Tia woke up in Marcus’s arms. They’d made love several more times after she had untied him from the chair, and both were exhausted. They rose slowly, languid in the afterglow. They took a shower together, the hot water gliding over Tia’s naked body. Marcus dragged the soap bar along the curves of her shoulders, arms, breasts, coating her with a glistening sheen, suds collecting in the nooks and crevices.

And Tia returned the attention, slathering his muscular body with soap, rubbing it in far more than necessary but savoring the experience. His body looked practically untouched by the years, and his sexual mastery had only increased, something she wouldn’t have thought possible.

But a new world of possibilities was opening to Tia, or perhaps it was an old world simply re-opening. Either way, nothing was ever going to be the same, and that frightened her more than any government agency or threatening rag doll possibly could.

Marcus had a delicious breakfast sent up to the room. The cantaloupe and honeydew melon balls were crisp and cool and juicy, black caviar salty on a slice of hardboiled egg. Tia was cozy in a thick, plush hotel robe, Marcus handsome in his own as he poured them each a cup of hot coffee from the silver kettle.

“It’s nice,” Tia said, “isn’t it?” Marcus looked over the breakfast and nodded, but Tia said, “I don’t mean the breakfast.”

“It’s not to your liking?”

Tia chuckled. “No, silly, I mean…you and me, together like this, it’s nice.”

Marcus smiled, taking a sip of the hot coffee. “It really is. To tell you the truth, I can hardly believe it. After the way things ended between us…”

“Please, Marcus, let’s not talk about that. We both had our journeys to go on, our roads parted, that’s all.”

“And now they seem to have converged again.”

“So it would seem,” Tia said, one brow raised. “Unless this really is just a…a competition.”

“Of course not, Tia. How could you be so crass?”

“I didn’t mean to be.”

“This wager was your idea, don’t forget.”

“What else was I going to do? You come into town and announce you’re opening up a shop on my corner?”

“You were very cunning, very clever. And I have to say, you getting me here was…inspired. I didn’t think you would manage it.”

“For a little while there, I wasn’t so sure either.” She bit into a slice of watermelon, a little juice running down her chin. “I don’t know how I’m gonna get you a second time.”

They shared a little chuckle, Marcus saying, “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

“Unless you beat me to it.”

Marcus raised his coffee cup in a silent salute, Tia doing the same before both took a refreshing sip.

“It’s been fun, I have to say. I don’t know when I’ve enjoyed my work so much,” Marcus expressed.

“I feel the same way. Though to tell you the truth, all I ever do is work. It’s become my whole life.”

Marcus nodded. “Founding a company requires dedication, sacrifice—”

“Yeah, and keeping it will require sacrifice too, I guess.” Marcus tilted his head, confused. Reading his expression, she explained, “Well, one more kidnapping and one of us loses their shirt. And then, well, all this’ll be over.”

“I told you this wasn’t just another job for me. At first, I have to admit, I was intrigued, but seeing you again, being with you this way, it’s brought back a lot of memories, a lot of old feelings.”

“For me too,” Tia said with a distant smile.

“It makes me think, perhaps, that all this has happened for a reason.”

“You mean like…fate?”

Marcus’s eyes locked on Tia’s, his hand reaching out to cup hers on the table between them. “Yes, exactly: fate, destiny, love, call it what you will. But we’re meant to be together, Tia; we always were and we always will be. I can feel it in my heart, in my bones, in every fiber of my very being. And you feel it too; I know you do.”

“I do, Marcus, I…can’t deny it.”

“And why should you? We’ve found each other again after all these years; why shouldn’t we celebrate it? How dare we let it slip away again?”

“Maybe because we’re here trying to professionally destroy each other.”

He set down his coffee cup. “Not anymore. The wager is off.”

“Marcus?”

“I stake no claim on Longshadows, none whatsoever. And I promise to leave my own business overseas, no domestic offices here at all.”

“Well, that’s…that’s great, Marcus, I really appreciate that.”

“But you don’t entirely believe me. How could you? A man in my position, in my line of work—”

“Um, Marcus, in case you forgot, I’m the only other person I know of who is in exactly your line of work. That’s not the problem.”

“Then what is? I’ll sign any document you wish…even a marriage certificate.”

“Marcus!”

“I know it’s sudden, but we’ve both been waiting ten years to be back together. Why wait any longer? I don’t have any doubts, and if you don’t, let’s just do it. We’ll elope. Today, right now.”

“Marcus, take it easy! It’s…I mean, I like the idea, I really do, but…this is all out of the blue, and I don’t wanna feel rushed, you know?”

“Of course. You’re accustomed to being in control of the events in your life. I appreciate that, and I respect it. It makes me want to fuck you right now, like a dinosaur.” Tia burst out in a surprised chuckle, but he was still serious, determined. “You’re no longer the girl I knew, to whom I taught so much. You’re a strong, powerful woman, led by no man. And I wouldn’t want you any other way.”

Tia smiled, raising the coffee cup to her lips.

“Let’s take a trip,” Marcus went on. “We’ve both been…working hard; I think we’ve each earned a little vacation. Your assistant can run things here, and I’ll send Denise back to Amsterdam.”

Tia paused to give it some thought. “Where do you have in mind?”