Chapter 1Robin Paley liked being by himself. Well, he didn’t like it, exactly. A librarian at one time, now an editor, always a stickler for words, he decided he’d have to come up with a better one.
“I’ve assimilated,” he said, rubbing a towel over salt-and-pepper hair, wet from the shower. “Because that’s just how it has to be. Not that I’m in any way alone.” Robin relaxed just a bit, peering into friendly brown eyes. “And we’re actually having company today.” Just as quickly, he stiffened again, filled with dread. “Lucky us, huh, Magnus Renegade?” Apparently unaware of the sarcasm, Robin’s huge bullmastiff thumped his tail against the marred wooden floor.
An IT guy was on the way to take a look at Robin’s Internet setup, a freelancer from the Yellow Pages. Robin wanted someone who coul
