Stakes & Stilettos - Michelle Rowen [29]
“Snazzy is not the word I’d use to describe it.” He inhaled sharply as my hands slid to lower places on his body. They had a tendency to do that.
I smiled up at him. “Just because the artwork is nailed to the wall and I wouldn’t want a CSI team in here with their black light doesn’t mean this can’t be a romantic getaway, you know.”
“Agreed.” He leaned over and crushed his mouth to mine and, with a hand at the small of my back, lowered me to the bed. His weight pressed firmly down on top of me and the bed let out a mournful creaking sound. After a moment he broke off the kiss and gazed down at me with a small smile. “But later.”
With effort, mostly because I was wrapped very firmly around him, he managed to pull away from me.
“Later?” I glanced up at the ceiling mirror that lacked my reflection. “Why later?”
He raised a dark eyebrow. “Your reunion starts in less than forty-five minutes.”
“I’m okay if we’re fashionably late. Really.”
With an amused look and another soft brush of his lips against mine that made me groan with frustration, he stood up from the bed and walked into the bathroom. I heard the shower being turned on just as there was a knock at the door. I sat up and swung off the bed. Being careful not to make a sound, I crept toward the little window and glanced outside. My eyebrows went up and I unlocked the door so I could swing it open.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I asked.
George leaned against the doorframe. “I just love this town. Where is that monster-sized pumpkin? I totally brought my camera this time.”
I frowned at him. “What’s wrong? Why are you here?”
“I needed to talk to you.”
“To me? Not to Thierry?”
“No, just you.” He was grinning so I could see his fangs. “Guess who I met?”
“I have absolutely no idea.”
“Let me give you a hint. First name Red, last name Devil?”
“Are you serious?”
He nodded. “He is awesome, Sarah. So amazing. Everything I’d ever heard about him is totally true. He was waiting for me by my car outside Amy’s and he scared the bejeezus out of me, especially with the whole scarf-over-his-face thing. But then he asked me personally to come here and keep an eye on you. He wants to make sure you’re okay. Isn’t that fabulous?”
Fabulous, sure. Also extremely strange and suspicious. “Why you?”
“Obviously because he knows I’m the right person for the job.”
“The job of spying on me?”
He laughed at that. “Very funny. No, of course not. Of course he wants you to be safe, which is cool, but obviously he’s interviewing me to be his trusty sidekick. Since I need a new job anyhow, the timing couldn’t be more perfect.” He pulled a compact digital camera out of his back pocket and held it up to his face. “Say cheese.”
“Cheese.” I blinked as the flash went off.
He eyed the display screen of the shot he had just taken. “You forgot to smile.”
“I didn’t forget.” I chewed my bottom lip as I studied George, as enthusiastic as I’d ever seen him. “How did the Red Devil know where I’d be staying?”
“He didn’t have to. Thierry gave me the address in case of emergency. The Red Devil didn’t have to say anything. And now here I am.” The flash popped again. “Okay, that was even worse this time.”
I glanced past George at the dark and silent parking lot, and then grabbed his shirt and dragged him into the room, closing and locking the door behind me.
“Are you crazy?” I sputtered.
“What?”
I tried to breathe normally. “Whoever this guy is could have just used you to find out where I am right now. He may have followed you here.”
He shook his head. “No way. He wouldn’t do something like that.”
I listened to the shower still going in the bathroom. Damn, that man loved his hot water.
I smoothed out George’s shirt under his winter jacket from where I’d wrinkled it. “I know he saved my ass, and for that I’m very grateful. But