My phone rang at eight-thirty in the morning. An unknown caller, but most of them were, and I had been ignoring those too much lately. I answered.

"Reese Kentwell."

"Hey, Reese. This is Charles... from the DC flight and the Pigeons concert."

"Hi, Charles. How did you find me?" The words were out of my mouth before I could proofread them, and he responded with the obvious answer.

"I looked up your website. You do nice work. That's why I called. To offer you a job... and to say hey."

"Well, hey back. Is the job in Manhattan?"

"Yes. The architectural firm I work for needs a photographer to chart the progress of a project. Our regular photographer is out on maternity leave and I recommended you to my bosses. Are you interested?"

"Wow, that's really nice of you, Charles." I glanced into the hallway from my position on the couch. Just off to the left, a small den served as Vincent's command station, and the door had been closed since his conference call started two hours ago. "Where is the project, exactly?"

"Trinity Church. It's part renovation, part restoration. Your boyfriend's foundation is funding the restoration part."

"I'm not surprised. The foundation is close to his heart, as well as his late father."

"I didn't know his dad died. I probably shouldn't bring up the foundation as a talking point, should I? I never intended to get on Vincent's bad side, you know. I've been trying to think of ways I can change that. I've seen him at the site a couple of times."

"Has he seen you?"

"No. I'm the grunt man, relegated to the vestry at the back of the church. And I'm not going to seek Vincent out unless I have something to say."

"Having something to say doesn't seem to be a problem for you, and the gig sounds fun. Churches and I get along great. When do you need me?"

"Yesterday. That's when Crystal went into labor. Ideally, the photos should be taken every day, but there's wiggle room, and the crew doesn't work weekends."

"Just to be clear, you need me on-site right now?"

"Yes, or as soon as possible. The partners will be here for another hour, so you can meet them both if you hurry. How far are you from Trinity Church?"

"Not far at all."

"Great. Should I tell them to expect you, then?"

I gave my gut time to process the situation, specifically Vincent's reaction if I left the building without an escort. "Yeah, go ahead and tell them. I'll call if I get delayed."

"Thanks, Reese. I'll get your employment paperwork sent over for you to sign."

"See you soon, Charles."

I hung up the phone and stared at Vincent's office door. Bonnie and Clyde flanked either side of me, and the three of us deliberated whether to interrupt him. His office had a private vibe too it that kept me away. Even the dogs didn't venture in often. My other concern was telling him about Charles, the guy he tried to put his fist through. But first, I needed to find something to wear.

Thankfully, my closet in the spare room had begun to fill up, so options were there. The only trick would be hiding the scabs on my neck. I already tossed my cashmere turtle neck into the hamper, but I did have my favorite turquoise silk scarf, which paired well with a couple of things. As I looked through my collection, I typed out a text to Vincent, going the casual route.

Got a gig at Trinity Church shooting the restoration. Need to be there ASAP.

Leaving my phone on the bed, I walked into the bathroom as I peeled off my clothes. Normally, I would shower. I reeked of gollum sex, but time was my enemy at the moment, so deodorant and white musk body spray would have to suffice. I heard my phone chime as I walked back into the room.

Give me ten minutes. I'll be your escort.

Vincent walked into the bathroom just as I finished my ten-minute makeup routine, stopping at the threshold to watch me. He didn't look annoyed or suspicious. He looked content.

"Who called you about the job?" he asked.

"The architectural firm doing the restoration. Their regular photographer had a baby and they need someone to take pictures of the daily progress, so this gig will last as long as the restoration does."

Vincent's brows furrowed. "That's either really coincidental or someone recommended you. The Valentino foundation is paying for the restoration."

"I know." This was where I should have mentioned Charles's involvement, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. He looked too upbeat, and I didn't want to mess that up. I would face the fight later. "Apparently, both partners will be there for another hour, so I need to leave soon if I want to meet them."

"I'm ready when you are."

Fortunately, the walk from the Valentino compound to Trinity Church could be done with minimal hassles, giving Vincent time to fill me in on the restoration project, and we made it in time for Vincent to introduce me to the men behind Williams and Porter Architects. Both seemed pleasant enough, although Ted got distracted by his cellphone halfway through. It wasn't until we were directed to the vestry and Vincent saw Charles through the open door hunched over a desk, that his upbeat mood dropped a notch.

"Charles called to offer you the job, didn't he?" Vincent asked.

"Yes." I nodded nonchalantly as I glanced up at a mural of a saint. I think it was Saint Christopher.

Vincent stopped me next to the saint's portrait, and I said a quick prayer since I was already there. "Reese, why didn't you mention Charles before we left the apartment? I know who he is. I've seen him on the site. Were you worried about my reaction? Did you think I wouldn't let you to take the job because of him?"

I fortified my lungs with oxygen before giving my answer. "Yes, although I was prepared to put up a fight, but I hate fighting with you."

Vincent sighed as he dragged his fingers through his hair. "Am I that much of a dick?"

"No, you're not a dick, you're just a touch possessive. I know I don't always handle situations perfectly either, but we have a long while to work on those things."

Vincent took my hand and brought it to his lips. "Thank you, for your honesty."

With another small success under our belts, we entered the vestry and Charles popped out of his seat to greet us. He didn't appear surprised to see Vincent with me.

"Reese! Boy, am I happy to see you. Progress is moving quicker than we anticipated, and they really need each stage documented."

"Well, I'm your gal," I said, patting my camera bag. "Point me in the right direction and I'll get started."

Charles took advantage of the easy segue and jumped right into a guided tour, although Vincent had already seen everything, and Vincent offered additional insight that Charles wasn't aware of. The mood remained amicable between the guys, and when they got sidetracked on a fresco, I moved around the space taking pictures. Due to the height of the ceiling, scaffolding was needed for some restorations, but no way in fresh hell was I climbing scaffolding for the sake of a photograph. That's what zoom lenses were for.

Vincent joined me when Charles scurried back to his closet-sized office. "Charles will email me your paperwork and you can handle it with a virtual signature," he said.

"Great." My answer came out distracted, only because I had noticed something buried behind the scaffolding. A time-worn outline on the wall. Something had been removed, and I had an idea what it was.

"I think this is where the holy water font hung," I said, leaning through the bars and popping off a couple shots.

"You're right. It was probably removed so the wall could be painted, but it's not part of the restoration."

"It left an unusual shape. It looks like an ankh."

Vincent took a moment to stare with me. "There is a resemblance. Seems strange to see an Egyptian symbol in a Christian church. I'm sure the font itself doesn't have that shape."

"Does this church have a repository?"

"Nothing confirmed, only speculated," he said as he offered an innocent shrug.

"Are the Valentinos hoping to confirm something with this restoration?" I grinned at him as I packed away my camera, and he continued feigning ignorance.

"That was not our original intent, but you never know when an opportunity will present itself."

Vincent's weighty comment had me thinking on our way back to the apartment, but I didn't have time to engage him in a lively discussion about coincidences. Bates had arrived to do whatever it was he did, and upon entering the bedroom, I found him holding my cashmere sweater.

"Didn't I see you in black cashmere the other night?" he said as he scrutinized me in my current attire, focusing on the silk scarf around my neck.

"Yes, but that wasn't a turtle neck. I bought the other sweater to go with the dress I was wearing."

"Oh, I hadn't noticed the dress." He batted his eyelashes at Vincent as he greeted him. "Hello, Vincent. Any special requests for me? I'll be meeting Gerald at Romano's wine and cheese shop this afternoon. We have a dinner party coming up. The Sondheims will be there. Should I send your regards to their granddaughter, Lizzie?"

Vincent's face pinched but he recovered swiftly. "By all means, give Lizzie my regards. I will call in an order to Romano's. You can pick it up for me. That will be all, Bates."

Vincent excused Bates with a pointed eyebrow arch, and Bates reacted with a sugary sweet smile. "I am more than happy to oblige all your whims, Vincent, even the ones you never task me with."

Bates disappeared from the room with the laundry, and I had a fleeting thought of him soaking my cashmere sweater in kerosene and burning it in a ritual. When I heard the front door close, I started undressing.

"Why does Bate's hate me?" I asked Vincent as I pulled off my shoes.

"He doesn't hate you, he's just jealous of you. If he ever makes you feel uncomfortable in any way, please tell me. Bates is dispensable, you are not."

I shrugged off my sweater and tossed it onto the bed. "A jealous, vengeful housekeeper. Sounds like you've set yourself up for trouble."

Vincent turned me in his arms and stared at my bra. Then he stared at my breasts as I removed my bra and threw it next to the sweater. "Are you trying to tell me something, Reese? I have another conference call at noon, but we should have enough time."

"This isn't a strip tease. I need to shower," I said as I unzipped my pants. "I'm sure you've noticed I reek of..."

"Don't say it." Vincent pressed his finger to my lips. "Stop talking about your nature like it's a curse. As far as I'm concerned, you're perfect and you smell like something I'd like to eat... at every meal."

His words had me clenching my thighs, which made it difficult to pull off my panties. "Just go take care of business. I don't want you distracted with thoughts of your wet, naked girlfriend."

The next thing I heard was Vincent's zipper. "I welcome that distraction."