Argeneau Family 12. The Renegade Hunter(52)

"I'm sorry, ma'am. We don't allow anyone without room keys past the lobby at night."

"What?" Jo asked blankly, grabbing at Nicholas's hand as he began to undo her jeans. He stopped at once and levered himself off the bed to begin stripping off his T-shirt.

Jo watched him, eyes eating up the wide expanse of chest revealed as the receptionist explained, "It's a security thing, ma'am. We've had some trouble with people breaking into the rooms and robbing the guests while they were absent, so we no longer allow anyone who isn't staying here past the lobby unless the guest comes to get them."

"Right," she breathed on a sigh as the T-shirt went flying and Nicholas started on his belt.

"The delivery man will be here at the desk waiting for you though."

"Right," Jo repeated and hung up blindly, feeling around for the phone hook rather than looking. She was too busy watching as Nicholas finished undoing his jeans and pushed them down. She sat up as he stepped out of them and scampered off the bed, barely missing being pinned by his body as he did a belly dive onto the bed.

Rolling over, he growled, "Your turn. Strip for me."

Jo felt liquid pool in her belly at the heated look in his eyes, but shook her head. "As soon as I get back."

"What?" Nicholas sat up in surprise as she headed for the door. He was on his feet and catching her arm before she could get the door wholly open. "Where are you going? Who was on the phone?"

Jo's eyes wandered naughtily down his body. The man was magnificent naked and smelled good enough to eat. She briefly considered dropping to her knees and doing just that, or at least licking and nibbling a bit, but then her stomach rumbled, reminding her that food waited below and that she was hungry.

"That was the front desk," she explained. "The pizza I ordered is here."

"You ordered pizza?" Nicholas asked with horror.

"Well you ate all the chicken you so kindly bought, presumably for both of us," Jo pointed out dryly.

"Oh, right," Nicholas muttered with chagrin and glanced guiltily back toward the empty bucket on the table, but then he frowned and turned back. "Why isn't the delivery guy bringing it up here?"

"Security. They don't let anyone without room keys past the lobby. She said they've had rooms broken into and robbed while guests were out, but I suspect it's to discourage guests from having prostitutes in. I have a friend who works in one of these hotels downtown, and she said they have a terrible problem with prostitutes propositioning guests in the hotel. I'm guessing security here is hoping a guy's less likely to have a prostitute in if the front desk makes them go down to collect them."

Nicholas grunted at this, but then asked, "What name did you give?"

"Smith," she said patiently. "It is the name you checked us in under… and I'm paying cash."

He relaxed, but frowned. "I don't know if I have enough money on me at the moment to—"

"I do." Jo pulled her wallet from her back pocket and waved it between them. "I don't carry a purse. My wallet is always in my back pocket. Comes in handy on those occasions when I'm on the run and hungry, huh?" Jo grinned and then leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, one hand sliding the wallet back in her pocket, the other reaching down to briefly squeeze the more than firm erection he sported. "Mmm, still hot and hard. Good thing pizza is good cold. We'll pick up where we left off when I get back."

Nicholas growled and tried to draw her into his arms, but she quickly slid away and ducked out the door, promising, "When I get back."

Jo heard him sigh a moment before the door closed and smiled to herself as she scurried up the hall to the elevator.





CHAPTER 11





Jo spotted the pizza guy the moment she entered the lobby. He stood by the concierge's desk and was hard to miss in his red jacket and red hat with the pizza place logo on the front. She paid him quickly, tipping him handsomely for having to wait, and then headed for the elevators, only to decide they might need more pop. She'd purchased only the two cans earlier; those were now open and no doubt going flat and watery as the ice melted in them and would probably be completely unpalatable by the time they got around to the pizza.

The thought of what would come before the pizza made her smile as Jo detoured toward the small convenience store. She walked in, automatically tossing a smile of greeting toward the cashier, but the man had his back to the till as he stocked cigarettes in the cupboard behind the counter. Shrugging, she continued on her way to the refrigerators at the back.

Once there, Jo shifted the pizza to rest on one hand like a tray and used her other hand to open the glass door. She had just jarred it open with one knee so that she could reach in and grab a couple of cans when someone said, "This is where Jo made the cash withdrawal."