dress, and messed up hair that probably rivaled Medusa’s.
Mercifully, he didn’t try to engage me in conversation.
The elevator dinged.
I kept staring at the floor, hoping he’d leave.
“This is your floor, Mags.”
Startled I looked up to find Patrick holding the elevator door open for me. He’d lost the hat, the jacket and the ridiculous moustache and looked a lot better after his roll on the beach than I did.
I stepped past him into the hallway.
He fell into step beside me. “You’ve got learn to leave the lizard at home.”
“She wouldn’t have had to come to this forsaken place,” God reminded him.
“Shhh!” I said.
“Me or the lizard?” Patrick asked.
“Both of you,” I muttered stalking in the direction of my room. “I’m tired, I’m dirty, and I don’t want to hear it from either one of…” I trailed off, noticing the Do Not Disturb sign hanging from the door of the room. I walked right past the room. “Great.”
“What’s wrong?” Patrick asked.
“Perfect,” I muttered.
Patrick looked from me to the door. “It’s only a few steps.”
I shook my head. “I can’t.”
“Sure you can.”
“I can’t. Armani’s in there.”
“So?”
I pointed at the sign. “Think of that as the proverbial sock on the doorknob.”
“You’re kidding.”
I shook my head.
“But it’s your room.” The redhead sounded outraged on my half, which normally would have made me feel good, but because I was in a bitchy mood, it just irritated me.
“Thanks, Captain Obvious.”
He blinked, surprised. “Are you okay?”
“Just peachy.” I made a show of modeling my bedraggled state for emphasis.
“About how that went down....”
Turning away from him, I headed back toward the elevator, not having a plan of where I was heading, but needing to get away from him. I leaned against the wall, my steps short and choppy because my feet hurt so much. I grit my teeth, determined to escape.
“I’m sorry,” Patrick said, stepping in front of me, halting my progress.
“I thought he’d killed you,” I accused, trying to shove him out of my way.
He didn’t move.
Tears blurred my eyes as I tried to stumble past him. “And now I’m tired and hungry, not to mention I’m a mess.”
“C’mere,” Patrick said quietly, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me against the length of his body.
He felt warm and solid, and smelled of soap and wintergreen from the Lifesavers he was always sucking on. For a moment, I was tempted to stay there, protected.
“You’re crushing me!” God yelped.
I jumped away from Patrick.
“Stay!” Patrick ordered in the same tone he used for Doomsday’s commands.
Pulling a card key from his pocket, he unlocked the door of the room next to mine.
“How’d you get that?” I whispered.
He leaned close. “I rented the room.”
“The one next to mine?” I asked. “How?”
“Tricks of the trade.” He pushed the door open and motioned for me to enter. “Come in. You can take a shower while we wait for room service.”
I hesitated. It was a tempting offer, but I wasn’t sure that the sexy hitman’s hotel room was the safest place for me.
“You have somewhere else to go?” he challenged softly.
I swallowed hard. “No funny stuff?”
“You call the shots, Mags.”
In my heart, I knew that was a promise he’d keep. I just wasn’t so sure about myself.
Reaching out, he snagged my hand and gently tugged me toward the room.
His room was like the one I shared with Armani, except that while ours had two double beds, a king size was centered in this one.
“Towels are clean and I’ll give you one of my T-shirts,” he offered, but he didn’t release my hand.
“Don’t you dare squash me again,” God warned.
Hearing the squeak, Patrick dropped my hand, “I guess you’ll need to find a place for the lizard.”
I nodded.
“Maybe an empty drawer?” he suggested.
“Don’t put me in a box!” God called.
“Maybe a water
Mercifully, he didn’t try to engage me in conversation.
The elevator dinged.
I kept staring at the floor, hoping he’d leave.
“This is your floor, Mags.”
Startled I looked up to find Patrick holding the elevator door open for me. He’d lost the hat, the jacket and the ridiculous moustache and looked a lot better after his roll on the beach than I did.
I stepped past him into the hallway.
He fell into step beside me. “You’ve got learn to leave the lizard at home.”
“She wouldn’t have had to come to this forsaken place,” God reminded him.
“Shhh!” I said.
“Me or the lizard?” Patrick asked.
“Both of you,” I muttered stalking in the direction of my room. “I’m tired, I’m dirty, and I don’t want to hear it from either one of…” I trailed off, noticing the Do Not Disturb sign hanging from the door of the room. I walked right past the room. “Great.”
“What’s wrong?” Patrick asked.
“Perfect,” I muttered.
Patrick looked from me to the door. “It’s only a few steps.”
I shook my head. “I can’t.”
“Sure you can.”
“I can’t. Armani’s in there.”
“So?”
I pointed at the sign. “Think of that as the proverbial sock on the doorknob.”
“You’re kidding.”
I shook my head.
“But it’s your room.” The redhead sounded outraged on my half, which normally would have made me feel good, but because I was in a bitchy mood, it just irritated me.
“Thanks, Captain Obvious.”
He blinked, surprised. “Are you okay?”
“Just peachy.” I made a show of modeling my bedraggled state for emphasis.
“About how that went down....”
Turning away from him, I headed back toward the elevator, not having a plan of where I was heading, but needing to get away from him. I leaned against the wall, my steps short and choppy because my feet hurt so much. I grit my teeth, determined to escape.
“I’m sorry,” Patrick said, stepping in front of me, halting my progress.
“I thought he’d killed you,” I accused, trying to shove him out of my way.
He didn’t move.
Tears blurred my eyes as I tried to stumble past him. “And now I’m tired and hungry, not to mention I’m a mess.”
“C’mere,” Patrick said quietly, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me against the length of his body.
He felt warm and solid, and smelled of soap and wintergreen from the Lifesavers he was always sucking on. For a moment, I was tempted to stay there, protected.
“You’re crushing me!” God yelped.
I jumped away from Patrick.
“Stay!” Patrick ordered in the same tone he used for Doomsday’s commands.
Pulling a card key from his pocket, he unlocked the door of the room next to mine.
“How’d you get that?” I whispered.
He leaned close. “I rented the room.”
“The one next to mine?” I asked. “How?”
“Tricks of the trade.” He pushed the door open and motioned for me to enter. “Come in. You can take a shower while we wait for room service.”
I hesitated. It was a tempting offer, but I wasn’t sure that the sexy hitman’s hotel room was the safest place for me.
“You have somewhere else to go?” he challenged softly.
I swallowed hard. “No funny stuff?”
“You call the shots, Mags.”
In my heart, I knew that was a promise he’d keep. I just wasn’t so sure about myself.
Reaching out, he snagged my hand and gently tugged me toward the room.
His room was like the one I shared with Armani, except that while ours had two double beds, a king size was centered in this one.
“Towels are clean and I’ll give you one of my T-shirts,” he offered, but he didn’t release my hand.
“Don’t you dare squash me again,” God warned.
Hearing the squeak, Patrick dropped my hand, “I guess you’ll need to find a place for the lizard.”
I nodded.
“Maybe an empty drawer?” he suggested.
“Don’t put me in a box!” God called.
“Maybe a water
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