchalantly.

Andi immediately bristled, and she started to open her mouth to retort, but then she caught the twinkle in his eyes and realized what he was trying to do. "Oh, no," she said with a laugh. "I’m not THAT easy."

Paul’s lips curved in a seductive smile. "Now I’m the one who’s disappointed," he said softly.

They gazed at each other for a moment, and Andi felt her heart began to speed up. The moment seemed suspended in time, until a shout from up ahead woke her from whatever spell Paul had cast. They had almost reached the Lodge grounds, and when Andi looked that way, she saw her brother jogging down the beach toward them. Even from a distance she could tell that Christian was not a happy man.

He ran up to them, breathing heavily. "Where have you been?" he complained to his sister. "I've been looking for you everywhere."

Andi suppressed a sigh. "I just went for a walk, Christian." She pointedly ignored the skeptical look her brother shot her and the accusation in his eyes as he glanced at Paul. "What'd you want?" she asked.

Christian's expression grew even more serious than usual. "Come on up to the Lodge, and I'll tell you."

"Jesus," Andi swore softly. "Stop with the mystery, Christian. Just tell me."

Her brother let out a long breath, and his expression hardened, but at last he spoke. "It's Max Hecate. He's here."

Andi's heart seemed to stop for a moment. Then it began to beat so rapidly she could barely breathe. "Max?" she whispered. "Oh, God."

"You know Max Hecate?" Paul inquired. Two heads snapped around to stare at him. "What?" he asked, perplexed at the sudden attention.

"How do you know him?" Andi demanded, suddenly frantic.

"Hey!" Paul said, holding up his hands in surrender. "He's an old . . . business partner. I haven't seen him in years."

Andi stared at him, trying to determine the truth behind his words. He seemed sincere, but she'd heard enough about Paul not to take anything he said at face value. She began to gnaw on a thumbnail in agitation. "Well, maybe he's just here for a visit," she mused. "Maybe it doesn't have anything to do with me. If I keep a low profile . . .?" She trailed off as Christian shook his head.

"He's already asked me about you," her brother stated.

"You didn't tell him I was here!" Andi exclaimed, stunned.

"Andi, he already knew. I didn't tell him anything."

"Then I'm out of here," she snapped, then began to stalk away toward the hotel. Her brother's next words, however, stopped her in her tracks.

"Are you going to run away the rest of your life?" he called after her.

Andi turned on him, her expression a mixture of fury and fear. "I'm not running away," she retorted defensively.

"Yes, you are. As usual," Christian said.

Andi's temper flared. "You have no clue what you're talking about, Christian. You don't know this man. He doesn't take losing well. If I’m running, it’s because I really prefer to stay alive a little while longer."

Christian stared at her, stunned. "There's more to this than a love affair gone bad," he observed at last.

Andi shrugged and said nothing.

Christian rubbed his temples as if he had a massive headache. "Look, just don't panic. Let's find out what's he's after. You can't run forever, Andi."

"He's right," Paul interjected. "Whatever you've done . . . " He paused when Andi bristled and amended, "Or he THINKS you've done, you'll be just as safe here as anywhere else."

Andi shook her head. "You don't know him."

"Oh, yes, I do," Paul countered solemnly. "I know exactly what a bastard Max Hecate is."

"Paul's right," Christian added, even though Andi could tell it was quite an effort for him to agree with the man. "You'll be safe here."

Andi wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly cold. Her instincts were begging her to flee, but she really had no where else to go. "Okay," she agreed at last. "I’ll stay." She gazed into the distance, her mind in turmoil. "I hope you’re right, Christian. You just don’t know Max and how he works. He is nothing if not relentless. The last guy I knew who crossed him ended up having a fatal accident." A shiver coursed down her spine. "Let's pray no one ends up dead THIS time."

Christian managed to extract her away from Paul and get her back to the Lodge without running into Max. Andi stayed in her room the rest of the day brooding. She’d made a date with Ginny Gannaway for a night on the town, and her first reaction was to cancel. She thought about it for a while, though, and finally she realized that Christian was right. She couldn’t run away forever. She wasn't going to stay shut up in her room like a prisoner because of Max Hecate. She was going out tonight, and she would have the best time of her life!

Ginny picked her up that night in her little jeep and drove her all around the town, pointing out the hot spots of Marlin Bay. They ended up at the local pub, The Striped Marlin, a homey place with a long bar, tables scattered all over the place, and several pool tables. She and Ginny shot some pool, then settled down at a table to visit.

"So what do you think about Marlin Bay?" Ginny asked, taking a long pull on her beer.

Andi smiled. "I love it. I feel like I’ve found a little slice of paradise." She paused, and then she asked in an offhand manner, "Ginny? Tell me about Paul Cosic."

Ginny took another swallow of beer as if to buy some time. She shifted a bit uneasily in her seat, and then she said, "Yeah, Christian mentioned that Paul had been sniffing around you."

Andi snorted. "Christian still thinks I’m twelve."

"Well," Ginny said carefully. "In this case, he has good reason to be concerned. Paul is . . . trouble."

Andi leaned back in her chair and studied Ginny thoughtfully. "You two were lovers, weren’t you?"

Ginny’s eyebrows rose. "Is it obvious?" she asked.

Andi grinned. "Yeah. Besides, Christian’s dead jealous of Paul, and I know that doesn’t have anything to do with me. Since you’re the only woman he ever talks about, I figured it must be because of you."

"Paul and I were together a little while," Ginny agreed reluctantly. "Biggest mistake I ever made in my life. And I knew better going in. Hell, he BLACKMAILED me into going out!"

"What?" Andi asked incredulously. "He blackmailed you?"

Ginny nodded. "To pretend to be his fiancée to please his grandmother." She laughed shortly. "Long story. You remember when that maniac Jerry Walters broke into the Lodge and held us all at gunpoint?"

"Oh yeah," Andi agreed. "Dad told me about that."

"Well, it all started then. It ended when Paul got me involved in a phony passport scam."

"Good Lord," Andi breathed. "He IS bad news." She shook her head and upended her beer, draining the bottle. "Too bad he’s so damned good looking."

Ginny shot her a quick grin. "And knows it too."

Andi leaned closer and lowered her voice. "So was he decent in the sack?" she asked.

Startled, Ginny burst out laughing. "Oh, yeah. Kind of made it all worth while, you know?" They were still laughing together when two men came up to their table.

"Andi, this is Tom and my Uncle Matt," Ginny introduced the two men, then held out a hand toward Andi. "This is Andi Beckett."

"Pleased to meet you," Matt, the younger of the pair, was a large Maori who bore more than a faint resemblance to his niece.

"So you're Christian Beckett’s American sister," the older man, Tom, said. "About time someone brought you around and showed you the real Marlin Bay."

The four of them chatted for a while and were soon joined by a few other locals. After a couple of beers, Andi was feeling very loose, and she wasn’t sure exactly how it happened, but she managed to get herself talking into a drinking contest. After the third comment about Yanks being unable to hold their liquor, she’d taken the challenge. She'd done herself proud, but unfortunately, by the time it was all over, she could barely walk. Matt and Tom both seemed much too sober to have drunk as much as they claimed, and Andi suspected that they’d cheated somehow. Ginny was none too steady herself, so after some discussion, it was decided that Matt would take Andi back to the Lodge.

"You’ll be fine," Ginny assured Andi as her uncle headed out the door to bring his truck around to the front door of the pub. "Matt’ll get you home in one piece."

"Thanks, Ginny," Andi said, trying to ignore the way her head was spinning. She laughed softly. "God, I haven’t been this drunk in forever. Remind me not to get in a drinking contest with you guys ever again."

"You got it," Ginny replied with a grin. "Tell Christian hello for me."

"Sure thing," Andi said, then headed for the door, trying her best not to weave TOO badly.

She pushed through the door and gazed around in confusion. She couldn’t see Matt OR his truck anywhere. She was just about to give up and go back inside, when a very familiar white Porsche pulled up in front of her.

"Need a lift?" Paul asked with a grin.

Andi shook her head and tried to ignore the way the man’s mere presence made her heart pound. "Matt’s taking me home," she said.

Paul’s grin widened. "No, he’s not. He had to leave. I told him I’d take care of you."

Andi’s eyebrow arched. "What’d you do, Cosic? Blackmail him?"

Paul laughed. "Whatever works." He leaned over and pushed the passenger side door open. "Come on. I’ll get you home."

"I don’t think I trust you," Andi retorted. "How'd you even know I was here?"

Paul just continued to grin at her in that annoyingly cute way. Andi knew she should turn around and go back inside, but she was just drunk enough to ignore her good sense. Taking a deep breath, she climbed into the car.

"I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself," Paul assured her, but then he added, "Unless, of course, you don’t want me to."

Andi shot him a haughty glare, but he simply laughed and pulled out of the parking lot.

She put her head back and gazed upward, enjoying the feel of the warm wind whipping through her hair. The sky was a blue-black bowl overhead, sprinkled with a million points of light. "I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many stars at one time," Andi observed.

Paul glanced at her then up into the sky. "Comes from being out of the city," he explained. "There aren’t a lot of bright lights in Marlin Bay."

Andi turned her head to look at him. Her gaze traced over the dark curls, the fine etching of laugh lines around his beautiful brown eyes, the deeper cut of a dimple beside his mouth, the scruffy beard on his face. She lingered on the fullness of his lips, wondering how they’d feel covering hers. Suddenly, she was having a little trouble breathing. She shook her head to clear it a bit and asked, "Why do you stay here? I’d think you’d be in a major city somewhere."

Paul shrugged. "I like it here," he explained. "Too many people in the city."

Andi laughed softly. "Too many people who might take a closer look at some of your ‘business’ ventures is what you mean."

Paul shot her a pained look. "You really have a terrible opinion of me, don’t you? Do you always listen to what everyone else tells you?"

Andi sighed. "Not as much as I should. I’m notorious for ignoring good advice."

"Good," he said softly.

Andi couldn’t help but laugh, but it died away as she realized that he’d just passed the turnoff for the Lodge. "Where are you going?" she asked, faint panic filtering through her drunken haze.

"You’ll see," he replied mysteriously, then flashed her a reassuring smile. "You’re safe, Andi. I’m not THAT bad."

Andi wasn’t so sure about that, but she kept her mouth shut. She laid her head back again and shut her eyes. The combination of the alcohol and the late hour were making her sleepy, but even with her eyes closed she could feel his presence beside her in the small car. Flashes of fantasies danced across the dark screen of her mind, each and every one starring her companion.

At last Paul pulled to a stop and turned off the ignition. Andi opened her eyes, and her mouth fell open in shock.

He’d driven her to one of the hills that surrounded Marlin Bay, one that looked out over the bay itself. The water seemed to glow with some internal light, and the moonrays chased each other across the water as if playing tag on the dark, smooth surface. Stars flared brilliantly in the sky above them, tiny jewels scattered on black velvet.

"It’s breathtaking," she said in a voice filled with awe. "I’ve never seen anything so beautiful."

Paul leaned over toward her and lightly touched her face. "I have," he observed softly.

Andi gazed into his dark eyes, her heart pounding at the desire she saw there. She knew she should get out of the car and as far away from him as possible, but she simply couldn’t move. His lips descended and brushed against hers, a light touch, but enough to send a jolt of electricity shooting through her body. Pure unadulterated lust surged through her, shocking in its intensity. She shook her head, not wanting to admit how much she wanted him, but his lips were on hers again, more demanding this time, and at last she gave up. She entwined her arms around his neck and returned his kiss with growing abandon.

She was breathless when she pulled away at last. She laughed, a little unsteadily. "Not fair. You’re taking advantage of a drunk woman."

"You’re not that drunk," Paul pointed out with a small smile. "And I’m not doing anything you don’t want me to."

Andi let out a long, slow breath. "God, you’re arrogant."

Paul grinned. "No. Truthful. Admit it. You want me as much as I want you."

Andi started to shake her head, but his mouth covered hers again, stealing all coherent thought. Her body felt curiously boneless, almost liquid. A heat was building up in the center of her being, and she knew that if she didn’t stop him soon, it was going to be too late to stop at all.

"Paul," she protested, pulling away, but his lips insistently returned to hers. His tongue slipped into her mouth, sending another jolt of electricity through her body, and all her good sense took full flight. She molded herself to him, running her hands over his chest and arms, glorifying in the strong muscles she could feel there. She entwined her fingers in his dark curls, tugging on them to pull him closer.

It was Paul who broke the kiss this time. His lips began a blazing trail down her neck. Andi’s eyes were shut tightly as she reveled in the feel of his mouth on her, when suddenly, he asked softly, "Why is Max Hecate so interested in you?"

She jerked, stunned. "Wh . . . what?" she stuttered. She shook her head, trying to clear the alcoholic and sexual daze that was clinging to her. She couldn’t think, and suddenly she knew that it was IMPERATIVE she do so.

Paul pulled back to look down at her, his face curiously devoid of emotion. "What’s Max got on you?" he asked. "I know you said you left Sydney because of a bad relationship, and I know Max doesn’t like to lose things he thinks are his, but you’re scared of him. There’s more to this than you're letting on."

Andi pulled away from him, her mind racing. "I don’t know what you’re talking about," she said faintly, trying to buy time.

"Well, let’s try this one," Paul continued in a low voice. "What do you know about SecureCom?"

Now Andi’s shock was complete. "Where’d you hear about that?" she hissed, moving as far away from him as she could in the small car.

Paul smiled thinly. "I do my homework, Ms. Beckett," he informed her. "I know you worked for Max in the software division of the Sydney branch of Hecate Enterprises. I know you were lovers. I know you were working on a project to detect and plug security breaches in computer systems."

Andi stared at him in utter horror. "You’re working for Max," she breathed.

Paul shook his head. "Hardly. We can barely stand being in the same room with each other. If I had an accident and died tomorrow, Max would more than likely throw a party. Come to think of it, I'd do the same if HE died." He paused, then said, "I have . . . connections. I was interested in you. I asked around."

"No one knows about SecureCom," she whispered.

"You’d be surprised what information you can dig up if you ask the right questions." He studied her thoughtfully. "So why’d you leave?"

Andi shrugged. "Guess I didn’t like the job. Or the man."

Paul laughed shortly. "Not good enough, Andi. If you'd just quit, he wouldn’t have come after you. What’d you take?"

Andi stiffened. "Nothing," she whispered. "I took nothing."

Paul simply gazed at her stoicly, obvious disbelief on his face.

"How do I know you’re NOT working for Max?" she asked at last.

"I don’t work for anyone," Paul retorted. "I’m my own boss."

"Right," Andi snorted. "I’ve heard a lot about you, Cosic. I bet if Max offered you enough money, you’d do anything he asked."

Paul’s eyebrow arched. "I’m hurt you have such a low opinion of me," he said sarcastically, and then his features hardened. "I doubt Max would ever offer me anything. The man’s a . . . " he trailed off, fury darkening his eyes until they seemed almost black. "Let’s just say that he'd better stay FAR away from me. If he knows what’s good for him."

Andi studied her companion carefully. He seemed sincere. Heaven knows she’d seen that look before when people talked about Max. The man made more enemies than he did friends. There'd even been a rumor circulating before she left Sydney that Max had managed to put one over on some Mafia type in Melbourne resulting in the man putting a contract out on him. She knew that Paul's hatred was more than likely on the up and up, but she’d also heard enough about him to know not to take what he said at face value. Unfortunately, she needed help right now and maybe the kind of help that only someone like Paul Cosic could provide.

"I wiped it all," she explained. "All the code. All the backups. The only thing left of SecureCom is here." She tapped the side of her head.

Paul gaped at her. "You’re kidding, right?"

Andi shook her head. "That’s why he’s so mad. He’ll eventually be able to reconstruct it, I suppose. There were a couple of guys who worked with me. They had a vague idea where we were headed. But it’ll take time and cost him a lot of money."

Paul shook his head in amazement. "I don’t understand why you did it. From the bits and pieces I picked up, that program stood to make Max millions. The government was even interested in it. You worked for him, and you were lovers. You would have seen some of the money."

"This has nothing to do with the money," she said in exasperation. "Hell, I’ll be the first to admit that I would have LOVED to have gotten rich off this thing."

"Then what was the problem?" Paul asked, confused.

"It’s what he was planning to do with the software," she explained. "We had several test companies that we were trying it out on. Max had one of his pet geeks do some modification to one of the modules. While the program was checking for leaks, it left its own hooks."

Paul gazed at her blankly, and Andi sighed harshly. "Don’t you see? Any system that used the SecureCom program would then be wide open for Max to sneak into. And the hooks were almost undetectable. I missed it on the first two trials, and I’m one of the best."

"What about that other guy? The one who did the modifications? Doesn’t he know enough about it to recreate it?"

Andi shook her head. "Nope. The majority of the code was mine. I worked on it by myself, doing most of it on my stand-alone system at work and my laptop. I had it all encrypted so no one else could access it. It was all very hush hush BECAUSE the government was interested."

"And you deleted it all?"

Andi nodded. "From the test systems and from my computer at Hecate Enterprises. I even erased the backup tapes." She gave a harsh laugh. "And I know I must have done a pretty decent job of it, or Max wouldn’t be here after me."

Paul leaned back in the Porsche and stared up at the night sky. Somehow, though, Andi thought he wasn’t seeing the stars. "Could YOU recreate it?" he asked in an offhand manner.

Andi gaped at him. "No, Cosic," she warned. "Don’t even go there."

"Why not?" he asked, casting a long, speculative look her way. "Marlin Bay would be a perfect place for you to open a software company."

"With you as a partner?" Andi asked dryly.

Paul grinned. "Well, I DO have money to invest." He sat up, suddenly excited. "Just think about it," he urged. "We’d get richer than you ever imagined. With my money and business connections and your brains, we’d make a killing."

Andi shook her head. "There’s a problem, Cosic. Max doesn’t like to be crossed. He considers that software his."

Paul’s brow furrowed in thought. "Did you sign anything? Could he sue if you rewrote it?"

Andi laughed. "I’m not all that worried about being sued. Max HATES lawyers. No, he'd deal with it in his own way. And that worries me a hell of a lot more than being sued."

Paul nodded absently. "You’re right. He couldn’t sue you anyway. If it got out what he planned to do with the software, he’d be the one in trouble with the law." He cast her a sidelong glance. "You DID keep proof of what he was doing?"

Andi grinned wryly. "Of course. I may have wretched taste in men, but my brain is in first class condition."

Paul reached over brushed her dark curls away from her face. "I think you have pretty decent taste in men," he said softly, then bent his head to kiss her again.

Andi pulled away, fighting the incendiary attraction his touch seemed to elicit in her despite everything. "I’m not falling for this a second time," she warned.

"Falling for what?" he asked innocently.

"You’re only interested in me because of SecureCom," she pointed out.

Paul laughed softly and pulled her into his arms. His lips descended on hers again, devouring her. When he broke the kiss at last, he whispered, "I wanted you before I had even HEARD about SecureCom. You’re beautiful, Andi."

"I have to think," Andi said breathlessly. "I can’t think right now. I drank too much, and I don’t seem to use my good sense very well when you’re around."

Paul chuckled and kissed her lightly on the top of her head. "Okay," he admitted defeat. "I’ll take you back to the Lodge." He sobered suddenly and placed a finger under her chin. He tilted her face up and gazed into her eyes with a serious expression on his handsome face. "Andi," he cautioned. "You need to be very careful."

"I will be," she assured him.

Paul’s eyes seemed to bore into hers, but at last he nodded. "Good. I’ll come to the Lodge tomorrow, and we can have tea."

"Paul," Andi began, but he touched a finger to her lips, quieting her.

"I WANT Max to see us together," he explained. "Let the bastard sweat a little." He replaced his finger with his lips, then whispered, "Trust me, okay?"

Andi hesitated for a moment, but then she nodded her acquiescence. Paul gave her another quick kiss, and then he turned the key and started the Porsche.

The drive passed in silence, and when they pulled up in front of the Lodge, Paul began to climb out, but Andi stopped him. "No," she said. "You don’t have to walk me in."

"You sure?"

Andi nodded. "I’ll just slip down the back stairs. I don’t want to talk to Max OR Christian."

Paul’s expression turned grim. "You haven’t told Christian any of this?" he asked.

Andi shook her head. "I didn’t want to worry him."

"Good," Paul breathed. "Let’s keep it that way." He leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Be careful, and I’ll see you tomorrow. How’s one sound?"

"Fine," Andi agreed. She started to get out of the car, then leaned back in and gave Paul a fierce kiss full on his sensuous mouth, surprising him. "Thanks," she whispered, and then she slipped out of the car and into the Lodge, leaving him smiling after her.

Andi stayed close to her room the next morning. Thank God Christian had errands to run in town so she didn’t have to answer any of his questions about the night before. As far as she knew, he didn’t even know she’d been with Paul. She didn’t think one o’clock would ever get there, but it did at last, and she slipped out of her room and headed up to the main dining room of the Marlin Bay Lodge.

Paul was at the bar waiting on her, looking very casual, but still devastatingly handsome, in blue jeans and a dark burgundy pullover. His face lit up when he saw her, and Andi had to suppress a grin. Was it she that made him look like that, or the money he thought she might make him? And would she ever know for sure? Her gaze wandered over his form, lingering on the muscles so prominent in his arms and the rather interesting way his jeans fit. Oh, well, if nothing else, she ought to enjoy herself.

Paul came over and gave her a quick kiss. "I’ve got us a table," he announced, pulling her over to a small table for two that sat almost perfectly in the center of the room. He obviously WANTED to be noticed. Andi suppressed a groan, but she sat willingly enough when he held out her chair.

"I don’t see your brother," Paul said as he took his own seat.

"He’s in town running errands," Andi explained.

"Good," Paul muttered. "He’s not going to be happy about this."

Andi started to retort, but suddenly her throat went so dry that couldn’t speak. Her face drained of color, and Paul turned around to see what had captured her attention.

Max Hecate stood in the doorway of the dining room, almost overpowering the room with the sheer force of his presence. He was a tall man, and although he wasn’t overly muscular, he was still in good shape. His dark hair was cut almost military short, and a hint of gray at each temple added a distinguished air. His features would have looked at home on a Roman coin from his patrician nose to the deep cleft in his chin. His murky green eyes cased the room, missing nothing, and at last came to rest on Andi and Paul.

Paul turned back and took Andi’s hand in his. "Hey," he called to her softly.

She forced her gaze away from Max. Her heart was beating much too fast. Her fingers were ice-cold, and she stared at them as Paul rubbed her hands between his. "It’s going to be okay, Andi," he assured her. "Look at me," he commanded.

She raised her eyes to his, and he smiled. "Just remember this. Max has a lot of skeletons in his closet, and I happen to know where a few of them are located." With that enigmatic statement, he raised a hand and called a waitress over to take their order.

Paul ordered for both of them, thank goodness. Andi doubted she would have been able to say anything coherent. Unfortunately, when the girl left, Max took the opportunity to cross the room to their table. Only then did see that her former lover had a companion with him. She groaned to herself when she recognized Max’s most devoted employee, Miriam Anderson. The woman was short and plump and most probably the plainest person Andi had ever seen. Her mousy brown hair was cut sharply even with her chin, and the severe cut emphasized the roundness of her features. Her eyes were the same dull shade as her hair, and her complexion was sallow. For all her unattractiveness, though, Andi knew that Miriam was fiercely devoted to her employer. Her face never seemed to show any emotion, however, so at work they had called her the Cyborg. She spoke seldom, but rumors abounded that Miriam remembered every word she heard. Whatever her skills might have been, Max seemed to depend on her.

The two of them came to the table, and Max greeted Paul although his eyes never left Andi. "Cosic. Still stuck in Marlin Bay I see."

"Hello, Max," Paul acknowledged his old nemesis pleasantly.

"Andrea," Max greeted her softly, although the single word seemed to have a thousand meanings. She heard the command behind it, the desire and disappointment and something new. Hate?

"Hello," she replied shortly. The less she said to Max, the better.

"I’ve been worried about you, Andrea. You left without even a note. I thought something terrible had happened to you."

Andi didn’t say a word. She wouldn’t rise to his bait. Not in front of Paul and the Cyborg.

Max’s muddy gaze flicked over to Paul. "I’m surprised to see you in such company," he informed Andi. "It’s not like you to go slumming."

She started to bristle, but Paul only laughed. "Frankly I think her taste’s gotten better," he said.

Max’s eyes narrowed. "Andrea, you might want to be very careful of this man," he warned. "He’s not entirely trustworthy."

Paul’s snorted softly. "And you are?" he asked dryly.

Max’s green eyes seemed to frost over. He turned back to Andi.

"We need to speak."

"I have nothing to say to you," Andi announced. She was surprised that her voice wasn’t shaking. She felt like she was coming apart inside.

"I think you do," Max replied. "You know me, Andrea. I fight for what’s mine."

Andi wasn’t sure what he meant, her or SecureCom, but before she could utter a word, Paul cut in.

"She’s not yours, Hecate. She’s her own. Now, if you’ll excuse us, here comes our tea."

Max glared at Paul. "Don’t get involved in this, Cosic. This is very far out of your league. Don’t mess with the big boys. You’ll get burned."

Paul laughed sharply. "Tell it to someone who gives a shit," he said as the waitress approached their table. "Now do you mind?"

Max stiffened, but Paul’s words had the desired intent. The man turned on his heel and stalked across the room. Miriam cast a last blank look toward Andi, and then she followed her employer.

"Who the hell was that with Max?" Paul asked after the waitress served their meal and departed.

"Miriam Anderson," Andi explained. "She’s his assistant."

"The Cyborg?" Paul inquired with interest, turning and giving the woman another once over.

Andi was surprised into laughter. "Now how do you know about that?" she asked.

Paul grinned. "I told you I had sources. I know a couple of people who work for Hecate."

"You’re amazing, Cosic," Andi said with another laugh. "Yeah, we call her the Cyborg because she's barely human. She NEVER shows emotion. I have yet to see that woman crack a smile. But everywhere Max goes, she goes. Like a shadow." She shook her head ruefully. "You DO have sources."

For some crazy reason, that made her feel better. The appetite she’d thought had deserted her when Max had walked into the room returned with a vengeance, and she dug in. The meal passed pleasantly enough until just after they’d finished dessert. Paul stopped in the middle of a sentence with a slightly pained expression on his face.

"What’s wrong?" she asked.

"Don’t look now, but your brother’s back."

With a sinking heart, Andi turned around. Christian stood at the bar talking to the bartender, Tony, but his eyes kept wandering back to their table.

With a deep sigh, Andi said, "I guess I’d better talk to him."

"Don’t tell him too much," Paul warned. When Andi shot him a curious glance, he explained. "The less he knows, the less danger he’s in."

Andi thought about his words, then nodded. "You’re right." They stood, and she bid Paul farewell. He gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek. "I’ll see you later," he said. "Dinner tonight?"

Andi laughed. "You don’t give up, do you?"

Paul grinned. "Nope. See you at eight."

Andi watched him go, admiring the litheness of his body as he walked away. Then with an aggrieved sigh, she turned to face the wrath of her brother.

Luckily for Andi, Christian had too much work to do to gripe at her much. He obviously disapproved of Paul Cosic, but the glowering presence of Max Hecate in the corner of the dining room quieted any protest he might have made.

Andi went back down to her room afterward and set up her laptop. She'd lied to Paul. She HAD made a backup of the system. She'd put too much work into the damned thing to throw it all away. And she'd also made a backup of her evidence against Max. She’d stored everything on a 4mm tape that was heavily encrypted. She knew she should put it in the Lodge safe, but she felt better with it close. Her laptop was clean, but she had a few other projects in mind to work on. She toyed with the idea of opening her own company, and then she shook her head. She couldn’t do anything right now. If Max even got a whiff that she was opening her own software firm, he’d come down on her so hard she’d probably not survive. She had her proof, but he was a rich and powerful man. He’d find a way to crush her, of that she was sure.

The afternoon passed quickly, and before she knew it, it was almost time to go back upstairs for dinner. She found herself anticipating seeing Paul again and kicked herself mentally.

She dressed in the best thing she’d brought with her, a very short, very simple midnight blue evening dress. It hung from her shoulders by sequined straps and clung to her figure in a most enticing fashion. Andi tried to convince herself that she only wanted to look her best, but deep down inside she realized that she very much wanted to impress Paul Cosic.

When she went upstairs, Paul was already waiting for her at the bar. Her heart began to thud rapidly at the sight of him. He was exquisitely dressed in a fashionable black tuxedo with a dark blue bow tie almost the same shade as her dress. What was it about a man in a tux? She could just imagine herself peeling him out of those fancy clothes. She forcefully put a clamp on the images parading across her brain and went to the bar to meet him.

His eyes lit up when he saw her; obviously he approved of her dress. Andi had to suppress a smile. From the look on his face, he was in the process of undressing HER in HIS mind.

He led her to a table and called for a waiter. They talked for a bit and then were served their dinner. The meal passed very quickly. Andi had no memory later of what they ate or drank. Paul was a fascinating man, and he kept her enthralled the entire meal. Luckily Max didn’t show up, so she was able to relax and enjoy herself.

After they ate, Paul took her outside to the veranda for a breath of fresh air and some privacy. They chatted for a few minutes, and then he left to freshen their drinks.

Andi leaned over the veranda wall and gazed off over the Lodge grounds, feeling an excitement she hadn’t felt in a very long time, even with Max. She had been so overwhelmed by her old boss, and she had always felt more than a little fear of him. She didn’t know if she’d ever felt this relaxed around him. She knew that Christian and Ginny were more than likely right about Paul, but she had to admit to herself that she wanted him.

She heard a sound behind her, and a small smile crossed her lips. "That was quick," she said as she turned, but the smile fell away when she saw who had joined her on the veranda.

It was Max Hecate! He was dressed as splendidly as Paul had been in a black tuxedo with a red bow tie. He was the epitome of a perfect gentleman, but Andi knew better.

"What do you want?" she hissed, her eyes searching frantically for an escape route, but Max had her effectively trapped. She breathed a quick prayer that Paul would hurry as Max came forward to stand in front of her, not quite touching, but much too close for comfort.

"What do you think?" he retorted softly. "I want you."

Andi laughed. "You want me? Are you sure you don’t mean SecureCom?"

Max inclined his head. "I will admit that your . . . expertise is greatly missed, but I don’t care about that now." He took her by the shoulders almost roughly. "I’ve missed you, Andrea," he said in a low, fierce tone.

"Let go of me," she demanded, trying to twist out of his grasp, but he wouldn’t release her. "Max, it’s over between us. I can’t be with you anymore."

"Because of SecureCom?" he asked. "If it’s so important to you, we can start over. You can get rid of the hooks." He touched her hair softly, almost reverently. "I’ll do anything, Andi," he implored. "Just come back to me."

"No!" she cried, finally managing to get herself untangled. "It wasn't just SecureCom, it was everything. You had me followed. You wouldn’t let me see or talk to anyone. You were trying to put me in a cage, Max. If I’d stayed with you, I would have been a prisoner. I would have gone nuts."

Max gazed at her thoughtfully. "I can change," he said at last.

Andi shook her head. "No, you can’t. You’re too used to getting your own way." She put the flat of her palms up to her temples and rubbed, trying to get rid of the pounding headache that had begun there. "Max, I’m too far removed from your world. It would never have worked. Why can’t you understand that? I don’t love you. I never did. I was overwhelmed and impressed by everything, but I was living a lie, and I’m not going back."

Max moved even closer to her, his dark eyes filling with anger now. "I wouldn’t be so sure of that," he growled menacingly. "You’ll come back. You AND those logs you took. And the backups. I know you too well, Andrea. You're too proud of your talents to totally destroy all that work. I WANT those backups." His hands clamped down on her shoulders again, much harder this time, squeezing until tears sprang to her eyes. She was suddenly terrified. She saw murder on his face, but just then a voice spoke from the veranda doorway.

"Let her go, Hecate."

Max released her and turned to see Paul Cosic standing in the veranda doorway with two goblets of champagne in his hands. Max’s lip curled in a sneer. "Cosic," he growled. "This is none of your business. I suggest you leave."

Paul didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by the man. He nonchalantly put the two glasses down on a table and moved closer to Max and Andi.

"I disagree," he said. "Andi is very much my business."

Max glared at him. "I wonder if she’d be as enamored if she knew the truth about you."

Anger sparked in Paul’s dark eyes. "Whatever I might have done is nothing compared to the things YOU’VE done."

Max cocked his head, gazing at Paul quizzically. "Maybe," he conceded. "But still, I bet Andrea would just LOVE to hear about you."

Paul took a threatening step forward. "Shut up, Hecate," he warned.

Max threw back his head and laughed. "You see, Andrea. He’s worried. He’s afraid if you find out what our business dealings consisted of, you won’t want anything to do with him either." The man shook his head ruefully. "Let me tell you about Cosic. He’d sell his mother if he thought he could make a quick buck off it. I’ve never known anyone so desperate to get rich with the least possible effort. He’s always on the lookout for the next big score. Do you seriously imagine he’s interested in you for you? Oh, he’ll enjoy your charms," Max sneered, casting a scathing look over her form. "But it all boils down to what he thinks he can get from you. And he thinks you can make him money, don’t you, Paul?"

"I told you to shut up, Hecate," Paul growled, advancing another step.

"You’re nothing but a small-time thief," Max continued. "You’ll never make anything out of yourself, Cosic. And you’ll get caught eventually. Little people like you always do." He smirked at his nemesis. "Tell Andi about the scam you had running with our dear friend Peter Owen. You know, the passport scam? Unfortunately, someone ended up dead that time, didn’t they Paul? And how about the time you got involved with the . . ." He was cut off as Paul launched himself across the small space dividing them and grabbed Max by the front of his pristine white dress shirt.

"That’s enough," Paul snarled. "Stop it right now, Hecate, or you’ll be VERY sorry."

Max’s eyebrow arched, and he very calmly reached up and plucked Paul’s hands off his shirt. He straightened his clothing regally, a small smile playing about his lips. "You see, Andrea," he said softly. "He’s nothing but a thug."

"Max," Andi began, but he held up a hand for silence.

"Enough of this." He turned his muddy eyes her way. "Bring me the backups, Andrea, and I’ll go away. If you’ll do that, no one, not you, your brother, OR," he inclined his head in Paul’s direction with scorn, "your new lover will get hurt." With those words, he strode off through the doorway of the veranda, casting a last scathing scowl in Paul’s direction.

"What backups?" Paul asked immediately. "You said you didn't make any."

Andi shrugged. "I lied."

"You’re not going to give them to him?" Paul asked, his disapproval of that idea plain.

"You heard him," Andi flared. "He’s not playing games, Paul."

Paul leaned on the wall surrounding the veranda and gazed out over the grounds of the Lodge, obviously thinking hard. "Look, you don’t have to do anything tonight. Just give it a day or two. Max isn’t going anywhere. Let me see what I can come up with." He paused, and then he added. "I’ve got something I need to take care of right now. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?"

Andi gazed at him quizzically, but he didn’t enlighten her about this sudden errand. With an interior sigh, she nodded. "Okay. I think I’ll just go inside and have a drink." She laughed shortly. "I really need a drink after that little scene."

"Andi, about what he said . . ." Paul began, but Andi waved him to silence.

"Don’t worry about it," she said. "I already knew about the passport scam."

Anger began to build up in his dark eyes again. "Ginny," he breathed in exasperation.

Andi couldn’t help but smile. "Don’t go getting all upset," she said. "It doesn't change how I feel about you."

Paul studied her for a moment, but he must have been reassured by what he saw in her face, because he nodded and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead. "I’ll call you tomorrow," he promised, and then he left the veranda.

Andi stayed where she was for a moment, gazing up into the dark New Zealand sky as she tried to clear her mind of all her doubts and questions. She realized that waiting a few days was going to change nothing. Even though Max still seemed to care for her, it was obvious that he was much more interested in retrieving the backups and the logs. And she didn’t like the way he had threatened Christian and Paul. She couldn’t be responsible for anything happening to them. With a sigh, she realized that she HAD to give Max the tape. It was the only way to make sure the people she cared about were safe, not to mention the only way to get her own life back. Christian was right. She had run away from everything her entire life. It was time to stop running.

She took a deep breath, went back inside the Lodge, and headed straight for the bar. She needed some liquid courage before she faced Max again. She was glad Christian was down in the casino. She really didn’t want to talk to her brother right now. He’d be able to tell by the look on her face that something was wrong.

She downed her drink, and then she headed for her room to get the tape. She changed out of her evening dress into blue jeans and a white T-shirt, then went to the wardrobe and pulled out her suitcase. She dumped all the contents on her bed and pried out the false bottom. There, in a compartment at the bottom of the case, lay the 4mm tape that contained the code for SecureCom, as well as all the evidence of Max’s tampering. Now if she could just convince him that this was the only copy. He was always good at ferreting out lies; Andi didn’t plan to try to trick him on this one. She suppressed the urge to make a quick copy and stuck the small tape in her pocket. She’d already managed to get Max’s room number out of her brother, so she knew right where to go.

She took the lift up to the top floor, relieved that no one seemed to be around. The lift doors opened, and she slipped into the hallway and headed for Max’s door. She took a deep breath, and then she raised her hand to knock on the door.

She knocked, and the door creaked open. What the hell? "Max?" she called softly. The lights were on, but she heard no noise inside the room. She pushed the door wider, and her eyes fell on a most unusual object lying in the center of the room on the light gray carpeting. It was a gun. It looked like a .22. In fact, it looked exactly like the one that Max had bought her six months ago when someone had broken into the flat next to hers. She hadn't brought it with her when she left him because she knew she'd never get through customs with it.

Confused, Andi took a step inside the room. She bent down and picked up the gun to examine it closer. It really did look like her gun, only it had a funny-looking long cylinder attached to the barrel. What was it doing on the floor of Max’s suite?

Suddenly, she became aware of a strange smell in the room. A coppery smell. With rising dread, she recognized the unmistakable odor of blood. She glanced over toward the bed, and only then did she notice the pair of legs sticking out from behind the foot of the bed, their feet encased in shiny black men’s dress shoes. She took a step closer, and another. Now she could see the dark cummerbund of a tuxedo. Another step. The shirt, pristine white in some places, but mostly a horrible shade of crimson. Another step. The face. There was a faint expression of surprise there, as if he hadn’t believed that his death was imminent, but there was no question in Andi’s mind. Max Hecate was dead.

She knelt beside him as if in a dream, not even noticing that she was getting blood on the knees of her jeans. She knew it was pointless, but still she laid two fingers on the side of his neck, checking for a pulse. There was none. She stood up, gazing down at her old lover guiltily. She knew she should feel horror at his murder, and she did, but intermingled with that emotion was a crushing relief. She was free!

A glimmer of movement from the doorway caught her attention and snapped her out of her daze. A maid stood there, her arms full of towels, her gaze tracking back and forth between the dead man lying on the floor and Andi standing above him with the gun still in her hand. With a shriek, the woman flew out the door.

Andi realized then that she was still holding the gun, and with a disgusted sound, she threw it on the bed. She glanced down, and with rising panic realized that she had blood on her. On her clothes, on her hands. She started toward the door when she heard pounding footsteps heading down the hallway toward her. She had one minute to wonder how in the hell anyone had managed to get up here so fast, when the security guard came through the door.

"Don’t move!" he yelled.

"But . . . "Andi began, but the man shook his head warningly.

"Don’t say anything, miss. Just move away from him."

Andi backed away from Max’s body, her hands held up in plain sight so the security guard could see them. "I didn’t do it."

The man’s gaze flicked over her bloodstained clothes, and his expression left no doubt of his disbelief in her words, but before he could say anything, a knock came on a door inset into the wall behind Andi. She and the security guard turned to stare as the door opened and Miriam Anderson walked into Max’s room.

She stared at Andi blankly. "What are you doing here?" she demanded, but then her gaze dropped to the dead man lying beside the bed. Miriam’s face drained of color. "Max?" she whispered, and then she screamed, "Max!" She ran to him and knelt beside the body. She raised shocked eyes to Andi. "What did you do?" she accused. "How could you?" She picked up Max's head and cradled it to her chest, then began to rock, crooning softly to him.

Andi stared at the woman, pity welling up inside her. They’d all assumed Miriam had no feelings. They’d believed the blank, emotionless face she showed the world. What fools they’d been. Even Max had treated her more like a machine than a person. Andi wondered if her former employer had known that Miriam was in love with him.

The security guard finally snapped out of his shock from Miriam's sudden appearance. It suddenly seemed to dawn on him that the crime scene was being tampered with, but he had no clue what to do. He had one woman who was obviously a suspect and another woman holding the dead body in her arms. Luckily, Christian chose that moment to appear in the room.

He stopped short when he saw Miriam holding Max's dead body. Then his eyes flew to his sister. They flicked over the bloodstains on her clothes, and with a sinking heart, Andi realized that Christian, too, thought she was responsible.

"Christian," the security guard said with obvious relief. "Thank God you're here. The police are on their way. You need to take your sister downstairs to wait on them. She’ll have to go down to the station and talk to the Inspector."

"Christian," Andi began, but her brother shook his head warningly and signaled for her to be quiet.

"Thanks, Graham," he told the man. "I’ll take care of it." And with those words he led Andi downstairs where the police were just arriving.

Andi had no idea how much time passed in the small interrogation room where she'd been taken after her arrival at the police station. The Inspector seemed like a nice man, and the first thing he did was offer to call a solicitor for her, but Andi refused. She was innocent. Surely they would see that.

The questioning went on for hours, the same questions over and over again. Why had she come to Marlin Bay? What was her relationship with the deceased? Why had she gone to his room? On and on until she thought she'd go mad. They took a break, and when the inspector came back, he brought with him a man named Arthur Leach, a portly man with a jolly face who announced that he was her solicitor. She gladly accepted the man's offer; the questioning had been getting a bit harsher.

The questions began again in earnest, the same ones as before, then new ones about Christian and Paul and Miriam. Finally, they stopped. Unfortunately, when they did, the Inspector formally charged her with murder and booked her. She went through the entire humiliating process of arrest in a daze. They fingerprinted her and took her picture, then searched her and gave her a pair of light blue cotton pants and a shapeless shirt to wear. Only when she was locked in a tiny cell in the police station did it finally sink in how precarious was her position. Andi climbed up on the small cot that sat in the corner of the cell and pulled her knees up to her chest. Leach had assured her he'd have her out as quickly as possible. She could only pray he’d get her out of here before she went completely crazy.

She had no way to gauge the passing time. They’d taken her watch. She couldn’t even sleep. She sat in the corner on her cot, her mind racing in all directions as she tried to figure out exactly what could have happened to Max. She wasn’t even sure if it was day or night when a guard finally came to the door of her cell and unlocked it.

"Time for your remand hearing," the woman announced, motioning her to her feet.

Andi winced as she stood. She must have been sitting for hours; her muscles were tight and sore. But she followed the guard, her heart lifting as she was released from the tiny cage.

The Inspector joined them, and Andi was brought to a large room that looked a bit like the courtrooms of America, although there wasn’t a chair for the witness to sit. It seemed the person under oath was required to stand during the proceedings. An older man sat behind a podium flanked by a uniformed guard, and Leach was standing beside a table talking to a man she’d never seen before. A woman dressed in a very severe suit sat at another table. No one else was around. Andi had hoped she’d see Christian, but he was nowhere in sight.

Leach hurriedly introduced the other man as Samuel Peters and explained to Andi that Peters was the barrister who would represent her in court. The woman was the prosecuting attorney, and the older man was the local magistrate. This was a remand hearing to determine whether the matter should be taken in front of a higher court and whether she should be granted bail. The hearing was called to order, and the first witness was the Inspector who had charged her with murder.

Andi listened in growing agitation as the man gave his findings grimly, and then as the other lawyer began to paint a picture of her as a bloodthirsty money-hungry monster that should be locked up immediately and for a long time afterward. The magistrate seemed to be staring right through her as if he didn't much care for what he saw. Leach stood then and began to very eloquently plead her case, reminding the court that her brother was a respected employee at the Marlin Bay Lodge and that she was a noted Systems Analyst. He pointed out that since the police held her passport, she was not a flight risk. Andi noticed with a sinking heart that the magistrate didn’t seem impressed, and he certainly didn't seem the least bit interested in granting her bail. She wanted to be away from this place; she didn’t want to hear these things. She closed her eyes and stopped listening.

Suddenly, Leach patted her on the arm solicitously and whispered, "I'll be right back." He went out through the main doors at the back of the room. Andi watched him go in complete bewilderment.

Samuel Peters must have noticed her confusion because he leaned over and whispered, "The magistrate agreed to set bail, but he set it at $500,000. Arthur's gone to see if we can get it."

Andi gaped at the man. There was no way in the world Christian could come up with that kind of money!

Peters smiled slightly as if he'd read her mind. "Don't worry about it. It's not as if it actually has to be paid. Only if you run off, and we're not going to let you do that."

Before Andi could reply, Leach came back inside the courtroom. A big smile wreathed his round face, and she realized with relief that Christian had somehow performed a miracle. She'd made bail!

After Leach spoke with the magistrate and made all the arrangements, Andi was taken to a small room where she was allowed to dress in her own clothes. She hated to put the things back on. The knees of her jeans were stiff with dried blood, and her T-shirt had dark spots here and there, but anything was preferable to the prison garb she’d been wearing. Her guard took her to an open area with a table that held a large plastic envelope containing all the personal belongings she’d had with her when she’d been brought to the station. The woman asked her to sign for her things, and just as she put pen to paper, she heard a familiar voice. She looked up the Inspector and Paul Cosic entered the room. Andi had assumed Christian had made her bail, but it must have been Paul! Quickly she scrawled her signature, and the guard took the paper and left. The Inspector spoke a few hushed words to Cosic, graced him with a rather stern look, then he, too, departed, leaving Andi and Paul gazing at each other across the width of the room.

"I didn’t do it," Andi said softly.

Paul was across the room in two long strides. He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.

"I didn’t," she repeated, trying to hold back the tears that threatened.

"I know," he assured her. He pulled back and tilted her chin up, then brushed away the lone tear that had escaped. "It’ll be okay, Andi. I’ll take care of everything. I promise." He kissed her softly, and then he led her from the room.

His Porsche was waiting outside. Once they were both safely ensconced inside, Paul pulled away from the curb, squealing his tires as if he were just as anxious as she to put miles between them and the police station. They rode in silence for a few moments, and then he asked, "Why’d you go to his room?"

Andi rubbed her hands up and down her arms. For some reason she just couldn’t seem to get warm. "I was going to give him the backup tape," she explained. "I just wanted him to go away."

"What happened to it?"

Andi stared at him in confusion for a moment, then looked down at the plastic envelope that the police had given her containing her things. Through the clear plastic she could plainly see the 4mm tape. "They didn’t keep it," she breathed. "I can’t believe it."

"Probably thought it was a damned audio tape," Paul said with a smirk. He obviously didn’t have a high opinion of the local law enforcement. "You didn’t tell them about it, did you?"

Andi shook her head quickly. She hadn’t lied to the police, but she’d left out quite a bit. She glanced over at Cosic. "He was dead when I got there, Paul. You have to believe me."

Paul reached over, took her hand, and gave it a quick squeeze. "I believe you," he assured her. "Now stop worrying about it. I told you I’d take care of it, and I will. Leach and Peters are the best, Andi. They’ll do good by you."

"You hired them?" she asked faintly. For some reason she had assumed Christian had sent the men. Then as the import of his words hit her, she began to shake her head. "No, I can’t. I can’t go to trial, Paul, I just can’t. They’ll lock me away. That maid walked in on me standing over the body with a gun in my hands and blood on me. They’ll put me in jail. I’ll go nuts." Uncontrollable shudders began to course through her body.

Paul pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the engine, and then he drew her into his arms. "Listen to me," he said earnestly. "Stop it right now. You’re not going to jail, all right? Think about it, Andi. You didn’t fire the gun, right?"

Andi stared at him for a moment, but at last she shook her head.

"Okay then. When someone fires a gun, it leaves gunpowder on their hands unless they’re wearing gloves. Did they check your hands?"

Andi’s forehead creased as she tried to remember everything that had been done to her after she’d gone to the police station, and at last she nodded. "I think so. It’s kind of hazy now."

"See," Paul said. "You’ll be in the clear then. All the evidence against you is circumstantial, and Peters will make hash of the prosecutor." He touched her cheek gently. "Trust me, will you?"

Relieved beyond words, Andi tried a tentative smile. Paul gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, and then he started the car and pulled back onto the road. They rode in silence for a moment, and then Andi realized that they were headed away from the Lodge.

"Where are we going?" she asked, panic welling up inside her again.

"I’m taking you to my place," Paul replied soothingly. "I thought you’d be safer there. The cops and press are probably all over the Lodge right now. I didn’t think you’d want to walk into the middle of that. It’ll be a circus."

Andi shook her head quickly. No way did she want to talk to anyone else about this mess. "I have to let Christian know where I am," she said.

Paul nodded. "No worries. Once I get you settled in, I’ll ring him."

Relieved, Andi laid her head back on the seat and shut her eyes. She felt wretched. Her head ached and her eyes felt like glass, but the dread that had been building up inside her had been diffused a bit by Paul’s assurances. Surely he was right. Surely they’d be able to prove she didn’t do it. But that left a very important question. Exactly WHO had?

By the time they reached Paul’s flat, Andi was on her last legs. Paul took her upstairs and into the flat, but she barely noticed her surroundings. He led her into the bedroom and all she could focus on was the large bed that looked very inviting just about now.

"You need to rest," he said. "You’re exhausted."

"I need to take a shower," Andi whispered, staring down at her blood stained clothes. "I can’t wear this anymore."

Paul came over and cupped her face in his hands, then kissed her gently. "You go take a shower," he said, "and I’ll find you something to sleep in." He kissed her again and left her to clean up.

Andi practically scrubbed herself raw, anything to get the stink of the jail off her skin. When she stepped out of the shower, she felt better, just extremely tired. No one was in the bedroom, but there was a large black T-shirt lying on the bed, so Andi picked it up and slid it over her head. It was obviously Paul's. It hung to her knees, and she could detect the faint scent of him lingering on the soft cotton. Somehow, that comforted her a little.

Suddenly, she felt the weight of a stare, and she whirled around to see Paul lounging in the doorway. She had no idea how long he’d been there.

"Sorry," he apologized. "Didn’t mean to startle you." He came across the room to her side. "Come on. Let’s get you into bed. You’re tired. You should see the circles under your eyes."

"I couldn’t sleep," she explained in a small voice as Paul pulled back the covers for her to slip into bed. "They put me in this little cell, and I couldn’t sleep."

She lay down, and he pulled the covers over her. He sat beside her, stroking her hair softly. "Stop thinking about it," he admonished. "It’s over. You won’t be going back. I promise you." He bent down and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "Now get some sleep, and you’ll feel better in the morning."

"Don’t forget to call Christian," she reminded him as he rose and headed toward the door.

"No worries, love," he replied, and then he flipped off the light.

Andi didn’t think she’d be able to sleep. She was afraid her brain wouldn’t be able to shut down. But she really WAS exhausted. Almost immediately she fell into deep dark slumber, blissfully dream-free.

She woke some time later to the sound of two raised male voices. She shook off sleep and strained to hear more. When she recognized her brother’s voice, she jumped out of bed and headed in the direction of the noise.

Christian and Paul were in the middle of the main room of the flat, standing practically nose to nose. Andi could tell by the tenseness of both their bodies that they were just a few seconds away from a flat out brawl. Two heads turned as one when she entered the room, and Christian immediately came over and pulled her into a fierce embrace.

"Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been about you?" he exclaimed. "I called the station, and they said you’d gone. I had no idea where you were."

Andi glanced over at Paul, and he shrugged. "I did call him," he said, a bit defensively, then muttered, "Eventually."

"What gave you the right to go down there and bail her out in the first place?" Christian flared.

"Fat lot YOU were doing," Paul shot back. "You couldn’t even come up with a decent solicitor, much less bail money."

"Cut it out, you two," Andi begged. "What does it matter? I’m out, thank God. I don’t know how much longer I would have remained sane if I’d had to stay in that cell."

"You can’t stay here," her brother insisted.

"Of course she can," Paul interjected. "She’s better off here than at the Lodge. Or do you WANT the press all over her?"

"But . . . "Christian protested, but Andi hushed him.

"Christian, he’s right. I can’t go back to the Lodge. Not right now." She shivered slightly, and her brother hugged her again.

"I’ve talked to Charlotte," Christian informed her. "We’ll get you a good solicitor and find a way out of this mess."

"She’s already got a solicitor," Paul said.

Christian released her and whirled around to glare at Paul. "Who asked you to get involved, Cosic?" he growled.

"Christian," Andi implored, putting her hand on her brother’s arm to stop him from going at Paul. Christian’s arm was as tense as a steel spring, and Andi realized she’d better get rid of him before he lost control. Christian was not easily riled, but when he was, he was dangerous! "Please, don’t," she whispered desperately.

Christian glared at her. "Andi, you don’t know what you’re doing. You don’t know what he’s like. He’s a damned crook."

Andi gave her brother a small, rueful smile. "Did it ever cross your mind that I might NEED a crook right now? His connections are probably a lot better than yours or Charlotte’s." She pointedly ignored the raised eyebrow that Paul cocked her way. "Christian, I’ll be okay. Paul’s going to help me. I . . . I WANT him to help. Okay?"

Christian gaped at her in disbelief.

"Look, could you just bring me some of my clothes?" she asked. Suddenly, her heart plummeted. "My laptop! Did they take it?"

Christian gazed at her in confusion for a moment, and then he shrugged. "I have no idea."

"Could you check? I really need it."

Christian sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "I suppose." He studied her closely. "Are you sure about this?" he asked. "We could find you someplace else to stay. Ginny’d be glad to have you."

Andi shook her head quickly, and Christian sighed again. "You’re so stubborn," he complained, but with relief, Andi could hear acceptance in his tone. "Okay, I’ll go get your clothes and your precious computer." He glanced toward the window to the darkness outside. "It’s getting late. I’ll have to bring them in the morning. Will that do?"

"That’s fine, Christian." Andi stood on tiptoe and gave her brother a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks, bro."

Christian nodded and said his good-byes, sent a last furious glare at Paul, then left the flat.

Andi let out a long breath. Thank God he’d gone without making too much trouble. She loved her brother dearly, but right now she knew that Paul would be much more help to her.

"You okay?" he asked softly, coming over and pulling her into his arms.

"Yeah, I’m fine," she replied, enjoying the feel of his strong arms around her. For all that she knew about him, everything negative she heard, for some reason he made her feel safe. She rested her head on his chest, listening idly to the thudding of his heart. "Thanks for not pounding him," she said with a small smile.

Paul kissed her on the top of her head and laughed softly. "It was tempting," he admitted. He pulled back and looked down at her. "You need to get back in bed," he observed. "You didn’t get enough sleep. Come on." He led her back toward the bedroom and tucked her in again, but this time, before he could leave, she sat up and stopped him.

"Paul," she said softly. "Don’t go."

He turned back, a quizzical expression on his face.

"I don’t want to be alone right now," she explained. "I’m . . ." Her voice dropped. "I’m really scared."

Paul came back over to the bed and sat beside her. "There’s nothing to be scared of," he assured her. "I promised you I’d take care of everything, and I will." He touched her hair lightly, and a small smile played about his lips. "But I’ll be happy to stay if you want me to."

Andi nodded, suddenly shy. Paul brushed her cheek with the back of his hand, then ran one lone finger over her lips. Almost without thinking, she lightly kissed his finger. He bent his head and replaced his finger with his lips, kissing her oh, so gently. Her arms went around him, reveling in the solid bulk of him as his kiss grew more demanding. Her own need was growing, the need to be held, the need to be protected, and she whispered his name as he leaned her back and lay his body partially over hers, his mouth devouring hers. He broke away and began to kiss along her neck, and she whispered, "Make love to me, Paul."

He pulled back and gazed down at her, a question in the dark depths of his eyes, and then he smiled softly and bent to kiss her again. She melted into him, wrapping her arms around him to pull her closer. His hands began to move over her body, amazingly gentle for being so large. Each light brush of his fingertips sent shivers coursing through her. He removed her shirt and began to feast on her breasts, outlining her nipple with his tongue and then pulling it into his mouth and sucking softly. Andi shivered in ecstasy as he transferred his attention to her other breast. He worshipped her breasts with his mouth until she thought she would go mad, but at last he pulled away to look down at her, his beautiful face flushed with passion.

Andi quickly undid the buttons on his shirt and pushed it back to reveal his beautiful chest. She traced the strong muscles, then ran her fingertips across the dark mat of hair that grew there, marveling at its softness. She found his nipples and began to toy with them, smiling slightly at his sharp intake of breath.

He ripped his shirt off, then bent to cover her mouth again. Their tongues entwined as his hand finally made the descent over her belly and below to the silk of her panties and then beneath. Andi arched her back, urging him on, and he gladly complied. His questing fingers found her, then entered her, and she moaned as he began to move them in and out, simulating the act she needed so desperately.

She began to fumble at the buckle of his belt, and he withdrew for a moment to help her. He shucked his jeans and briefs, then slid her own underwear from her body. She reached for him, but he had other plans. He moved down the bed between her legs, and soon she felt his hot breath on her thighs. She tensed for just a moment, but when his tongue snaked out and began to lightly lick, Andi relaxed and gave herself over to him completely. He left no inch of her womanhood untouched with both his mouth and his hands until she was writhing on the bed. When he began to suck gently on the tiny bud above her opening as he moved his fingers in and out of her, she cried aloud as an orgasm finally exploded within her. The world around her disappeared as she lay awash in sensation, and when she finally opened her eyes, he was hovering above her, a small smile playing about his sensuous lips.

She raised a hand and touched his face in reverent awe, and then he bent to kiss her again, harder this time, more urgently. She reached down to find him, and her heartbeat doubled as she wrapped her hand around his thick shaft. He growled softly in his throat as she began to stroke him, and then he pulled away from her and positioned himself above her opening. His gaze never left her as he slowly slid into her.

Andi could feel her body stretching to accommodate him, and she immediately arched her back to take him in as deeply as possible. He paused for a moment and shut his eyes tightly as if striving for control, but then he was moving within her, slowly at first, building up a wonderful friction, then faster as his need grew. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him down into her, and his breathing began to come ragged as he began to grind into her. The stimulation was enough to send her over the edge, and she felt her body began to contract wildly around him. She whispered softly in his ear, urging him on, and then he groaned as he found his own release.

She held him in her arms, stroking his dark hair as their heartbeats returned to normal. He rolled off her and pulled her head to his chest, holding her tightly, and as she began to drift off to sleep, Andi realized that her feelings for Paul Cosic were just a little more complicated than she’d thought.

The next few days passed quickly. The police came back and questioned her again, and she realized at last that Paul had been right. They HAD done a gunpowder test on her hands, and it had come up negative. She knew that had been her gun, but as it was registered in Max’s name, the police didn’t know it, nor was she about to tell them. All the evidence against her was circumstantial, and they were doing their best to come up with more. They even called both Christian and Paul in for questioning but still had no leads in the case.

She spoke with Leach a couple of times, but she prayed that it wouldn’t come to a trial. Paul offered the services of a private investigator friend of his, and Andi pinned her hopes on that man coming up with much needed information. She knew that her best chance of being released was if they found the real killer.

On the third day after her release from prison, Paul surprised her with an excursion around the bay on his boat. They spent an enjoyable morning sailing, and during the hottest part of the day, they’d gone below to the tiny cabin to make love. Andi was actually able to forget everything for a few hours, and she was feeling a calm she hadn’t felt since Max’s murder, when suddenly, on the way home from the marina, Paul asked her a very disturbing question.

"Did you know Christian went to see Max the night he was murdered?"

Andi stiffened in shock. She’d talked to Christian several times since her arrest. He’d never mentioned going to see Max that night.

"You’re not serious," she said at last.

Paul nodded grimly. "Yes, I am. The police told me the last time I was at the station for questioning."

"But why?" she asked faintly. "I don’t understand."

"He didn’t tell you?" Paul asked.

Andi shook her head. "No." She looked over at her new lover, then her eyes widened in disbelief at the consideration she saw on his face. "Oh, no. That’s impossible. Christian would never . . . " She trailed off. Her brother rarely lost his temper, but when he did . . . She shook her head again. "I don’t believe it," she said firmly.

"Not even if he did it to protect you?" Paul inquired. "What if he thought you were in danger? Physical danger."

"But . . . "

"Think about it, Andi," Paul urged. "What if he went to Max’s room and discovered him there with that gun planning to use it to MAKE you give him the backup tape?"

"No," she repeated even more firmly. "He would have said something. He certainly wouldn't have allowed me to be arrested."

"Maybe he’s sure you’ll get off since he knows you didn't do it."

"I still don’t believe it," Andi repeated fiercely. "Not Christian."

Paul glanced at her dubiously, and then he returned his gaze to the road. "I don’t know, Andi. The whole thing worries me. Because if Christian didn’t kill him, then who did?"

Andi had no answer to that question. She stared out the window, her mind in turmoil. She couldn’t believe her brother was responsible for Max’s murder, but a thread of doubt had wormed its way into her mind. Who WAS responsible? Would this nightmare ever be over?

Two more days passed with no answers forthcoming. On the morning of the third day, Andi was sound asleep when the cell phone she’d left on the bedside table the night before beeped, waking her. She grabbed it, and only then did she realize that Paul wasn't in bed beside her. She snapped open the phone. "Hello?" she said sleepily.

"Andi?" It was Christian. She was supposed to meet her brother for breakfast that morning, but one quick glance at the clock told her that she hadn't overslept. "Are you alone?" he asked.

"What’s wrong?" she inquired immediately. Suddenly she was wide-awake. Her brother’s voice sounded terribly strange.

"Is he there with you?" Christian insisted.

"Who? Paul?" she asked, confused. "I don’t know where he is."

Christian let out a relived breath. "Look, Andi. Miriam Anderson rang me this morning."

"The Cyborg?" Andi queried curiously. "What did SHE want?"

"She says she has evidence about who killed Max."

Andi stared at the phone in shock. "What evidence?"

"I don’t know. She wants to meet us, though. To give it to us."

"What? Now?"

"Yes. Does Cosic know we’re having breakfast this morning?"

"Yeah," Andi acknowledged.

"Good. I'm leaving right now. I'll be there in fifteen minutes tops. You be out front and ready to go."

"Okay," Andi agreed reluctantly. She hung up, an almost suffocating feeling of dread rising inside her. She slid out of bed and dressed quickly, pulling on a pair of dark blue slacks and a white camp shirt. She ran a brush through her hair and added a few light touches of makeup, then let herself out of the bedroom.

She headed toward the main room of the flat to say good-bye to Paul, but when she reached the entrance to the room, she froze in shock. Her lover sat at a table by the window, his back to her, and on the table in front of him sat her laptop. It was open and powered up, and Paul's fingers were busily dancing over the keys. Beside the computer lay several 4mm tapes. He paused, cursed under his breath, then began to type again. Andi’s heart was pounding in her chest so loudly that she was afraid he might hear her. She backed away quietly, and then she fled the flat. She ran down the hallway toward the lift, and only when the doors shut behind her did she let out the breath she only now realized she’d been holding.

He’d been trying to copy the tape! She’d managed to convince herself that Paul truly cared for her and NOT what she could do for him, but she supposed everyone had been right about him. He was only interested in SecureCom. She forced tears away and left the apartment building. Thankfully Christian was pulling up just as she came outside, so she climbed into his Rover, and they sped away toward the marina. Neither one of them noticed Paul leave the building behind them, his dark eyes following the car as they drove out of sight.

Christian immediately noticed her agitation. "What happened?" he asked. "Did he give you trouble about leaving?"

Andi shook her head quickly. She didn’t want to tell her brother her suspicions about Paul, so she changed the subject. "What exactly did Miriam say, Christian? She didn’t even give you an idea of what kind of evidence she had?"

Christian shook his head. "No, but she did tell me who killed Max."

Andi stared at her brother in shock. "Who?" she asked, although suddenly she wasn’t so sure she wanted to know the answer.

Christian paused, glanced at her with an unfathomable expression on his face, then said one word that caused Andi’s heart to shatter into a million pieces. "Cosic."

"No," she whispered at last. "It can’t be."

"Listen to me," Christian said sternly. "I didn’t tell you this before, because the cops asked me not to. They have the surveillance tapes of the hallway from the night Max died. They show Cosic going into his room."

Andi's throat suddenly tightened so that she could barely breathe. "Paul went to see him?" she asked faintly.

"Yeah," Christian said. "The police are investigating Cosic as much, if not more, than you."

"I don’t believe it," Andi protested. "He couldn't have . . . " She trailed off, remembering Paul's rage the night of Max’s murder, the way he'd attacked her former boss. She shook her head. "No, it can't be." She laughed suddenly, a harsh sound that startled her brother so that he shot her a concerned glance. "Max sure was a busy man that night. All those unwelcome visitors. Paul, me . . ." She paused, watching her brother closely. "You."

Christian stiffened. "Where’d you hear that?" he asked warily.

A pained smile crossed Andi’s lips. "Paul."

"Figures," her brother muttered.

"Is it true, Christian? Did you go see Max that night?"

He hesitated for a moment, but at last her brother nodded reluctantly. "Yes, I did. That’s why the police keep questioning me as well. But he was still alive when I left him."

"Why did you go?" Andi asked.

Christian shrugged. "I wanted to find out what he wanted. What it would take to get him to leave you alone."

"What’d he say?"

"That my concern wasn’t necessary. That he’d already taken care of things. That as soon as he’d retrieved his property, he’d be on his way and wouldn’t bother you again."

"That’s all? He didn’t say what it was or how he was planning to get it?"

Christian shook his head. "No. But he seemed sincere. He was almost . . . maudlin. I swear when I first saw him lying there dead I thought he’d killed himself."

Andi snorted. "Not likely." She leaned back in the seat and rubbed her temples against the blinding pain that was working its way into her brain. "I still don’t believe it was Paul. Miriam has to be lying."

"Why would she lie?" Christian asked patiently. "She wants the killer caught as much as you do. Are you willing to go to jail to protect Cosic?"

Andi shut her eyes, trying to will all this away. "This is just too unreal," she whispered.

"Look, Andi, maybe the woman’s full of it. But we have to at least hear what she has to say."

Andi sighed deeply. "I suppose. So where are we meeting her?" she asked.

"On Cosic’s boat," Christian answered promptly.

Andi’s heart plummeted. How horrible that the one place she’d felt some peace in the last week was now to become the place where her entire world might fall apart.

They rode the rest of the way in silence. Christian parked the Rover and the two of them headed toward Paul's boat. They ducked inside the small cabin, but no one was around. Her brother looked around, perplexed. "She said she'd meet us here."

"Maybe she's full of shit," Andi snapped. "How would SHE know Paul killed Max anyway. She was as shocked as I was. You should have seen her face when she came through that . . . " Andi trailed off, a considering expression crossing her face. "Christian?" she asked in a strained voice. "The only people the tape showed going inside Max’s room was you, Paul and me, right?"

Christian nodded.

"But what if that wasn’t the only way into his room?"

Christian’s forehead creased in puzzlement. "What do you mean?" he asked his sister.

"There was one other person with access to Max's room," she explained. "Someone who wouldn’t have needed to come through the main door."

"Who?" Christian asked, but before Andi could answer, the light in the cabin suddenly dimmed. They both turned to see Miriam Anderson standing in the doorway watching them, a gun held threateningly in her hands.

"Miriam," the newcomer supplied coldly. "Oh, excuse me. The Cyborg. I know what you people call me."

"YOU killed Max," Andi said in disbelief. "But . . . WHY?"

"Because of you," the woman snapped. "Everything was fine until you came along. I've been by Max's side from the very beginning. We built that empire together. It might have borne his name, but it was mine as much as his. Did I ask for anything? No. He got it all. The money. The glory. I was content with my place at his side. And then he met you," she snarled at Andi, bright hatred making her eyes gleam. "The idiot actually fell in love with you. You weren't imagining things. He WAS having you followed. He was so jealous. He wanted you to have no friends, male or female. He wanted you all to himself. His whole world was falling apart, but all he could think about was you."

"Falling apart?" Andi echoed.

"Hecate Enterprises was in dire straights," Miriam explained grimly. "We were just barely hanging on. Oh, he managed to cover it up, but it was all starting to topple down around him. Then you came aboard and started SecureCom. The government was more than interested in it; they were practically panting for it. Max would have made millions and then some, hooking into everyone else's computer systems. It was the only way he could have saved our company. But no, you had to go all honest on us. Erase everything. We didn't have enough time to rebuild it, even if that idiot Parsons could have managed to recreate your work. So we came after you. But Max was heartbroken when he realized you were with Cosic. Didn't take you very long to find a replacement, did it, you little whore? You were never good enough for Max. I was going to take care of everything for him. I was going to go down to your room and steal your computer, force you to give us the backups and the logs, kill you if I had to, but he wouldn't have it. He gave up. He's NEVER done that before. You changed him. He . . ." Her voice lost its hateful edge and edged into pain. "He was going to get rid of me! Me, the one person who'd always been faithful to him. The one who'd stood by his side throughout everything. I just couldn't have that, you see? I . . . I loved him. I knew he'd never love me, but I needed to be with him. You do see that, don't you?"

Andi nodded quickly. She could see madness in Miriam's eyes. Her face was contorted with pain, more emotion there now than Andi had ever seen. And she knew without a doubt that Miriam would kill them both without a qualm.

Miriam raised the gun and pointed it straight at Andi's heart. "I thought at first they'd pin the murder on you, but you managed to wriggle out of it, didn’t you? So I focused on Cosic. He was there that night, you know? My door wasn't quite shut. I heard the entire argument. Bet you didn't know your boyfriend offered to sell Max the backups." Miriam laughed cruelly when Andi's face blanched. "Oh, yes. Always out for number one, that's Paul Cosic. So I thought it'd be particularly amusing for him to take the fall. You and your dear brother will die here, in his boat, and I'll have the police here before he knows what happened. They'll arrest him, and this will all be over."

"I don’t think so," a voice said from behind Miriam. She started to turn, but before she could complete the movement, an arm shot out to knock the gun away. Unfortunately, Miriam didn't release her grip, and the gun discharged, a horribly loud sound in the tiny cabin of the boat. Andi was slammed back into the back wall of the cabin, and she looked down in shock as the left arm of her white shirt began to rapidly turn a disturbing shade of crimson. Pain exploded in her arm and shoulder, and her head began to spin as she slid down the wall to sit on the floor.

"Bitch," she heard Paul snarl as he began to fight with Miriam over the gun. Christian bent down beside Andi, and although her words seemed to be coming from very far away, she managed to whisper, "My cell phone." She pointed at her purse and Christian dug in it to find the phone. "Call the police, Christian," she said, and then she spiraled down into blessed darkness.

Andi sat at one of the window tables in the main dining room of the Marlin Bay Lodge. She gazed out over the pristine green lawn without really seeing it as she thought about the events of the last few weeks.

Paul had been able to subdue Miriam. The woman had fought like a tiger uncaged, but he'd managed to get the gun away from her and had her restrained by the time the police arrived. Andi was rushed to the hospital where it was discovered that the bullet had pierced her upper arm, breaking the bone in the process. She had lost a great deal of blood waiting on the EMTs, but she was released after a one-night stay. Christian stayed with her, and he was the one who took her back to the Lodge.

She didn't see Paul until a few days later. He had gone down to the station with Miriam to answer some questions and fill in the gaps for the police. Andi assumed that the woman told the cops about SecureCom and the backups, but they never asked about them. The Inspector came to the Lodge personally to give her back her passport and tell her she was no longer a suspect.

Miriam gave a full confession, but her behavior was so odd that she was scheduled to have a psychiatric evaluation before her trail. Andi thought that after untold years of suppressing all her emotions, when they'd finally exploded to the surface, Miriam’s brain just hadn't been able to handle the pressure. Christian assured her that the woman would go to jail, however crazy she might be.

There was a distance now between she and Paul, one that seemed to puzzle him greatly, although he granted her obvious desire for space. He explained to her the first time she’d seen him after the shooting that he’d heard her leave the flat that morning. Curious as to why she’d gone without saying goodbye, he’d gone downstairs to see her pull away with Christian. Prompted by some interior intuition, he’d followed them in his Porsche. And thank God he had, or she and Christian might be dead now, and Paul in prison. Her withdrawal baffled him, but Andi was more than grateful that he hadn’t pressed the issue. Still, she hated to see the sadness that grew in his eyes each time they spoke.

As she stared out the window, the sound of a throat clearing woke her from her reverie. She looked up to see Paul standing beside her table. He seemed even more handsome to her now. His dark hair was a bit longer than when she'd first met him, his beard a little scruffier. He looked tired, but she thought she’d never seen a more beautiful man.

"Hey," he said softly. "How are you?"

Andi forget herself and shrugged. She immediately regretted it as pain lanced up her arm and through her shoulder. She'd be in a cast for another five weeks and already she hated the thing. "I'm fine," she said shortly.

"Christian said you're going back to the States."

Andi nodded. "I need some down time," she explained. "Some time to get my head together, and see what I'm going to do with my life." She laughed softly, ruefully.

"I wish you'd stay here," Paul said quietly.

Andi sighed. "Why, Paul? Still thinking about opening a software company?"

A ghost of a smile crossed his lips. "Maybe."

"Did you ever manage to copy the tape?" Andi asked.

Paul stared at her for a moment. "How . . .?" he began, then snapped his mouth shut.

Andi smiled crookedly. "I saw you that morning, Paul. At the table typing on my laptop. You were trying to copy the tape, weren’t you?"

There was a long silence, and she thought he’d lie to her, but at last he nodded.

Andi laughed softly. "Why aren't I surprised?"

"It didn’t work," he said sullenly, looking down at his toes like a naughty little boy caught in some heinous act. "You can have the extra tapes if you want. I don’t have any use for them."

"No, that's okay. You keep them. To remember me by."

He looked up at her then, and Andi was amazed at the pain she saw in his dark eyes. Even after all this time and all they'd been through, though, she still didn't trust him. What loss caused that pain? Her? Or SecureCom?

Christian signaled her from the doorway, and she waved in response. Paul glanced around. "You're going now?" he asked.

Andi nodded. "Christian's taking me to the airport."

"I could . . . " he began, but he stopped when he caught the warning look on Andi’s face.

She stood up and lightly touched his face, then stood on tiptoe to bestow a soft kiss on his beautiful full lips. "Good-bye, Paul," she said softly. "I will miss you." Then she turned and walked away, forcing herself not to look back.

And as the plane lifted off to take her back home to the States, she watched from the window as the small New Zealand town receded behind her. Yes, she'd go home for a while, but one never knew what the future might hold. Maybe one day, she’d come back. Back to Marlin Bay and the man who, despite everything, still held a very important place in her heart.

The End

Marlin Bay Stories

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