Wild Justice (Nadia Stafford 3)

His head whipped my way, and the expression in his eyes was almost enough to make me regret it. Almost.

I took a deep breath. "I really appreciated that."

He sputtered a laugh. "Yeah, deserved that. I was being an ass. Didn't mean it. No fucking good at this."

I grinned. "Oh, you seem plenty good at it."

Another laugh. "Got a good partner. Makes a difference. You know what I mean, though. Relationships. Fucking clueless." He stopped laughing and rubbed his mouth with his free hand. Then he looked over at me. "That's what this is for me. You know that, right? Not one night."

"I sure as hell hope not."

He relaxed, shifting to rub my back. "Good. Not trying to jump the gun. Make demands. I just know . . . Expectations . . . Not understanding them . . . That was a problem. Don't want that."

"Neither do I."

"Don't have any expectations except one. That I want to make this work." He met my gaze. "I really want to make this work."

"So do I."

"You're gonna need to be patient with me."

I smiled. "I have plenty of experience with that."

He laughed softly and pulled me on top of him.

I slept until nearly noon, probably because it'd taken us a while to get to sleep. Round one had been feverishly swift; round two deliciously slow. While part of me just wanted to lie there, curled up against Jack as he slept, once I'm awake, I'm awake, and I was only going to disturb him if I stayed.

He was sleeping on his stomach, leg over mine. I eased out. He was too far gone to even notice. I crept from the bedroom and into the bath, quietly shut the door, and climbed into the shower.

I was finishing washing my hair when I had the sensation of being watched and turned to see Jack just inside the door. He'd closed it behind him and was standing there, watching me. When I looked over, his expression changed, open admiration vanishing in a hesitant look, as if I might still have changed my mind.

"Hey," I said, smiling as I opened the shower door. "If you need a shower, I can hurry. Or . . ." I stepped back, leaving the door open.

"Don't need a shower," he said and stepped in with me.

I was lying in the living room, dressed in a robe that I hadn't bothered to fasten, stretched on the sofa, blissed out like a kitty on catnip, staring into nothing, mind empty. Jack had stepped out to get coffee. Also, more condoms. Not that I expected sex this afternoon. Jack wasn't my age, and three times set a personal record for me. But, well, I wouldn't turn down the chance to make it four.

Yes, we did have other things to do. Important things. Life-preserving things, even. But Jack had called Evelyn, and we were going to courier her the locked cell phone. So I was lying there, naked on my open robe, happy to stay that way for a while longer, when a knock came at the door. I scrambled up. I vaguely recalled putting out the Do Not Disturb sign, and I couldn't imagine Jack would take it down, but the clean

ing staff might have decided that two in the afternoon was as late as they were waiting.

"The room's fine," I called as I walked to the door, fumbling for the robe belt, which I'd apparently left elsewhere.

"That's good," came the reply. "Because I'm not going to clean it for you."

Even through the door, I recognized that voice and I stopped midstep.

"Quinn?"

"Bearing coffee and muffins, which I'm going to eat myself if you make me stand here much longer."

No. It couldn't be. He was in New York, and there was no way he could know which hotel we were in. I must have dozed off on the sofa and fallen into a dream.

More like a nightmare.

"Dee?"

I carefully slid the chain, trying not to make any noise as I fastened it. Then, cinching my robe, I cracked the door open the two inches the chain would allow. Quinn stood there, holding a coffee tray and bag, his brows arched, a smile playing on his lips. The smile grew as his gaze traveled down me.