He sent a glare at her ass before he forced himself to look away. “Too much sunlight isn’t good for your tattoo,” he reminded her, hoping she’d just take the damn hint and cover up before he had to break the jaw of the bastard practically drooling next to him. What the hell was wrong with this ass**le checking Jamie out when she was clearly with him?

Maybe the ass**le didn’t know that Jamie was with him, he decided since the damn woman was a good five feet in front of him instead of by his side where she belonged. He threw the bastard a glare as he stepped up to Jamie’s side and threw his arm around her shoulders. Jamie threw him a curious look but didn’t say anything.

Smart woman.

Right now he was torn between kissing the hell out of her and spanking that sweet ass of hers. This was all her fault. He shouldn’t be feeling like this. In fact, he hated feeling like this. Instead of standing here with her he should have followed through with the brush off he’d automatically started this morning and right now he should be flirting with the hot stewardess that kept shooting him welcoming glances.

What in the hell was wrong with him?

“Are you still cranky?” Jamie asked.

“I’m not cranky,” he bit out even though he was feeling pretty damn cranky at the moment.

“Uh huh,” she said as she looked around the busy airport until her eyes landed on the small cafe. “Well, while you’re doing whatever it is that you’re doing I’m going to get something to drink and eat while we wait to board.”

Before he could stop the damn woman she was stepping out from beneath his arm and heading over to the cafe. He of course took note of every guy that stopped what they were doing to stare at her ass. That was his ass they were all staring at and he wasn’t having it. Until he was done with her that was his ass to enjoy and he was damn well going to enjoy it, he decided as he stalked over to her and took her back into his arms where she damn well belonged.

At least for the moment.

******

“Where are you going?” Nick asked as she headed towards the front exit of the large convention center.

She gestured towards the door where most of the fans were heading. “To grab a taxi and head back to the hotel,” she said, frowning since he was the one that said they were ready to leave.

Nick gestured towards the back exit of the building. “The RNL was so pleased by this year’s turnout that they decided to treat you to a limo for the night,” Nick explained as they walked towards the back exit.

Jamie wondered if this was going to be the moment he chose to clear the air between them. Even though she’d already figured it out for herself it would be nice to hear it from him. It wouldn’t be the first time she heard the rejection speech, but it would probably be the most painful one. She wasn’t looking forward to hearing it, but she knew this morning that it was possible that this little love affair of theirs wouldn’t last throughout the day. She already had her experience with him and she wasn’t going to ruin it by being sad about it ending before it really begun.

“Here we are,” Nick said, gesturing to a sleek black limousine parked less than ten feet from the door.

Jamie sent the driver, an older man with short brown hair a polite smile as she accepted his help into the limo. Once she was inside she of course had to look around since it was her first time in the back of one these things. There was a lot more room than she thought there would be. There was plenty of room to seat eight adults comfortably, a flat screen television and even a mini bar in the sidewall.

Being given the kiss off by Nick would definitely be memorable, she thought with a frown as she watched a black divider suddenly slide up, cutting off her view of the front seat and the driver. Privacy was probably for the best. She’d really hate to have anyone witness this.

“Come here,” Nick suddenly said, drawing her attention from the mini cans of Coke to the backseat where he was lounging as he pulled his tie loose. When she hesitated he reached over and grabbed her hand and gave it a little yank until she was up and somehow found herself straddling his lap.

“Much better,” Nick said, sounding pleased as he pushed her hair away from her neck as he leaned in.

Her eyes closed of their own accord when his mouth landed on her neck and his hands on her bottom. “Um, what’s going on?” she asked, wondering if perhaps she’d misread his crankiness. She did seem to make him especially cranky lately.

He chuckled against her neck and holy heck did that feel good. “What does it look like I’m doing?” he asked teasingly as he readjusted her on his lap until she found the bulge in his pants pressed tightly against the spot that ached for him.

“Um,” she said, licking her lips as she tilted her head back to give him more room to work, “confusing the heck out of me.”

“What exactly are you confused about?” he asked, grabbing her bottom and grinding her against him. The move robbed her of the ability to speak so she had to contend herself with just grabbing onto his shoulders and holding on for dear life when he did it again.

“Uh, nothing?” she said, not really sure what the question was or more importantly what the answer should be. Not that it mattered she decided a moment later as he slipped one hand down the back of her pants while the other one slid beneath her shirt and bra to cup her breast.

This was heaven, she thought with a moan as she ground herself against him. She leaned down and kissed him as she moved frantically on his lap, desperate for the release he’d given her that morning. When she found it he swallowed her screams and she swallowed his curses.

******

“Everything is canceled,” Nick announced as he tossed his cell phone on top of his open suitcase. “The signing and the interviews have all been canceled thanks to this storm,” he explained unnecessarily.

The truth was Jamie hadn’t been looking forward to braving this weather and for the past hour had been contemplating faking her own death to get out of it.

She didn’t know what was worse, the thunder and lightning, the buckets of water was being poured down from the sky or the hail that occasionally snapped against the hotel window. The only thing she knew for certain was that she didn’t want to go out in it.

One good thing came out of this horrible day, she got a day off. Granted she couldn’t do anything fun. They’d be stuck in their hotel rooms all day. If it got too boring she could always grab her laptop and head downstairs to the bar and have lunch. She had been planning to hit a bar tonight since they hadn’t had the chance to and she was dying to try it and not chicken out like she had at the club. With Nick by her side it should be a lot easier.

Speaking of Nick……

She looked up from the file she was working on to run an appreciative eye over the man as he sorted through folders on the desk. Maybe they could use this time to try out a few more things. After the incident in the limo last night they hadn’t had a moment to rest, relax, or more importantly, at least to her, to do it again. Thanks to him she’d been up half the night aching for him. Of course she used those hours wisely and got some work done. She finished editing a novel, finished her chapter early in her secret little project, and finished three chapters of her latest Vampire of the Heart novel. Now that she had some time she would like nothing better than to”I guess we’ll use this time to get some work done,” Nick announced, bursting her bubble as she watched him loosen his tie and sit down behind the desk without looking her way.

“Fine,” she grumbled, knowing she was pouting, but not caring. She moved to sit on the small couch but decided that if she wasn’t expected to leave this hotel room then she wasn’t going stay in this pretty, but uncomfortable, suite. “I’m going to change into something more comfortable to work in then,” she said, heading for the door connecting their rooms and eager to change into her flannel pajamas and order a hot fudge sundae from room service.

Nick didn’t say anything as she left the room and she didn’t expect him to.

When he was working it was pretty much impossible to distract him. Maybe she’d head downstairs to the bar now instead of waiting for lunch. She walked over to her bag to grab her flannel pajamas when the light pink and baby blue shopping bag that she’d forgotten about caught her eye.