Five hours later, Jigen parked his car in the driveway of the Villa Azzurra. He sighed and looked up at the house, trying to figure out why he was there. Shaking his head, he stepped out of the car and walked up to the front door just as it was opening. The young girl he'd seen earlier that day was holding a coat over one arm and a ring of keys in her left hand.

"Buona sera, signore," she said, smiling at him. "You have returned? Signorina Merlino is busy upstairs, but I will show you to the sitting room."

Jigen shook his head. "You're on your way home, aren't you?" he said. "It's okay, I can find my way around." The girl frowned thoughtfully and bit her lip. She was obviously having trouble understanding him. He chuckled and smiled at her. "Okay," he said, speaking more slowly so that she could process his words. He buried his hands in his pockets. "Take me to the sitting room."

The girl smiled brightly and nodded. She led him through a short hallway and into a white-walled living room, furnished with leather sofas and an impressive fireplace. She curtsied to Jigen. "The signorina will be here soon," she said in broken English, and backed out of the room. "ArrivederLa, signore."

Jigen watched her go. As soon as he heard the door close and lock, he pulled a cigarette from his jacket and headed upstairs. He could hear the sound of water running. Wandering through the house, he found the master bedroom, and sauntered into the en suite.

Alexis was taking a shower, and it was running hot and hard. Jigen could see the shape of her body through the frosted glass door. It was a familiar sight: her head was thrown back, just as his had been in that damned photo Lupin had taken at the hotel.

The bathroom was filled with steam, and condensation had formed on the room's only window. He unlatched it and pushed it open a few inches.

"Marietta?" Alexis said, turning off the shower. "Is that you?" She opened the door to find Jigen standing there, his hat pulled low over his eyes, an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips. Alexis stared at him.

"Not exactly," he said, handing her a towel.

For a few seconds, Alexis was too shocked to react. Finally, she blinked. Embarrassment overcame surprise, and she snatched the towel from him, clutching it to her body with both hands. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her stomach dropped sharply.

"You're not... I mean, how..." Alexis blushed deeply. She gave up trying to recover her dignity, and went for outrage instead. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?" she demanded.

Jigen pushed his hat back with his thumb so she could see his eyes. Slowly, deliberately, he allowed his gaze to wander over her body. She blushed even more fiercely as he studied the curve of her breasts, the smooth line of her waist, and the swell of her hips. Finally, he raised his eyes to hers and plucked the cigarette from his mouth.

"Getting my revenge," he drawled.

If it had been possible for Alexis to blush more deeply, she would have. As it was, she had to content herself with biting her lip and looking away. "And here I thought you didn't have any balls," she said icily, but it was a poor recovery, and they both knew it.

Jigen moved to sit on the low, padded bench under the window. He stretched out his legs and leaned back against the window frame. "Don't let me interrupt," he said, once again fitting the smoke between his lips. His gesture indicated that she was welcome to continue whatever she'd been doing.

Alexis glared at him. "Are you just going to sit there, or are you going to give me some privacy?" she demanded.

He shrugged and pulled his hat down over his eyes, but made no move to leave the bathroom.

"Fine," Alexis growled. With one swift movement, she turned her back to him, bringing the towel with her. As she pulled it from side to side, drying her back and waist, Jigen noticed the tattoo on her shoulder blade. It was an image of a small bird, maybe two inches high, done in navy blue and pale pink.

"Nice ink," he said. "Tasteful."

Alexis did not thank him. She simply said, "My father had it done when I was thirteen."

Jigen tilted his head, revealing one dark brown eye. "Your father had you tattooed?" he said, disbelief in his voice. "You're joking."

Alexis shook her head as she continued to dry herself off. "It's a family legacy," she said, and he could hear the bitterness in her voice. "It's Pyrrhula pyrrhula, a bullfinch. The symbol of my father's empire." She laughed, but it was hollow. "He wanted me to follow in his footsteps. I'm a great disappointment to him, as you might expect."

Jigen took the still-unlit cigarette from his mouth and crushed it in his fist. "It must have hurt," he said softly, dropping the mixture of paper and tobacco out the window.

Alexis took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Her hands were at her side now, the towel hanging slack between them. "Yes," she murmured. "It did."

Jigen stood up and crossed the room to where she stood. Her back was still turned towards him, and he gently put his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on the tattoo. "There," he said, releasing her. "All better?"

She turned to him then, blinking away the tears that had formed in her eyes. "Why are you here?" she whispered.

Jigen shook his head slowly. There were so many answers to that question, and yet, he couldn't even explain it to himself. Was it because he cared for her? Or because of the burning need that she kindled in him? Was it guilt, or desire, or because he wanted so badly to prove that she was wrong, and that he really could let a woman touch his heart?

He said the only thing he could say: "I don't know."

Alexis looked up at him, seeing the confusion written on his face. She slowly dropped the towel from around her body. Ignoring the blood that rushed to his cheeks, she took his hand. "Come with me," she said, leading him to the terrace. The sun was low in the sky. Red-gold light washed over her skin, and Jigen had to look away. When they were standing next to the stone wall that bordered the terrace, she pointed down and spoke again. "What do you see?" she asked.

Jigen frowned, looking for something -- he didn't know what.

She laughed softly. "It's not a trick question, Jigen," she said, and smiled sideways at him. "What do you see?"

He shrugged. "Water. Rocks."

Alexis nodded. "Mm-hm. That water has been washing against those rocks for hundreds, thousands, perhaps millions of years," she said. "The longer it goes on, the smoother they get. The water washes away all the rough surfaces, polishing the stone to perfection." She looked up at him. "Have you ever been hit by a rogue wave?"

He looked out at the Gulf, at the crashing surf. "No," he said.

"I have," Alexis said. She turned, walking towards the bedroom. "It's bloody painful." At the French doors, she paused and looked over her shoulder at him, still staring out over the terrace. "I'm sure the rocks aren't having an easy time of it, either."

Jigen snorted softly and leaned back against the terrace wall, watching Alexis as she put on a white satin bra. "You sound like Goemon," he said drily.

A light, clear laugh came from the bedroom. "Maybe Goemon talks sense," Alexis said, picking up a blue velvet robe. She slipped it on and moved to stand beside Jigen. "And maybe you're just too stubborn to listen." She tied the robe around her waist. "Have you eaten?" she asked.

"What?" Jigen blinked at the sudden change of topic. "Uh... no."

Alexis smiled warmly. "Come down to the kitchen, then. The steaks are still marinating in the fridge; someone has to eat them."