She was a damned good cook. The steaks were sprinkled with peppercorn and grilled to juicy perfection, and the wine-steamed mussels were the perfect accompaniment.

They brought their plates out to the terrace and watched the sun set as they ate. Jigen had found some Pinot Noir in the cellar, and after supper, they opened the second bottle.

"So this is what you do for a living, huh?" the gunman said. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, shook out two of them, and offered one to Alexis.

She accepted with a smile, then leaned forward as he lit first hers, then his. "Not really," she said, blowing a stream of blue smoke from between her lips. "Cooking and candy-making are quite different. Cooking is following a set of instructions. Chocolate is an art." She crossed one leg over the other, and the bottom of her robe fell open, revealing her smooth, pale thighs. "There are a thousand different variables, and a healthy dash of luck doesn't hurt." She laughed lightly and took a sip of her wine.

Jigen somehow managed to tear his gaze away from her bare skin. "You like your job," he said, drawing on his cigarette. It was more a statement than a question.

Alexis nodded. "Yes, I do," she said. "Don't you?"

Jigen chuckled softly. "I'd like it a hell of a lot better if it didn't involve Fujiko so damned often," he said, leaning back in his chair. He touched one finger to a small notch in the brim of his hat. "But yeah, I like it. Lupin's a good guy."

"Have you known him long?" Alexis asked. She finished her drink and held out her glass.

Jigen reached for the bottle and poured her another measure of wine. His cigarette glowed brightly as he drew the heavy smoke into his lungs. "A few years," he said, filling his own glass.

"How did you meet him?"

He grinned wickedly at her. "You want the truth, or the version I give to nosey reporters?"

Alexis laughed and finished her cigarette. She stubbed it out in a heavy, blue crystal ashtray. "Forget I asked," she said, smiling mischievously.

"We have a pretty good thing going," Jigen said. He leaned forward and extinguished his own cigarette. "It keeps me in bullets and gun oil, anyway." He drained his wine glass in one long draught.

Alexis stood up and stacked their plates. "What time are you meeting him for tonight's job, then?" she asked.

"Eleven," Jigen said. He adjusted his hat, setting it back on his head so that his eyes were visible. He looked up at her. Even performing the most mundane tasks, she moved with an easy, natural grace. "We have a few things to go over before we crack the palace."

The French doors stood open, and Alexis glanced over her shoulder, checking the clock on the bedroom wall. "Not long," she said wistfully. She was about to pick up the dishes, but Jigen wrapped one strong hand around her forearm, stopping her. She looked curiously at him as he pushed back his chair and stood up. His deep voice washed over her, and she could hardly believe his next words.

"Long enough," he said, and pulled her towards him, lifting her chin with one hand and sliding the other around her waist.

Alexis gasped in surprise. Jigen slid his hand from her chin to her cheek, and then buried his fingers in her hair. He looked into her eyes for what seemed a very, very long time, before finally lowering his head and kissing her full on the mouth. She moaned softly, pressing her palms against his chest in an effort to push him away.

Jigen broke the kiss and looked down at her, bewildered at her resistance. "What is it?" he asked. "Why -"

Alexis touched a finger to his lips, silencing him. "I can't follow you," she murmured. Tears stung her eyes, but she ignored them, tried to fight them. "You can't follow me."

Jigen took her hand in his, lifting it away from his mouth. "I know," he said, brushing his lips against her cheek.

Again, she withdrew. "After Italy," she said, "we may never meet again." Her words were a warning, a question.

Jigen straightened for a moment. He looked down at her, studying her face, memorising every curve, every line. Finally he spoke.

"It doesn't matter," he said, and was surprised to find that he meant it. Yes; if he had her now, it would hurt not to have her again.

But he'd survive. They both would.

Alexis smiled tenderly and pulled him towards her, towards the bedroom. "If you're sure," she whispered against his mouth.

"I'm sure," Jigen said, and kissed her again. He reached up and pulled off his hat, tossing it onto the floor next to the bed. Alexis glanced down at it, and Jigen chuckled deeply.

"My eyes aren't covered any more," he said, and then she was in his arms again, and there were no more words except his name on her lips as she whispered it in the dark.