Page 82 of Fire and Ice

"Nothing's gonna come out of this. I don't want to hurt you."

Lee nodded, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Maia's heart ached for him and she reached out to take his hands in hers. "We had so many good times. Let's just remember that."

He smile was bittersweet. "Making love to you on the beach was an incredible experience, Maia. One of the best."

Okaaaay, no more trips down memory lane, Maia thought as she started feeling an inkling of guilt.

He had insisted on escorting her back to her room. Maia had hesitated, worried how Jack would react, but as soon as the thought came up she quickly quelled it and berated herself for letting her feelings for him make her second-guess her actions. Jack could just suck it up.

After that gentle kiss, Lee groaned, burying his face in her hair and pulling her close. "Damn it, I don't want to let you go."

"Lee ..."

"Let's spend the weekend together."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

Lee pulled back and leaned his forehead against hers. "Would you at least see me tomorrow at Addison Hall. We're playing a set at 9 pm."

"I had planned to go anyway."

Lee smiled down at her. "See you tomorrow night then, Princess."

"Princess?" Jack scoffed irritably on the phone. He called Maia the minute she stepped into her room.

"I'm in no mood, Jack," Maia retorted.

Good, Jack fumed. Because he was in a terrible mood. He had observed them in the lounge, but since there was no audio he could only imagine what they were talking about. The fact that rocker boy had escorted Maia back to her hotel room had him all wound up in anticipatory dread. If Lee Isaac thought, for one minute, that he would be able to cross that threshold into Maia's hotel room, he was in for a rude awakening, because Jack had every intention of crashing in and throwing him out.

"He's lucky he didn't try anything else. What were you two chatting about for almost two hours?"

"What, you didn't have the lounge bugged?"

"There were cameras, no audio. So?"

Maia sighed irritably. "I don't have time to soothe your ego."

Jack was thankful Derek couldn't hear Maia's side of the conversation. He was behaving like an insecure pimply-faced high school boy who had been lucky enough to date the prom queen. But again he'd never had any real competition when it came to women. He was rich and attractive, and he'd never had to feel insecure until now. Rock stars have the reputation of attracting hordes of groupies and judging from the crowds of screaming women almost prostrate at his feet, Lee was no exception. Even if it was an expected play, watching Lee kissing his woman was enough to make him want to jump out of his skin.

Jack tried a different tactic. "Sorry, babe. I just missed you today."

"Your surveillance cameras were on my ass all day."

Jack chuckled. "Not the same, babe. Maybe I can come by tonight for a nightcap."

Derek interjected, "Hey, I thought we were doing that together."

"Your shift is over?" Maia asked absently.

"Yes, Scott's turning controls over to our replacements. We'll resume tomorrow afternoon."

"I can't believe you've sat all day watching the cameras," Maia said. "Don't you have a company to run?"

"I have to go to New Park on Tuesday. But I can do the rest remotely. With Thanksgiving around the corner, not a lot of people have their mind set on work. So how about me coming to your room?"

Derek gave a snort while Jack shot him a "shut up" look.

"Can't tonight."

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