Infinityglass(39)

I stared at it. “I have no idea what to even do with this thing.”

“Just make sure the safety’s on so you don’t tase your nuts off.”

As I often found with Hallie, I had no idea how to respond.

“I’m not going to lie and say that most often I find it disgusting when men can’t look above my shoulders. But above my shoulders is where you usually look.”

“That’s where your eyes are.” I sounded like an idiot.

“Do you know anyone who has eyes elsewhere?”

“I mean that’s where your intelligence is. I can see it there. I like that part of you.”

“I know. And that might be where your focus is right now, but I have to be honest. After our earlier conversation, I’m hoping your thoughts are somewhere else entirely.”





Chapter 11

Hallie


I needed to be 100 percent to do a job, and I had to do this one well to keep Dune in my father’s employ. Now he had my thoughts spinning, and other parts of me aching. We were alone in a hotel. I’d thought there was something happening between us beyond a working relationship, but I couldn’t even convince him to stray a smidge into moral ambiguity. All he could think about was the job. I just wanted a kiss. So I would have an answer.

Not that I knew the question.

“Ready?” Dune asked.

“Unless you’ve changed your mind about the kissing.”

He put his hand on the doorknob.

“Fine. Now is the perfect time to go down, anyway. People will be leaving for dinner, checking in, and there’s some sort of reception in the lobby.”

“Why do you want more people instead of less people?

Shouldn’t you wait until the dead of night?”

“No.” I checked my lipstick one more time in the mirror, and caught Dune checking out my bare back. “Too much security camera action if we do it that way.”

“Why does that matter? You can change your appearance.” He picked up the key card and dropped it into his pocket.

“Right. But you can’t. If you were Poe, this would’ve been simpler.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint.” He sounded so touchy I had to grin.

“I didn’t mean it that way, and you know it.”

We took the guest elevator to the second floor and wandered down the hall until we found the staff elevator. We needed to take it to the lobby so we could enter from the back.

“I like being with you,” I said. “I like you in general. I wasn’t trying to be insensitive. I was merely speaking truth, and as previously discussed, I can show you how not disappointed I will be later. If we get through this without any incidents.”

When the elevator doors closed behind us, I gave into my urge, turned to face him, and traced one finger along his jaw line.

His expression was stoic. “If you want to avoid an incident, you should probably not touch me.”

“But that’s the kind of incident I could get into.”

“Hallie.” He grabbed my fingers and lowered our joined hands.

“Saved by the elevator,” I said as the doors opened.

The lobby was hopping. A few businessmen, a couple of families, and a trio of transvestites all gathered around the piano in the corner. The man behind it played “When the Saints Go Marching In” at a roaring clip. I shook my head in disgust.

“People feed off stereotypes in the Quarter, and we grow them like algae. When I see things like that, I wonder if it’s the irony of the locals or the idiocy of the infiltrators. Plus, it’s a little hard to cause a distraction when there’s a sing-along happening.”

“You could get on top of the piano,” he said, without missing a beat.

I laughed, a real one. Dune could pull them out of me like magic. “We can wait until it’s a little calmer.”

“Nope.” He unbuttoned his suit jacket. I glanced at his pants pocket to see if I could make out the Taser, but realized too late that it totally looked like I was checking out his assets.

“I was making sure you had your weapon,” I blurted out when he raised his eyebrows.

He grinned.

“I was looking for the Taser in your pants.” When he snort laughed, I closed my eyes and shook my head. “Oh hell, can we just get out of here?”

“I said no. I have an idea. Do you have the replacement crystal in your purse?”

I nodded.

“Go stand by the case and get ready to make a move.”

“Excuse me?” I put my hands on my hips. “Did you just try to boss me on a job I brought you on?”

“I see a way to solve the problem right now. Trust me.”

He turned and walked away, did a check of the lobby, and then stared at the largest vase of flowers.