Two days later, JV sat in her room, considering how poorly things seemed to be going. Steve would still barely look at her and that was only when he wasn't avoiding her all together. She knew in order for their attraction to grow, they needed to spend time near one another. That was the way the Kitsune mating instinct worked. The more time they spent together, the more they would be drawn to each other. She didn't want to force him into anything, but she had hoped with time, he would come around. 

She sighed and looked back down at her laptop. She needed to finish this project and send it to her client for approval, but she was having a hard time concentrating long enough to get anything done. Setting the computer aside, she stood and stretched, hoping better blood flow would help her settle her mind. 

Going into the kitchen for something to drink, she found Rebecca already there, putting together a stack of sandwiches.

"You about ready for lunch?" Rebecca asked. 

"Sure, but you should have let me know you were making lunch, I would have helped. This is too much like waiting on me."

"Nonsense," Rebecca waived one hand in dismissal, "I do this all the time. Here," she set several sandwiches to one side, "why don't you take Steve his lunch?"

JV brightened. The idea of spending a little time with him was far more appealing than going back to the frustrating laptop. "Sure, where is he?" 

"I saw him head back to his place about fifteen minutes ago," she grinned.

JV flashed a grateful smile, packed the sandwiches and a few other items into a bag, and headed down the trail that disappeared behind the house. 

Sitting less than two hundred yards from the back steps of the Khan's house, through a small copse of trees, JV found herself standing in front of another smaller home. This one was slightly newer and gave her a sense of being unfinished. She couldn't quite put her finger on why, but she knew there had to be something. 

She stepped up on the porch that stretched the entire front of the building and raised her hand to knock. Before her knuckles struck the wood, the door opened beneath her fist.