CHAPTER 97: JAREK STEPNOV

She stared at him and gripped her briefcase closer. It seemed like an anchor in a world suddenly dominated by this big powerful man. "Look, you—Jarek. I take care of myself and everyone else in my family. I've had enough of everything—the dead rental car, the nincompoop at the rental agency, Stepnov avoiding me, wearing a bikini as underclothes, the safety pin in my slacks where the button has come off, the arrogance of a man i barely know—but who, of course, is likely to remind me of how much I need him at any minute."

He continued walking towards the large, sprawling building a distance up the beach. In the light rain, the large square windows glowed and mixed with the scent of sea air and smoke. "Two things—one, you forgot to mention that we shared a bed last night, which was very significant to me. I haven't shared a bed with a woman for ten years, not since my wife."