Fourteen
I’m certain my cheeks are still flaming hot as Ashley lets us into our room for the night. Not because I’m worried about being naked with him again, but because of how he checked us in. When he shuts and locks the door, I call him out on it.
“Mr. and Mrs. Robert Jones?” I sputter. “Are you freaking serious?”
“Of course,” he shrugs. “With a common name, there’s a better chance that no one will remember us with any type of certainty.”
“Why not Joe Smith?”
“Too common,” he smiles. “That would be as bad as using John Doe.””
“I suppose,” I sigh as I plop onto the bed. “What a freaking night.”
“You’ve done well, Lorna,” he says. “You really have.”
When I turn my head, he’s looking at me. With a small smile. I return it, too.
“Thank you,” I tell him. “I suppose if I need a second career, I could always use you as a reference for the FBI.”
My words are meant to be light, again, but he doesn’t take it that way. His brow furrows as he plants one hand on the mattress and caresses my cheek with the other.
“I told you before to leave the FBI work to me,” he says softly. “The less danger you’re in, the better.”
I scramble for some type of smart-ass retort, but nothing comes to me. A sure sign that I’m more tired than I thought. Even so, when I just shake my head, he bends his to kiss me. When he pulls back, he sighs.
“Why don’t you try to get some sleep.”
“Okay,” I nod. “I’ll just wash up first.”
He straightens and tells me that there’s toiletries in the duffle bag. After pulling out his laptop, he hands me what I need, and I disappear into the bathroom. Five minutes later, I walk out and watch him once again bent over typing away. I think about rummaging through the duffle bag for something to sleep in, but since he’s already seen me naked, and that’s how I prefer to sleep, I let it go.
After pulling down the covers of the queen-sized bed, I smile and wonder how well we’ll fit in it together. The bed at his apartment was a king. No doubt because of his size. And while I’m not that big, I’m sure a man like him likes to have his space to sleep. As my body starts to grow weary, I strip off my clothes and fold them before setting them on the chair in the corner. When I turn around, Ashley’s focus is on me. More specifically, my naked body.
“Something wrong?” I ask as I crawl under the covers.
“Not at all,” he chuckles. “I just didn’t want to miss an opportunity to look at you.”
“I see,” I giggle. “And just so you know, I’m used to twenty-four-hour shifts. So, if you have to wake me up to move quick, I’ll be just fine.”
“Good to know,” he says with a grimace. “But I’m hoping we won’t have to move again until tomorrow night.”
“Okay,” I say through a yawn. “Night.”
“Goodnight, Lorna.”
I smile and close my eyes. It’s several minutes later before I hear him typing again. Something about the fact that he’s literally watching over me sets me at ease. And I quickly drift off to sleep.
***
As much as I’d like to climb into bed with her and give her a reason to sleep, I force myself to get back to my email. He’s already sent me an update on the situation with Malcolm and that he’s giving us until tomorrow night to make a decision. If we don’t give up Lorna, he’s threatening to kill Malcolm. None of us want any bloodshed, but if Malcolm is sacrificed, I know Lorna will bear a great deal of unnecessary guilt for it.
With a sigh, I let my supervisor know that Lorna and I are both armed. He doesn’t need to know our location. And if he asks, it would be terribly suspicious. He didn’t know we had gone to my apartment, either. So, if Diamond and his crew show up there, it could mean that the leak sent them, or they have a really good fucking tail on us. Which is part of the reason our cellphones are powered off now.
I send my email and go about washing myself up for the night as well. By the time I’m finished, I can tell that Lorna is asleep. The slow rise and fall of her chest a dead giveaway. When I return to my laptop, there’s an email waiting. Anxious, I open it and start reading.
If you haven’t already, keep your phones off and continue to contact me via our encrypted server. The hostage team will be here within the hour to plan their negotiations, but we’re not optimistic. We also have two female agents who fit Lorna’s description. They will also sit in with the hostage team and be debriefed about the earlier incidents in case we decide to use them. For the time being, grab some sleep and check in at 0500.
I sigh and check the time. It’s almost one now.
Not wanting to waste another second, I power off my laptop and double check the locks on the doors. Then I set my weapons on the nightstand and strip. When I turn off the light, I wait a moment for my eyes to adjust so I don’t accidentally rouse Lorna. But to my ultimate delight, she rolls over and reaches for me as soon as I’m settled. And I don’t hesitate to pull her into my arms and hold her close.
Within minutes, I drift off with her.