PROSECUTOR: Have you ever acted as coroner in a prior murder case where a bowie knife was used?

DR. RAPHAEL: No. I have only taken the position six months past.

PROSECUTOR: Is it true, Dr. Raphael, that you are a prior acquaintance of the defendant?

DR. RAPHAEL: Yes. I had met the defendant on several occasions, always in a large social setting.

PROSECUTOR: Were you friends?

DR. RAPHAEL: I wouldn’t say that, no. We barely exchanged a dozen words.

PROSECUTOR: Yet you were seen dining alone in the company of the defendant twice last year by at least seven witnesses. No further questions.

Gabriel had kissed her and pulled back immediately. Then fed her Chinese food. What did that mean? She had no idea, and she wasn’t in the mood to guess.

There was no energy left for prevaricating. She had used it up on grief, sleep deprivation, and fear. So as they ate, she swallowed a noodle, then just said, “You didn’t have to stop, you know.”

“Stop what?” he asked, but she could tell he knew what she was referring to, because he got a wary look in his eyes.

“Kissing me. I was enjoying it.” Immensely. And she wanted to enjoy it again, all over her body. She wanted him to take her to his bed, peel off her clothes and kiss her between her thighs, stroking his tongue over her until she came, then push his hard body inside hers. The idea thrilled, just from thinking about it, and she found that intriguing. It wasn’t like her to respond so sexually to a man, and while she didn’t entirely understand it, she was too aroused to even consider waiting to decipher what it meant. She just wanted him, wanted to feel alive, whole again.

“I know. I was too.” He fiddled with his chopsticks.

It amazed her that he could actually use the utensils. She always wound up flinging chicken chunks onto the carpet when she tried to use them.

“But?”

“But . . . Sara, I can’t. I’m not capable of giving you what you need.” He shot her a beseeching look.

She wasn’t having any of that, because she wasn’t asking for anything. “Why, are you impotent?”

Gabriel let out a startled laugh. “No.” He gave a small smile. “I’m pretty certain of that.”

“Then we don’t have a problem, because I’m not looking for promises or forever or anything other than sex. We’re attracted to each other, so what’s the big deal?” Even as she spoke, she knew she was simplifying things, but she suddenly felt there was a really important reason she needed to win the argument. That she needed to have sex, with Gabriel. That she needed to know.