how long I can stay here before I have to move on.”
He was silent for an instant. “That sounds remarkably as if you’re on the run. Are you?”
She ignored the question. “Get back to me as quickly as you can.”
“Oh, I will. But I don’t like the fact that you’re not telling me everything. You know how curious I can be.”
“No, I don’t know that much about you. Except that you’re manipulative and have no compunction about doing exactly what pleases you.”
“Not true. I’ve told you before, I have a kind of code. If I didn’t have some compunction, then I’d be the same kind of monster as the people I hunt.” He chuckled. “But since you’ve chosen to bring me back in your life, it’s inevitable that you do get to know me very well indeed. I’m looking forward to it.”
“I’m not.”
“I know. As I said, you’ve always been wary of me.” His voice lowered to velvet softness. “Do you want me to take away all that wariness and make you look forward to it, too?”
She felt sudden scorching heat move through her. “Hell, no.”
He sighed. “I do hope I can keep from breaking my code and going ahead anyway. You’ve always been a temptation, Jane.” He didn’t wait for her to reply. “I’ll call you when I have something to report. It will be soon. I’m very, very eager.” He hung up.
She drew a deep breath as she hung up. It was done. But what had she gotten herself into?
Nothing she couldn’t handle.
Caleb was her best bet in this insane situation. If it was inevitable that they get to know each other as he had said, then it would happen.
She had a sudden memory of the searing instant of heat she’d experienced a moment before. That undercurrent of sensuality had been present every since they’d first met, but she’d tried to ignore it.
Well, she could handle that, too.
“Finished?” Jock was walking toward her across the parking lot. “You weren’t long.”
“No?” She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. Less than ten minutes. It had seemed a much longer time. “Were you able to get us rooms?”
“Yes, no problem.” He opened the car door for her. “I sent your bags up to your room. No room service, but there’s a coffee bar in the lobby, and I arranged for a to-go order. I’ll pick it up when we get inside. Coffee and a couple sandwiches. Okay?”
She nodded. “I’m not hungry.”
“You should eat. When’s the last time you had anything but coffee?”
She smiled. “I had that bowl of cold cereal you set out for me at the apartment.”
“Good.” He took her elbow. “But that was a long time ago. Let’s see if you can get down a sandwich. We’ll take them up to yourroom, and you can eat.” He paused. “And then satisfy my appetite for information. I hope everything went well with your Seth Caleb?”
Had it gone well? She couldn’t be sure. She was as disturbed as she usually was after speaking to Caleb. “I suppose that it went as well as could be expected. He’s going to help me find Weismann.”
“Promising. But I want to know a good deal more about your friend, Caleb. MacDuff will cross-examine me without mercy. If I’m to keep him at the Run acting as guardian, I’ll have to have answers.”
“You’ll have them.” She entered the Inn. “But I’m warning you, he’ll still have problems with my using Caleb. That’s why I chose you and not MacDuff to come with me.”
“YOU DIDN’T EAT VERY MUCH,” Jock said. “I know the bread tasted like cardboard but it—”
“It was fine,” she interrupted. “I had enough.” She lifted the paper cup containing the hot coffee to her lips. “This is all I need.”
“It’s good coffee.” Jock stretched out his legs in front of him. “Perhaps to make up for those atrocious sandwiches.” He looked around the room. “This is pleasant. I like all those purple and white flowers on the bedspread. Restful.”
“It’s too pretty.” She glanced at the windows draped in
He was silent for an instant. “That sounds remarkably as if you’re on the run. Are you?”
She ignored the question. “Get back to me as quickly as you can.”
“Oh, I will. But I don’t like the fact that you’re not telling me everything. You know how curious I can be.”
“No, I don’t know that much about you. Except that you’re manipulative and have no compunction about doing exactly what pleases you.”
“Not true. I’ve told you before, I have a kind of code. If I didn’t have some compunction, then I’d be the same kind of monster as the people I hunt.” He chuckled. “But since you’ve chosen to bring me back in your life, it’s inevitable that you do get to know me very well indeed. I’m looking forward to it.”
“I’m not.”
“I know. As I said, you’ve always been wary of me.” His voice lowered to velvet softness. “Do you want me to take away all that wariness and make you look forward to it, too?”
She felt sudden scorching heat move through her. “Hell, no.”
He sighed. “I do hope I can keep from breaking my code and going ahead anyway. You’ve always been a temptation, Jane.” He didn’t wait for her to reply. “I’ll call you when I have something to report. It will be soon. I’m very, very eager.” He hung up.
She drew a deep breath as she hung up. It was done. But what had she gotten herself into?
Nothing she couldn’t handle.
Caleb was her best bet in this insane situation. If it was inevitable that they get to know each other as he had said, then it would happen.
She had a sudden memory of the searing instant of heat she’d experienced a moment before. That undercurrent of sensuality had been present every since they’d first met, but she’d tried to ignore it.
Well, she could handle that, too.
“Finished?” Jock was walking toward her across the parking lot. “You weren’t long.”
“No?” She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. Less than ten minutes. It had seemed a much longer time. “Were you able to get us rooms?”
“Yes, no problem.” He opened the car door for her. “I sent your bags up to your room. No room service, but there’s a coffee bar in the lobby, and I arranged for a to-go order. I’ll pick it up when we get inside. Coffee and a couple sandwiches. Okay?”
She nodded. “I’m not hungry.”
“You should eat. When’s the last time you had anything but coffee?”
She smiled. “I had that bowl of cold cereal you set out for me at the apartment.”
“Good.” He took her elbow. “But that was a long time ago. Let’s see if you can get down a sandwich. We’ll take them up to yourroom, and you can eat.” He paused. “And then satisfy my appetite for information. I hope everything went well with your Seth Caleb?”
Had it gone well? She couldn’t be sure. She was as disturbed as she usually was after speaking to Caleb. “I suppose that it went as well as could be expected. He’s going to help me find Weismann.”
“Promising. But I want to know a good deal more about your friend, Caleb. MacDuff will cross-examine me without mercy. If I’m to keep him at the Run acting as guardian, I’ll have to have answers.”
“You’ll have them.” She entered the Inn. “But I’m warning you, he’ll still have problems with my using Caleb. That’s why I chose you and not MacDuff to come with me.”
“YOU DIDN’T EAT VERY MUCH,” Jock said. “I know the bread tasted like cardboard but it—”
“It was fine,” she interrupted. “I had enough.” She lifted the paper cup containing the hot coffee to her lips. “This is all I need.”
“It’s good coffee.” Jock stretched out his legs in front of him. “Perhaps to make up for those atrocious sandwiches.” He looked around the room. “This is pleasant. I like all those purple and white flowers on the bedspread. Restful.”
“It’s too pretty.” She glanced at the windows draped in
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