Red Awakening (Red Zone 2)

“Go.” She shooed him off.

With a nod, he strode toward the reception desk, rooting in his jacket pocket as he went.

As Keiko grinned after him, she saw someone watching her out of the corner of her eye and turned to find the concierge smiling at her, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

“You’re not going to wait there, are you?” he said.

“Nope. Can you help me?” she asked him. “I just checked the hotel system, but he forgot to add me to his room, and I want to go up and…surprise him.” She wasn’t above batting her eyelashes as she asked. But she was also on the verge of laughter, which the man could clearly see.

He shook his head and chuckled. “If it was anyone but you, Ms. Sato, the answer would be no. But I think it’s safe to let you up to your friend’s room.” His cheeks flushed pink. “I’m a huge fan. You make government news interesting and easy to understand.”

“That’s a really sweet thing to say.” And she meant it.

“Just telling the truth.” He glanced over at Mace’s back. “I’ve added you to Mr. Armstrong’s suite. He’s in the penthouse. Your chip should get you inside now.”

“You’re a sweetheart.” Before running to the elevator, she kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

His face turned a deeper shade of red, and he cleared his throat. “My pleasure,” he called after her.

The penthouse elevator shot straight to the top floor, and seconds later, Keiko let herself into Mace’s suite. In front of her, a wall of windows framed a spectacular view over Houston, and beyond the glass was a patio with a pool. With a slow smile, she headed straight for the doors to the patio, stripping as she went. This was turning into the best birthday a girl could have.

Unzipping her dress, she used her communications implant to contact Abigail. Her friend’s face appeared on the lens inserted in her right eye, telling her that Abigail was sitting in front of her console—probably working, as usual.

“I’m guessing you aren’t coming back to my place,” Abigail said with a grin. “It’s going well then?”

“Oh yeah.” Keiko stepped out of her dress and tossed it over one of the plush white sofas as she passed.

“Where are you? Wait a minute, are those sofas? Was that your dress? Please tell me you didn’t go up to one of the rooms on the top floor. Those places are a petri dish full of bacteria.”

“No, I’m not in one of the nightclub’s rooms.” As if she’d go there after the long lecture Abigail had delivered on the topic on their way to Retro Haven. “I’m at his hotel, and I’m sending the details right now, just in case things go south. But they shouldn’t.” Not after what happened in the car. She unhooked her bra and dropped it on top of a low glass table before throwing open the doors to the patio.

“Got the details,” Abigail said. “The Hilton? Posh. Was that your bra? Can you stop looking at the clothes you take off? I don’t need to see them. And should I call Enforcement if you aren’t back by a certain time?” She looked worried.

“If I don’t turn up at the press conference tomorrow afternoon, raise the alarm.” Keiko planned to keep Mace occupied until then. If they only had this one night together, she intended to stretch it as far as it would go. “Are you sure you were okay going home alone? I would have gone back with you. I didn’t have to leave with Mace.”

Abigail shook her head. “I’m sure. Anyway, I couldn’t come between you and the only Viking in Houston.” She leaned toward her camera. “Is he a good kisser? Please don’t tell me he’s a dud.”

Keiko kicked off her sexy red heels before striding out onto the warm tiles of the patio. “Oh, he’s a good kisser, all right. He’s a good everything.”

“Everything?” Abigail opened and closed her mouth a few times. “Please tell me you didn’t go at it in the nightclub bathroom, because there are more germs in there than in the private rooms.”

“No,” Keiko cut in before she got another lecture. “We had some fun in the car on the way over here.”

“That isn’t hygienic, either,” Abigail wailed.

“You can lecture me on germs in public places tomorrow. Right now, I have more important things to do.”

“What’s more important than protecting yourself from other people’s bacteria?” Abigail appeared genuinely confused.

Keiko slid off her panties and tossed them to the tiles beside the pool.

“Is that your underwear?” Abigail said. “You can’t just leave it on the patio floor. In a hotel. Do you know how bad the cleaning practices are in hotels? I hope you don’t plan to put those back on later.”

“Take a deep breath. I have a spare pair in my bag. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to climb into that pool and wait for my date to arrive. See you at the press conference.” She cut the feed on Abigail’s horrified face.

She sauntered past the private bar to the edge of the pool, surprised to find it was glass-bottomed, making her wonder which room was under all that water. Soft, blue lights illuminated the water as she stepped down into it. It was the perfect temperature for the muggy summer night, and the water felt sensual against her naked body.

After swimming to the far end of the pool, she rested her arms on the ledge, where the water gently trickled over into the night, only to be caught a few feet beneath and recycled back into the pool. The sound of the waterfall high in the sky soothed her. The stars sparkled overhead, and the water caressed her body. It was perfect. All she needed was some music. She sent a mental command to the entertainment system to play something romantic.