“Jasper, someone’s coming.”
CHAPTER 11
Nine.
“Jasper.”
He shakes his head, all his focus still on Wolfe’s computer. “Shit, they’re quick. I didn’t think they’d move so fast.”
Ten.
“Jasper!” The office is on the fifteenth floor. I whirl. We’ve got seconds to get out of here, and I don’t even see a back door.
“Just let me... one second...” He’s still got one hand on the mouse, one hand on his phone, which is plugged into the computer.
Eleven. The light moves to twelve and I hold my breath. There is no thirteen. The light goes out and flicks to fourteen. One more floor to go.
Shit. They’re going to walk off that elevator in a few seconds. A few seconds after that, bullets are going to start flying.
“I need a little more time,” Jasper says.
“We aren’t going to have more time.” I rush toward the elevator, hand extended. After the trick with the monitors below, the odds I can assemble enough power to do anything worthwhile are pretty low, but if I really concentrate, I mightbe able to generate enough electricity to short out the panel. If whoever is in there gets stuck between floors fourteen and fifteen, that’s better than nothing.
But I come up empty. I press my palm to the buttons, and all I can gather is a tiny little pfft that might as well be a fart for all the impact it has.
The light for fourteen goes out.
“Jasper!”
“Almost there.”
I believe Jasper when he says things will get ugly if they find us where we’re not supposed to be, and I don’t want to find out the depths of that ugliness.
I run back across the office, pulling off Jasper’s hat and undoing the top few buttons of my borrowed flannel. As I come around the desk, I grab the back of Jasper’s wheeled chair.
“Morgan. Morgan, wait.” His phone and its cord pull free of the desktop as I drag him back.
I climb into his lap, ignoring the way the chair creaks.
“What are you doing?” His eyes are wide with surprise, and he holds his hands away from me, like he’s afraid of touching me.
“We will never speak of this again,” I say, cupping his adorable, scruffy face in my hands.
Then I kiss him. Hard.
He grunts in shock at exactly the same time the elevator dings to announce its arrival. I grind my lips to Jasper’s desperately, hoping he’ll play along. I press into him when his hands settle on my ass, squeezing.
“Jasper?” Leo’s voice calls up the hall. “The monitors came back on. I called the boss. He said no one is allowed—Oh.” When he stops speaking, I glance over my shoulder, feigning surprise.
“Hi.” I smile, running a thumb over my hopefully kiss-swollen bottom lip. Jasper is panting, his breath hot on my chest where my shirt is undone.
Leo narrows his eyes. “You’re not supposed to be up here. I thought you were fixing something in the kitchen.”
I pout, pretending I don’t notice the way he’s got his hand on the gun at his hip. “I like it up here.” Should I bat my eyelashes? No. Too much. I just push my lip out farther, hoping it makes me look like a spoiled twink and not a lying liar who lies. It’s everything I can do not to lick that pouty bottom lip too. It tastes like Jasper and that is... My whole body makes a shuddering rippling movement I pray looks sexy, because all I can think about is the feeling of Jasper’s mouth on mine. The scrape of his stubble on my mouth. Too bad we were interrupted so fast. I wouldn’t have minded a few more seconds of panicked kissing.
“Listen.” Leo takes a menacing step forward, but before I can say anything else, the world shifts as Jasper stands. On reflex, I wrap myself around him, arms on his shoulders, thighs at his waist, but his hands drop away from my ass—thank goodness for small mercies—and I take the hint, letting my feet fall to the floor. He gently guides me so I’m standing behind him, which is fine. Gives me an opportunity to do my clothes up again. I have to adjust myself in my pants. His palms on my backside were strong. Firm. Confident. I haven’t been grabbed like that in a long time. Maybe not ever. I shiver again as I wonder what else those hands can do.
“Leo,” Jasper is saying, and I recognize the tone now. He’s going to charm us out of this, and I send up a silent prayer it works. “Come on. You know how it goes. We were on a date. I told him who I worked for, and he wanted the full experience. I knew Bobby wouldn’t buy that, but I figured you’d be cool about it. I’m sorry, okay?”
