Part 33 (2/2)
”How much they pay?”
”Nothing.”
”Then explain where they at?”
More sobbing. ”I don't know.”
A long spate of Russian sounding words spilled from Kubikov. In response, Gigantor dragged the little guy out of the building. Kubikov strolled to the door. He seemed to scan the building before snapping off the light. The building sank into total blackness.
The clanging of the lock being secured on the door seemed to echo in the building before they heard a car depart.
Ross carefully removed enough of the duct tape to slip out. Mo heard him flip on the light switch and check the door. ”Dammit. They locked it.” Returning to the float, he hopped up and ducked back into the opening in the hill. ”I think we should stay in here. We don't know if they'll come back.”
”Yeah, but can we leave the door off unless we hear something?”
”Yes, but I'm going to turn the light back off.”
”Do you have to?”
”Yes. If Kubikov comes back and remembers he turned it off, he'll be certain we're in here. Right now he's going with the idea that the little guy let us go.”
”You're right. They'd probably tear this float apart to find us if they were certain we're here,” Mo acknowledged grudgingly. ”But get my purse would you? It's on the floor near the door.”
”I'm not even going to ask why,” Ross said as he picked it up.
”There's a small flashlight on the keychain.”
He soon scooped it out. ”Got it.”
When he'd turned out the light and found his way back to the inside of the float with the help of the small pin light provided by Mo's keychain, Ross propped the door so that it could be quickly placed over the opening. He settled in to sit beside Mo, handing her the messenger bag.
The pin light provided enough light for Mo to dig through the contents and come out with a candy bar. ”I've got a Snickers bar here,” she said, inspecting the paper wrapping. It's only a little bit mashed. I'll share with you.”
”Cheers. I'm starved.” Ross held out a hand.
Mo tore the bar in half and offered a part to Ross but s.n.a.t.c.hed it back before he could take it. ”Hey, wait a minute. You really don't deserve this. You were a huge pork 'n beans earlier today.”
Ross's hand fell. ”I know I was completely and utterly wrong and I grovel at your feet with my wrongness.”
”I don't see any groveling, mister,” Mo said trying to joke but she had to look down to keep the real hurt from s.h.i.+ning out.
”I would grovel if we weren't hiding from Russian mobsters in a paper mache strip club crawl s.p.a.ce. It's a bit cramped in here to accomplish truly effective groveling.” From Ross's light tone, Mo knew he had picked up on her effort to lighten things up.
Ross took her hand and the look in his eyes wasn't light at all. ”Mo, I am so sorry about how I acted earlier. I don't have a proper excuse. There is no excuse.” Ross reached out and stroked a finger in a sensuous line down along her cheekbone. ”I should have trusted you. I don't really know what else to say. You have every reason to hold a grudge, but I hope you won't because I love...being with you and I don't want to lose what we've started to build here.”
When he leaned toward her, Mo knew he was going to kiss her. She pulled back, placing a finger to his lips.
She couldn't kiss him. But he looked like such a puppy dog Mo couldn't resist offering the half a Snickers bar again. ”Okay, have the candy if you're that desperate.”
Taking it with a laugh, Ross tore back the paper and bit off a chunk, which he then chewed with gusto. ”If this is all I can get, I'll take it...for now.”
His words sent a s.h.i.+ver through her. Not from fear but from the sensual possibilities they promised for the future. Mo studiously avoided any eye contact and instead concentrated on carefully peeling back the paper and nibbling on the chocolate.
Chapter Nineteen.
Being this close to Mo was doing things to Ross that he knew he shouldn't allow under the circ.u.mstances. Russian mobsters could come back and kill them at any minute. But Russian mobsters be d.a.m.ned, he wanted Mo. The only thing really stopping him was Mo herself. She hadn't forgiven him and he didn't blame her.
”I think we should turn out this light,” Ross said.
”I really don't want to,” she responded. ”But you're right. We don't want to run the battery down.” She picked-up the keychain from where it lay on the floor. ”You may as well put the door into place. If it's dark, I won't be able to see that it's open anyway.”
After Ross taped the door into place, Mo snapped off the switch on the key chain and plunged them into blackness.
Almost immediately, Ross heard Mo's breathing become more ragged with the kind of choppy sounds he sometimes heard from young actors about to go on stage-and about to suffer a panic attack.
His own breathing had become more rapid, but Ross knew it wasn't panic, but the smell of Mo that he now knew so well had its effect. He couldn't think of anything but her. It was as if the darkness had focused all his attention on her.
Feeling his way, Ross tried to place a comforting arm around Mo's shoulder and encountered her breast instead. The unintended caress did not help him in his effort to ignore his desires or the reaction of his body.
”Hey, watch it,” she said.
”Sorry.” He moved away. ”You were panicking. I was just trying to comfort you.”
”By groping me?”
”Again, sorry.” He settled in the cramped s.p.a.ce by leaning in a sitting position against one of the two-by-fours.
”Okay, then,” Mo said and fell silent. A few seconds later, she spoke. ”My leg is going to sleep.”
Ross heard movement and a.s.sumed she was trying to get more comfortable. He felt Mo's hand fall on his upper thigh, just grazing his hardness under the jeans zipper.
”Hey, watch it yourself,” he said. He hoped she didn't notice his state of arousal and think he was a lecher.
”Sorry. I thought you were panicking,” Mo said sardonically. ”I was just trying to comfort you.”
Silence reined in the darkness as Ross fought for self-control. Finally, he lost the battle and said, ”You can comfort me like that any time you want.” He couldn't hide the desire that strained beneath the joking words.
”Yeah...well,” Mo said. ”It wasn't s.e.x that we had a problem with. I seem to recall we couldn't handle...other things. Relations.h.i.+p things.”
”I know. My fault.”
”I'm not looking for an explanation, Ross. And I'm not asking you to apologize again. Apology accepted. Okay? Just stop apologizing.” Her words dripped anger.
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