Page 32 of Cast in Shadow
“You could say that,” she agreed, eyeing him critically. “Are you still determined to take me to Charley?”
He nodded. He didn’t feel good about it, but he’d committed himself to the task.
No one said he had to drop her off and leave, however. Perhaps he’d stick around long enough to ensure that Aggie could walk away and disappear again if she didn’t like whatever Charley had to say. Hell, maybe he’d go with her.
“It’s been a long day for both of us, and I’m beat,” she said, rolling her shoulders up and back in a graceful motion. “What do you say we take the night off and enjoy it? Indulge in a hot bath, quality liquor, and a bed that hasn’t had hundreds of bodies lying on it?”
That did sound good. Too good.
“Why? So you can take off again?”
“I promise, no more running tonight.”
“Seems I’ve heard that before.”
“I’ve never lied to you, Zeke,” she said softly. “And I kept my word that night, didn’t I? I didn’t make any such promise last night.”
He grunted, which made her smile for some reason.
She made an X over her chest. “Cross my heart. I’m not going anywhere for at least twelve hours, maybe more. Honestly, I couldn’t even if I wanted to, which, for the record, I don’t.”
She rose from the couch and yawned. “Whatever. I’m going to bed. You do you. Both the bar and the pantry are well stocked, so help yourself.”
“How very generous of our absent hosts,” he said dryly.
“That’s the spirit.”
She disappeared down the corridor, leaving him watching the sway of those curvy, petite hips. Hips that tugged at him like an invisible string.
Appearances were deceiving. She looked so delicate, but she was anything but. She was smart and quick and had the same fierce need to fight for the underdog as he did.
He followed the call of that sway, envisioning removing that towel and robe and climbing into bed with her while rationalizing that he was only doing his job.
He entered a spacious bedroom suite. Like the living area, it boasted an entire wall of windows with a spectacular view. A large flat screen was mounted above a stone hearth. A partially open door at the other end of the room hinted at a bathroom three times the size of the last hotel room they’d stayed in.
The massive bed on a raised dais was what drew his immediate attention, however. Draped in fluffy white bedding, it looked incredibly inviting. After several nights of only light sleep and long days of driving, he was nearing his limit.
She went over to the hearth and pressed a button, and flames sprang up. Then, she turned and arched a brow at him. “You don’t trust me?”
“Forgive me if I’m skeptical.”
“I guess I deserve that,” she said on a sigh. “I wasn’t nearly as ill as I made it seem. But if it makes you feel any better, I really did have a rough night. That dinner didn’t agree with me.”
“So, you lied and convinced a chambermaid I was an abusive asshole, so she’d help you escape.”
She shrugged, an elegant lift of those feminine shoulders. “It worked, didn’t it?”
“How’d she get you out? Linen service? Delivery van?”
Her lips quirked upward. “I’m impressed. The linen service cart took me to the laundry facility. From there, an HVAC service van took me off the premises. The HVAC guy just happened to be the maid’s boyfriend. What gave me away?”
He thought about telling her he was just that good, but since she was being forthright, he could be too. “She came to do the room, and when I showed her your picture, she looked at me like I was Satan incarnate. In fact, she actually called me that in her native language.”
Her tired eyes twinkled with amusement. “Educated guess, or you can actually speak Cebuano?”
He said nothing. Officially, the time he’d spent in the Philippines had never happened.
Understanding softened her features, and she didn’t pursue it. “And then you used the locator to track me to the café. Pretty sloppy on my part, huh? I don’t usually make mistakes like that. Well, live and learn.”
