Part 12 (1/2)

”Yeah, right, like you're any better. You work at least as hard as me,” Jo murmured, turning back to her. She then asked, ”Beth, is there a service elevator in this place?”

Beth's eyebrows rose at the question. ”Yeah. Why?”

Jo hesitated and then decided a lie was really the only way to go. She could hardly start babbling to her about vampires and such and expect Beth to think her anything but nuts, so she said, ”There's someone I want to avoid in the lobby. He's a customer who's been going all stalker boy on me and hanging out at the bar all the time.”

”You mentioned him a couple weeks ago,” Beth said with a frown, and Jo forced a smile, glad that she had. The customer had laid off lately, but was a good cover. ”Yeah, well, he's here and-”

”Say no more,” Beth interrupted, patting her arm. ”Come on, follow me.”

Jo glanced toward the lobby again, but then followed Beth deeper to a narrow hall leading off to the left. At the end there were several doors and an elevator.

”Which floor are you on?” Beth asked, leading her inside and inserting a key in the elevator panel.

”Top floor,” Jo murmured as the doors closed. During the ride up Beth chattered easily about the bio cla.s.s they had together at university. Jo tried to keep up with the conversation, but was a bit distracted with her worries about how she and Nicholas were going to get out of there. She would have asked Beth to stick around and quickly grabbed Nicholas so they could ride down in the service elevator, but Mortimer, Bricker, and Anders were covering all the exits. Basically they were screwed, she thought unhappily, but forced a smile as she said, ”Thanks for this, Beth. I owe you one.” > ”No you don't,” she a.s.sured her. ”You're always giving me free drinks at the bar. However, I am going to want to hear all about this new guy in cla.s.s tomorrow night.”

Jo smiled faintly, but her mind was racing, trying to figure a way to get out of the hote l without using the lobby or side exits. Maybe they could take the window washer's scaffold down, she thought as she recalled it pa.s.sing the window earlier and waking her.

”Jo?”

She blinked and glanced to Beth who was peering at her with a small frown. ”I'm sorry. Did you say something?”

Beth smiled wryly. ”I just asked if you guys were only staying the one night or-”

”Not even the one night, I'm afraid,” Jo said with a grimace. ”We' ll probably leave right away now that... er... my stalker is here.”

”But you have pizza,” Beth protested. ”And you paid for the room.”

”Yeah, well, we' ll have to take the pizza elsewhere. I'm just not comfortable here anymore.”

Jo shrugged and grimaced, annoyed that she was unable to explain anything to Beth. She wasn't used to having to prevaricate with her friends. Sighing, she shook her head and then said, ”The room's already paid for. We' ll just slip out and...” She waved her hand vaguely.

”You really need to call the cops about this guy if he's getting this troublesome,” Beth said with concern. ”It was bad enough when he was just being creepy and hanging around the bar all the time, but now he's actually stalking you, Jo. This isn't good.”

”I know,” Jo muttered. ”But for right now we' ll just try to slip out without his seeing and following.” ”I can help with that,” Beth offered. ”If you're quick about fetching your friend from the room, I can take you back down in the service elevator and then slip you out through the kitchens. There's a door into the parking garage for deliveries; that way you can avoid the lobby altogether and he can't follow you to the next place.”

”Oh, Beth, that would be amazing. You're a life-saver.” Jo s.h.i.+fted the pizza to one hand and hugged Beth with the other. ”Thank you.”

”No problem.” Beth hugged her back and then glanced to the number panel above the door as the elevator dinged. ”Here we are. Give me the pizza. I' ll wait here and hold the elevator while you run and get your friend.”

”Thanks,” Jo said, handing it over. ”I' ll be quick.”

”Okay. I' ll be waiting.”

Nodding, Jo rushed off the elevator as the doors opened and hurried up the hall at a jog, pulling the card key out of her back pocket as she went. She had it up and ready to slip into the slot as she slid to a halt in front of the door, but never got the chance to put it in. Before she could, the door was pulled open and Nicholas was there, grabbing her hand and dragging her into the room.

”Finally,” he growled, pus.h.i.+ng the door closed and whirling to pull her into his arms. ”I was worried sick.”

”I-” Jo began, but got no further before his mouth was suddenly on hers. Jo groaned, but reached up to push at his shoulders, only to clutch at them instead as he suddenly walked her quickly backward. One hand at the back of her head, holding her in place, the other on her behind, he urged her hips against his so that she felt his erection as they moved in a strange, rather erotic dance across the room until the backs of her legs b.u.mped up against the bed.

”I need you,” Nicholas growled against her lips as he tugged her T-s.h.i.+rt upward, his hands palming and squeezing her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

”Oh G.o.d,” Jo gasped, reaching to clasp his hands. She'd meant to pull them away and explain that they had to move, but he was squeezing and kneading, and when she opened her mouth to speak, his tongue slid inside and Jo found herself clutching at his hands, squeezing them even as he squeezed her. In the next moment, Nicholas pushed her away, sending her toppling onto the bed while he remained standing.

Jo blinked her eyes open as she hit the bed, and then gasped as he caught her by the backs of the legs and drew her forward until her b.u.t.t was on the edge, the jean-covered core of her pressed snugly against him and her thighs on either side of his hips. His eyes were molten silver, his erection standing at attention as he bent to work at the b.u.t.ton and zipper of her jeans.

Jo sucked in a breath, shook her head, and then covered his hands and blurted, ”Mortimer's here.” Nicholas froze and stiffened briefly and then his head jerked up, his eyes stabbed at her, suddenly more blue than silver. ”What?”

Jo sighed and explained, ”I went into the store to buy pop after I collected the pizza and Mortimer, Bricker, Anders, and Decker came in while I was there.”

”Did they see you?” he asked with concern.

Jo shook her head. ”I was at the back of the store. They couldn't see me, but I heard them talking. Mortimer's got the men watching each exit and is calling in more men so they can search floor to floor.”

”Jesus,” Nicholas muttered, running his free hand through his hair. ”We have to get out of here. We' ll use the stairs and-”

”They're downstairs watching the lobby and side exits until more men arrive. You have to dress quickly. I have a way out of here.”

Nicholas was out from between her legs at once, and Jo flopped back on the bed with a sigh, aware that her body was throbbing and aching with need from just that brief but very hot almost-interlude.

Man, when Nicholas was like that, he was... man, Jo thought faintly, and then gave her head a shake and sat up. Nicholas already had his jeans on and was doing them up. She s.h.i.+fted off the bed and stood to move into the bathroom to check and see if there was anything in there.

All she found that was theirs was his brush. Jo took it out and tossed it in his bag as he donned his s.h.i.+rt, and then glanced around that room as well, but she hadn't had anything with her but Charlie, and Nicholas's things were all in his bag.

He was tying up his shoes now, and Jo's gaze slid to the German shepherd as she quickly zipped up the duffel bag. He had been sleeping, but was awake, watching her with interest.

”Come, boy, we have to go,” she said, and the dog was on his feet and at her side at once.

”I've got that,” Nicholas said, taking the bag from her when she started to pick it up. ”Lead the way.”

Nodding, Jo turned and hurried out of the room and up the hall. When she bypa.s.sed the bank of elevators, Nicholas simply followed, apparently trusting her. His eyebrows rose, however, when they reached the service elevator and he spied Beth standing there with the pizza in hand.

”Beth, this is Nicholas,” Jo introduced as she stepped onto the elevator, Charlie at her side.

”Nicholas, this is Beth. We have a bio cla.s.s together Monday nights.”

”My, you are a hottie,” Beth said with wide eyes as Nicholas stepped onto the elevator.

Jo grinned at Nicholas's discomfort and then said, ”Beth's going to slip us out through the kitchens so we can avoid the lobby.” ”About that,” Beth said suddenly, tearing her eyes off Nicholas and down to Charlie. ”I'm not sure I can take a dog through-” She paused abruptly, her face going blank as she said, ”It will be fine,” and turned to work the elevator.

Jo frowned and then glanced to Nicholas to see him concentrating on her face. It was the guy who had checked them in all over again, only this time she knew what was happening.

Nicholas was controlling Beth.

”Stop that,” she hissed.

”No,” Nicholas said firmly. ”We have to get out of here and she was about to back out of taking us through the kitchens because of Charlie.”

Jo frowned, her gaze sliding to the dog and then to Beth. ”Then we' ll have to find another way out. I don' t want to get her into trouble.”

”She won't be in trouble,” he said soothingly. ”No one will see the dog.”