Incandescent by Madeline Sloane Page A

can’t believe you stayed the whole
time.”
    Anna grinned. “I told you I would. I know I
have some great shots,” she said. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll let you
preview them before anyone else, okay? Just in case I shot
something you’d prefer others not see.”
    “Oh my gosh, wonderful. I’m sure my cousin
doesn’t want her husband to see a photo of her dancing with an old
boyfriend. Not that they’re …” she tapered off. “You know how it
is. He’s stationed overseas right now and the last thing she wants
is for him to worry about her.”
    Anna grimaced. “I’ll upload them to a secure
server and send you a login, okay? You can look at them online.
Delete anything you wish,” she said. “I’ll put them on the wedding
website and you can share them with your family and friends. You
know how it works. I showed you the system at the bridal show in
June.”
    Being among the last to leave gave Anna the
opportunity to say goodbye to most of the guests and several asked
for a card. Before the reception ended, Anna had several promising
leads and six bookings for high school photo shoots and family
portraits.
    As they headed home in the twilight, Anna was
glad Aaron drove. She’d drunk several glasses of champagne and felt
light-headed.
    She closed her eyes and rested her head
against the seat, waiting for him to start the truck. “Thank you
for helping today,” she said, her voice dreamy and tired. “It was
nice, having someone carry the heavy bag.”
    Aaron put the key in the ignition and the red
truck rumbled to life. “Well, I’m glad I’m not doing it for a
living,” he said. “I don’t think I could put up with all the
drama.”
    She chuckled. “Yeah, people tend to misbehave
at weddings. You’d be surprised at the kind of shenanigans I’ve
seen, and photographed without knowing. I could start a side
business as an extortionist. Oh wait, you’re a cop, aren’t you?
Forget what I said.”
     
    “Kinda like a cop,” he said. “Which reminds
me, when we get back to your place, I’d like to talk to you and
Gretchen about the investigation.”
    She yawned. “Back to that, eh? What’s on your
mind?”
    Aaron maneuvered the steering wheel, turning
the tight corners and navigating the narrow roads back to
Gretchen’s apartment. “I’ve been thinking about the case a lot, and
I’d like to approach it from a different angle. It’s
complicated.”
    “Why can’t you tell me about it now?” she
asked, stifling another yawn.
    “You’re tired,” he said, parking along the
curb. “Besides, we’re here.”
    He glanced out the window at the quiet
building. “And it looks like Gretchen still isn’t home. Does she
ever stay put?”
    “What can I say? She’s in love.”
    Aaron raised a brow. “Already? Didn’t she
start dating this guy a week ago?”
    “It’s been two weeks. Since the night of the
fire,” Anna said with a deep sigh.
    They sat in the quiet truck cab for several
moments. In the distance, Aaron heard the laughter of children as
they ran from yard to yard.
    “Well, thanks again,” Anna said, gathering
her bags and opening her car door.
    “I’ll help you,” Aaron said, picking up the
tripod. He slung the strap of the heavy bag camera bag over one
shoulder. They crossed the street together and walked up the porch
stairs. He waited while she searched the zippered front of her
camera bag for her house key.
    “You can put those in the hall closet,” Anna
said, as she entered the dark house. She walked into the hallway,
seeking the light switch on the far wall.
    Aaron caught her wrist. “Hold on,” he
murmured. “You don’t think my services are free, do you?”
    At his touch, her heart leapt. All day they’d
been together, working as a team, and she enjoyed the easy
camaraderie. In the twilight, she felt the magnetic pull of his
sexy lips.
    “So, now you want me,” she said.
    Entranced, Aaron dropped the camera bags. He
planted his palms against the wall,