At midday the sun was too hot and Chloe decided to take a break from tanning to swim in the ocean. The waves beat against her skin and the water was just cool enough to be refreshing.

Brady paced his office anxiously. He'd been waiting for Jason to come by for over an hour and was getting worried something had happened to him.

Finally there was a knock on the door and sure enough it was Jason.

"What the hell took you so long?"

"I got held up at airport security. There was apparently some problem with the medal detector. The flight attendant had to give me a strip search. It was completely humiliating," he said with an enormous grin.

"So you've kept me waiting so you could screw the bloody flight attendant?"

"Hey, that's not what I said! Don't you care that I was violated?"

Brady rolled his eyes. "Yeah, my heart's breaking for you. Now show me theses papers."

"Hey, what's that on your neck?" The corners of Jason's mouth twitched.

Brady ran his fingers over the bruised flesh and sent Jason a nasty scowl. "Don't you even say one word."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

Brady subconsciously ran his fingers over his forehead and could almost still feel the caring way she caressed his face when she took care of him and the other ways she'd taken care of him the night before... "What'dya got for me?" he asked, snapping out of it.

"Alright, well I found out quite a few things. First, I went back and checked out their house again. I found this in a pile of Chloe's things." Jason handed Brady the official looking papers.

"What the hell? This has to be a mistake."

"No, it's not. I contacted the lawyer who drew them up and it's all legit."

"That's...odd."

"She never mentioned anything about it?"

"No, not one word. I thought everything was okay between them. I knew they had their problems, but I didn't know they extended this far." Brady shook his head. "So, what else did you come up with?"

"Surveillance photos. Philip left a paper trail a mile long. It was easy to track him down. He's in the Swiss Alps. He set himself up with a swanky house, classic cars, beautiful women. He planned the whole thing. As far as I can tell there never were any drugs or kidnappers, just Philip looking for a way to escape."

"It doesn't even make sense. Why would he go to all this trouble? Why would he make Chloe worry and forge some stupid ransom note when he knew she couldn't get the money."

"Maybe that's why he did it. Maybe he knew the marriage was over and didn't want to have to suck up his pride."

"So, the will was just a decoy to make sure we got her out of there. He must have known she'd come to me. That I'd think he was trying to hurt her and make her leave. He probably thought I'd stop there. That once she was safe, I wouldn't really care what happened to him...and maybe he was right. Maybe I wanted her to come to me."

"Brady."

Brady shook his head and swallowed hard, the chords of his throat dancing in sync. "What kind of man makes his wife think he's using drugs and owes enough money that he has to be kidnapped?"

"You know Philip, he's always been an extremist," Jason scoffed. "Are you going to tell her?"

Brady stared off into the distance. "I-I will."

"It sounds like there was a but."

"I just don't know how she'll react."

"There's only one way to find out, my man. One thing's for sure, Philip doesn't seem to be missing his wife any."

"Philip's never realized what he has. He's too stupid to see that Chloe is more than a prize. They've been together for a while, he's bored. God, I hate him."

"You know Philip was always a cocky son of a bitch, but I never thought he was an idiot."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, he'd have to be for hurting Chloe. He had to have known you wouldn't stand for it."

"Okay, keep an eye on him. Sniff around some more, just so we're sure of exactly what's going on. I'll contact you with our next move."

"Alright."

"You want to stay for dinner?"

"Wish I could, but I've got plans with Bambi, the flight attendant." Jason brought his fist to his mouth and bit down lightly. "This woman is amazing, she even promised to wear the uniform..."

Brady smiled, shaking his head. "Bambi? Oh jeez, go have fun man, but be on that flight tomorrow. I don't care how late you stay up."

"Not a problem. Have fun with whatever you're doing to." Jason winked slyly and slide out the door, tossing Chloe a casual wave where she sat on the beach.

Brady watched her for a few minutes before turning and heading back to his office to look over the papers and photos Jason had given to him.

---------

Chloe sat under the umbrella shielding herself from the sun, her heels dug into the sand and her nose was pressed into a book. Brady, who had been watching from the window, stepped into a pair of sandals and walked out the door. He could hear the angelic sound of her voice as he made his way down the dune and to her side. He closed his eyes, remembering all the times he'd tried to teach her to put feeling into her singing in their youth. It didn't sound like she needed his help now. Her song was sad, lonely and it tugged at his heart.

She was nursing yet another drink and the sun has coloured her cheeks a golden brown. Did she have to have such a little swimsuit on? Didn't she know he was a sucker for those long, lean legs?

"There's something I need to tell you."

Smiling when he squatted next to her, she offered him the glass.

"Wanna'sip?" The words meshed together and it was obvious she was drunk. Blitzed. Smashed. She was going to feel it in the morning, that was for sure.

"No thanks and I think you've had enough anyway."

"No, no, I'm fine, thanks." She laughed, slapping his hand away when he reached for her glass. "So, what was Jason doing here?

"He was just giving me information... You know what, I'll tell you when you can comprehend what I'm saying. Have you eaten anything?"

"Nope, but I've drank a helluva lot of this." She smiled tapping the sweating glass.

"Why don't you hand it over and I'll just put it over here for you. You know, for safe keeping."

"You're not trying to take my booze away are ya mister?" She laughed, twirling the tiny pink straw around in the drink.

"Of course not."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Maybe you shouldn't."

"You're right, I trusted Philip and look where that got me... but I think I'll trust you anyway."

"Good. Hand it over."

"On one condition," she said, slyly, eyeing him up and down.

"What's that?"

"You show me what's under those swim trunks!" She laughed, snorting even, as she pulled on the drawstrings to his blue surfer-style shorts.

He gently took her hand away. "There's nothing there you haven't seen before."

"Well, yeah, but it's been...years. I remember Brady, don't try to trick me."

"I would never do such a thing," he said absently, staring out at the crystal blue ocean.

"Come on, show me what I've been missing all these years," she laughed then got quiet and remained so for several minutes. "We don't have sex," she told him. "Philip and I, we don't have sex. Not anymore. Not for a long time," she said softly to clarify. "I suppose I should say make love, but it never really was like that with us. It wasn't what you and I shared, Brady," she admitted adverting her eyes. "Never." The word came out louder as if she really needed him to hear it. That she never made love to anyone, but him.

Despite the anger that he felt for her because she'd kept a secret he couldn't be mad at her when she was pouring out her heart for him. She was hurt and scared and vulnerable. He couldn't turn it around on her when she was like that. So he tucked the papers under the beach towel and hooked his arms under her knees and neck, lifting her easily. "Come on, I'll take you inside and you can sleep it off."

Chloe rested her head against his shoulder. She smelled like sand and seawater.

He made it easily into the house and up the stairs into the room Chloe had been staying in. Gently, he laid her down and took her hands away from around his neck. Chloe stirred and opened her eyes sleepily.

"Just lay with me, just for a while," she whispered softly.

Brady turned over all the reasons he shouldn't stay in his head and then finally decided he didn't care.

"Move over," he said and helped her move into the centre of the mattress. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against his chest.

"You sounded lovely." His lips barely brushed her temple and he felt her shiver.

"What?"

"On the beach today, I heard you singing."

"I was hardly singing, It was more of a humming."

"Still, it sounded wonderful. I'd forgotten how much I missed the sound of your voice." The deep timbre of his voice--rough like sandpaper and still warm-- fluttered against her neck like a caress and sent a chill of longing down her spine.

"Brady."

"I-I didn't mean it like that."

"Then how did you mean it?"

"Just that, I never stopped caring."

"And you think I did?"

His breath was shallow and even as he tried hard not to, he couldn't stop his hand from brushing down her back, pulling her closer to him. "I don't know what to think anymore."

"This should feel wrong, but it doesn't," she whispered into the darkness.