“Where the hell are you going to wear those heels?” Riley demanded.

“She’s going to wear them when she seduces Sawyer. She’s going to walk in on them, take off her dress, and stand there wearing just the heels.”

“You may be new at this, Sasha, but you’ve got skills, and you’ve got strategies.”

“I had such fun! Your new earrings are so pretty on you, Riley.”

With a shrug, Riley accepted her own weakness. “In a fight, all the opponent has to do is grab one and pull.”

“They look pretty. So do Sasha’s, and Sasha will look beautiful in her new dress and the sandals. You should have bought the new dress I showed you, Riley.”

“I don’t have a man to seduce.”

“You have a very good body. It’s small and strong and agile, and your breasts are lovely.”

“Well, that doesn’t get me laid, but thanks.”

“In my world both male and female would very much wish to bang you.”

So they walked into the house laughing, and drew Bran in from where he’d tried not to worry.

“Successful shopping, it seems.”

“Excellent shopping, and pizza as promised.” Sasha lifted her face for a kiss.

“I’ll take the pizza into the kitchen. Doyle’s in the grove, or was. Sawyer’s outside, working on the plans for whatever you brought for him.”

“Riley can take that out.” Subtly Sasha gave Annika a nudge. “We’ll just go up, put away our shopping extravaganza.”

“This is strategy?” Annika asked as they started up.

“Give him a little time to miss you, to wonder where you are. Don’t wear the heeled sandals yet. Save those for impact.”

“It’s like a game.”

“A little bit, but one where you both get to win.”

At the door to her room, Annika put down her bags to hug Sasha tight. “Thank you. You and Riley are my sisters in this world, and in mine.”

“I’ve learned what family is from you, from all of you. When this is done, I’m going to try to use everything I’ve learned with my own mother. I’ll see you downstairs.”

“You should wear your new dress.”

At the door to her room, Sasha paused, smiled. “You know, you’re right. I’ll put on my new dress.”

Annika understood games, and she understood rituals. She’d watched three of her sisters execute mating rituals. It involved flirtation, pretending disinterest, then flirtation.

Though she knew Sawyer couldn’t be her life mate, she loved, would always love, so the ritual could be allowed on her part.

She changed—not into her new dress because Sasha should shine in hers. But she used the lip color and the brush with color on her lashes as she knew women did to look even prettier.

After she went down, she made—as Sasha had taught her—a pitcher of sparkling fruit juice. On a tray she arranged the pitcher, glasses, and the bowl that held ice if needed.

Sawyer sat at the table under the pergola, with the things Riley found for him, a drawing he’d made, a kind of tool that reminded her a little of a gun.

Since Doyle sat across, watching Sawyer work, she smiled, carried the tray over.

“I made cold drinks because you’ll want beer with the pizza in a little while. Bran will make it hot again for dinner. Is this the bug?” she asked while she poured the drinks.

“It will be. I need to attach this capacitor—”

“Is that a flux capacitor?” Riley called down from her terrace.

“Hah. Just need a DeLorean. Got enough here to build three room transmitters, so we’ll need to figure out where they’ll do the most good.”

“How did you learn to do this?” Doyle wondered.

“Curiosity, I guess. I took apart this old radio, then an old answering machine, one of my broken remote-control cars, stuff like that. Figured out how to work them together to play spy. This’ll be a little more sophisticated. But it’s pretty down and dirty.”

“You need dirt?”

“No, it’s an . . .” Sawyer glanced up at Annika. “Ah, you look good. I mean, you always look good, but—”

“Thank you.” She trailed a finger over his shoulders as she walked behind him. Then sat on the edge of the table, her back to him as she faced Doyle.

Yes, she knew the ritual.

“You drive the boat very well.”

“Good thing.”

“It’s a very good thing. Maybe you could teach me. I like to learn. And in return, I can teach you to do the handsprings.”

“I do handsprings, I can’t hold a sword.”

“I can teach you to do it with one hand only. You’re strong.” Deliberately, she reached over, tapped his biceps. “You could spring with only one hand, so your sword sweeps at the legs, and your feet kick the face.”

“One hand?”

“Yes, I can teach you. And the running up a wall, both hands free, to flip back? It would be useful to you in combat. Would you like me to show you?”

“Sure. I’m up for something new.”

When he rose to go with her to the strip of lawn, he glanced back at a scowling Sawyer, then up at Riley. She grinned, then leaned on the rail to enjoy the show.

She heard Sawyer curse. “Problem, cowboy?”

“Nothing. Just a little burn.”

She watched Annika, dress billowing down toward her head, gorgeous legs flashing up in the spring.