46 Fire And Ashes

 

A/N – this chapter’s timeline takes place during the SL-9 incident, which was the one on which the whole foundation of the Rise From the Ashes game was based. So…I guess the time falls around the RFTA prequel?

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“A human being who trades away individuality for conformity is nothing but a slave.” ~Auliq Ice~

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Lana Skye and Miles Edgeworth
Los Angeles Criminal Affairs Department
October 30, 2014, 3:00 PM

There was a knock on the door to Lana’s office, causing the workaholic detective to pause in her paperwork. The door opened, revealing a towering hulk of a man in his early 60s with twinkling green eyes over the ever-present pink sunglasses perched on his tanned hawkish nose.

“Come on in!” She called, smiling at the sight of Damon Gant, her office mate and literal partner in crime.

“Glad I found you here, Skye.”

“What’s up, Gant? Going on a donut run?” She flashed a teasing smile at her workmate. “Make mine a Boston cream, please.”

“Oh, you’re hilarious, Partner,” The silver-haired detective flashed a wry grin. “Nope, no donuts for you this time. I just wanted to introduce you to someone.”  Her broad-shouldered co-worker stepped aside and ushered the man behind him into the room. “Skye, I’d like you to meet the man who hopefully will be making his USA courtroom debut once we finally catch the bastard behind these SL-9 killings, Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth.”

The new arrival stepped inside and his eyes met hers.

As she unabashedly goggled at the flawless male specimen before her, her mouth went dry. She was awash in the flames of concupiscence as her inner Blanche Devereaux came out in all her wanton, hussy glory.

It’s as if there’s a primal energy stirring within, relentlessly pounding, burning, yearning, and lusting, desperately seeking release. I’ve never confessed such sentiments to another man, but I sense a heat between us, akin to a flame, crackling and hissing. I desire for you to extinguish that flame, Miles. I crave for you to pick me like ripe fruit, bathe me with your tongue, and savor my succulent flesh. Allow me to bring you sublime ecstasy, Mr. Prosecutor. All I seek is the assurance that your desire for me matches mine for you…

The detective flushed guiltily at the sharp jolt of her abruptly resurrected conscience, briefly consumed by her roaring Id.

Ah shit! Pisscakes on a dick!

What in pluperfect fuckery was wrong with her? She had a lover already!

Your reaction is completely inappropriate, not to mention ridiculous! Her resurfaced superego screamed at her. Act your age, woman! You’re 27 years old, not some hormonally-crazed fictional Southern Jezebel from an 80s sitcom! And this – man/boy can’t be more than 22! Stop gawking at him already! Besides, have you forgotten that you’re spoken for?! To one helluva looker, to boot! Has your fickle ass already forgotten whose bed your boots were under last night?

Jake Marshall. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Studly. Her fellow detective boyfriend, whom she’d been seeing the past few months.  Her urban cowboy with the sultry Western drawl wasn’t exactly hard on the eyes, and there was no denying that he sported head-turning, rugged good looks in his own right.

Still, there was good-looking … and then there was Miles Edgeworth.

Lana felt her breath catch in her throat as she studied him intently. The new DA’s tall and broad-shouldered frame was clad in a well-fitted merlot-red suit, accented with a snowy ruffled cravat, which should have made him look like an old-fashioned, flouncy dandy. Instead, it perfectly set off his immaculately groomed charcoal hair, which she suddenly itched to run her fingers through. His bone structure was fine, and his patrician features were perfectly symmetrical. The combination of those distinct cheekbones angular jaw, and pale skin made him look devilishly handsome. And those eyes … the policewoman had never seen eyes before in her entire life. Strong, well-groomed, arched brows and lush, thick eyelashes that should have been illegal on a man; the kind she couldn’t ever hope to achieve even with a whole tube of mascara. She was utterly mesmerized by those long-lashed, fusain eyes, the color of ash remnants of a roaring fire.

Much like the flames that had ignited within her at the mere sight of him, in a way that it never had before with her current beau!

It was an irrevocable case of lust at first sight.

I sure as hell won’t need to ask him to walk by me again!  

On shaky legs, the brunette rose from her desk and walked over to shake his hand, hoping he wouldn’t notice the slight trembling of her fingers as his long, elegant ones clasped hers. At the touch of his skin, she felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her. Standing this close before him, she could see little flecks of silver within his eyes, the momentary baiting glint in them leading her to realize she wasn’t the only one affected by the contact.  She dropped her gaze to the well-manicured, yet masculine fingers still gripping hers and cleared her throat before allowing her eyes to meet his again.

“Detective Lana Skye.” The pleasant, professional smile on her pretty face hopefully belied none of her licentious thoughts. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Prosecutor Edgeworth.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Detective Skye,” he assured her, bowing slightly in a smooth, fluid motion that would have looked ludicrous if done by anyone else, yet with this man, it was the epitome of genteel.  A slight suggestive smile played on his lips, indicating he was well aware of her ill-hidden reaction to him.

She flushed slightly.

“The department is quite happy to have you take over this case when we capture the perpetrator, Prosecutor Edgeworth. I’m not sure how much Detective Gant has told you about the homicides thus far, but I can assure you that this first case of yours will be the most memorable one.”

“Actually, Detective Skye, my first case was last February.” The debonair young man’s cadence, as polished and elegant as the rest of him, was vaguely British sounding. “I squared off against a rather formidable opponent; a rookie attorney named Mia Fey.”

My old college chum? What a small world, indeed!  

This news took Lana aback, but her partner-in-crime interrupted before she could voice her thoughts.

“Ah, my mistake, dear boy.” Gant emitted a loud, booming laugh, making both Lana and Edgeworth start, as they’d nearly forgotten he was still in the room. “I guess I misunderstood Von Karma then! Although I could have sworn that he declared you a prodigy attorney with an undefeated record. Hence, I’d naturally presumed it meant this was your first American case and you’d thus had a long streak of wins over in Europe!”

“While it is true that I’ve yet to have lost a case…” The rookie lawyer smiled thinly at their flummoxed expressions.  “I still cannot claim that I’ve won a case to date, either.”

“Jesus Christ with a crack pipe! What’s with all these conundrums and riddles?” Gant idly twirled the grey curl in the middle of his forehead. “Care to elaborate on just what that’s supposed to mean?”

“The defendant of my premier trial against the illustrious Miss Fey…” Edgeworth’s smooth brow furrowed as he recalled the memory. “He, er, committed suicide on the witness stand.”

“Suicide?” She gasped. “How awful!”

“Yes, quite the tragedy,” the handsome prosecutor abruptly ceased frowning and gave a slight shrug of attempted nonchalance. “But that’s neither here nor there. I am quite confident in the LAPD’s ability to apprehend the killer, Detective Skye, especially with you and Detective Gant on the case. He’s spoken most highly of your sleuthing skills.”

“Did he now?” She grinned impishly at her partner. “Well, wasn’t that nice of him? I suppose this is my cue to tell you that Gant ain’t too bad of a cop either then?”

“You’re both referred to as the Legendary Duo, are you not?” Edgeworth countered, crossing his arms across his chest and smiling at her. “Surely such is not the kind of praise that’s given lightly?”

Lana blushed modestly. “I suppose not.”

“You know you’re a big deal when even fledgling legal eagles who did their studies overseas have heard of us, huh, Skye?” Gant chuckled, clapping Edgeworth affectionately on the shoulder with his huge hand. “Come along, young buck! I need to introduce you to the rest of the team investigating the SL-9 case; detectives Bruce Goodman, Angel Starr, and Skye’s personal favorite, Jake Marshall.”

It was the prosecutor’s turn to look confused this time.

“Personal favorite?” He echoed.

“He and the good detective here are quite the hot and heavy item – something they try, very poorly, to conceal,” Gant confided with a smirk as he ushered the younger man out, ignoring the irritated look his partner shot him for discussing her personal affairs with a total stranger. “Take it easy, Skye.”

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Detective Skye.” The counselor graciously inclined his head at her, although his previous conviviality seemed to have lessened slightly since discovering that she was off the market. “I’ll be seeing you, then.”

Lana returned his perfunctory smile with a cordial one of her own, despite her own attempted cool demeanor being the opposite of her thoughts.

A sly smirk curved on her lips.

Not if I see you first, Mr. Edgeworth.

Lana Skye
Chief Prosecutor’s Office
February 25, 2015, 8:00 PM

Devastation and hopelessness were the only emotions Lana had been experiencing since the end of the SL-9 case. The ability to laugh, to smile, to feel any sort of joy completely alluded her, and she had no idea when or if she ever would be able to again.

Up until last week, when Neil had been murdered, life hadn’t been perfect, what with them all spending every hour around the clock trying to catch the culprit behind the mysterious homicides, but it had been filled with some areas of happiness. Things had been going well with Jake, who had, at last, told her that he loved her, and was hinting at the two of them moving in together soon. She was enjoying the challenges of her work as a detective, as well as the friendly, not-so-idle flirtations she shared with Edgeworth whenever he’d come by for required evidence on cases he was working on.

Lana sensed he was holding back his obvious attraction to her because she was in a relationship. Still, she unabashedly acknowledged that she rejoiced in seeing the admiration in his eyes whenever he thought she didn’t notice. She, in turn, found him to be clever, witty, and engaging whenever he indulged her in a battle of wits. Even though he was five years her junior, there was a maturity in him that belied his years, and she couldn’t help but admire that, along with his work ethic. For such a young man, he’d achieved quite a lot already, career-wise, and she had little doubt that he would be the utmost success in all of his future endeavors.

Also, he was so different from Jake!

More often than not, she was beginning to think that ranchers in Stetsons were sexy only in Western films! Especially when, for the love of all that was holy, the cowboy enthusiast was born and raised in California, not Texas! He was no more a yokel country folk than she was!

There were times she was sure that she loved Jake Marshall, and wanted to jump at the opportunity to “shack up” with him, as he’d so eloquently put it. But then there were times when she wondered what other dining venues were out there that didn’t mostly include some pasta or spaghetti, and had an actual wine list! She wondered what it would be like to be greeted with something other than ‘howdy’ and called a pet name other than Bambina.

In all of these potential scenarios she’d imagined since their fateful meeting in her office last fall, the man was always Edgeworth – a man of refinement. Of taste. Of style. Of class. A man who would have no concept of what a poncho was and would recoil in horror at the concept of drinking wine from a box! A partner who would take her out dancing, instead of spinning her around the makeshift dance floor of a tavern, to a jukebox blaring country western music and refer to it as a ‘hoe-down’!  A gentleman who would occasionally opt for a filet mignon rather than Salisbury steak, and take her to places other than his familiar ‘stompin ground’ saloons to ‘wet his whistle.’ Or at the very least, not scoff and dismiss any other suggested venue as ‘them high-falootin’ fancy, schmancy places that are only fer these namby-pamby city-slickers!’

Most importantly, she wondered what it’d be like to make love to a man in a place other than in a bed, and not be forced to be the one to have straddle him and holler ‘Ride em, cowboy!’

Furthermore, she wanted to know what it was like to fuck a man who took his hat off during sex!

Even all that she’d managed to overlook for the past year!

But then Neil had been killed and soon after, Gant, in one of his first acts as Police Chief, had fired Angel Starr, who was now peddling lunches, and demoted the still grieving victim’s brother to patrolman guard of the evidence room!

And then, on top of that, Jake’s girlfriend had suddenly been unwittingly promoted.

Talk about adding insult to injury!

Unaware of the circumstances surrounding his lover’s newly appointed role, which she could never divulge to him, the new situation had put such a strain on their relationship that there appeared to be no end, or hope of reparation, within sight! There were times the newly appointed Chief Prosecutor wasn’t even sure who she was anymore … and most of the time, she felt she no longer knew Jake! He’d become more and more distant since his brother died, refusing to open up to her and let her be there for him, preferring to drown his sorrows at his favorite tavern, and acting resentful of her because of her new job as a ‘big shot’ and acting as if she could no longer relate to the ‘little folk anymore!

For her part, the shell-shocked woman was trying to deal with the fact that her sole remaining family, her baby sister, had nearly been murdered…and was potentially the culprit to have accidentally killed Neil Marshall! Her continued guilt and silence over the matter only created a further rift between her and Jake, but what choice did she have? Offering him comfort felt hypocritical, especially considering what she knew.

On top of that, there was the horrible, lecherous Police Chief she had to contend with now.

Lana had sold her soul to the devil. The blackmailing son of a bitch who’d helped her cover up Ema’s crime so the Skye sisters wouldn’t have that cross to bear. However, Gant, who incidentally, was old enough to be her father, had also been making it more and more clear, as he had just now on the phone, that he was expecting some token repayment for his kindness and generosity in the whole matter!

Just the thought made her skin crawl and hysteria rise within her.

Kindness and generosity?  Lana thought bitterly. The only reason that bastard promoted me was so that he could keep tabs on me while blackmailing me! And Jake is jealous about this? I never wanted it! I never wanted any of this! But I can’t tell him the truth. He’d despise me if he knew. Not to mention what consequences could befall my precious little sister…

The possibility was so unspeakable, that she couldn’t even finish the thought; she was hellbent for leather it would never come to that. Ema was her baby, her sole reason for living. Lana would sooner die before she’d ever let anything happen to the girl who was more like her daughter than a sibling. Therefore, she would degrade and debase herself without question and suffer any indignities that Gant, put her through if it meant ensuring the teenager she’d lovingly raised would go on and live a blissful, happy, albeit oblivious, existence.

It was no matter to the elder Skye how much she needed to suffer to ensure this coveted outcome.

Aside from Ema, Jake was all she had. She needed him. And he needed her too … even if he couldn’t properly express it.

The night before, Lana and Jake had gotten into a screaming match over the shirking of his duties at work, coupled with his drunken late nights, which were causing him to miss more and more work. He had stormed off and not returned until dawn, smelling of cheap liquor and Salisbury steak … just like the one from Angel’s lunch wagon.

Naturally, he’d insisted her accusations were ridiculous.

Ergo, she tried her hardest to believe him.

She knew she had to be supportive. He was grieving and hurting and needed her love and patience. She couldn’t just up and leave the man while he was down! And she loved, Jake. She honestly did, she insisted to herself as she hung up the phone from her latest threatening call from Gant and began to weep.

Lana Skye had never felt more miserable, alone, and helpless in her entire life.

Miles Edgeworth and Lana Skye
Chief Prosecutor’s Office
February 25, 2015, 8:00 PM

Miles rapped on the door of the Chief Prosecutor’s office for the second time, but there was no answer. That was odd, since he’d seen the light shining from underneath the door, and her car was still in the parking lot; the only one left at the office was his own. He’d come by to drop off the last of the records and paperwork, officially closing the SL-9 incident. That was the case Gant had initially assumed he would be taking over, but which had ultimately been given to his senior colleague, Prosecutor Neil Marshall.

He had been unwittingly thrust into the newly vacated role of Prosecutor when Joe Darke, the serial killer behind all the grisly homicides that they’d been seeking since last fall, had at last been apprehended – but unfortunately not before making Marshall his final victim in his heinous murder spree.

Darke had since been incarcerated and was sentenced to death row. The arduous case had been wrapped up a week prior, so all he had to do now was drop off the finalized case files to his new boss, who had just been promoted the previous month to Chief Prosecutor by the newly appointed Police Chief and former partner, Damon Gant. The last of the paperwork had taken forever to complete, and the legist was eager to deliver them as requested and ultimately head home. It had been a long day.

Frustrated at the lack of response to his knocking, the young man hesitantly turned the doorknob and to his surprise, found it open. He was even more astounded at the sight that greeted him.

Despite being one of the most disciplined and hardworking people he’d ever met, his superior was normally pleasant, smiling, and upbeat. Therefore, seeing the former detective, presently hunched over at her desk, while completely oblivious to his arrival, was quite discerning. Even more so was the sight of the several folders and papers haphazardly scattered about, and her head was buried in her hands, her slender shoulders shaking with sobs that wracked her whole body.

The DA stood there awkwardly, uncertain of what to do, and debated about ducking out before she noticed him standing there, witnessing her breakdown. He struggled with his options, feeling utterly torn.

On the one hand, he was unaccustomed to having to deal with such scenarios – his mentor, Manfred, had run a tight ship, raising both himself and his Big Sister, Franziska to be as emotionally guarded and brusque as he. Ergo, Miles had never been overly uncomfortable with expressing or even feeling emotions of his own – never mind being those of another suppurating person! And dealing with a crying female was about as welcome to him as a trip in an elevator!

But on the other hand, he was quite fond of the captivating Lana Skye – both as a cohort, and as a person, and his innate gentlemanly qualities just couldn’t allow him to ignore a damsel in distress. Especially not this particular one.

He was reluctant to admit it, but there was something about the brunette beauty he’d found particularly beguiling right out of the gate when the present-day Police Chief had introduced them last year, and he’d been led to believe by her initial coquettish actions towards him that she’d been as struck by his presence as he’d been by hers. However, Gant, perhaps sensing the blossoming mutual attraction, had nipped things in the bud when he’d had not-so-discreetly let it slip that his possible love interest was already the girlfriend of Detective Jake Marshall.

So that was the end of that. Or so he’d dismissively thought at the time, anyway.

Despite working with her sporadically on his other cases the last few months, the attorney had swallowed his initial attraction and tried to maintain a cordial distance, trying to block out the images of her come-hither glances and luminous smile.  Innocuous flirting was one thing, and at times, although he indulged in the occasional roguish banter with her, he repeatedly reminded himself that Lana Skye was off-limits. She belonged to another man, and Miles Edgeworth had no desire whatsoever to be a homewrecker of any sort, even if he did often think a classy lady like Lana could have done better for herself than a wannabe cowboy whose idea of a seven-course meal probably consisted of a plate of spaghetti and a six-pack of beer!

Whatever, it was her choice. Miles had simply thrown himself into his work and tried his best to get the unforgettable Detective Skye out of his mind and turned a blind eye to everything, including all other women, to work. It wasn’t much of a stretch, truthfully.

Normally the workaholic prosecutor was blissfully oblivious to female admirers, although over the years the youngest Von Karma had been teasing her Little Brother about how handsome he’d become, and how he was the targeted crush of her numerous girlfriends over the years. Nevertheless, he’d dismissed such proclamations. For one thing, albeit a budding beauty, Franziska was merely 15, so her juvenile idol worship could hardly be taken seriously. For another, Miles had been too focused on his lofty achievement of becoming a prosecutor by the age of 20 – and hopefully winning the respect of Manfred while at it – to pay women much mind.

Well, the loss of his virginity to his piano teacher, Gretchen, who was ten years his senior, seven years ago notwithstanding…

The barrister cleared his throat uncomfortably, opting, at last, to let Lana become aware of his presence. Her fawn-colored head shot upward, a startled expression in those red, watery orbs.

“Edgeworth,” she muttered, quickly wiping her eyes with the back of her hands and rising to her feet with trademarked poise and haughty countenance once again intact. “What brings you here?”

“I er, brought you those files you wanted on that SL-9 case, Chief Skye,” Miles mumbled, averting his eyes from the tears he could see still sparkling in her lovely teal eyes despite her vain attempts at professionalism. “I apologize for having just barged in on you like this. I did attempt to knock, but there was no answer, and you did indicate you wanted the final papers tonight…”

“You’re right, I did.” She walked over to him and lifted her chin. “Most appreciated, Edgeworth. I appreciate your due diligence in this matter. I’m sure you’ll be as relieved as I am to finally put this Darke nightmare all behind us.”

He caught the torment in her eyes at the words, and at that moment he realized just what a hellacious ordeal the whole case must have been for the Chief. Not only had Neil Marshall been her boyfriend Jake’s brother, but her younger sister, Ema, whom she’d raised like her own child, had nearly become the killer’s victim as well.

Miles knew that as much as Manfred had raised him to be a stoic son of a bitch, he was still Gregory Edgeworth’s son first and foremost; he still had a heart underneath his icy veneer. He didn’t know what he would have done if anything had ever happened to Franziska, whom he truly loved like his own flesh and blood.  And now Lana was dealing with the additional responsibilities of her impromptu promotion on top of probably still trying to console her freshly grieving lover over his brother’s passing.

How much could one poor woman possibly endure?

She reminds me of an exquisite remnant from a bone china vase, once fragmented but painstakingly repaired. Yet the capricious human race only criticizes the residual gaps and flaws, disregarding the beauty of how she restored herself with nothing more than her own two hands.

He took a deep breath and slowly released it before speaking his next words.

“I can only imagine what an ordeal this must have been like for you, Chief Skye,” he said quietly. “And for what it’s worth, I’m glad I could help put that monster behind bars where he belongs, where he can never hurt anyone ever again.”

Lana attempted to smile at his consolatory words, but then her lips began to tremble, and she blinked rapidly to stop the tears that once again had begun forming in her eyes. She looked away and grabbed the file from his hands.

“Most appreciated, Edgeworth,” she replied stiffly, keeping her head down as she turned back towards her desk. “I shall take care of these now. That will be all.”

It was an obvious dismissal, one that Miles knew, as her subordinate, that he was obligated to comply with, yet he couldn’t leave just yet. A voice in the back of his head niggled at him that there was more to this than met the eye – and that she shouldn’t be left alone in her current state. He had to at least try to offer her his condolences if naught else.

“Chief Skye … Lana … I cannot begin to fathom how difficult this must have been on Detective Marshall as well as yourself.”

He walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder, turning her around so she could see his sympathetic expression.

“And I know words can’t possibly ease the suffering you both have endured and are still experiencing, but I just wanted to let you know – you have my utmost sympathies. I’m truly sorry.”

Lana’s lips parted, about to tell him that she was beyond needing any more obligatory consolation and weak platitudes but her words died in her throat as she noted the veracity in his handsome face, along with something along the lines of … empathy. How was that even possible?  Did Edgeworth also have a sob story under that stern demeanor? Was it possible that he could truly understand, at some level, the fresh hell her life had become?

“You truly mean it, don’t you, Miles?” She breathed. Peering searchingly into his eyes, she was astonished at the unmasked whirling emotions she saw within them. “You’re not just saying you’re sorry to be nice … you really and truly are, aren’t you?”

The prosecutor found he couldn’t speak. Someway, somehow, this woman had made him take his guard down with her lamentation, and he had no idea how to draw it back up. Wasn’t even sure if he could … or even wanted to. He merely nodded mutely, and although he normally was averse to being touched, didn’t even try to resist when she reached up and placed her hands on either side of his face, her wide-eyed gaze transfixed on his.

“You know, don’t you?” She whispered, her eyes wide and seeking. “You … genuinely do understand what it’s like; to have your world turned upside down and feel like you have nobody.”

It was a statement, not a question.

Miles was stunned at the insightful revelation she’d realized; of the secret pain he’d tried to bury all these years since his father’s murder. He’d always prided himself on masking his suffering under his laconic, impassive façade. So how was it that this woman, whom he’d only known for four months, could see so deeply into his heart? Into his soul?

Lana stared into his entrancing silvery gaze; the swirls of emotion she saw there made her breath catch. She was completely mesmerized. They were the grey of the last ashes on the fire, tossed upon the breeze. Those hypnotic orbs now gazed deeply into hers, ensnaring her from that moment in a net of intrigue, comfort, and promise, all at once.

His eyes are argentite fire, you’ll always yearn to seek the heat of those twin flames.

His hand reached under her hair below her ear, his thumb caressing her cheek, his eyes revealing more than his words could express.

They both knew it was coming. There was one final intense look before she pulled his face closer.  Hesitantly, she glanced up at him one last time. Lust and desire. However, before she could ponder about it any further, he yanked her to him.

She inhaled sharply as his large hand grabbed her waist and pulled her closer until her breasts were pressed against his warm, broad chest. She tried to push him away with a rigid hand on those flawlessly sculpted pecs but found that she was unable to.

It’s the equivalent of trying to douse a forest fire with a garden hose.

His chest was heaving now, as was hers.  He kissed her ear and nibbled on her lobe, then trailed a fiery path down the column of her throat. With her last shred of sanity, Lana tried to break free from his hold, but her body was quivering with desire and she couldn’t seem to resist. His eyes closed as he moved closer still, and her traitorous body began to quiver with need, her lips already parted, as if of their own volition. Their breathing became synchronized; both of them were panting now. The kiss started out gently, but then his arms wrapped around her and his hungry mouth devoured her own.

The kiss annihilated any further thought. For the first time in ages, her mind was confined purely within the present. All burdens and disquietudes disappeared like chalk off a rainy sidewalk. Her usual mode of hurrying from one thing to the next was suspended, she had no wish for the kiss to end.

Intoxicated by this heady concupiscence, Miles’s sole craving was to touch her, to move his hands under her blouse, and feel her perfect feminine suppleness. In moments the soft caress had become firmer, he savored her lips and the quickening of her breath that matched his own. A kiss like this was a beginning, a promise of much more to come.

When they finally parted, she looked up at him with her beautiful, tear-stained face and he felt a stirring within his chest that he’d never felt before. As trite as it seemed, the moment was just like the movies. For that single moment, time stopped. It was just them.

Then his lips claimed hers again.

Lana no longer cared about the world or the people around her. She no longer paid heed or mind to anything. There were no cruelties, no death, and no suffering. Right there, at that moment, it was just her and her subordinate. Because apart, they might have been as different as night and day, black and white, right and wrong, but together they created two sides of a whole. Together they balanced.

Such a daunting notion, how within a heartbeat, you can fall victim to a mindless love that will take endless lifetimes to get over.

She wasn’t sure what this meant or what would happen tomorrow. All she knew was that right now, kissing Miles Edgeworth was the best idea in the world.