Always been passionate about the natural sciences, this one,’ he said warmly, and Julian smiled back companionably. ‘Please, sit.’ As the three ...ettled into their respective seats, Gwyneth was still bewildered as to why she was here. Was Aidan pulling strings so that she could work with him? Would she be working with him? Her head was swimming with questions. ‘Ms. Kenner worked on the SeaNorth case two years back, to much success,’ Aidan was saying, and everything clicked into place. ‘She came. " Yes, we pull back and look at all that. But to poor Kara, where she was when we met her, maybe she wasn't able to pull back. Maybe she was in the dark." How much of that was losses? Losing her mom. Her housekeeper friend. Those losses."He sighed. "And I see a sensitive soul in her. Kind of fragile, in one sense."All that conversation after a pleasant dinner in a restaurant in Oslo. A meticulously clean hotel room. An unfortunately small shower. And before lovemaking that had it been a. ”Lilith’s low laughter echoed in her mind.“Yes. To what do I owe the pleasure tonight?”“Far away though I was, across many planes of existence, I sensed your frustration. Your questions. Your pain. I am here because, unlike Yahweh, I answer those who serve me.”Jessica swallowed. She didn’t want to seem impudent, but the question had been burning within her for days. It had to be asked.“Why didn’t you tell me I had a weakness?”“Simple. I didn’t know.”Jessica’s disposition shifted, fading from. " I suspected for a while. Your father's Playboy would go missing and itwas never in your room." Dad reads Playboy? That's...should I be insulted now I'm female?" It's just a harmless thing, I've been in it a few times, in my youngerdays." My mother's a porn star!?" I was shocked and excited and curious and alittle put out that I knew so little about them even after all thistime."It was just a few pictures, after we were married but before I fellpregnant with Melissa. We needed money back.