Worth the Trip (21 page)

Norah looked over at him. “You know, you’re a pretty good natural psychoanalyst.”

Trip scowled at her. “There’s no reason to get insulting.”

THE DETROIT ZOO ACTUALLY OCCUPIED A COR
ner of Royal Oak, a bit to the west of the city and right on the service drive for I-696. And just in case the road signs, and the long brick wall with DETROIT ZOO in big white letters didn’t announce their arrival, a water tower decorated with animal silhouettes and blazoned with the name of the place loomed at the entrance.

The zoo was open til five, which gave them a couple of hours, but Trip wasn’t at full speed and neither, frankly, was Norah. All she could think about was sleep—a halfway decent meal and then sleep, ten solid hours if she could get it.

Trip directed her to an honest-to-god hotel with room service and everything, and since she was so recognizable, he made all the arrangements. She kissed her good night’s sleep good-bye before she walked into the room and saw there was only one bed.

“Wishful thinking?” she said, dropping her small overnight bag on the desk.

“A man by himself doesn’t ask for a room with two beds.”

“Trust me, they’ve seen weirder things here.”

“Best not to draw attention if we don’t have to.”

Norah picked up her bag. “I’m getting my own room.”

“We’ve been through this already,” Trip said, sounding exhausted.

“I don’t think the guys who invaded my house and chased us out of Chicago are going to stumble across us here.”

“Maybe not, but people who don’t have our best interest in mind keep finding us, and I’m in no shape to kick down doors if you need to be saved.”

“Then I won’t scream for help.”

He smiled slightly. “You’re not really a screamer anyway.”

Norah rolled her eyes. “I’m taking a shower, and checking out the tub. Maybe it’s big enough to sleep in.”

Trip just grinned at her, so she took a long, hot shower, washing her clothes out when she was done. She would have stayed in the bathroom for the rest of the night, but her empty stomach was talking louder than the muddle of what she felt about Trip. So she cinched the belt of the hotel robe tight and opened the door, her courage faltering a little when she saw Trip’s eyes darken as he realized she wasn’t wearing anything under that single thin layer of terrycloth. Not exactly a scenario designed to help her self-control, but she kept her gaze off him, and that did the trick. Until he spoke.

“I ordered dinner,” he said in a nighttime deejay kind of voice that made her want to laugh, or at least giggle hysterically.

“Thanks,” she said instead, dropping into the chair at the desk and taking out some notes she’d brought along in the hope she’d have time to work on her book.

“Okay, then,” Trip said, “I’m going to take a shower before it comes.”

“Sure,” Norah said, then streaked to her feet but only making it halfway across the room before Trip came back out of the bathroom holding a scrap of black lace—not a thong, but not far from it even if it did cover the top half of her butt cheeks.

“The shirt is bad enough,” he said, “but these?”

“It was a gift store, in case you didn’t get that from the boxers and the
I’m Too Sexy
T-shirt, which was the only one they had in medium. And apparently the place was frequented by strippers, because that lace is scratchy, and after wearing those things for a couple of hours stripping wasn’t completely out of the question. I was seriously considering going commando—”

Trip sounded like he was strangling.

Norah realized she was rambling, and her verbal territory was only making matters worse. She eased over and took the panties from him, stuffing them in the pocket of her robe.

He just stood there, staring down at her.

“Shower,” she said, “cold.”

“There’s not enough cold water in the state, and this is the Great Lake State, so that’s saying something.”

She turned him around and shoved him into the bathroom, closing the door behind him and not saying a word, especially since her response would not run to the verbal. Her response would be to tear the door open and join him in the shower because he was right, there wasn’t enough cold water in the world to counter the heat moving through her. He certainly wasn’t helping matters, looking at her like that. How much did he think she could take? She wondered, getting angry, which was hardly helpful. Anger was a hot emotion, and it could turn so easily . . .

She spun away from the bathroom door before she talked herself into trouble. When Trip came out, she was back at the desk with her notes, the television on low, pretending to work. She looked up, though, she couldn’t help herself, catching Trip’s gaze in the mirror. He didn’t say anything, but there was so much tension in the room she could have knit a sweater out of it, so much untapped angst that when someone knocked on the door she jumped.

“Room service,” Trip said, and even though she’d passed the point where she could imagine putting anything in her stomach, at least it provided a distraction. And then the distraction took on epic proportions.

“Hollie,” she muttered when Trip opened the door, and she saw the tabloid wannabe standing in the hallway, “nauseating in an entirely different manner.”

“Isn’t this cozy?” Hollie smirked, surveying the room, one bed, the two of them in hotel robes, and coming to the obvious conclusion.

Norah bit back a denial. She’d only be playing Hollie’s game. “How did you find us?”

“Puh-leeze, what kind of investigative reporter would I be if I couldn’t eavesdrop on a few backwoods treasure hunters?”

“Now you’re an investigative reporter? I thought you were making a documentary.”

“That was before you ditched me. As you can see, it was just a waste of time.”

“You’re right,” Trip said, in an about-face that left Norah and Hollie gaping at him. “There’s no point in fighting the inevitable. You’ve got a room in the hotel, right?”

“Yes,” Hollie said.

“How about we let you know when we’re taking off in the morning. You can tag along.”

“I can tag along? Me?”

“Sure,” Trip said, “Lurch, too.”

“Who’s Lurch?”

“That homeless guy who carries your camera around. You can even let him turn it on tomorrow.”

Hollie narrowed her eyes at him, then looked at Norah. Norah did a hands up, no idea what he was up to. “What’s the catch?”

“No catch,” Trip assured her, “just be ready to go first thing in the morning.”

“You’ll forgive me if I have Loomis—Lurch,” she said when he looked confused, “sleep outside your door.”

“I won’t take offense if he does.”

“Okay, see you in the morning.”

Norah waited until the door closed. “What was that all about?”

“Just having a little fun.”

“Then you’re not letting Hollie follow us tomorrow.”

“I thought about it.”

She crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation.

“Don’t you want to know why she’s so fanatical about this?” Trip said.

“Why didn’t you just ask her? I mean, she would have lied, but—”

“She would have known we were looking at her as more than an irritant, and if she has something to hide she’ll be a lot more vigilant. And don’t give me that crap about being a closet psychologist. I happen to have a lot of experience with the criminal mind. It comes with the profession.”

“Sure, whatever you say.” There was another knock. “That’s probably room service,” she said, “maybe you’d like to ask Hollie to join us for dinner.”

“What the hell, there’s another robe in there.”

Trip went to the door and let in the waiter, and while he was tipping the man Norah looked under the covers. “Oysters, strawberries, chocolate cake. You’ve got to be kidding.” She picked up the phone, but he went back to the door and pulled in another room service cart.

“So what was the point of that, and I don’t mean the obvious one.”

“Just pointing out the elephant in the room.”

“You must be talking about your ego.”

“You know what I’m talking about.”

Norah held her ground, but her appetite was gone. “I just don’t think we should be sleeping together.”

“After I made it clear that my goal is the loot, you mean. Would you rather I lie to you?”

“No.”

“And you aren’t the type of woman who lies to herself.”

“No, but—”

“And then there’s this.” He backed her against the wall and kissed her. She was lost the second his lips touched hers. There was only Trip, pushing her robe open, then moving into her, pressing her against the wall, his hands hot on her skin everywhere, making her forget her reservations, grateful she was a means to an end. Use me, she thought, moaning a little and moving against his hands, not looking forward to the day when he’d leave but deciding to make the most of the time between now and then. Mostly now, she amended, grabbing the wrist attached to the hand wandering in the vicinity of her waist and tugging upward, Trip obliging her by cupping her breast and rubbing his thumb over the nipple, and when his mouth replaced his hand, she arched, banging her head on the wall and not caring because it felt so good, the way pleasure speared down and exploded in her belly.

Trip straightened, tugging on her arms, but her knees had gone weak and the rest of her just wanted his mouth and his hands on her again, wanted him inside her—

“Bed,” he strangled out.

“Floor,” she said, trying to pull him down.

“Too hard,” he said, and she laughed. “That’s my point.”

“The floor, too, and I’m not up to carrying you, so—”

“Right, bullet wound,” she said, suddenly able to walk, hell, she would have run if it had been more than a few feet, shoving Trip down on the bed when they got there, and straddling him.

“Hold that thought,” he said, shoving her off and hobbling into the bathroom, reappearing with his jeans in one hand, fumbling out the wallet with the other and holding up the little foil packet he took out of it like a trophy.

Norah definitely felt like cheering when he flopped down on his back and pulled her astride him again. He put his clever mouth on her breast, slipped his fingers down her stomach, then inside her, the lovely haze of pleasure narrowing, building as his hand disappeared so she could take him in, a long, slow slide intended to drive him crazy, but nearly pushing her over the edge, too.

His hands moved to her hips, but she pulled them away, twining her fingers with his, keeping control. She set a pace that was slow and delicious, shuddering as he moved with her, loving the way his body felt under her hands and mouth, all that strength surging up as she pressed down and they both came apart, her heart pounding as she collapsed beside him, every nerve ending humming with pleasure and filled with so much peace she never wanted to move again.

And then her stomach growled.

“I don’t think you should have any oysters or chocolate,” Trip said, sounding worn-out but in a good way. “I’m pretty sure I couldn’t handle you on aphrodisiacs.”

“There’s really no such thing, anyway. It’s all in the mind.”

“Then I’m doing something wrong.”

Norah laughed a little. “Trust me, you did everything right.”

“Actually, you did everything right.”

“It was definitely a team effort.”

“
Team
. There’s a word I haven’t heard from you in a while.”

It was a word she’d never heard from him. He’d trotted out the concept before, but only when it suited his agenda and always with the firm understanding that he would lead and she was expected to follow.

Norah sighed, rolling onto her side, away from him. She felt Trip curl around her, and it made her eyes well up because she knew it wasn’t real.

“I shouldn’t have said that.”

“You’re trying not to lie to me, remember?” And she was trying not to lie to herself, either.

“Norah?”

She rolled back over, went into his arms, letting her actions speak for her, now and in the future. They’d be a team, and he’d be the leader. She’d enjoy the fringe benefits, too, with no expectations and no regrets. But she’d take a lesson from him and keep her own goals firmly in mind.

“WOW, THAT’S TOO BAD,” TRIP SAID, SHAKING
his head over the sad state of Hollie’s tires. They were standing in the hotel parking lot, Hollie, Lurch, Norah, and himself, getting ready to hit the road, except Hollie’s BMW wasn’t roadworthy.

“Don’t stand there acting all innocent,” Hollie snapped at him. “I know you did it.”

“I’m wounded.”

“Ahhhh.” Hollie whipped around, stomped to the edge of the lot and kicked the bushes planted there. For a full minute. “Fine,” she said when she’d stomped back, looking like an outraged Barbie doll, “go off to the zoo without me. Yeah,” she smirked, “I know where you’re going, and I’ll be right behind you.”

“Don’t miss the penguins,” Trip said, “I hear it’s a real kick to watch those little guys swim around in circles and never get anywhere.”

Lurch actually cracked a smile.

“And where the hell were you?” Hollie yelled at him.

“Sleeping right outside our door, exactly where you left him,” Trip said. “You know, Hollie, I don’t think you’re paying him enough to sleep on the floor. You’re lucky nobody called hotel security and had him thrown in jail.”

Hollie pulled out her phone, glaring at Trip while she dialed information and asked for the nearest rental car place.

“This is fun and everything,” Norah said to Trip, “but, you know, places to go.”

“Right. I’m driving.”

Norah climbed into the passenger seat without argument. “If you can handle vandalism,” she said, “I guess you’re well enough to get behind the wheel. Not to mention I’d like to avoid a repeat of yesterday.”