From the small desk by the bed, Locke idly drummed his fingers on the dark polished wood as the sounds of running water across the hallway entered his ears, his eyes staring blankly at his laptop screen. He'd been awake for an hour. Meliza had gotten up a mere thirty minutes earlier. He'd heard her moving around. He'd even heard her open the door and speak in low tones to the unexpected visitor. Her voice wasn't low enough so that he couldn't hear that Miguel had come by with a bag of her necessities.

He doubted two years could change Meliza's temper, and he had a sneaking suspicion that she was angry about last night. Get some sleep? He might as well have dumped a bucket of ice cold water over her head.

She wasn't the only woman who propositioned him - he'd had women offering themselves to him since he learned gambling back in Beijing. He'd gotten used to it. But he always made the decision on whether to be caught. Any lovers he'd taken had been few and far between and never related to work.

Locke mentally cursed his lack of control last night. He should have kept the kiss brief. She probably wouldn't have said anything if he had. Or better yet, he shouldn't have kissed her at all.

Liar.

Fine. He was willing to be honest with himself. He liked kissing her.

But he had to focus on what was going on right now. He hadn't been able to sleep right away after last night, so he decided to do something productive.

He quickly found out that he wasn't the only one good at keeping secrets. Meliza Rinaldo wasn't exactly who she was' or at least, who she portrayed to the world. The information he'd found out about her in the morning certainly explained a lot about her and the flicker of loneliness he saw in her eyes when she didn't think anyone was paying attention.

000

Meliza put her towel to hang on the bathroom rack. Miguel had come by with a bag full of her essentials and clothes. She had pulled on a short-sleeved french terry robe, her long damp hair up and away from her face, held back by a claw.

She just wanted to scream at Locke's reaction last night. It wasn't fair. The man was giving off all the signals, but then he turns her down?

Meliza honestly couldn't remember the last time a man gave her this much trouble. What was wrong with indulging in a little fun? They were both adults. She was single. He was single. It made no sense.

Instantly, her mind replayed last night's kiss, and her fingers curled into her palms. His skin had been hot to the touch, his breathing uneven. His entire body had contradicted his rejection.

She watched her reflection show a wry smile as she rearranged the damp twist in her hair.

Ever since her last serious relationship, she promised herself that she wouldn't get emotionally involved anymore. Her casual lifestyle was blown completely out of proportion by the Atlantic City gossip columns. She had to at least like the man before she wanted him as a lover. Most of them understood her boundaries...if she wanted to see them again, she'd call. Which they had no problems with.

So how did Locke Koh fit into the picture?

She frowned slightly. Unfortunately, he didn't exactly fit a mold.

000

Walking to his luggage, Locke pulled out a black button down shirt with thin vertical blue, white, and gray pinstripes to wear over his pajama pants. He frowned at his inventory of clothes. Since he could only wear button-downs thanks to his shoulder, he needed to do laundry soon.

He went to the kitchen, spotting a man dressed in a fitted burgundy polo and blue jeans leaning against the counter next to the stove, arms crossed, spatula in hand.

"Good morning," Miguel greeted with a pleasant smile.

Locke greeted him with a nod.

"Something to drink?" Miguel asked.

"I'll get it." Locke glanced warily at the stove after he retrieved a glass and a bottle of orange juice. "What's that?"

"Just an omelet. I wanted to make French toast, but she said that's too much work." Miguel shrugged. He studied Locke for a few moments.

It was a little unnerving, even for Locke. He found out why soon enough.

"Sleep well?" Miguel asked as he casually turned the omelet over.

"As well as I could," Locke answered vaguely. He glanced down at his glass after taking a drink. "How's she doing?"

"She seems strangely irritated," Miguel responded, poking at the omelet with the spatula. "But I guess I have you to thank for that."

Locke paused, and not revealing any emotions, casually set his empty glass down. "I didn't do anything."

"Exactly."

Locke turned to face him and was about to tell him that his and Meliza's business was their own, until he caught sight of Miguel shaking his head, trying not to laugh.

"And here I thought I did you two a favor by not returning her phone call." At Locke's incredulous stare, Miguel continued, "She left a message asking if I could go to her place to pack up some clothes since she didn't have much else to wear. She said that some people were after her, she wasn't sure who, and that she was staying with you to hide. And when I called her back, she'd give me directions." His eyes widened. "But let's keep that just between us, okay?"

Locke arched a brow. "You deliberately avoided your friend?"

"Yeah, I told her I never got around to answering her phone call because my other half and I were-"

"Stop right there." Locke held up his hand, holding his gag reflex in check.

Miguel laughed. "I wasn't going to go into detail."

"Good."

"You're going to regret that you turned her down," Miguel mused.

"Probably," Locke admitted with a wry smile. "But it's not a habit of mine to spend the night with a woman after she's been shot at."

Miguel cocked his head to the side. "You know...you're the first man she's really let in since...well..."

"Since..?" Locke prompted. But he already had a feeling he knew the answer, based on his findings that morning.

Miguel glanced in the direction of the bathroom before saying quietly, "A little over a year ago, Meli married this guy. He was everything she wanted - funny, ambitious, passionate...she was crazy about him. And get this...she's dated. A lot. But then this guy came along...and then all of a sudden, everything changed. I have never, ever seen her like this. Then when he died...a part of her died with him. She swore to herself that she'd never put herself through that again. It hurt too much, she said. Just the whole idea of letting someone in...only to lose them. Or...only to realize that he really wasn't hers to begin with..." He shrugged. "When she got over it, she started dating again, but she kept all of them at a distance. But...when I hear her talk about you..."

"You said she never mentions me."

"I lied." Miguel suddenly grinned. "You're a good man, Devlin Cai."

The door of the bathroom suddenly opened. Meliza stopped short as she entered the kitchen, seeing Miguel braced against the counter, Locke near the sink, as if they had just stopped a conversation she wasn't supposed to hear. "Hi."

Miguel handed Locke a plate of steaming omelet and shooed him out of the kitchen. "You two go sit. I'll take care of the food."

As if a bit reluctantly, Meliza moved to retrieve some juice and silverware before following Locke into the small dining room. He sat at one side and she settled at the end of the table to his right side, pouring them drinks.

Locke had to remember to thank Miguel for bringing Meliza some clothes to wear. Even though she wasn't wearing any of them right now. Not that her bathrobe was revealing, but it did show a lot of leg. He grimaced slightly, any hopes of getting back on familiar ground slowly fading as he instantly recalled how she had looked wearing his clothes. His shirt and shorts hadn't been able to hide her curves.

Miguel came over to set a plate down in front of Meliza. Then he straightened, admiring his work. "Do you need anything else?"

"I think this is it. Thanks," Meliza gave her friend a grateful smile.

"Anything for you." Miguel leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Okay. I have to run."

"Now?" Meliza blinked. "Did you eat?"

"Yeah, I had a smoothie on my way over," Miguel said quickly, grinning at them. "Take care, okay? Stay safe." He grabbed his light jacket on his way to the door. "Bye!"

And then they were alone. They were both staring in the direction of the door in mild shock.

"I didn't think I'd meet anyone quick at escaping besides you," Locke commented.

Meliza turned to look at him, holding his eyes for a moment before she began to eat. They ate in silence, which was perfectly fine with him. He did find it a little unusual for her because Meliza seemed to enjoy engaging in conversation, based on his observation of her the last few times they were out with friends.

"I told Smith which suite we're in," Meliza chose to say instead.

At that, he looked up. "Did he have any other leads?"

"He had some but didn't want to say." Meliza then added, "Just that he was going to follow up on them and get back to us. Anyway, I have some errands to run, so when I go out, you can stay-"

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"It's not safe."

She rolled her eyes. "No one knows we-"

"No."

Her response was a withering glare in his direction. Had he been a lesser man, he might have given in.

"What time did Miguel get here?"

"Eight."

He didn't miss the thinly-veiled hostile answer. "He brought everything you need?" Are you listening to yourself? he chided himself inwardly. You're making small talk for no reason when you know that's the last thing on her mind.

"Yes."

Again, the same tone of voice in her answer. So he decided to take the bait.

"Are you angry with me?" Locke asked quietly.

"No, of course not," Meliza denied.

He narrowed his eyes. "You are. Because I say we have to stay inside. Or...because of last night."

"I'm not." Meliza smiled sweetly. "Really."

He continued to study her. That was it? he wondered. He thought she'd be angry or upset. But she was acting as if she didn't have a care in the world.

"It was better for both of us that we ended where we did," he assured her.

Meliza lifted her eyes to meet his and shrugged a shoulder. "Something tells me that you wouldn't let a bad shoulder affect anything you put your mind to."

He didn't say anything, just continued his neutral stare. She was right. But he wasn't going to tell her that. After a moment, he broke eye contact to finish his meal.

"You just seem so focused and determined," Meliza continued casually. "In everything you do." He paused, not missing the double meaning behind that comment. Slowly, his eyes raised to hers, and he was confused by the sudden smile that lit her face. "And that's comforting to know."

"Comforting?" he echoed, unable to keep the puzzled look from his features.

"Nobody wants to be around people who get hysterical during a crisis. Besides..." she added, "I like a man who can appreciate foreplay."

He could almost hear Tanaka and Kozue's voices in his head, telling him he was crazy and stupid for rejecting the advances of a woman who expected nothing from him. Locke idly turned his drinking glass, before asking the question he had wondered last night. "Are you always this bold?"

"You ask as if it's a bad thing," she mused aloud. He could tell by the sound of her voice that she was trying hard not to grin.

"Well?"

"What do you think?" came the reply accompanied by a mysterious smile. At his silence, Meliza placed a hand above his knee, leaning forward so her face was inches from his. "When you're ready to let that mask of control slip, let me know. I think you'd enjoy it."

He didn't doubt that. For a brief moment, he let his mind wander. After their kiss last night, he hadn't been able to sleep right away thanks to his overactive imagination. He glanced down, noticing that her hand moved an inch higher.

Then she pulled away, picking up her dishes and heading to the kitchen. "I meant to ask you if you wanted my help taking a shower."

"What?"

"A shower?" she repeated. "When you wash yourself so you don't stink?"

"I know what that is. But-"

"Since your shoulder's got limited movements, I could wash your hair and anything else you want clean." She was talking so clinically, it was hard to believe that this was the same woman who said she wanted to spend the night with him.

He must have been so silent for too long because she was looking at him expectantly from behind the sink.

"No?" she answered for him, her eyes suddenly glinting with a slight challenge.

He frowned, realizing that she issued the offer knowing he would decline. Why? And how to proceed? Decline and remain indifferent, which was exactly what she was expecting, or agree, having her dote on him in the process?

He rose from his chair, picking up his dishes. "Good idea." He caught the slight eyebrow lift and wry smile cross her lips.

"I thought so, too," she murmured.

000

Locke slowly sank into the tub in the bathroom suite, the suds of the ocean-scented bubbles reaching chest level. Meliza had run a bath for him, and while he was never the type to indulge in these things, it was far more practical than the shower stall, given the fact that she'd be 'assisting' him, and would reduce getting the tile wet. Last night before bed, Meliza had taken the wraps off his torso and applied a waterproof bandage on his shoulder. It made taking this bath much easier.

He braced two fingers against his forehead, closing his eyes, wondering if this was a good idea. He and Meliza really should be focusing on trying to find her killer...not whatever this cat and mouse game was between them. He sighed, shifting his legs beneath the water.

A knock came to the door.

"Come in." He opened his eyes.

She entered, a plastic bowl in hand. And still wearing the short robe. Locke forced his gaze away, staring at the wall above the tub faucet.

"How's your shoulder?" she asked, setting the bowl at the edge of the tub.

"Fine."

"Really. You didn't take any painkillers today."

"I know."

Meliza went back out, this time returning with a glass of water and two pills. After handing him the pills, she set the glass on the bathroom counter adjacent to the tub. She then moved to the mirror to rearrange her hair into a twist away from her face. Locke tossed the two pills in his mouth and reached for the glass. His current sitting position wouldn't allow that, so he shifted on to the balls of his feet and reached with his right hand. Still unsuccessful. He suddenly realized that in order to obtain the glass, he'd have to rise out of the tub, granting her a full view of his front.

And she knew it.

His gaze shot to her reflection in the mirror. She was taking a very long time adjusting her hair, an innocent smile on her face.

"Did I put your drink too far away?" she asked sweetly.

"Apparently," he muttered, hating the powdery pill taste in his mouth.

She waited a moment before grasping the glass so she could hand it to him.

Locke pushed himself up with his right hand, using the bathtub edge to stand. A twinge of satisfaction coursed through him as he took the glass from her limp fingers, seeing her eyes immediately drop to his hips. He downed the pills and water and held the glass out.

She kept on staring.

"Meliza."

Her eyes shot to his as she took the glass, and she shook her head as if to wake herself from a trance. "Nicely played..." she murmured.

As she turned away, he glanced down to see that the suds had stuck to various parts of his lower body. Barely covering him. Oh well.

When he sat back down, Meliza moved to the edge of the tub, bowl in hand. She casually stuck her arm underwater to fill up the bowl.

"Lean forward, please," she said in that same saccharine voice.

He obliged, closing his eyes as she poured the water over his head. A few seconds later, he felt her fingers sift through his hair. The shampoo's scent matched the bubbles. With his eyes closed, he felt acutely aware of his surroundings. His own heartbeat...her fingers massaging through his scalp...the bubbles on the surface of the water evaporating...his breathing pattern...the rustle of her robe sleeves as her hands moved.

He swallowed, closing his eyes more tightly as she poured water over his head. After two more pours, he heard a clink and sensed her leaving. He swiped at his eyes, catching sight of her heading to the door. His eyes trailed to the curve of her hips, up to the straight set of her shoulders as she opened the bathroom door.

"All done for now," she said cheerfully over her shoulder.

And then she left him alone.

Locke sank further into the tub, staring at the ceiling. And wondering why a part of him was just a little disappointed that she had finished without trying anything else. No come-ons, no reaching for anything...he stopped his train of thought. No, he wouldn't go in that direction. When he finally decided to get up, the water started to cool to lukewarm. After carefully drying himself off, he pulled on a pair of black boxers and the same shirt he had worn at breakfast, then putting his jeans on. Locke braced one hand on the counter over the sink.

And took a deep breath.

If he and Meliza were to be in close quarters for the next who knew how many hours, both of them had better be doing something productive. Maybe Smith had found more about Meliza's attacker. Locke couldn't afford to be distracted. As tempting as the distraction was.

His eyes narrowed before darting to the door. He could sense her just outside.

After a moment, he opened the door to find her leaning against the wall. At least she was dressed. Khaki capri pants hugged her hips and thighs, flaring just past her knees. A turquoise tank top complimented her golden skin. She had left her hair down, flowing past her shoulders down her back.

"Thought you fell asleep in there," she murmured.

"Almost." Glad to be back on neutral ground, he let a smile show.

It quickly faded once he recalled the events of last night. They were in the same place when he had caught her wearing a sheet. Judging by the look in her eyes, their thoughts were along similar lines.

She took a step closer, reaching out to adjust his collar with her two hands. "It's crooked," she informed quietly.

He didn't trust himself to talk at the moment.

She tilted her head slightly to brush her lips against his. And while his mind told him not to further complicate things, the rest of his body didn't listen. He drew her closer, angling her head for better access. Meliza clutched at his shoulders, slid her hands along the back of his neck and speared her fingers through his damp hair. He felt his heart quicken, his blood run thick in his veins as his hand moved over her spine to discover her top was held together by four tied strings, leaving her back exposed. His fingertips explored the texture of her skin, as he touched his tongue to hers. She responded eagerly, arching against him. Meliza tilted her head back, breaking free to catch her breath, but he dragged his mouth from the corner of her lips and down the column of her neck to her collarbone.

Knock, knock.

Locke almost didn't hear it. But the sound had managed to push through, and the realization of what they were doing entered his clouded brain.

He jerked away from her, swearing inwardly. And watched as she clung to the wall, her eyes hazy with pleasure.

"We can't...We..." For the first time, he was at a loss for words. Frustration came off him in waves as he ran a hand through his bangs. What the hell had he been thinking?!

He hadn't been. And he had enjoyed it. Too much. But then again, he hadn't been the only one. Was it the adrenaline? Life-threatening situations might cause hormones to go crazy. That could explain her reaction. Add the fact that he hadn't been with a woman in a long, long time, and it was obvious why they were all over each other.

Stop trying to convince yourself of something you know is a lie.

The truth was...whenever this woman was concerned, all of his carefully laid out plans tended to fall to the wayside.

Locke cleared his throat and tried to speak one more time. But his voice was lower than he intended. "I'm not against exploring where this could go. But only after your attacker is found and arrested. Once he is...then we'll talk."

Meliza released a defeated sigh, adjusting the straps of her tank top. "Did anyone ever tell you that you have a twisted sense of honor?"

Dark eyes lifted curiously to her face, and he saw confusion mixed with longing in those brown eyes. No doubt he had the same expression. His lips pressing in a grim line, he replied coolly, "I'm making progress, then. Several years ago I had no honor."

A few strides later and he opened the door to find Detective Smith on the other side. The man took one look at him before looking at Meliza standing behind him. Locke mentally cursed his lack of control and his inability to mask his actions better. It didn't take a genius to know what they had been up to. Not that it had gotten very far...But Locke was grateful for the interruption. He wasn't planning on having his first break of a long abstinence against a hotel wall leading to the bathroom.

"Did I come at a bad time?" the detective inquired.

"No, of course not," Locke denied, opening the door wider. "Come in."

As the detective entered, Meliza offered him a drink.

"No thanks. I'm glad you're both here. We need to talk," the detective stated. The look on his face clearly indicated that he had found something.

"What is it?" Meliza inquired.

"First of all...I did some more digging," Smith leveled a stare at her as he sat down in a chair at the end of the dining table. "And you haven't been completely honest with me. Particularly about the men you've been involved with."

"Meaning?" Meliza took a seat across from him, with Locke sitting next to her.

"One of your ex-boyfriends, Hyun-Ki Chuong. He has a bank account overseas," Smith explained, gauging her reaction. "Once a month, a couple thousand gets transferred to another offshore account - more specifically, to Gregory Street's."

Meliza appeared puzzled. "What does that have to do with me?"

"Your name is listed second under Chuong's, and since he's dead...that would make the account yours. Care to explain the connection?"

Meliza blinked.

"They were married," Locke concluded.

Her eyes shot to his before she crossed her arms. "What does that have to do with-?"

"How long were you married?" Smith pressed.

When Meliza didn't answer, Locke did instead. "Four months. They had eloped to the Bahamas and kept their marriage a secret."

He didn't miss the anger and betrayal in her eyes.

Smith looked at Meliza for confirmation.

Swallowing, she nodded her head once. "It's...true. We...were married for a short time." She took a deep breath. "A couple months before we married...he borrowed some money to start up one of his businesses. He said he'd pay Street back as soon as he had a return on it. But I guess Street got impatient. He kept pressuring Hyun to pay him back or he'd take everything from him - including the businesses that his family owned. Anyway...Hyun knew that he would lose everything if his family found out...if...if I found out. But I guess he couldn't keep it a secret, so he eventually told me about it. We had an argument. And he went on what was supposed to be a cruise, wanted to clear his head, decide what to do." She bit her lip. "Only...he never came back." She hugged her arms. "A week after he died...one of Street's men shows up and shows me documents, he has me listen to tape recordings of conversations he's had with Hyun...said that I had to pay him back since he was dead. I don't even know how he knew we were married. I...I didn't want his sister and mother to get involved...Hyun had begged me not to tell them, and the less people involved, the better. So I offered to pay them back three thousand a month."

The detective and Locke were quiet for a long, long time, as if sensing she needed to collect herself after telling that story. Locke studied her for a few moments. For someone who was very good at masking her emotions, it wasn't difficult to read what was going on in her mind. Guilt, anger, sadness...and almost a sense of relief that she didn't have to keep the secret anymore. A brief frown formed between Locke's brows. Her marriage was something he had found out this morning. Why she insisted on keeping it a secret, he didn't know. Although it did explain her attitudes about dating and relationships. She probably didn't trust very easily anymore...and even if she was attracted to someone, she deliberately kept her interactions with said person brief.

"Is there anyone else he owes money to?" Smith finally asked.

"No." She shook her head. "Not that I know of. Do you think...Street or his men are the ones after me?"

Smith frowned. "I doubt it."

Locke spoke up. "You're no good to Street's men if you aren't alive. So it has to be someone else."

The detective nodded. "Exactly. That's why I came here...I want to make sure you told me everything."

Meliza lowered her head. "I'm...sorry. Everyone else you pretty much know. He's...the only one."

Apparently satisfied, the detective left, saying he'd look around some more and be in touch.

When Locke closed the door behind him, he turned to face Meliza, who was staring out the window. He waited, knowing that she was most likely upset about him checking up on her background. She was probably thinking what would be the best way to deal with him. He couldn't blame her if she kicked him out of the room. She had obviously worked very hard to keep her marriage a secret.

Meliza whirled to face him, her hands clenched in fists. "You had no right to snoop into my private life!"

"I had to," Locke responded. "I was looking for anything that would explain what's been happening the last few days."

"And snooping around would help that?"

"Why didn't you tell me that you were married?" he asked quietly. "Instead you...you told me that you two didn't work out."

"It doesn't really make a difference now, does it? You would have found out sooner or later," she declared in a cool voice. "You are resourceful, after all."

He flinched. Yes, he would have found out sooner or later. But he would have preferred to hear it from her.

Instead of arguing, he asked, "How long before you got married?"

Meliza sighed, her back still to him. "Six months." She released a self-depreciating laugh. "Who falls in love and gets married in six months? Crazy, isn't it?"

He frowned. "It's...not crazy. Some...things...just can't be explained." Like how it was possible to decide marriage in six months...or...how it was possible to care so much about someone else in such a short time...

"The thing is..." Meliza continued. "Later on...I realized that I didn't even know who my husband was. Something in him...changed." She turned away from the window. "Before he went on that cruise...when he told me about what happened with Street...I yelled at him for jeopardizing our future...our families...and then...he never came back..."

Locke's eyes widened. "You blame yourself for what happened to him?"

"No." She shook her head once. "He took the cowardly way out by throwing himself into the sea. What he should have done was come home and face his problems, not run away...leaving me to deal with them. I..." Her turbulent eyes sought his. "I didn't tell you because...I was ashamed. And...and guilty." She looked through the window again. "I was angry the last time I saw him. Looking back...I probably shouldn't have been so cruel. Arguing is basically the last memory I shared with him." Meliza moved to sit at the end of the sofa. "Even if what he did was wrong...I loved him and I wish that wasn't the last conversation I had with him."

They were silent for a long time. Locke moved to sit on the sofa, facing her.

"Why was your marriage kept a secret?"

"A couple people know," Meliza offered with a feeble smile. "Our best friends. My parents."

"But his family doesn't know?" Locke prompted.

"No...they wanted him to marry a family friend. A Korean woman about two years younger, her father runs a large advertising agency back in Seoul," Meliza replied. "Hyun didn't believe that his family should have a say in who he married...but at the same time, he didn't want to upset them. He was going to slowly introduce me into his family circle. Which is why we pretended to date." She sighed. "But Sun believed that I could control him, and she apparently didn't like the effect I had on her brother. So his family assumed that I broke his heart and that's why he killed himself."

"There's...something you need to know," Locke began slowly. "About Sun. She...she's the one who has been sending you those harassing emails."

She went very still, her eyes focused on the floor.

"Meliza."

She immediately rose out of her seat to stand by the window. "What a surprise," she said, bitterly. She braced her forehead with her left hand, taking a few deep breaths.

Locke moved to stand behind her and slightly to her left. "Is there anything I can-?"

"No," she answered quietly. "You've already done so much for me. And...I'll always be grateful for that." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "When did you find out about Hyun's relationship to me?"

"This morning," he answered, moving to lean against the window with his good shoulder. "Probably around three."

"Trouble sleeping?" she asked, concerned.

"Something like that."

000

An hour later, Meliza had busied herself with cleaning the kitchen. Locke had retreated to the bedroom and hadn't emerged since.

When her cell phone rang, she quickly picked it up. "Hello?"

"Ms. Rinaldo. This is Paul Hendrick."

"Hi." Hyun's lawyer. She was wondering what had happened with that.

"If you're free today, I have some papers to show you. Are you able to come by my office, say, within two hours?"

"Sure. I'll call you and let you know when I'm on my way."

They hung up, and Meliza glanced towards the bedroom. She should probably tell Locke that she was going out...only for a little bit.

After assuring herself that the suite was spotless, she peeked into the bedroom to find Locke sprawled on the bed, fast asleep. Frowning, Meliza picked up the tan bottle of painkillers she had given him. Recommended dosage was two, just as she'd done. She wondered if that was too much. He didn't seem the type to rely heavily on medications...and her trips to the bathroom they shared revealed that he carried very little when traveling - standard grooming tools, oral hygiene tools, but no medicine. Not even for headaches.

Her eyes strayed to the sleeping man on the bed. She could see the faint shadows beneath his eyes. Poor guy. He must be exhausted from everything. A part of her regretted dragging him into this mess on his vacation. Her gaze moved lower, to see his chest rise and fall in a slow, steady pattern.

She immediately recalled their kiss by the bathroom. She was already looking forward to more of that. Even more so now that he'd given her reason to hope that he was also interested in pursuing whatever was between them. He wanted her...that much was certain...but for how long?

Meliza glanced at the clock. She had to meet Hendrick soon, so she'd better get going. She hated to wake Locke, so she wrote a quick note and placed it on the nightstand. Hopefully, she'd be back before he woke up.

000

When Locke woke two hours later, the suite was quiet. Too quiet. He didn't have to get up and look around to know that she was gone. Swearing, Locke picked up his cell phone to call her.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Where are you?"

"Calm down, I just needed some fresh air," she explained. Then she added with traces of humor in her voice, "Cabin fever. I'll be back soon. You can't be missing me already."

He couldn't tell if she was teasing him or if that was her light way of admitting they had some sort of relationship. Whatever it was. Locke slowly sat up. "You should have woken me."

"I left you a note on the nightstand."

"It isn't safe to go out just yet."

"I can take care of myself," Meliza assured stubbornly.

"I realize that," Locke replied, his tone revealing his exasperation. "But I still would have felt better if you told me your plans. I'm guessing this is something that couldn't wait."

"Right."

"Fine. Call me when you're heading back."

As she hung up, another phone call came through. It was Sun's assistant, Bae.

"What?"

"Mr. Cai, I need to meet with you."

Locke scowled. "I told your employer I'd update her whenever I had something to update with."

"She doesn't know I'm calling you. There's...something you need to know about Sun and Hyun. And Meliza Rinaldo."

He sighed. "All right. Where should we meet?"

000

Locke had arrived at a cafe about ten minutes away from the hotel. Hopefully Meliza would return to the hotel room by the time he got back. He found Bae sitting inside, towards the back.

The man greeted him with a nod, frowning at the sight of Locke's sling. He had taken it off while driving, but was having trouble keeping his arm immobile. Locke signaled a nearby server for a cup of regular coffee.

"Well?" Locke prompted.

Bae idly stirred his coffee, gesturing to the sling. "What happened?"

"Let's say that I got more than I bargained for when taking this job with Meliza Rinaldo..." he said cryptically.

Bae's eyes widened. "The rumors about her are rumors. Did she have anything to do with-?"

"No," Locke cut in. The server set a cup in front of him. He waited until she left. "So why did you call me out here?"

Bae stirred his coffee for a few moments before glancing at Locke. "Sun's hatred for Meliza...there isn't reason behind it. I mean...there shouldn't be."

"Why is that?" Locke asked.

Bae cleared his throat. "Because...Hyun loved her. And Meliza loved Hyun. I've never seen anyone...that much in love...and in such a short time."

Locke kept his surprise to himself. Sun's assistant knew the true nature of their relationship? And he never said anything? Locke took a sip of coffee before setting the cup down. "You sound as if you knew Meliza personally."

He nodded. "Hyun was my best friend. I met her just when they started dating." Bae swallowed as Locke remained quiet. "Meliza and Hyun were married for just a few months. Hyun knew that his family wouldn't accept her, so both of them decided to keep it a secret. Hyun...had some business debts to pay back...I think the stress got to him. The stress eventually started to cause a rift between him and his wife...he couldn't take it anymore...he was afraid he'd lose everything...his businesses, his family, his wife...So he killed himself." He swallowed again. "I promised him that I wouldn't tell his family about his debts...about his marriage. He helped me when I came to America...he gave me a job, a home...and when he left...Sun hired me as her assistant. She gave me the same he did...a job, home, friendship...But ever since he died, she changed so much. All she thinks about is his death and why he died. And she blames Meliza for something she didn't do. Hyun's death was Hyun's choice."

"And you just stood back as Sun plotted to make her life miserable?" Locke demanded.

"What do you mean?"

Locke rolled his eyes. "Paying a stranger to seduce her is pretty extreme, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes, but-"

"I don't understand why she hired me when she's capable of bothering her on her own."

"What-?"

"Your employer has taken it upon herself to send Meliza harassing emails," Locke declared. "Did you know about that?" he asked after a moment.

Bae's face flushed with guilt. "Yes. Those emails and mutilated stuffed toys...they were just supposed to start off as harmless."

"Somehow I doubt your employer would feel the same way if someone anonymous was sending those to her," Locke retorted.

"You told Sun that you could do this job without getting personally involved. Is that the case now?" Bae asked. Without waiting for him to answer, he continued, "She was a good wife to him. As much as she could be, given the fact that he didn't tell her a lot of his problems. She would have done anything to help him. And I think that she was hurt that his family wouldn't accept her." Bae lowered his head and whispered, "I've been so torn...In spite of everything, Meliza meant a lot to him...and she's the one person Sun despises. Sun just wanted revenge for her brother."

"It still doesn't make it right." Locke narrowed his eyes.

"I-I know. But...I...I can't talk her out of it. I couldn't. Otherwise..." He sunk in his chair in defeat.

"You're in love with her," Locke concluded. At the man's flushed face, Locke shook his head. "No wonder..."

"The rich never get with hired help. That's the nature of things, right? Besides...her boyfriend's a wealthy estate lawyer. He handled Hyun's affairs, too." Bae lowered his eyes. "I...just wanted you to know the truth. I...care about Sun. But I care about Meliza, too."

"You have an odd way of showing how you care about your best friend's wife," Locke replied. He frowned as his cell phone rang. "Devlin speaking."

"Mr. Cai, this is Detective Smith. I may have found something that might help Meliza's case."

Locke excused himself from the table and headed outside where he could talk in private. "What is it?"

"I've had one of my sources check around to see if anyone has been keeping tabs on Meliza. Apparently, she came in to see a Paul Hendrick. He's a lawyer here in Atlantic City. Chuong and Meliza owned a house in the Bahamas, and the title is under both of their names. His office had requested a copy of her and Chuong's marriage certificate from the Bahamas two days ago."

"Two days ago?" Locke frowned. "The day of the shooting at the mall?" A nagging feeling began to gnaw at him.

"Just wanted to let you know. My guy's digging a little deeper as we speak. But I find it kinda odd that Chuong's been dead for a year, and his estate lawyer orders a copy of the marriage certificate."

"When he should have known about their marriage."

"'Should have' being the key words. Chuong must have tried very hard to keep it a secret. I'll call you later."

Locke hung up and stalked back inside the cafe, sitting across from Bae. He stared at the man carefully. "How far is she willing to go to make Meliza's life miserable?"

Bae's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"

"Answer the question."

"Did something happen? Was that Meliza?"

Instead of answering, he said, "Chuong's lawyer...what's his name?"

"Paul Hendrick," Bae answered. "I don't see why-"

Locke blew out a breath. "How much did he know about Meliza and Chuong's relationship?"

"Nothing. As far as he knew, she was the witch who had influence over him. Of course, all he heard was Sun's point of view..."

Locke sipped his coffee thoughtfully. And yet the man had inquired about a marriage certificate. But why?

His phone rang, and after excusing himself, he went outside again, checking the display to see that it was Detective Smith calling.

"What did you find?" he demanded as soon as he picked up.

"I found out that Hendrick has a lot of wealthy clients. All of his clients who pass away usually give a small cut of their assets to a local charity...one that he's part of."

Locke narrowed his eyes. "So that's a bonus to his usual fees?"

"Yeah. He never knew about Chuong's marriage - so he divided the assets wrong without realizing it. And get this...he has a bad gambling habit and owes a lot of money to several loan sharks here in Atlantic City. His time to pay is coming up in about two weeks."

Locke swore softly.

"What's wrong?"

"He probably got scared when she visited his office...He's worried that he'll have to give her the share she's entitled to, out of his own pocket. Rather than risk the chance that her marriage would become public knowledge, he decided to order a hit on her and hope no one would notice."

"Not liking your line of thinking, Mr. Cai..." Detective Smith said grimly. "You have a devious mind. Sorta reminds me of myself. Where's Meliza now?"

Locke grimaced. "I don't know. She said she needed some air, and she left without telling me."

"Quite the troublemaker."

"Yeah, she is."

"So are you two together or what?"

Locke smiled wryly. "When I know the answer, I'll let you know."

"So it's like that, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Be careful. I'll call you again."

After hanging up, Locke dialed Meliza's phone, frowning in thought.

"I told you that I'd call you when I'm done," she reminded coolly.

"Where are you?"

"In Atlantic City."

"I know that," Locke retorted. "I meant specifically. And with whom."

"What are you, a parent?" Meliza shot back. "If you must know, I'm going to Hyun's lawyer to talk about some real estate we had together."

Locke's jaw tightened. "Meliza, you can't. You don't know what-"

"I'm done talking now. Bye." Click.

Locke swore. Again. He quickly called Detective Smith, who picked up after one ring. "She went to see Hendrick."

"What?!"

"Something about some real estate information...Dammit, that woman is going to-"

"We need to get to her fast," Smith interrupted. "Did she say where she's meeting him?"

"No."

"All right, I'm going to his home, since I'm closer to that location."

"I'll check his office to see if she's there. Just in case," Locke said. After getting the address information from the detective, Locke turned to find Bae exiting the cafe.

"Are...are you okay?" the man asked. "If you're busy then I could just-"

"What's the fastest way to Hendrick's office?" Locke demanded.

"What? Why?"

"I don't have time to explain. Where's his office?"

"It's only about three blocks north of this street." Bae pointed in the direction. "Address is twelve-twenty. He's on the second floor, you can't miss it."

000

Meliza took a deep breath as she opened the suite leading into Hendrick's office. His secretary was not at the reception desk, but his door was open a crack. She raised her hand, knocking twice.

"Come on in," a voice called out.

She pushed the door aside and stepped in. "Hi, Mr. Hendrick. Thanks for calling me."

"Anytime." He rose from his desk. "Just looking out for my client's best interests. Regardless if they're around anymore or not." He gestured to the chair facing his desk. "Please sit. You'll have to excuse me...My secretary has all my paperwork and she's gone for the day. Let me go to her desk."

Meliza took a deep breath and immediately took a seat. She reached up, idly fingering the ring attached to the delicate gold chain around her neck. Meliza released the breath she was holding, wondering why she chose to wear the necklace now. She had stopped wearing it and the ring it held a long time ago...

It became too quiet in the office. She couldn't even hear the hum of his computer. A prickly feeling went through her. Meliza shot to her feet, seeing that his monitor was dark.

And turned off.

A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do...

Then everything went black.

000

Locke dashed up the stairs to the second floor of the law office building. The doors leading to Hendrick's office were locked. He swore softly, knocking.

No answer.

"Damn."

Immediately reaching into his pocket, he called Meliza's phone, stepping back to kick the door down.

No answer.

The door gave way after two kicks and a quick search revealed the offices to be empty. A glance at the secretary's calendar revealed that the partners had gone on vacation today and tomorrow.

Locke called the detective next in hopes that he had an idea of where she could be.

"Detective Smith."

"She's not here. No one's here," Locke informed him.

"Same with his home. Neighbors say that he hasn't been here since early this morning."

After hanging up, Locke made his way to the parking garage, his stomach forming into knots. Where are you, Meliza? Just as he entered the garage, the sound of an engine roaring to life reached his ears. It came from a black BMW parked to his left. Locke dashed over to the driver's side, catching the door just before it closed.

The man was clearly irritated. "What the hell?!"

"Are you Paul Hendrick?"

"Yeah. Look, I told Stevens that I'd start paying him next week-" He didn't finish his sentence because Locke yanked him out of the car one-handed, tossing him onto the pavement.

"Crap! I told you that Stevens will-"

"I don't know Stevens," Locke cut in. "Where is she?"

"What the hell-?"

"Where. Is. She."

Hendrick stumbled to his feet. "I don't know who you're talking about-" 

At that moment, a knocking sound entered the empty garage.

Locke turned his head slightly to his left and barely had time to react as a fist came flying towards his temple. His ears rung, and he fell against the car, his left shoulder taking all of his weight. Locke immediately clutched his shoulder, clenching his teeth in pain. He blinked a few times to clear his vision, managing to block another fist coming his way, but unable to twist away in time to avoid being shoved hard against the car. Some muffled shouts and a banging sound emerged from beneath the trunk.

Meliza...Locke fell to his knees, tightening his hold on his upper shoulder as it throbbed in response to the second blow it had taken in less than a minute.

The all-too familiar click of a gun came above his right ear, causing his breath to stall in his lungs.

"Don't move," Hendrick ordered.

Locke set his jaw. Dammit. He could hear Hendrick slowly move away from him, and closer towards the driver's side.

"Now get up, and step away from the car," Hendrick said.

"Meliza!" Locke called out in a loud voice, hoping his guess about her location was right.

The sounds beneath the trunk became more frantic, and if he wasn't mistaken, louder. Hendrick stared at him, at the trunk and back again, as if realizing now the reason Locke was here.

"I said get up!" Hendrick shouted.

Locke slowly rose to his feet, turning slightly to get a better view of Hendrick, before taking a small step away. Why did it feel like the room was spinning?

"Now back away!" Hendrick commanded.

Locke carefully took another small step back. Years ago, he had taken a few risks when disarming another gunman. But none of them had a hostage in enclosed quarters. He didn't want to test his skills with a bad shoulder. And he didn't want to risk Meliza getting hurt. His mind quickly assessed options. Unfortunately, he didn't have a gun, so shooting was out. He didn't have anything to throw either, no knives or anything for catching him off-guard. His eyes had done a quick surveillance of the area. No cars around, so he could hotwire one and follow...

Impatience clearly showing on his features, Hendrick shook the gun once. "Faster! All the way against the wall!"

Keeping his gun trained on him, Hendrick took his place in the driver's seat, lowering the window, and closing the door. With a triumphant grin, Hendrick changed gears, lowered his hand and sped off.

Going on pure instinct, Locke broke into a run, noticing something emerge from the backseat. Meliza's head rose from the back, and she tried to grab her kidnapper from behind. He spotted her with his rearview mirror and they struggled, causing the car to careen left and right. He elbowed her forehead, and she tumbled into the backseat. A heartbeat passed, and Meliza grasped the back of the passenger seat, valiantly trying to keep from being thrown in all directions as the car sped away.

Suddenly, the front half of the car began to glow an ominous blue, and Locke watched in horror, immediately realizing what Meliza was doing.

"Don't!"

An explosion boomed into the empty garage, and he shielded his eyes against the harsh light as small debris flew everywhere. The car had veered to the left and hit a wall that formed the garage's entrance, the hood on fire. Locke dashed to the car, coughing through the cloud of smoke. He lifted his shirt around his nose as smoke began to fill the garage, seeping out of the entrance.

"Meliza!"

Hendrick was slumped over the steering wheel, but Meliza was nowhere to be found. Locke circled the car, surveying the area. He spotted a woman's calf poking out of a messy stack of cardboard boxes near the dumpster, about seven feet away.

No...

He ran towards her, snatching empty boxes and tossing them aside, his shoulder protesting his movements. When he lifted the final box, he found Meliza lying face up, her eyes closed. He kneeled at her side, placing two fingers at her neck, sighing in relief as he detected a slow, but steady pulse. Gently, Locke reached behind her to remove the gag from her mouth. He leaned over her face, feeling her breath on his cheek.

She was alive. Unconscious, but alive.

She was going to be okay.

Locke closed his eyes for a few moments. Not knowing where she was had to be one of the worst feelings he'd experienced since he got here.

He glanced back to see the car's fire slowly making its way to the windshield. Getting to his feet, Locke moved to the car, yanked the half-attached driver's door open and pulled Hendrick away from the vehicle to a safe distance. Just as a precaution, he checked him to make sure he wasn't carrying any more weapons. The man's eyes opened slowly. Locke quickly pushed on a point at his neck to knock him unconscious. And struck another on his back. So he wouldn't feel his legs when he woke up. At least for a while...

When he returned to Meliza's side, she was already moving to a sitting position.

"Locke?"

"You've got to be the craziest woman I've met," Locke declared harshly. "You could have gotten killed."

"Definitely not one of my best ideas," she agreed on a whisper. Her voice grew stronger. "But...I wasn't going to let him-"

He pulled her close with one arm, crushing her against his chest, placing his cheek against the top of her head. "I tried to tell you earlier about Hendrick...he's the one who's been after you."

A weak smile came to her. "I kinda figured that when I woke up in his trunk. How'd you know where to find me?"

"Pure luck." His hold on her tightened ever so slightly. "Next time...easy on the explosion," he muttered. "It was reckless and-"

"Locke."

"What?" he retorted crossly. His eyes widened when Meliza tucked her legs under her, tilting her head back so she could see him.

"Locke...you're bleeding."

He reached up, touching the right side of his head. His fingertips registered sticky liquid. He blinked in surprise at the sight of crimson on his fingers. Meliza ripped the bottom portion of her pants and folded it into a square, using it as temporary gauze.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Meliza demanded.

"I was preoccupied-what the hell are you doing?"

In seconds, she had removed the buttons of his shirt from their holes. Meliza pushed his sleeve over his left shoulder, peering behind him.

"The stitches are torn. How does your arm feel?"

"Sore." More than normal.

A cell phone rang. They stared at each other for a moment, and she held the makeshift bandage to his head, and he dug the phone out of the back of his pants pocket, surprisingly still in working order.

"Devlin."

"Mr. Cai, Detective Smith. One of my guys says that Hendrick was scheduled for a flight to California later today. Vacation. I'm-"

"I found them. They were in the parking garage. She was in his trunk."

Pause. "Hendrick still alive?"

"Not sure. There was a little accident..."

He explained the situation as quickly as he could, that Hendrick had crashed his car and it was on fire. As if on cue, sirens rang faintly in the air. Someone must have spotted the smoke coming from the garage and called for emergency services.

000

In the ER waiting room, Meliza forced herself to sit still as she waited for word on Locke's release, a cold pack held in her right hand pressed against her forehead to ease the swelling. The paramedics had taken herself, Locke, and Hendrick away, Hendrick under custody at a different hospital. Once again, Locke had nominated himself to be her knight in shining armor. Or at least this time, tried to be. Once she'd woken up in the trunk, she knew that it wouldn't take much to escape. Hendrick had been an amateur, and she grudgingly hated to admit that she could tell the difference between a pro and amateur. As for his motives...she was still confused about the whole ordeal, but she had a feeling that those pieces would eventually fall into place. Smith had told her that he'd meet them to complete his report. Technically, he could have asked her some questions while Locke was under ER care, but he said he'd be willing to wait until things settled down. Besides, she needed to know that Locke was okay before she answered any questions. The man had gone out on a limb too many times for her liking since she'd known him. She didn't understand why. Did he understand why?

The nurse at the desk gave her a kind smile. "If you'd like to go back and see him, I can escort you."

Meliza didn't bother to hide the relief on her face. "Thank you...I...I'd appreciate it."

The ER was quiet, hardly any patients were on beds. The nurse stopped at the third bed on the right, with the curtain partially drawn to grant the patient and doctor privacy. Meliza came face-to-face with Locke, who sat on the bed, the doctor carefully suturing his shoulder.

"Doctor, his girlfriend wanted to see him..." the nurse explained cheerfully.

Meliza's eyes widened. "I'm not his girlfriend."

"Yet," Locke corrected.

The doctor chuckled. "Lovers' quarrels..."

"We're not lovers," Locke said, frowning.

"Yet," Meliza added.

The doctor continued his low laughter and stepped back to study his work. "I'll sign your release papers at the nurses' station, and you should be good to go. Take it easy the next couple days..."

"Thank you," Meliza told the doctor as he left. She took a few moments to examine Locke. As he pulled his shirt on, she caught a glimpse of a bruise on his left shoulder. A piece of gauze was taped to the right side of his head. She shot him a look. "Girlfriend?"

"Lovers?" Locke taunted.

Releasing a sigh, Meliza's eyes flicked towards his shoulder. "How are you doing?"

"Not too bad," Locke admitted. "And you?"

"Paramedics gave me this," Meliza explained, holding the bag up near her head. "No concussion, but a bruise and a bump might be there for a bit."

Before she could stop him, he rose to his feet, his right hand curving around the back of her skull, his fingers sifting through her hair.

Immediately, her shoulders tensed. "I don't-"

"Be still." He frowned, focusing on the spanse above her eyes.

"I don't need you touching me!"

Her vehement statement triggered a pause. His hand dropped. "I didn't think it was a problem before."

"Sorry," Meliza mumbled, stepping back, realizing how silly she was acting. Not as silly as the need to throw herself in his arms. With all the commotion that had happened, she'd love nothing more than to hold him for a good minute or two. The thought was...very unlike her. "I just...You don't always have to be taking care of me, Locke."

"I know." Locke cleared his throat. He was relieved to know that she'd escaped with minimal damage. The events of that morning now hung between them. Now that Hendrick was arrested..."About earlier...before Smith arrived at the suite..."

Meliza raised steady eyes to his. "Before we go any further...I feel that you should know...I don't have room for anyone in my life right now. I keep all relationships simple. I call when I want to see you. And I'm free to go out with anyone else if I want."

"I see."

"So if that's all right with you," Meliza began, "then I have no problem continuing what we started this morning."

Locke arched a brow.

"Take it or leave it. I won't change that policy. Not for you or anyone else."

It was as if she'd thrown down a gauntlet. But if she expected him to give up just like that, she was in for a surprise. Instead, Locke asked quietly, "Do all women with bad relationship history have issues, or is it just you?"

"I tried commitment...but it's not for me," Meliza replied after a moment, waving her hand in dismissal. "So I don't plan on repeating any type of commitment anytime soon."

"I've risked my life twice in the past week for you. I think that entitles me to more than just an occasional phone call." It took all of his self-control to speak without anger.

Meliza sighed. "I...I'll always be grateful for that. But I don't see what's wrong with what I'm offering. Casual relationship. No complications."

"That's it?" Locke demanded. "After everything that's happened between us, I get a few hours of your time?"

"No, of course not. Like I said, I could always call you whenever I'm at a loose end-"

"Correction," Locke snapped, fury lighting his dark eyes. How could she be so...cold? "A few hours of your time and 'friends with benefits' club membership? I'll pass."

She paled slightly, as if she'd been slapped in the face. Locke immediately felt a twinge of remorse. That sounded awful, even to his own ears. But he wanted more than just a phone call when she was bored. He liked Meliza, and he liked being around her. As crazy and spontaneous as she was. Thinking back, from the time he left Fighter's Isle until now, he'd thought about her enough to wonder what would have happened had he looked her up sooner. He could speculate all he wanted, but what mattered was what they did now. Who cared if they were a little different? So she liked to dance at loud clubs, probably spent hours shopping, was a little on the bossy side, but didn't he have a little of that last one, too? She was smart, sexy, unpredictable, and a lot more caring beneath the tough exterior than she let others believe.

So he tried a different tactic. "Casual relationships aren't for me," he explained patiently. "I don't share, and I expect the same."

She studied him carefully. "You just don't decide on a committed relationship. For someone who likes to evaluate options, I would think-"

"I've gone on dates, if that's what you're saying," Locke interrupted. "And there's nothing wrong with them. But their lives didn't matter to me."

"So what exactly are you saying?" she asked softly.

"I'd like to see you. Preferably under normal circumstances."

"Meaning more than just the occasional dinner date here and there?" Meliza guessed.

"Right." He waited, watching her expression. He could practically see her processing both sides.

Meliza braced her hands on her hips. "That's asking a lot."

Locke narrowed his eyes. Meliza made it clear she didn't want anyone consistently in her life. But if he really believed that, he would have stopped this discussion, wouldn't he? "Why is it so difficult?" Locke asked. "Or are you really as bad as Atlantic City gossip says?"

"Of course not," Meliza said quickly. "So I date a lot. It doesn't mean I'm carving notches on my headboard. Besides, most of them know the deal. If they want money or sex, I'm not that easy. I have to at least respect the men I take to bed, and quite honestly, a male gold-digger is not attractive."

Locke shook his head, really not interested in hearing how many men she had. He preferred her to be focused on only him at the moment. "So try something else. Exclusivity with me."

"Are you always this forceful or is it part of the charm you've gotten over the years?" Meliza said, not bothering to keep the sarcasm from her voice.

He smiled dryly. "Not every man follows your rules. Is that what bothers you? That I'm not agreeing to what's supposed to be a convenient arrangement?"

"No...it's just that not every woman wants to have little say in...whatever the hell this is." She blew out a breath. "You really are the most aggravating man I've ever met. Besides, we can't both call the shots."

Locke leaned towards her. "I told you I was willing to explore where we could go. But you can't always take control. We can both call the shots if we want the same thing."

"Then I guess we should both cut our losses," Meliza responded icily. "We obviously want different things."

"Are you sure about that?" Locke challenged, unable to keep the frustration from his voice.

"To live my life on my terms, without having to answer to anyone?" Meliza retorted through clenched teeth. "Damn right I do."

He was pushing her, and if he continued she might be angry enough to cut him off completely from her life. Like himself, Meliza didn't appreciate being backed into a corner. Maybe if he gave her time to calm down, she'd see that pursuing a relationship with him was at least worth a try. He knew that she'd been hurt in the past, but those circumstances were different. But he was also afraid that the longer he gave her time to cool off, the higher her defenses would be the next time he tried to convince her to give them a chance.

Locke leaned against the edge of the bed. "It's been a long week for both of us. We can talk about this later."

"No, we're done." The coolness in her voice would have deterred any normal man. Good thing he wasn't normal.

He took a deep breath for patience and said quietly, "After the day you just had, the last thing we should be doing is arguing."

For a brief moment, regret flickered in her eyes. And less than two seconds later, the emotion was gone. She was so stubborn. What would it take to get through to her?

Meliza pushed strands of hair aside, her expression indicating that the discussion was closed. "Smith wants our accounts of what happened. I told him we'll call when we're ready to talk. Today or tomorrow."

And with that, she turned to leave the ER without so much a backward glance.