by Remy Richard
Finally, he looked at her and his eyes were blazing with something she couldn’t identify, something important. “Those guys at your apartment the other night…I should have been there earlier. If I had been ten minutes later, they’d have you right now and we’d be in a very different situation.” She moved forward to touch his arm, and he put up a hand to stop her. “So when you start complaining about how much you don’t like it here and that you’re so bored, it sends me over the edge. Because I don’t think you appreciate how close you came to a truly awful situation.”
“Okay, I get that,” she said soothingly. “But you can’t control every situation. Some things just happen.”
He gave a small self-deprecating smile. “Usually I can control every situation. It’s just with your family that I’m out of my element. The things your brother is working on…I can’t even understand it most of the time, much less protect it. And then you run around, doing whatever you like, and blowing my concentration all to hell.” He took a deep breath.
Lila truly felt badly for him, but a small part of her was doing a happy dance. He wasn’t unaffected by her at all. She messed with his focus! She didn’t know why that fact gave her such hope but it did.
She ignored his body language and moved closer to him. Close enough that she could feel the heat emanating from his body as she aligned their limbs as much as possible. She stared up into his eyes as she spoke from her heart. “I know that I haven’t made it easy on you. “
He snorted to indicate that was understatement but she let it slide.
“But you have to know, that you madden me too.” She shook her head as she tried to explain what he made her feel. He was silent and watchful, staring at her face as she pushed through it. “You make me crazy, and you make me want to be around you all the time and at the same time, I want to be as far away from you as possible. And you make me feel all kind of things I’ve never felt before.”
“What kind of things?” His voice was rusty and his breathing had picked up speed.
“Physical things. Lust. Desire. Wanting.” She bit her lip and forced herself to maintain eye contact with him.
He stared at her for a full ten seconds before he let out a groan and pulled her closer. Before she could figure out what was happening, he had his mouth on hers and his hands were at her hips, aligning her with him. She gasped into his mouth and he delved deep with his tongue, tasting her and giving her goose bumps as their tongues tangled.
Her hands moved up his broad shoulders to his hair, trying to get a grip on his head to pull him closer. It was so short she couldn’t get a good grip so she settled on gently rasping her nails over his skull. He moaned and sent a hand down her hips to grab a good handful of her ass, pulling her higher up on his body, closer to his mouth.
Just when she thought her lungs were going to explode, he pulled away from her. Their chests heaved as they both took in great gulps of air. His mouth traveled a sizzling path along the tender skin of her neck. Burning her, marking her in a way that a mere kiss never had before.
It wasn’t until he set her down that she realized her legs hadn’t supported her for quite some time. He lips kept contact with her skin for several more minutes as they each calmed themselves. When he finally pulled away, she felt cold without him, standing in the half light of the empty ballroom and rumpled beyond belief.
With a blush she tried to put her clothes to rights.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that,” he said.
Unable to believe what she was hearing, her head snapped up. “What?”
“It was unprofessional of me. If you want to tell your brother, I understand.”
She left her clothes alone and clenched her fists instead to keep from hitting him. “I’m not a child. I’m certainly not going to tattle on you to my damn brother.” Her words didn’t seem to comfort him though, if anything, he seemed more frustrated that she wouldn’t be punishing him. “Don’t even try to tell me that you didn’t feel anything just then.”
He ran a hand through his hairand took a deep breath. “I’ll admit that we have some chemistry between us but it would inappropriate to go any further.”
“Inapprop—what are you talking about?”
“I’m supposed to be taking care of you. Sometimes, when people are in high stress situations, they think they have feelings that aren’t really there. They misunderstand the gratitude they have for the people who are keeping them safe.”
“Oh, really? Well, what kind of feelings are you misunderstanding about me? I wasn’t the only one kissing here, you know,” she sneered.
He threw up his hands and moved to the door, opening it and checking outside before gesturing for her to go through it.
“So that’s it? You’re done talking about it so the conversation’s over?” she asked incredulously.
“I don’t know what else there is to say. This isn’t happening.”
Lila would have liked to keep arguing, to make him see that what was between them was more than just a misunderstanding, but she wasn’t sure that she could hold her tears back for much longer. It was an unfortunate curse that when she felt strong emotions, her go-to response was tears. And not dainty, silvery tears sliding down her cheeks, but great big gasping sobs. And she’d be damned before she let him think she was a silly emotional girl who didn’t know her own feelings. Any more than he apparently already did anyway.
She pushed past him and quickly started walking back toward the elevator banks, charging right through the middle of the lobby with her head down. He caught up to her and forced her into a more sedate pace.
“We’re trying to keep a low profile here, remember?” he asked through the side of his mouth.
She allowed him to keep control of her elbow until they reached the inside of the elevator and then she pulled away. As usual, he pressed the button for their floor amid several others that were just decoys. She had never liked that particular evasion tactic but now it felt like forever to reach their floor. They both stayed silent as the doors slid open on floor after floor before closing again.
Lila could taste blood welling up on her lip where she had clamped it between her teeth to keep from crying. She kept her eyes forward but could feel his presence next to her. So close and yet so far away.
In silence, they finally exited the elevator and Lila allowed him to use his copy of her keycard to open her door. She moved into her room, careful to keep enough space between them that she didn’t brush him at all. She turned to close the door behind her and he put a hand out to keep it open. Her gaze shot to his.
For long moments, they stared at each other until it became clear that he had no idea what he wanted to say.
“Well, you’ve seen to it that the princess is safely back in her tower,” she said wryly.
“Does that make me the evil dragon?” he asked with a slim smile.
“Only because you don’t want to be the white knight.” Lila could have kicked herself when his smile fell. She hadn’t meant to lay her feelings so bare before him.
“Lila…” His voice trailed off and his hand fisted on the smooth surface of her door.
“Don’t worry about it,” she said, with a bravery she didn’t feel. “I could have wasted years pining over you, so it’s better that I know now.”
He didn’t seem convinced and opened his mouth, no doubt to say something that would make her heart break even more.
She shook her head to stop him. “I think I’m just going to lie down for a while. I promise I’ll stay inside.”
Before he could say anything else or berate her again, she softly closed the door on him. For a minute she stood with her forehead pressed against the wood until she heard him turn away and his footsteps faded down the hall in the direction of Holden’s suite.
She hoped to God that he wouldn’t feel honor bound to tell Holden what had gone on between them. Although all indications proved that he just wanted to put it behind him and never think of the passionat
e kiss he’d shared with the awkward girl in a darkened ballroom.
Unfortunately, she didn’t think she’d ever forget it.
She forced herself to move further into her room, but didn’t turn on any lights. The darkness suited her now. She flopped down on the bed face first and moaned into her pillow. Before she had just been sad, now mortification was setting in. How silly, how stupid she must have seemed to him.
A flashing red light caught the corner of her eye and she turned her head. There was a message waiting on her machine but she didn’t have the strength to deal with it just then. Maybe there was some way she could arrange to never leave the room again. That’s all anyone had been telling her to do for the last two days anyway.
So that settled it. She would hide away in her room, watching pay-per-view movies and ordering room service until Holden figured out the algorithm and they could all leave. And then she would start the process of forgetting all about Sam Powell.
Lila had one thought before hot tears started slipping down her face: it was too bad they hadn’t left her the mini bar key.
***
Mike watched as a tall behemoth shuttled Lila into the elevator and the doors closed on them. From this angle it was impossible to see what floor the car was going to end up at and it was already hard enough for him to blend in. Mike had spent the past four hours attempting to come and go inconspicuously from the hotel lobby. A few different disguises had helped, as had chatting up a couple of the guests taking refuge at the bar. Nothing made a person look more like they belonged than being seen as accepted by people who really did belong.
If the big guy had been a minute later finding Lila, Mike would have stuck his revolver in her back and marched her right out the front door. He wouldn’t have been proud of it, but at least he would have been able to bring Stiles something to get him off his case. Because if he went back empty-handed again, there was a distinct possibility that he would end up without a hand.
Mike shifted nervously and tried to think his way through to the next step. This was why he was more of a smash and grab type of guy. He didn’t really have the patience for the long con, and he didn’t have the demeanor to be a grifter. That’s where Sabrina had come in. She had the perfect face for conning: innocent and na�ve. People could never look at her and think that she would do them any harm. Mostly because she couldn’t.
Even from the beginning, when she’d been the most desperate for help and approval, Sabrina hadn’t enjoyed the con. She’d always fret about whether or not the person could afford to lose what they were taking. Mike had found the flaw a little charming, and there were always enough fat cats around that he could convince her would only feel the sting of battered pride rather than true loss. And that had been enough for a while.
But the older she got, the less she could rationalize. Or maybe the better she understood his weak rationalizations. Whatever the case, he could feel her pulling away from him and he had been willing to let her go. After all, this life wasn’t for everyone and if she threw her lot in with some rich guy he could pretty much count on her taking care of him under the table as much as she could. But he didn’t have time to wait on that anymore and she owed him, dammit.
But to collect he had to get to her face to face. He didn’t believe her when she said that she would get the program for him. She was in love with the genius and it didn’t take one to see it. She had switched alliances and couldn’t be counted on to do the right thing anymore. So he would give her some additional incentive.
Putting on his most charming smile, Mike straightened his clothes and ambled over to the front desk. From where he stood he could see the elevator that Lila and the huge guy had gotten into and that it was slowly making its way to several floors. The longer they were in the elevator, the better.
He smiled at the desk worker, a young guy in his twenties, a little thin and average looking. Perfect. “Hi there. How are you today?”
“Good, sir. How can I help you?” the desk clerk asked.
Mike tried to force a blush and glanced away. “This is kind of embarrassing, but I think I’ve been stood up. I was supposed to meet a woman who’s staying here more than an hour ago, but she hasn’t come down yet. At least, I don’t think she has.” He glanced quickly back at the desk clerk and let him see the uncertainty in his eyes. “Internet, you know?”
The desk clerk nodded sympathetically, so Mike continued. “I’m wondering if she stood me up or if she came down, saw me and took one look before running toward the door.”
The young man shifted uncomfortably. “I’m sure she didn’t, sir.”
“Thanks.” Mike flashed him a grateful smile. “I’m not so sure though. She sounds gorgeous from how she described herself…” He shrugged, like it didn’t matter. “Maybe she just didn’t recognize me. Anyway, are there any messages for me? Jack Flemming?” he said, giving a fake name.
Predictably there were no messages. “Hmmm. Well, the lady is a guest here. Maybe you’ve seen her. Her name is Lila Reed.”
The desk clerk worker stood up straighter and glanced guiltily down. “No, sir, I haven’t seen her today.”
Mike let a second pause before nodding. “Oh, I see. Maybe I should just wait a little longer…”
He could almost see the young guy’s brain clacking along. Mike had really lucked out with this guy. There was no way he hadn’t been passed over by a beautiful woman before. It would really pain him to aid one in screwing a fellow nerdy guy over.
“Listen, I shouldn’t be telling you this, but she was down here. She just left,” the desk worker confided in a low tone.
“Are you serious? I just went to the bathroom! Maybe she really didn’t see me,” Mike said, just barely suppressing a shudder. He hated playing weak and pathetic, it went against everything he knew.
“I know you can’t give me her number, but can you call her room and tell her she has a visitor?” he asked hopefully.
The desk worker looked uneasy for a moment so Mike laid it on thick. “Please? I just don’t want to leave if we just missed each other. She sounds perfect…”
“Don’t tell,” the desk clerk said as he typed a few keystrokes on the computer and looked up what room she was in. Mike struggled to contain his smile or at least to make it look more like grateful than victorious. He didn’t even have to look away as the young man typed a three digit room number into the phone. In his younger days, he could identify the numbers by the tone, but nowadays people were so free with their codes. No one even covered the screen anymore when they entered their debit card pins. God bless technology.
The young man covered the receiver and said, “No answer. Want me to leave a message?”
Mike furiously shook his head no, and the clerk hung up the phone. “Want me to try again?”
“No.” Mike tried to look morose. “I’ll just go home and email her, but I think we both know it’s not going to happen.” He shared a commiserating glance with the man then turned and trudged out of the lobby, being sure to make it look like he was upset rather than elated.
Guess he wasn’t too old for the con after all. Now he knew where Lila was staying. Sabrina and Holden couldn’t be too far. If Sabrina came through after all then everything would be fine. If she needed a little…encouragement, well then, that would be fine too.
***
A steady tapping noise was slowly driving Sabrina insane. She had fallen asleep on the sofa in the sitting room while Conner was explaining some historically significant landmark or another. Well, hopefully not in the middle of his explanation, but honestly she couldn’t say.
Judging by the length of the shadows on the walls, hours had passed since she had fallen asleep. The tapping noise that had interrupted her sadly needed beauty sleep was the sound of Conner tapping a pen rhythmically against the arm of his chair.
Conner looked up as she tried to slowly rotate her neck. Sleeping sitting up had definitely been a bad idea. He grinned at her.
“Hello t
here, Sleeping Beauty.”
“Can it, Conner.” She sent him a swift smile so he knew she was teasing and then straightened up to look around the room. “Where’s Holden?”
He gestured toward the far door. “Same place he’s been for hours. Holed up in his room working.”
“Has he eaten? Stopped for a break? Given in to the needs of mortal men?”
“I would guess a ‘no’ on all three questions.” Conner looked up from his laptop to scrutinize her. “You should be careful. If you keep asking about him, I’m going to get the impression that you care about his welfare.”
Sabrina blushed and looked away. Why was it so much less embarrassing for these people to know that she’d slept with him than it was to know that she cared for him?
She cleared her throat and tried to joke her way out of it. “Well, it seems pretty clear that you at least need a breather. You’re talking crazy.” Conner gave her a glance that said she wasn’t fooling him, but let it drop. “Why don’t we order some dinner, see if we can round up the rest of the gang, and watch the movie you were telling me about earlier?”
“Really?” He closed his laptop and sat up straight.
Sabrina stood up and rolled her shoulders, trying to release the last of the kinks. “Sure. Why not?” She stopped to regard him suspiciously. “Why are you so excited?”
Conner just grinned and turned toward the room phone. “Just happy to be spending time with the gang. I’ll call the others while you get Holden.”
She paused to stare at him for another moment before he shooed her away. Okay, something was definitely strange about that. She decided just to chalk it up to nerdy weirdness and made her way to Holden’s room. Strangely, she was quickly growing used to the butterflies that invaded her stomach right before she saw him.
Without knocking, she pushed open the door and stepped inside the room. Since they had refused housekeeping services, the sheets and cover were still a complete mess from the night before. A frisson of remembered pleasure curled in her stomach and she had to look away from the bed.
