Caitlyn stormed out…and nearly knocked Dmitri down. He cut off her apology with a kiss, swinging her off her feet and pressing her to him for a long hug. “Huh,” she said when he finally put her down. “Someone’s in a vastly better mood.”

“Sadly, you’re in the exact same mood you were when we left this place earlier,” he teased, tugging on a hank of her hair. “Blue streaks?”

“I felt the need for a change.”

“I’ve never met anyone with hair attention deficit disorder before.”

“Oh, shut up. That’s what they tell me at my salon. That reminds me, what’s your favorite color?”

“The color of your eyes.”

“Oh.” That was kind of sweet. And to think, she’d been considering going to purple contact lenses one of these days. “Well, I’m not sure I can get the streaks exactly right…”

“A weighty problem for another day. So, share the bad news. Which of your friends has he started sleeping with now?”

“God, don’t even go there. Where the heck have you been?”

“I have some preliminary data. Did you know Dr. Roe was the state pistol champion six years ago?”

“Uh, no. No, that little factoid must have escaped me. Good with a gun, huh?”

“Extremely good.”

“Well, let’s throw the book at her.”

He quirked a small smile at her. “I doubt it will be quite that simple.”

“Fine, whatever. Listen, you were gone when I woke up.” She pouted. “I hate that.”

“I do apologize. I was doing some research on Dr. Roe, and you looked so angelic, sleeping in my bed, I didn’t have the heart to disturb you.”

“Hmf,” she said, mollified. “Well, what are you doing here?”

“A twofold reason: sharing my findings with Gregory Hamlin and—what’s the phrase?—hooking up with you.”

“Oh,” she said, further mollified. “How’d you know I was here?”

“I picked you up on my long-distance scans.”

“What? You mean you can find me but I can’t ever find you?”

“Apparently not,” he said cheerfully.

“No fair! You’re gonna teach me how to do that too.”

“Certainly.”

“And I’m not going back into that office. I promised Stacy I wouldn’t fold, spindle, or mutilate him.”

He laughed. “Best not to try your word too quickly. Will you wait for me?”

“Sure.” She glanced around the secretary’s office. “I wonder where his assistant is? No matter what time I’m here, she’s here too.”

“She’s doubtless a price beyond rubies. Wait for me,” he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead and then disappearing into the Boss’s lair.

“Stay alive no matter what occurs,” she announced to the empty room. “I will find you.” Best movie ever. Although, when Daniel Day-Lewis was making out with Madeleine Stowe and all that black hair was flying around, it was hard to tell who was who….

She paced around the secretary’s office area, again idly wondering where the über-efficient Rebecca had gone to. It was past lunchtime but too early for quitting time.

Bored, she went behind the desk, looking for candy and maybe a quick game of computer solitaire, and saw Rebecca’s day planner was sitting right in the middle of her desk calendar.

It’s none of my business, she reminded herself, eyeing the black leather cover.

Right. And minding their own business is something O.S.F. is soooooo good at.

So I want to be rotten like them? Besides, what difference does it make where she is? She’s not your secretary.

No difference. But something’s bugging me…niggling at the back of my brain, and I hate that feeling…. Why isn’t she here? Isn’t her boss in the middle of a crisis? So where the hell is she?

Sneaking a guilty glance over her shoulder, she picked up the planner and flipped it open. Glancing through the pages (“Order flowers for T.B.” “Lunch with Miller” “Mom’s birthday”), she found today’s date.

There it was: 2:45 P.M. “Check on Dr. Roe.”

“Oh, fuck,” she said, dropping the planner.