They started with her breath. Paige inhaled. Paige exhaled. Releasing tension and anxiety. Allowing your body and your mind to relax. Her mind whirled and whirled.

All around making love with Zach.

The memory of his taut, strained face as he came made her weak inside. Zach probably hadn’t realized as he drove here—deeply immersed in his own thoughts—that as Paige sat unspeaking beside him, she’d been kissing his lips and his hot, hard mouth had been pillaging hers, and that huge, thrusting part of his had been pushing and pushing into the depths of her.

Zachary Rivers, I am addicted to you!

In a solid, monotone voice, Sue Ellen began to count down. She started at ten … Feeling your muscles relaxing … welcoming a deep sleep …

I want you to visualize looking across a deep blue ocean. Above the water the fishes form a number ten … then skim apart to form a nine …

Release your fears, Paige … You are free …

Release your thoughts …

When you hear the words “deep sleep,” you will come to this place of relaxation and open your mind …

Out of respect for the process, Paige kept her eyes firmly shut, but inwardly resisted opening her mind to … to her. To a videotape.

But she wanted, oh, how dearly she wanted, to give Zach what he must need. A name. A lead. Find this evil bastard. Give justice to a man who’d dedicated his life to it.

Sue Ellen began to question her, and finally opening her hands on her tummy, Paige relaxed a little, trying unaccountably to open her mind to herself only.

“Deep sleep … deep sleep … Think back, Paige,” the balmy voice urged, but Paige now only half listened to what she said. Her body singularly limp and heavy, she was delving into that big black nothingness, surprised to no longer feel the accompanying anxiety. “First, let us go back to a moment of your life you remember fondly.”

Hmm. So easy. Lying awake last night. Feeling wonderful. With her body tucked into the immense, sculptured form of Zachary’s.

“Deep sleep, Paige …”

And he had lain awake with her. With those large, safe arms around her waist. Every once in a while resting his lips on her temple, her cheek, her shoulder.

For the longest time you just stared at me. And I stared back and thought, “God, is there a prettier sight than this girl …”

Wondrously, magically, a thought fluttered down on her in response to his. It was like being hit by a raindrop, wet and spreading across your skin until you were soaked.

In that instant she knew exactly what she’d thought as she stared across the hall at that bronzed, dark-haired boy. And then dozens of thoughts were raining down on her. Her mind was giving her these gifts, beautiful, surreal, so incredibly vivid she gasped with the wonder of reliving them.

Her first kiss. Her first real kiss. Zach’s kiss.