Die Hard (Sue Thomas FBEye)

Chapter Six

They spent dinner discussing Joe Trigger's murder in the park at sunset, only to agree they could speculate as much as they wanted, unless they found out exactly when Anna was meeting Carl, they might never know the truth.

When Jack parked in front of a five-star hotel, Sue objected without success. After the last few days, she deserved to be pampered, and if he could afford a night at the Roadkill Motel, he could afford a night here.

A gas fireplace stood in the corner of the luxurious room. A basket of chocolate was sinking in the middle of the fluffy comforter on the king size bed, and a bottle of what he assumed to be champagne was chilling in the ice bucket. The en-suite bathroom was huge with a bath and shower designed for two. The thought he was given the honeymoon suite by mistake evaporated when she gasped in delight at the assortment of scented oil and bubbles.

He took upon himself to turn the taps on and waited for her to choose her favourite fragrance.

"Lavender bubbles?" he read aloud after she handed him the bottle. It smelled good, so he poured a generous amount in the water.

"Jack, do you think it's safe to light up the candles with Levi?"

"You go ahead. I'll convince buddy to take a nap by the fire. Come, boy." Grabbing his collar, he guided him in the room. "Now, lie down. Good boy."

He took the chocolate basket in the bathroom and closed the door behind him. The only illumination came from the dozen candles set across the room.

"Chocolate and bubble bath. That's a deadly combination, Jack," she warned him with a disarming smile. "I may be in here for a while."

"I'm counting on it, angel." He set the gift on the counter, just out of reach, then extended his arms towards her. "Can you read me?"

"If I'm close enough." Accepting his unspoken invitation, she covered the distance between them.

"You know, you may be a little bit overdressed for a bath," he observed in a low and husky voice. Their coats and boots were in the entrance closet, but there still were too many layers between him and her for his personal taste.

"Only a little bit?" she murmured, mesmerised by the flames of the candles dancing in the depth of his dark brown eyes.

He placed his hands over her hips at the edge of her red sweater. Ever so slowly he pulled the fabric up, caressing every inch of skin he exposed. She released her hold of his open shirt to allow for its removal. He traced the lace of the very sexy baby blue bras, wondering if she wore a matching set. Her nail gently scratching his chest caught his attention, though how or when his shirt disappeared off him remained a mystery. He cupped her face, capturing her lips as he fused their body together. Her bare stomach touched his and her soft curves met his muscular chest. He released the clip behind her back and pushed the straps off her shoulders. Only their proximity prevented the little garment to fall on the floor.

His hand trailed down her spine to her waist, along the front of her pants. She was nicely following his lead, the snap of his jeans giving in long before her stubborn little button. She wiggled in his arms, breaking the kiss, when he inadvertently tickled her while fighting with her pants.

"You're beautiful, angel." The desire burning inside him mirrored the longing in his voice and the passion in his eyes. "Would you let me join you?"

Unconsciously, he held his breath and stilled his hand over the zipper of her pants.

"Yes," she murmured, incapable of uttering any other response.

He leaned to stop the water before it overflowed, before resuming his task.