Falling Awake(64)
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz

“I’m going to pay a visit to the center tomorrow. Do a little looking around, ask some questions.”

“Maybe I should go with you,” she said eagerly. “I know my way around there.”

“No, I want to go in without anyone knowing who I am or why I’m there. Besides, you’ve got your first official Kyler Method class tomorrow and the weekly reception for the seminar attendees in the evening, don’t you?”

She groaned. “Forgot about both. I’d better not miss either or Farrell will really be ticked.”

Ellis checked his watch. “I need some sleep. I’ll go back to the inn, get some rest and leave first thing in the morning.”

She took a deep breath. “You can sleep here if you like.”

He smiled his slow, sexy smile. “I like.”

30

isabel insisted on fixing breakfast before he left the next morning. He ate it sitting at the kitchen counter, and savored every bite. It took him a while to understand why the scrambled eggs, rye toast and phony soy sausages tasted so good. Then it hit him that the best part of the meal was that Isabel was sharing it with him.

He wasn’t accustomed to having breakfast with his dates, he reflected while he munched toast and watched Isabel feed Sphinx. Probably because long ago he had made it a rule never to spend the entire night with any of them. Hanging around for breakfast was a step he had not wanted to take. Too much like taking off his sunglasses, maybe. He had sensed that a woman would look at him differently in the morning light, maybe see the side of him that he preferred to keep safe in the shadows. Maybe he would look at her differently, too. Maybe he would be tempted to leave the safe zone.

But somewhere along the line he had already taken the leap in the dark with Isabel. He looked at her and wondered what she was thinking about this business of sharing breakfast together. One thing was for sure, this was not the time to ask.

“I’ll drop you off at Kyler on my way out of town,” he said. “I should be back this evening before the reception ends. I’ll pick you up.”

She paused in the act of pouring more tea. “But I won’t have my car available. I’ll need to come home and change for the event.”

“Pack a bag.” He forked up some eggs.

“Ellis—”

“Honey, I don’t want to have to worry about you today, okay? I’ll be a lot more comfortable if I know you’re surrounded by people you know at Kyler while I’m out of town.”

She looked first startled and then she grew thoughtful. “You told me yesterday that you didn’t think I was in any real danger because if anything happens to me it would cause Lawson to reopen the inquiry into Scargill’s death.”

His stomach clenched but he kept his expression casual. “That’s my working theory and I think it’s solid. But I don’t want to take any chances. With Beth and Lawson out of the loop for now, I don’t have any way of arranging protection for you until tomorrow or the next day at the earliest. I’ve got a feeling I can’t let things sit that long. Promise me you’ll stay at the Kyler offices until I return, all right?”

Her expression said she was not pleased, but she nodded. “Okay.” She headed for the bedroom. “I’ll get the things I’ll need to change for the reception.”

He reached out and caught her wrist when she went past him.

“Thanks,” he said quietly.

Her eyes softened. “Promise me you’ll be careful today.”

Breakfast with a woman was not the only novelty he was experiencing with Isabel, he thought. Having someone worry about him like this was new, too.

“Promise,” he said.

the fog that had rolled in during the night was still clinging to the old highway when they drove into town a short time later.

“I need to get some things from my room,” he told Isabel. “The inn is on this side of town. I’ll pick up my stuff and then take you to your office at Kyler.”

“Sure.”

The parking lot of the Seacrest Inn was almost empty. He stopped the Maserati in a space near the entrance, got out and reached back inside for his briefcase.

It struck him as he walked around the rear of the car that Isabel might have a few qualms about being seen with him at such an early hour. The implication that they had spent the night together at some location other than the inn would be fairly obvious to even the dimmest front desk clerk.

Before he could ask her if she wanted to wait outside, she had her door open and her seat belt unlatched. She did not look like she was at all worried about what the desk clerk would think, he noticed. That made him feel good for some reason. He took her arm. Together they walked into the lobby.

The clerk, whose name tag read “Jared,” did give them an interested look when they came through the glass doors but he merely nodded politely at Isabel before he spoke.

“Good morning, Mr. Cutler,” Jared said cheerfully. “Your business associate arrived late last night. I put him in the room across the hall from yours, as he requested.”

Ellis felt Isabel’s sudden tension. He squeezed her elbow lightly in silent warning.

“Thanks,” he said to Jared. “Appreciate it.”

“No problem,” Jared said.

Ellis guided Isabel to the stairs. She waited until they were on the second floor before she asked any questions.

“What business associate?” She was definitely worried now.

“Not Scargill.”

“How do you know?”

“Because he’s too well trained to make the mistake of asking for me in person in a small hotel like this, let alone pretend that he’s a business associate.”

“One of those ex-prisoners he’s been using?”

“I don’t think so. If I’m right, this guy’s another amateur, like you.” He opened the briefcase and reached inside for the pistol. “But we old pros prefer not to take chances.”

She looked at the gun with somber eyes but said nothing.

He released her arm. “Wait here until I make sure.”

He walked to the door directly across from his own, stood just out of range of the peephole, the pistol alongside his leg, and rapped sharply.

“Room service,” he declared.

He heard footsteps inside the room and knew that the occupant was attempting to get a look at him through the peephole. Then he heard the chain lock being released.

The door opened.

“But I didn’t order—” Dave Ralston began. Then he got a good look at Ellis. His mouth fell open.