asked.
"Not when I'm working, Mr. Keel."
"It's Jonathan. Remember? Say it with me: Jonathan."
She gave him a withering look. "Jonathan."
"Much better." That wasn't so hard. Just give him enough time. He'd get her to loosen up.
*****
Nadira got out of the transport first. She'd heard a lot about the Emerald club. It was one of the most expensive hotels in the city. But this was the first time she'd seen it up close.
Her attention was drawn to two male security officers to the right of the entrance. They were in a heated discussion, their gestures animated. Dressed in black uniforms, they looked like city security. But they weren't wearing the standard helmets. They were probably private guards for the hotel.
Nadira joined Jonathan as he climbed out of the vehicle. "Are you sure this is a good idea? Matt knows where you were going to stay. If he wants to find you--"
"I don't know what he's into, but I'll be careful." He slung his bag over his shoulder. "Why don't you come up with me?"
"I have to go now." She didn't want to go inside. And she ce rtainly wasn't going upstairs with him either.
He brushed his fingers along her arm. "Look, we can help each other, just like we talked about at dinner. There's no record of my father coming here. So if we find Ilana, we can make her tell us what happened at the mine. We can do it t ogether."
"I didn't say we were going to look for her together." Nadira stepped back. Why was it he was always standing so close? "If she contacts you, let me know right away. Don't do anything on your own."
He smiled. "Come in with me. Maybe she's waiting inside."
"That's highly unlikely, Jonathan. But let's see if she left a me ssage for you."
He flashed her a charming smile, his grey eyes warm and very inviting. Inviting her to what? She wasn't sure she wanted to know.
As soon as they walked into the lobby, the attendant greeted them with a smile. "Mr. Keel! You've returned. Is this your guest? Was everything taken care of with your father's account?"
"This is a friend of mine, Mr. Renard. I'll use my account i nstead," Jonathan replied.
Nadira felt energy pings shoot through her as Jon touched her arm to guide her. Flinching, she steadied herself as she sat next to him.
"Any messages left for me?" Jon asked.
"There were no messages," Renard said. "If you would place your palm on the sensor plate, we'll use your ID to access your credits."
Nadira drew in a deep breath. Her heart rate was speeding up, alerting her to something on the edge of her consciousness. But what was it? Once she got away from Jonathan it would help. It was getting harder to keep her emotions from being affected by his.
When the attendant was finished getting Jon's information, he directed them to the lift. Next to it, the smiling face of a computer-generated woman appeared.
"Good evening, Mr. Keel," she said in a low, raspy voice. "My name is Lorena. Will you be staying long?"
"Just a few days," he replied.
"Jonathan, I have to leave now." Nadira wanted to put some distance between them. "I'll contact you tomorrow."
He reached out to touch her. But she moved away before he could make co ntact.
"Are you sure? Why don't you come up for a bit?"
"I have to go. We'll talk tomorrow."
Not wanting to wait for his reply, she hurried away. Behind her she heard the "swoosh" of the lift doors closing. She could still feel his emotions though, and she was unable to block his feelings of disappointment at her sudden departure.
Outside in the fresh air her heartbeat slowed, allowing her to relax and focus again. The transport was still waiting at the curb. But as she was about to take a step, she stopped.
Out of the corner of her eye she detected movement. The two security officers had stopped talking and were rushing towards the entrance. Nadira's body tingled as she watched them.
There was a threat nearby. But who was in danger?
The guards entered the building. She ran over to where they'd been
"Not when I'm working, Mr. Keel."
"It's Jonathan. Remember? Say it with me: Jonathan."
She gave him a withering look. "Jonathan."
"Much better." That wasn't so hard. Just give him enough time. He'd get her to loosen up.
*****
Nadira got out of the transport first. She'd heard a lot about the Emerald club. It was one of the most expensive hotels in the city. But this was the first time she'd seen it up close.
Her attention was drawn to two male security officers to the right of the entrance. They were in a heated discussion, their gestures animated. Dressed in black uniforms, they looked like city security. But they weren't wearing the standard helmets. They were probably private guards for the hotel.
Nadira joined Jonathan as he climbed out of the vehicle. "Are you sure this is a good idea? Matt knows where you were going to stay. If he wants to find you--"
"I don't know what he's into, but I'll be careful." He slung his bag over his shoulder. "Why don't you come up with me?"
"I have to go now." She didn't want to go inside. And she ce rtainly wasn't going upstairs with him either.
He brushed his fingers along her arm. "Look, we can help each other, just like we talked about at dinner. There's no record of my father coming here. So if we find Ilana, we can make her tell us what happened at the mine. We can do it t ogether."
"I didn't say we were going to look for her together." Nadira stepped back. Why was it he was always standing so close? "If she contacts you, let me know right away. Don't do anything on your own."
He smiled. "Come in with me. Maybe she's waiting inside."
"That's highly unlikely, Jonathan. But let's see if she left a me ssage for you."
He flashed her a charming smile, his grey eyes warm and very inviting. Inviting her to what? She wasn't sure she wanted to know.
As soon as they walked into the lobby, the attendant greeted them with a smile. "Mr. Keel! You've returned. Is this your guest? Was everything taken care of with your father's account?"
"This is a friend of mine, Mr. Renard. I'll use my account i nstead," Jonathan replied.
Nadira felt energy pings shoot through her as Jon touched her arm to guide her. Flinching, she steadied herself as she sat next to him.
"Any messages left for me?" Jon asked.
"There were no messages," Renard said. "If you would place your palm on the sensor plate, we'll use your ID to access your credits."
Nadira drew in a deep breath. Her heart rate was speeding up, alerting her to something on the edge of her consciousness. But what was it? Once she got away from Jonathan it would help. It was getting harder to keep her emotions from being affected by his.
When the attendant was finished getting Jon's information, he directed them to the lift. Next to it, the smiling face of a computer-generated woman appeared.
"Good evening, Mr. Keel," she said in a low, raspy voice. "My name is Lorena. Will you be staying long?"
"Just a few days," he replied.
"Jonathan, I have to leave now." Nadira wanted to put some distance between them. "I'll contact you tomorrow."
He reached out to touch her. But she moved away before he could make co ntact.
"Are you sure? Why don't you come up for a bit?"
"I have to go. We'll talk tomorrow."
Not wanting to wait for his reply, she hurried away. Behind her she heard the "swoosh" of the lift doors closing. She could still feel his emotions though, and she was unable to block his feelings of disappointment at her sudden departure.
Outside in the fresh air her heartbeat slowed, allowing her to relax and focus again. The transport was still waiting at the curb. But as she was about to take a step, she stopped.
Out of the corner of her eye she detected movement. The two security officers had stopped talking and were rushing towards the entrance. Nadira's body tingled as she watched them.
There was a threat nearby. But who was in danger?
The guards entered the building. She ran over to where they'd been
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