She found the wall surrounding the huge maple garden. It was well over six feet high and along the top of the winding wall a dragon curled his long body and tail as if guarding the interior. She crouched low, called on her leopard and made the jump over the wall. Landing easily on her feet she stood still to admire the breathtaking garden.

It was huge, with hundreds of maples, all different varieties, from dwarfs to rare to larger shade maples. The leaves were in all shapes and colors, and the bark on the various trees ranged from bright red and pink to a peculiar green. There were a few trees with the bark peeled off. She loved that look as well. Someone had created bonsai trees out of three of the dwarf trees near the pond and they looked spectacular. A long stream wound its way down several tiers to flow into the large koi pond.

Evangeline wandered down each stone path, admiring the layout of the garden and how tranquil it was. Whoever had designed it had placed a barrier in the form of the artistic wall to block any real wind. Trees wept into the pond. Cherry blossoms on several dwarf trees lit up the night with their beauty. By far, this was going to be her favorite place. She was in love with it already.

She could think here. She curled up in large body-sized pillows on the floor of the gazebo overlooking the koi pond. The pillows were made of a thick weave, were comfortable and invited contemplation. She listened to the sound of the water running over the stones as it fell to the pool below it. It was steady. Like Alonzo. Like his heartbeat and his incredible gift of a voice. She wanted steady.

“I don’ need him, Bebe,” she murmured softly to her leopard. “When the heat isn’t on me, I don’ need him. But I want him. Very, very much. From the moment he walked into the bakery and didn’t smile at me. Snuck looks, as if I wouldn’t notice him starin’ at me from behind the magazine. He’s so gorgeous of course I noticed. And I wanted him.”

He had been so remote. So aloof in the beginning. Those ice-cold eyes staring at her. Even then she wanted to melt all that ice. He was the thing of fantasies, and she didn’t want a fantasy, she wanted the real man in the real world.

Even if he’s a criminal? Her female always took the opposite side of the argument.

God help her, yes, even then. There was something about Alonzo that drew her right from the start and being around him only made that so much more. She liked everything about him.

Other than that he’s a criminal.