Of course, the feelings she had for Nicholas weren't really all that logical. While she was grateful he'd saved her twice, the feelings she was experiencing for this man were far and away from simple gratitude. Jo liked Nicholas. More than that, she trusted him, and she lusted after him. Even now, she hungered for him and wanted nothing more than to climb into his lap and reexperience the mind-blowing sex only he could give her. The only thing keeping her from doing just that was the possibility that if they didn't find out what had happened that day so long ago and prove he was innocent, she would lose him forever. The very thought scared her silly. Jo wasn't ready to acknowledge that she might want a future with this man, but Jo was damned certain she would do everything she could to make sure she had the opportunity if she did want it.
"I don't know," Jo said finally, and, smiled wryly as she added, "Maybe your nanos are talking to me."
Nicholas smiled faintly. "I don't think they're capable of doing that. I wish they could," he added wryly. "They could probably tell us what happened that day, but then so could the walls of my house, the floor, the…" He sighed wearily. "But they can't."
"But Carol might be able to help us figure it out," she said encouragingly. "Let's find out where she is now and talk to her. What's her last name? We'll call information and get her phone number. We can call her right now and maybe solve this whole thing."
Nicholas was silent, his eyes shifting away from her suddenly excited face, and then he shook his head. "It's nearly dawn, too late to be doing anything."
Jo followed his gaze to the window where the first streaks of sunlight were just visible through Sam's sheers.
"Well that's good then," she said. "Carol will definitely be home sleeping. You immortals normally sleep during the day, right?"
"Right," Nicholas murmured, and then turned to her adding, "But we also don't have phones in our sleeping rooms as a rule. Too many sales calls," he added dryly, catching her hand and tugging her forward.
Jo gasped as she landed in his lap, exactly where she wanted to be, but had been fighting going herself. She still fought it now, pushing at his chest when his mouth started to lower to hers. "But we could try."
"Later. When night falls," he said solemnly, his mouth lowering toward hers.
"But—" Jo turned her head away. "Nicholas, this is important. We really have to—"
"You're important," Nicholas interrupted quietly, catching her face and turning her to peer at him. "You're the most important thing in the world to me, Jo. I love you. Let me have this moment."
She stared into his face, stunned into silence by his declaration and unsure what she should say in response. Jo wasn't ready to say the feelings that had grown so quickly in her were love for this man. Fortunately, he didn't seem to expect her to. He didn't seem to expect her to say anything at all. His mouth lowered to cover hers and his arms tightened around her, drawing her closer as he kissed her.
Jo sat unresponsive in his lap for perhaps a heartbeat, but just his mouth on hers and his tongue slipping out to glide between her parted lips was enough to overcome her protests. Sighing, she gave in and slid her arms around his neck, her mouth opening further for him as he suddenly stood, scooping her up in his arms.
A couple of hours wouldn't hurt, Jo told herself as he began to carry her to the hall and the bedroom that waited beyond. They would call Annie's friend Carol when darkness fell again.
Nicholas finished dressing and moved to peer down at Jo where she lay on her stomach in the bed. She was sleeping soundly as her body worked at replacing the blood he'd taken from her this last time they'd made love. This time it hadn't been an accident of his getting overexcited. He'd deliberately bitten her, and had deliberately taken more blood than he normally would have just before they'd both found their ecstasy and passed out. It had been his hope that doing so would ensure she slept longer and he would have the chance to get away. Apparently, his plan had worked like a charm. Jo was dead to the world, and Nicholas found it odd that the realization saddened him rather than satisfied him. But then he supposed that while he knew this was the best thing he could do for her, it didn't mean he had to be happy about having to do it. Sighing, Nicholas bent to brush the hair away from her cheek. She was smiling in her sleep, but he wasn't surprised. He'd allowed her to think all would be well and that when they woke up, they would head out, find Carol, and ask her about what Annie had been going to tell him. Jo was positive that would lead to solving the whole matter of what had happened all those years ago and, hopefully, point to another culprit… But that was only because he hadn't told her everything.