Part 7 (1/2)
”You do? Why?” Jade asked. No, you're kidding! she thought. I was finally going to ask you to stay, despite what...
Despite what I felt on the balcony. Or maybe. . . just partially . . .
because of what I felt on the balcony.
”There was a bad accident tonight just outside the French Quarter.
I'm heading on down to the morgue to find out more about the kid involved.”
”Kid?” Jade said softly.
”College kid. I need to find out if drugs were involved, deal with the family....”
”Wow, what a shame,” Danny said.
”What a downer,” Matt added sorrowfully. ”Yeah, well, that's what I mean.”
”Life's a b.i.t.c.h, and then you die,” Renate announced.
”Mm, to some. Others say, Life's a b.i.t.c.h; then you get f.u.c.ked by one; then you die!” Matt told her, smiling.
”Don't you just wish, pumpkin head,” Renate said sweetly in return.
”I think I need some air,” Jade said. Slipping her arm through Rick's, she eased him out to the balcony with her. She leaned against the brick rail, looking back.
”Oh, thank G.o.d, they're not following!” Rick said.
She grinned. ”By G.o.d, they took the hint.”
”And accepted it.”
Some really great jazz was coming softly from a place across the street. The moon was high. October. It was a great fall night. Not cold, just cool.
Rick leaned against the brick as well, rolling his champagne flute in his hands, studying her eyes. ”You really okay?”
”It was startling to read those headlines.”
”Yeah. That is pretty bizarre. You know, Jade, the same people might be involved. They never caught the murderers in Scotland.”
”Edinburgh to New York. Seems far-fetched, doesn't it?”
”Yes, and no. It depends. There are serious cults out there. You know that. And if someone backing such a thing has money ...”
”And the murders occurred in a cemetery again.”
”Yep.” He watched her. ”You don't spend your days crawling around cemeteries, do you?”
”Days ... well, I admit, I do sometimes. It's hard to write about old cathedrals and churches without walking through a few old graveyards.
So days ... yes. Nights-no. Not anymore. Rick, do you really think it could be the same people?”
”No, I don't really think so. But it's not impossible.”
”That's so bizarre about Hugh Riley. If it is him.”
”Well, there are lots of colleges in New York. You told me they were all college kids, remember? Frat fellows, football players, smokers, druggies, jokers.”
”They were just kids. Wild kids,” she told him.
”Unfortunately, the young are not immune to disaster- though they tend to think they are.”
”I can't believe you have to go back to work tonight. I was ...”
He moved closer, his eyes bright and expectant. ”You were . . . ?”
She met his gaze squarely. ”I thought you might stay.”
”Oh, yeah?”
She nodded and grinned suddenly. ”You know, you heard Matt; 'Life's a b.i.t.c.h; then you-' ”
He interrupted her with a groan, then went to set the champagne flute on a wicker table. It fell from his fingers, crashed to the floor.
He swore.
She laughed. From inside, they heard the sudden sound of music.
And laughter. The party was going to go on without them.
Shanna had seen to it, Jade was certain, that they wouldn't be followed.
”Your beautiful gla.s.s,” he said.
”It's just a gla.s.s,” she whispered.
”Right. The h.e.l.l with it,” he murmured, drawing her into his arms.
His fingers threaded into her hair. He drew her against the hard warmth of his chest. She felt his heartbeat, felt it quicken. His fingers moved.
His mouth found hers. They'd kissed before, petted before. He was good. Hard, demanding, sensual ...
She kissed him back, moving against him, open-mouthed, ready, waiting, wanting. ...
A sense of arousal.
It didn't come.
It should have! d.a.m.n, it should have, should have . . .
She didn't care. One way or another, it was going to happen.