Alex stands, and my hand goes to her lower back. It’s a natural movement, leading her out of Jack’s office to give him time to speak with his family. Both his brother and his uncle have been in regular communication with Jack since this began. His uncle is Chairman of the Board of Sullivan Arms but is otherwise retired. His brother left the family business years ago. From what I can tell, their interest is one hundred percent centered on Jack and Sophia.

When I close the doors to his study behind me, I follow Alex out onto the deck. Two hours have passed since the announcement. In a few hours more, Alex and I will go upstairs to bed, hoping to be alerted to a call.

This plan of hers is a solid one. But the wait is excruciating.

“Do you know Jack’s uncle? Anyone else in his family?”

She leans over the balcony. Her dark hair is wrapped up in and over itself, and as I step up behind her, my fingers tangle in the loops of hair, searching for the binding to undo it.

“I might have seen them at the funeral. But I don’t recall being introduced to them. Cassie and Jack eloped, so there wasn’t a wedding. Those are the only two places I would have come into contact with Jack’s extended family. Cassandra’s parents came out and visited us years ago.”

“Are her parents still alive?”

“No, they passed away years ago. Her mom had cancer, and her dad died of a stroke a few years later.”

Alex’s hair falls free. I should stop touching her. But the deck is dark. Jack turned off all the outside lights and drew down the shades, lest any photographer have a telephoto lens. It’s just the two of us outside on the deck.

The muscles along her neck and shoulders are tight. I knead the tight cords with my thumbs, eliciting a moan. She raises up, off the balcony, and I close the distance between us, holding her close against me. The curves of her ass tease my groin. One arm wraps around her, below her soft breasts. The other holds her hips. Her back to my front. Close enough her heartbeat reverberates through me. I brush my lips across her temple.

“If someone comes out, they’ll see us,” she says, but she doesn’t pull away. I don’t lift my arms. If anything, I hold her tighter.

The moonlight reflects over the ocean. A dark form passes on the beach near where the ocean laps on the sand. Golden lights flicker in homes all along the curve of the coastline. There’s a peacefulness to this paradise. A peace that has stood in direct contrast to current events. A dichotomy that is impossible to ignore. And this woman in my arms offers a comfort from the disjointed scenery.

Her hands cover mine, the back of her head against my shoulder, resting in the crook of my neck.

“When we’re done with this case, I still want to date you.”