Page 94 of Fire and Ice

Lee's eyes widened. "Uh, your room?"

"Just the hallway," Maia assured him, not wanting him to know of the taped audio Jack had of their little romp.

"But you got Peter, right? All the danger is over?" Lee asked.

"Not yet. We're still after this Russian—Colt's boss. I can't really tell you much," Maia responded as she typed a text message to the surveillance team.

Lee nodded as they exited to the street.

"So I went through all of what happened in my head," Lee began. "You were trying to keep me out of it. From the very first night, you discouraged me."

Maia wanted to come clean. "The original plan was to get your attention. You were the main draw at Addison Music Hall. This Russian drug lord already knows who I am and he hates me, I mean really hates me. If he knew I was close to his cash cow, that would make him nervous."

"You used yourself as bait?" Lee said angrily. Same reaction as Jack. Men!

"I can take care of myself."

Lee grinned. "Come to think of it, what you did last night was pretty hot."

"I almost got you killed," Maia reminded him.

"No, if I recall you were pulling me back. You knew something was wrong, didn't you?"

Maia shrugged and then shivered a bit.

"Cold?" Lee murmured. She nodded as he wrapped his arms around her.

"So the reason you turned me down at Bali, was it because you thought I couldn't handle your job?"

"It's not that. I just didn't want a relationship. You could be used against me by my enemies."

Lee laughed humorlessly. "That's a shitty life to live, Maia."

"It's the life I chose."

Lee stopped walking and put his hands on Maia's shoulders, gazing deeply into her. Maia winced at the sheer agony in his eyes.

"I still love you, Princess," he whispered. "I hate it that your job is dangerous and I know I can't live with that thought of you in constant danger. So where does that leave me?"

Lee bent down and brush his lips gently on Maia's.

"I'm afraid to get lost in your kisses again," Lee said ruefully. "All those feelings, all those years, they just came roaring back."

"I'm sorry Lee. You shouldn't see me again after this," Maia choked back a sob. Her heart was breaking with what she had done to someone she cared about.

"No. No, Princess. Don't say that," Lee said and smiled wryly. "After all, most rock stars become successful because they're broken in some way."

"That's not funny."

Maia's phone dinged with a text message. She glanced down and saw a short message from Jack.

"WHY THE HELL DID YOU LEAVE THE HOTEL !!!"

Damn those surveillance guys. They must have woken him up.

"Fuck," Maia muttered.

"Everything all right?"

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