Night Beyond The Night by Joss Ware

good thing that he kept the sheets in his lap, for she swore she saw a flash of bare hip as he did so.
    She would not think about the fact that he was most likely naked under those sheets. Definitely not.
Quit gawking and answer the question, Jade
.
    “No,” she said, and her voice was stronger now that she’d put distance between them. “Don’t be ridiculous. I just didn’t want anyone to see me—us—talking, so I sneaked in here.”
    “So you came in here to
talk
. In the middle of the night. When I’m in bed.”
    Put that way, it did sound kind of suggestive. Didn’t that sort of thing happen in those old James Bond movies all the time? And then 007 and the woman ended up going at it? And sometimes she even tried to kill him.
    Or vice versa.
    Jade took another step back.
    Elliott reached over and turned on the bedside table’s lamp, which counted among the original furnishings in this hotel room. He and each of his companions were given their own rooms in what had once been a high-rise casino resort. The rooms were clean and furnished, if not dated, with running water and power.
    Jade focused on answering his question instead of noticing the details of his newly illuminated torso. “I wanted to ask if you’d come to meet a friend of mine. He’d like to talk to you. And I didn’t want anyone to see us together.” His chest was sleek and angular, dusted with a light patch of hair between two firm, square pectorals. A muscular arm held the bunch of sheets in his lap. She felt warm all of a sudden.
    “Why? Is your cowboy boyfriend the jealous type?”
    Cowboy boyfriend?
Jade frowned. “It’s complicated. I want Lou to explain it to you.”
    She could practically see him come to attention. “Lou? Waxnicki?”
    “How did you know that?” A burst of worry flashed over her. She and Lou were careful not to appear close in public; in fact, she tried to avoid being seen with him as much as possible. But had someone begun to notice? Rob Nurmikko?
    “A lucky guess. As it happens, I’d be happy to meet your friend Lou.” Grabbing the sheets, he warned, “I’m going to stand up to get dressed.”
    She spun on her feet and heard his low chuckle as she did so. But she wasn’t about to completely turn her back on him, and angled herself so she could see a bit of him in the mirror. Purely just to make sure he didn’t sneak up behind her. The flash of a pale flank confirmed her suspicion that he slept in the nude, and Jade felt a combination of wariness and warmth sweep over her. Then she heard the soft swish of his clothing being pulled on and relaxed a bit more.
    “So you left this morning just to head back here to Envy. What was the big hurry?” he asked, and she heard a soft zipping sound. Jeans.
    “I had something to do. I didn’t want to be late.”
    “Were you not supposed to be gone? Was it a secret that you had left?”
    Judging him dressed by now, she turned. He was fully clothed and she felt even more at ease. “I just didn’t want to be late.”
    “For your gig.”
    She hid her surprise that he knew about that. But come to think of it . . . Trixie had been blathering about the new arrivals when Jade went back behind the bar to get a drink. “Right,” she said.
    “So how are you feeling?” he asked, tucking the shirt into his jeans. “After riding—I assume you rode—all day? That was quite a fall you took. Are you in any pain?”
    “No. I’m feeling perfectly fine. Surprisingly fine, in fact.”
    “Good,” he said, stepping closer to her, a smile pulling at his mouth. “That means I can give you a clean bill of health . . . and I’m no longer your doctor.”
    “What does that have to do with anything?” she asked, her voice suddenly unsteady.
    “Because doctors don’t do this to their patients.” He reached for her, easily but purposely, as if aware that she was skittish—but nevertheless determined to touch her.
    Jade should have panicked . . . but though her heart skipped