Iris Johansen - Pandora's Daughter

Yes, she knew Mark would always be there to help, she thought as she hung up. But his solutions were sometimes quick and deadly and she was reluctant to turn him loose on Megan Blair.

She'd try to work her way through it herself first.

IT WAS CLOSE TO FOUR A.M. WHEN Megan and Grady got back to the hotel.

"You can only sleep for a couple hours," Grady said as Megan moved across the sitting room toward her bedroom. "Renata bought us some time by ridding us of Falbon, but we don't know how much information he gave Molino. If Molino knows we're in Munich, then we'd better move out of the city."

"Not without Renata Wilger," Megan said. "I won't leave her. We can find another place here in Munich." She opened the door. "You wanted the Ledger. We're going to get it."

"And you want to protect Edmund Gillem's little protegee."

"He prayed for her," she said. "His prayers are going to be answered." The door closed behind her.

Lord, she was tired, she thought as she moved toward the bathroom. Harley's call had woken her from a dead sleep and she was now even more emotionally frayed than she had been before. The Ledger was beginning to take center stage in her mind as it was in the minds of the people around her. It was starting to take on mythical proportions and it was only a book, dammit. People shouldn't be willing to die for a book.

And people shouldn't be willing to kill for a book as Molino was doing.

What was she thinking? No matter how she tried to minimize the Ledger, it clearly had an impact on the lives of thousands of people or Edmund wouldn't have been willing to die for it.

She washed her face and started to undress. Stop thinking about it. Grab a few hours sleep and then get ready to move on.

No, before she went back to bed she'd call and check on Phillip again. It was probably stupid to keep hoping that there would be a change but she wouldn't give up.

Pandora had left hope in that box when she'd let all the other spirits out.

Well, she wasn't Pandora, she wouldn't be a Pandora, but she'd cling to that hope for Phillip with all her strength.

"RENATA IS STAYING IN A COTTAGE at the edge of town," Harley said when Grady picked up his call the next day. "As soon as it got light, I started looking for a place for you to stay nearby. I rented a cottage about a mile from her." He rattled off the address. "I'll keep an eye on her until you get here. Then it's up to you while I get a nap." He hung up.

"Where is she?" Megan asked as she came out of her bedroom.

"On the outskirts of the city. Harley arranged for us to be near her. Okay?"

She nodded. "I'll go get my suitcases." She frowned as she stopped at the door. "This Michael Travis keeps track of all kinds of psychics, right?"

He nodded.

"Does he know any healers?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do you think I mean?" She said curtly. "Phillip. I'm willing to try anything."

He shook his head. "I've never run across a genuine healer. I don't believe Michael has either. He told me that he thought he'd found one in Brasilia about a decade ago, but it turned out the man was a fake. Evidently it's a very rare gift."

"Shit." Her lips tightened. "It's the one talent that would be worthwhile in this mess. I'm a doctor. I'd give my eyeteeth to have that kind of ability to help people, to help Phillip. Do I have any chance of becoming one? You said my mother had other talents besides being a Listener. She was a Finder. Couldn't I have-" He was shaking his head. "Why not, dammit?"

"The odds are against it. Finders are fairly common. Sarah was just an extremely good one. Healers are almost nonexistent. The chances are slim to none that you could develop into a healer."

"I am a healer. I'm a doctor and a good one. I just want an edge to help be a better one." She shrugged. "Maybe you're wrong. It's such a waste to have all this medical training and only be able to Listen to the woes of the world."

"I hope I'm wrong. I don't like disappointing you. If it was in my hands, I'd give you anything you wanted, do anything you asked." He met her eyes and added softly, "Anything, any way, Megan."

She stiffened. "My God, Grady."

"Just thought I'd reestablish the playing field." He smiled. "Since you've read the Tribunal Reports, you know everything I know. That means all this honorable restraint can go down the drain. Thank God. It was completely out of character for me. Let the games begin."

She didn't answer for a moment but heat flushed her cheeks. "You sound like the opening ceremony of the Olympics."

"It could turn out that way. But maybe I used the wrong word. Let the resolution begin. We've both been wanting this to happen for a long, long time. We won't get any peace until it does, until we taste it, until we know each other." He could see the pulse beating in the hollow of her throat. "Good. Feel it. Come toward me. Feel me . I'm not going to touch you. You have to be the one to take the first step."

For a minute he thought she was going to take that step.

Then she turned and closed the door behind her.

Dammit. He took a half step toward the door before his could stop himself.

No, it had been close. Don't ruin it because he was so hot he was about to explode. Be patient.

Patient? No way.

MEGAN LEANED AGAINST THE DOOR, fighting to keep herself from opening it again and going to him.

There it was again, sexuality, raw, hot, tingling, taking her breath away. An emotional and physical response that had completely blown her away.

Stop shaking. Get over it. Get your suitcases and leave the hotel and go find Renata.

Not yet. Give it time.

If she saw him in the next few minutes, she wasn't sure they would leave the bedroom, much less the hotel.

THE COTTAGE WAS SMALL WITH a thatched roof and flowers in the window boxes.

"Talk about Sound of Music ambiance," Grady murmured as he held the car door open for her. "You expect to see Julie Andrews running back to the abbey."

She shook her head. "No mountains. Just forest. And I'd rather see Renata running toward us." She avoided his hand and got out of the car. "Is Harley supposed to meet us here?"

"Yes. The key is under the rock beside the door. I'll call him when we get inside." He moved toward the cottage. "He said he needed a nap. He's been watching her cottage since she arrived last night. I'll see you settled and then take over watching Renata for him."

"That's fine with me."

"I'm sure it is," he said dryly. "The more distance between us the more you'll like it. You're treating me as if I have a contagious disease."

It was true. On the trip here she had been very careful not to touch him even casually. Yet sitting beside him had still been too provocative. She had been able to feel the heat of his body, smell the faint scent of him. "Really?" She didn't look at him. "And you're cut to the quick?"

"No, I kind of like it. It encourages me to know that I'm having an impact. The worst response would be no response with a woman with your emotional makeup." He stopped at the door. "Coming?"

She hesitated and then came toward him. "You think you know so much about me. I'm not a Pandora and even if I was, I wouldn't accept being put into a niche. I'm me and that means my character, my attitudes, my soul. Screw you, Grady."

He grinned. "That's exactly what I'm aiming toward." He reached down and retrieved the key from beneath the rock. "And I hope you don't turn out to be a Pandora. I wouldn't wish that headache on anyone." He unlocked the door and turned to face her. "It would hurt you. I won't allow anything to hurt you, Megan. Not even me."

Dammit, she couldn't breathe. She was dizzy, melting.