While I calmed from my second orgasm, Lorne said, "Cynthia's curious about our relationship. Have you noticed the way she watches our interactions?"

"Yeah, saw that. To explain our affinity, I told her we've been friends since before we were old enough to talk."

"Ummm. That should appease her curiosity."

"It did for a while. But when she invited me to sleep with her tonight, offering to give me comfort and support, I told her that you're providing all I need."

"Oh! So, she'll be increasingly curious."

"Yeah, and seeing her reaction, I added that as a teen, you were diagnosed with HSDD, and later, you were deemed to be asexual." I winced. "Hope I didn't step over the line by telling her."

"Not at all." Lorne chuckled as he gave a long, slow thrust. "And I'm sure you omitted to tell her the diagnosis is no longer valid."

I moaned at the renewed sensations. "Yeah, simpler if she doesn't know."

"Great! Let's give her no reason to think otherwise."

I churned my hips. "Join me this time, Lorne. I need to sleep. Increasingly disoriented. My fourth bed in four days."

"Fourth? I count only three – the boat, the loft and here."

"Ah, but I got out of my own bed on Thursday morning. God! Been through so much in such a short time."

<><><>

I awoke to sunlight streaming through the skylights, and I rolled to find the bed empty beside me. Nathan's up. Closing my eyes again, I sniffed.

No frying fat. Not yet made it to the kitchen. I ran a hand over the sheet. Cold. Oh, God! He still hasn't come home.

Rolling to my back, I opened my eyes again and stared up at the skylights. Skylights? Reality swept in. Whistler with Lorne. Where's Lorne?

I sat up in a panic, then seeing 08:12 on the bedside clock, I blew a deep breath. Of course, he's up.

A couple of minutes later, peed, washed, hair brushed and more relaxed, I pulled on my yoga togs and headed toward the kitchen. As I neared, Lorne looked up from hugging Cynthia and said, "Morning, Kate."

Hugging? Oh, God! His sexuality's gone wild. What have I unleashed? "Ummm. Slept in."

"They firebombed Cynthia's office."

"What? Oh, fuck! When?"

Cynthia lifted her head from Lorne's chest. "Middle of the night, it seems. Just saw the emails."

I rushed across to them and rubbed her back. "Anyone hurt?"

"Not sure. Haven't looked at details." She released a loud sigh and unwrapped her arms from around him. "Thanks, Lorne. May need more of this as I go through the messages."

While Cynthia returned to her computer on the kitchen island, Lorne spread his arms, and I stepped into his hug, my trembling easing as he said, "We're safe here, Kate."

"Any way they can find us here?"

"The bug sweep showed no tracking chips, and nobody followed us up the trail."

"They can now find you by using your name."

"They don't know it, only yours and Cynthia's."

"But they have photos of you from the cameras at Nuance. A full spectrum of poses. They could find it from that."

"Hunh? How? I'd have to be in their database for their software to find."

"Not their database, Lorne. The internet with Google Images – use the search by image tab. With your prominence as a wine writer, as a lawyer, surely your face has been posted many times."

He winced and nodded. "Yeah, there'd be –"

"The sprinklers put it out before it could catch hold and spread," Cynthia interrupted.

"Great!" Lorne pulled out his phone. "What's the address? I'll tell the Mounties about the connection."

"Thirty-four sixty Cambie." She turned back to her computer screen as Lorne made the call. "Says they used a brick followed by a Molotov cocktail through the front door window."

After more reading, she added, "My property manager has arranged to have it boarded up."

I listened to Lorne on the phone, occasionally punctuated by Cynthia's comments as she continued reading her emails. When he clicked off and pocketed his phone, he pointed toward the espresso machine. "We all need coffee."

A couple of minutes later, as we sat at the island with double espressos and biscotti, Lorne said, "Back to our discussion, Kate – they'll easily find my name that way. But as with the loft, this property is owned by a numbered company which is held by one of my holding companies."

He dipped the end of a biscotto into his coffee. "Besides, there is no reason for them to search for me here. And more, when they see I'm Crown counsel, they'll think we're closing in on them – cause them to be even more sloppy."

"Sloppy?"

"Flubbing the firebombing, the couriered bomb, the blowing of your former condo. Slipping up with the emails to Cynthia. These aren't polished Mafioso; they're wannabes. I'll wager that Rinaldi has waded far beyond his depth."

Cynthia nodded. "Yeah, like seeing it worked for a few, then expanding it without thinking the scam would become increasingly obvious. Lord, even at eighteen, I didn't see it."

Lorne shrugged. "Nor did anyone else until a few days ago. Don't bash yourself about it."

I looked up from my cup, smiling. "Just thought of a way for you to finish your post, Cynth. Add the names of all the scamming restaurants, including the three you said he opened on the Prairies."

Lorne fist-pumped. "And we can have members of the task force post comments to it, adding the names of the other restaurants they've uncovered across the country."