The Perfect Liar (Last Stand 5)

She was here, right where she wanted to be.

Crouching, she checked under the mat, but the key Luke usually kept there was gone. No doubt he'd removed it in an attempt to tighten security, but that didn't bother her. She didn't need that key because she'd made a copy of it weeks ago. It was in her coin purse.

Seconds later, she was standing in Luke's living room with his door closed behind her. Just in case he'd let a friend borrow his car, which he was prone to do, and hadn't answered her knock because he was sleeping, she crept into his bedroom so she could check. But his bed was empty, perfectly made.

Where was he? He had no business being out this late. Even the bars were closed. Had he traveled to San Diego to visit his family? Or was he in Ava's bed?

What a whore! The mere thought of them together enraged Kalyna.

How could Ava turn her back on a victim just to spread her legs for Luke?

She came off like such a prude, too.

But of course Ava would do that if she could. Who wouldn't--for Luke?

There was nothing to worry about. It wasn't as if Ava was pretty. If anything, Luke was using her. He'd probably taken her to bed to get her to help him, to flatter her so she'd pose no threat. Once he was out of trouble, he'd drop her like a hot potato.

And Kalyna could make that happen right away. Al she had to do was call Ogitani and act a little confused about what she'd already said. Tell her that maybe somebody else had entered her apartment after Luke left, that she was too confused to realize it at the time. She'd say she was remembering more now, and the size of the man was all wrong. Ogitani would drop the case and Luke would drop Ava. Done.

Standing at the window, Kalyna gazed down at the lot. The vehicles beneath the streetlamps were all parked. A moment later she saw headlights on the road and a car drove by, but it wasn't a BMW.

Kalyna told herself she should leave before Luke caught her. But she had good reason to be here. She'd explain that she drove all the way from Arizona, straight to his apartment, to tell him she'd decided to come forward with the truth. He'd want to know as soon as possible. And she'd say the door was open. Since he'd taken the key, he'd have to believe he'd forgotten to lock it.

That would work. And it meant she could stay.

Craving every detail she could glean about him, she searched his entire apartment and even stole a few things. Several pictures of him with his family made it into her purse, along with a T-shirt she planned to sleep in at night. And then she found his hamper. Excited that these clothes had so recently been next to his skin, she scooped out an armful and rubbed her face in them, breathing deep. Short of having sex with him, it was the most private, intimate act she could think of. But the smell only made the longing worse. The desire to be with him grew so strong she was afraid she'd be crushed beneath the weight of it.

Desperate to get close to him again, she stripped off her clothes and climbed into his bed, wearing his boxers. This wasn't as good as being in his arms, but when she closed her eyes and began to touch herself, she could almost believe it was him.

Ava was physically and emotionally spent. Stil damp from their time in the water and their lovemaking, she lay on the bank of the river, gazing up at the stars. Luke was lying beside her. Their hearts were slowing, their breathing evening out. It was over. But she didn't mind. Languid, relaxed, content--completely satisfied for the first time in ages--she felt as if they were floating on top of the water that lapped so close to their bare feet.

"That was the best," he told her.

She smiled lazily. It almost didn't seem possible that the person who'd just made love with Luke had been her. She hadn't held anything back. But she didn't regret it. Not yet, anyway. There were too many women in the world who never experienced lovemaking like this. It transcended the ordinary, the mechanical, the casual, to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"How do you feel?" he murmured.

"Fine."

"The temperature's dropping. Maybe we should go in."

She angled her head so she could look at the houseboat. It sat there staring at her, its lights shining through the windows. But she could remain in the shadows, embrace the darkness a little longer. "In a bit."

"You're warm enough?"

"I'm just right. What about you?"

"I'm perfectly comfortable."

She didn't know how long he held her. Drifting in and out of sleep, she made no effort to keep track of time. At one point, she felt Luke shift positions and cover them with a blanket before curling around her again.

Soon afterward, she reluctantly opened her eyes to check the sky. They'd been sleeping for some time. But it was stil dark. She could procrastinate for a few more minutes...She'd give herself another quarter of an hour.

But the next thing she knew, it was full daylight and she was blinking up at a third person, who was standing over them, blocking out the sun.

Kalyna was stil in Luke's bed. She'd been waiting for him, hoping he'd return so she could surprise him. She planned to offer him the good news about Ogitani and the apology she'd rehearsed. But despite attempting to reenact June 6, she was as unsatisfied as ever.

Why hadn't he come home? He hadn't spent the entire night with her.

Why would he do that for Ava?

Because he thought Ava could hurt him if he didn't, that was why. He was only doing what was expedient.

Pushing off the covers, she got up to check the parking lot. Stil no BMW. She was just turning to get dressed when his phone rang.

She crossed to the nightstand where she could see caller ID. Edward Trussell. His father. Or someone from his father's house. That meant Luke couldn't be with his parents. If he was with them, they wouldn't be calling his apartment.

She told herself not to answer. But her hand darted out at the last second. She couldn't help it. She wanted to know these people, be close to them. They were part of Luke. If they liked her, Luke would be more prone to accept her, too.

"Hello?"

There was a brief hesitation. Then a female voice said, "I'm sorry. I must've dialed wrong."

"Not if you're looking for Luke."

"I am looking for Luke. This is Robin Trussell, his mother."

"He's not here at the moment, Mrs. Trussell. He was nice enough to let me sleep late while he ran out to get us some breakfast. But I thought it might be you. That's why I picked up."

There was another pause, then she said, "And you are..."

"Kalyna Harter."

"Kalyna?"

She could tell by the affront in Robin's voice that Luke had mentioned her. "Yes. You've probably heard about the mess that's been going on here."