Max brought one piece up to his nose after another. “Damn, Devon, how many hands have touched this shit?”

Devon, a long time friend and confidant of the Ritter family, shook his head, “Too many to count.” Richard followed Max’s lead and sniffed each article trying to distinguish the different smells.

Richard caught Devon watching him out of the corner of his eye.

Devon crossed his arms over his chest and smiled. “When did you take the change?” Richard noticed the satisfaction on Devon’s face.

“Last night.”

“It’s about time. We need more of your kind out there.”

Max laughed, “Anytime you want to join the fold, Devon just let me know.”

Devon unfolded his arms and moved from his chair. “Are you kidding? My wife would divorce me.

We have too many pets as it is.”

“And you’re barely house trained as a human.”

“Ha, ha!”

Irritated with the lack of ability to pick up anything, Richard tossed an apron back in the bag.

“This is getting us nowhere.”

“I agree.” Max peeled off his latex gloves.

Richard did the same.

Devon sighed and placed all the items back in

the bags. Casting a speculative glance at the two men, he spoke. “There is something I’ve been thinking about to entice our suspects.” Richard didn’t like the sound of that.

“Kate Davis could be our bait…”

“Absolutely not!” Richard crossed to the garbage can, flung his gloves inside of it, and went to the door.

“Hey, wait…hear me out.”

“It isn’t going to happen. Kate and her son will not be put in any danger.”

“No one said anything about putting them in danger,” Devon explained.

“Yeah, the word you used was bait. I know where you’re going with this and the answer is no!” Richard opened the door to the room and stormed out. Max caught up with him in the parking garage.

“Hey, what was that all about?”

Every protective bone in Richard’s body was on stand by. “Don’t you start,” he warned his brother.

Max put his arms up in mock defeat. “I’m not the one who suggested it.”

“Good.” Richard glanced at his watch. “We should get back.”

Lowering his arms, Max stood beside the car and stared at him. “Careful, little brother, you’re starting to act like a man falling in love.” Richard’s jaw twitched and his pulse began to return to normal. “She has no one watching out for her.”

Max sent him a knowing grin, put his sunglasses on, and opened the door. “She does now.” Love? Who said anything about love? Protector, infatuated, even lust would be words to describe his feelings. But love?

He wanted her safe. That was all there was to it.

Okay, maybe that wasn’t all there was to it. Her image flashed in his mind. He also wanted her

naked and writhing with pleasure beneath him.

He shifted in his seat and stared out the window. The sun started to set. Kate would have Joey in bed by the time they got back to Max’s. She said she’d turn in early. How much time should he give her before he snuck up to her room?

Since when did he have to sneak around to be with a woman? He wasn’t a pent up teenager. Yet he didn’t want to announce his intentions to Joey.

“Be careful.” The warning came from Max who hadn’t said a word since they got in the car.

“About what?”

“Kate is vulnerable right now and you’re in the process of some very serious changes.” Max maneuvered the car to the off ramp of the freeway.

“What are you saying?”

“I’ve been there, Richard. If you thought puberty was a time for hormones, you’ve haven’t seen anything yet. You know how dog’s will hump any leg they can get to?”

“Yeah.”

“Our senses hit overdrive when a woman starts emitting pheromones. The sex is great, don’t get me wrong. Between the increase in strength and endurance, you’ll go at it all night and still be charged for more.”

Not such a bad side effect. “So what’s the problem?”

“Janet let me in on a little secret last night.” Max’s silence had him wondering. “Don’t stop now.”

“Apparently, Kate hasn’t been with anyone since Joey’s dad. You don’t want to hurt her.”

“You know this how?”

“Women talk, Richard. Janet and Kate are fast becoming friends and already they huddle together and whisper. Kind of unnerving to think they are talking about you, huh?”

“Yeah.” It bothered him that Max knew more

about Kate’s love life than he did. He reminded himself that Kate confided in Janet, which all women learned to do from the time they’re in Junior High.

“Are you saying I’ll lose control?” Max glanced his way. “Somehow I don’t think you will. But what worries me more is why hasn’t Kate been with anyone else? Her emotions are tight right now, and from the scent the two of you keep sending off you’ll be in the sack before the end of the week.”

Sooner than that big bro, he mused. “So…”

“A woman who saves herself like that will pack a lot of emotions into a simple night of sex.” Richard hated when his brother was right. He knew sex with Kate would be more than a physical release. In fact, he counted on it.

****

Responsible adult? Shit, who was she kidding? Kate felt more like a child, at the moment.

She sat across the room from Janet watching TV. Twice she’d opened her mouth to ask her new friend if she had any spare condoms, and twice she shut her mouth without uttering a syllable.

The men were due home any time, and Kate still hadn’t worked up the nerve to ask Janet for the simple form of birth control.

She never bothered with the pill, and since there weren’t any men in her life, a supply of condoms wasn’t on the list of things to buy when she went to the drug store.

“Oh, geez,” she moaned in disgust.

“What?” Janet turned away from the television.

“I ah…” I need to suck it up. “Janet, do you happen to have… I mean could I borrow. No, not that.”

Janet flipped the switch and turned off the TV.

“What’s the matter? Is there something you need?”

“Yes.” Her words came out in a rush. “Do you

have any condoms you don’t plan on using anytime soon?” That was lame. Considering Janet was eight months pregnant. She certainly didn’t need any condoms now.