Chase listened to the long, muffled sound and just swallowed. Waiting. Two minutes passed before he saw her draw in a long breath and straighten up.
“Better?”
“A little. I talked to Mariah…it was an herbal poison…on your food. She said the one good thing is your violent reaction and…well…puking it all up so soon…which means a lot of it didn’t get to your blood stream,” Pepper sighed. “I’m not running, Chase. I want to be with you. I want to be happy. I really like the sex…” She watched his smile broaden. “I knew I could get you to smile. I’m hungry. Want a sandwich?”
“How about Italian? I’ll buy,” he said, standing up and pulling her up with him.
“I’ll go find my shoes,” she dashed off into the bedroom, the sounds of things banging and then silence before she was back, hopping on one foot pulling the small flats into place. “You can carry my clothes for me.”
“I think I’ll go with a nice seafood soup tonight…” Chase told her as they left the apartment.
Two hours later Pepper wasn’t sure whose idea it was, but his frustration level was about peaked where it had been when he first came into the apartment.
He stood with her before the game, working the controls and swearing like a sailor, she thought, eyes wide as she listened. He’d never gamed before and she tried to convince him to start with something easier.
Something less complex. Never mess with a male ego, she realized thirty minutes into the shooter game.
“Mac!” Pepper exclaimed, striding swiftly forward and gripping his arm. “You gotta help me!”
“Pepper, what’s up?” Mac saw the edge of panic in her eyes and looked up to see Chase before one of the shooter games.
“Maybe…maybe ‘cause I’m a girl…I can’t teach a boy how to shoot…I had no idea he could swear like that!” She whispered frantically.
“Umm…let me talk to him…you go do something else for a bit, okay?”
“I just wanted to distract him, Mac…the…the thing…and the docks…” but she nodded hurriedly and walked over to one of the other games.
“Chase…” Mac walked gingerly to his side, watching the hand action and the movements on the big screen. He stepped forward and flipped the off switch, taking the controller and tossing it down lightly. “Wrong one for a beginner…”
“How the hell do you two work these things?” Chase dragged two sets of fingers through hair that had definitely seen better days. His tie was shoved in the pocket of his suit coat which was laying on top of Pepper’s backpack on the console. Top buttons on his shirt were open and the sleeves of his shirt shoved up his arms.
“First…I was playing them when I was five…it’s just what I grew up with,” he said starting another unit on a different system. “Same game, much easier controller,” he held one and handed Chase the second controller. “You work with spread sheets and business news and numbers that would drive me batty. The tutorial…we’ll run it together first…”
“Where’s Pepper?” Chase looked around in between one of the explanations, his hands and fingers pressing buttons and moving small knobs.
“On one of the other games. Relax…if it ain’t fun, then what’s the point?”
“What’re you doing here this time of night?”
“Cassidy was called in…something to do with guys with bright yellow letters on blue jackets and one of the private poker rooms…and about a dozen cop cars. I’m hiding out until she looks for me,” Mac told him, offering hints and guidance through the first level.
An hour later they walked out of the employee arcade, hand in hand, her pack slung over her shoulder and his jacket over his.
“I really thought it would help you relax, Chase,” she said when they were in the elevator. Pepper slowly turned to face him, moving forward until the back of the elevator was behind him. “I think I should have used a different method,” she whispered against his mouth, close enough to feel his reaction as she deepened the kiss, her palm slipping free to stroke along his hip and onto his side.
Chase inhaled the steamy scent of her an hour later as they lay beneath the blankets, her face against his arm and eyes closed. His palm was surrounded by both of hers and her chuckle was the last thing he heard after he reminded her.
“It’s your turn to fetch the clothing in the morning,” he whispered with a kiss to her damp forehead.
Pepper was counting and collecting clothing before pulling her jeans on, her fingers working the buttons on a light tunic as Chase came out of the shower, a large fluffy towel circling low on his hips. The girl in her sighed and went to find her boots before she forgot about work. She was very leery of room service so had brought things from her apartment over, things she bought and knew were safe.
She was staring into the early morning fog gathered over the water far below when she felt the hands on her waist and the warm mouth on her exposed shoulder.
“I have an extra key card for you,” he said before kissing her and going in search of the coffee and toast he had seen on the breakfast bar for him.
“I talked to Cassidy yesterday,” she said without turning. “Eli was able to get information on the man in the elevator.”
“I know. I signed a complaint and the hotel security is taking over the investigation,” Chase perched on the stool. “Will you kick independence at me if I ask you to let me handle this?”
She raised the cold glass, pressing it against her forehead.
“You have half the stupid city to worry about, Chase. I should be able to handle my own problem,” she said quietly.
“I multitask,” he took the glass from her and pulled her to stand between his knees when he sat on the stool. “If I’m the one who is attacked…doesn’t that make it our problem, Pepper?”
“I don’t know how to help. I don’t know what to tell you to help make this go away,” she said, more than a little angry.
“Do you have any other relatives?”
“I…” she blinked at him, the question coming out of nowhere. “Phew…I need to start to work…”
“Let me get my jacket and briefcase. I’ll walk out with you,” He kissed her. “I’ve got people checking on things, Pepper. We’re going to get through this, together.”
“Must be that confidence that has you owning half the flipping city,” she murmured, smiling at his laughter and moving to the door, her hand out to snag her small pack from the sofa. Relatives, she thought, frowning. “I asked…about relatives. When I was little…I remember asking…I think I was six…seven…he slapped me…told me the Lord was the only relative I had because of my…my sin,” she hated that she still choked over those words. Hated them dancing around in her head all the time. “I have pictures of my mother…I stole them from his office. He had a small box in his safe. I took them all when I left. I remember telling myself he didn’t deserve them, he didn’t deserve her.”
Chase gently rubbed her neck as the elevator opened to them.
“He never told me, Chase. I honestly don’t know. Have I looked? Yes…phone books, internet…but not for several years after I left. Maybe I was twenty-five when I got this out of nowhere notion to look. No numbers came up who would admit to knowing him or her. Maybe they were unlisted…maybe they lied…I don’t know if I’d admit to knowing him if I was given the choice.”
“Go squish bugs, Pepper,” Chase kissed her outside the resort, their fingers drifting apart as she nodded and headed toward the admin section.
Bugs, she thought with a smile as she entered her office, greeting one of the women from her department before she disappeared behind the frosted glass door.
“Good morning, Miss Ambrose,” Louisa looked at the casual appearance, remembering what she’d been told about their attire. “Oh, you had a late visitor, a Chase Montgomery. He said he’d contact you at home.”
“Hmm…he did…” She said with a sigh. “He’s…”
“Your guy?” Louisa suggested with a matching smile.
“Yes…yes, he certainly is, Louisa,” she said before tossing her pack to the spot on her sofa and beginning work on the files on her desk.