Obsession

16

DREW KNEW AN ALL-CONSUMING relief as he softly kissed Josie’s sweet lips. She didn’t resist. Moreover, she appeared to want the contact as much as he did.

Dear God, he didn’t know what he’d done to deserve this chance, but he wasn’t about to screw it up now.

He ran his thumb along her cheek then entwined his fingers in her dark, silky curls, pressing her nearer to him. She smelled like heaven and tasted even better.

Finally, she turned her head slightly, crushing her nose against the side of his neck, her breathing rapid and shallow.

“I need…time,” she whispered.

Time was something neither one of them had, judging by everything he’d learned during his research.

But time was what he had to give her. He owed it to her. Even though he knew that with a few expert touches she’d writhe, needing and wanting, under his power.

“Okay.”

He stepped away from her. Not far. A mere few inches. But she blinked at him as if he’d moved across the room.

“How long…”

She looked away, as if the beginning of the question she’d been about to ask wasn’t one she wanted to hear the answer to.

“How much longer am I staying?”

She nodded, although she still avoided his gaze.

“I leave tomorrow.”

Her eyes flooded with pain as she stared at him.

“Not for good. I have some things I have to see to. Some business matters.”

She bit her bottom lip, her hand going to the side of her neck. “Related to the Josephine?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

She didn’t say anything for long moments.

“No more secrets, Drew. Please.”

He groaned inwardly, wishing he could erase the hurt from her lovely face.

“Just one more.”

Because in the past few minutes with her, witnessing her generous spirit and heart, realizing she was forgiving him even though she hadn’t said the words, he decided not to tell her what he was doing. He didn’t want her to refuse what she would certainly see as an act of charity. Instead, he felt that incredible desire to take care of her again. To move heaven and earth to get her what she wanted. And she wanted this hotel. No matter how battered. No matter the ghosts that walked the halls. No matter the darkness that lurked in the shadows.

He realized that he could just as easily have been describing Josie herself and his own need for her.

He took the card from the Marriott from his shirt pocket on which he’d scribbled his cell phone number. “My flight leaves in the morning.” He took her hand, turned it palm up, then placed the card there before putting his fingers over them both.

He didn’t say anything more. Didn’t have to. They both knew that the act of his giving her the card meant it was up to her if she wanted to see him. All she had to do was call.

Drew leaned forward and pressed his lips to her temple, breathing in the fresh, sexy scent of her. Then he turned and walked away, even though it killed him to think that it might be for the last time.

JOSIE STAYED IN THE KITCHEN by herself for a long time after Drew had left her. She’d drifted to a stool at the island where their love affair had begun a few short days before. She wanted to believe what Drew had told her. Wanted it with every cell in her body, every breath she took in.

She was so preoccupied with her thoughts, trying to work everything out, she didn’t hear someone come in.

“Uh-huh. You got it bad, girl.”

Josie blinked Anne-Marie into focus, an exasperated Philippe standing next to her.

“What…”

She was going to ask what Anne-Marie was doing there, but didn’t get the words out before deciding Philippe had probably contacted her.

Josie got up from the stool and continued making coffee for herself, including cups for her two friends. By the time she was done, they were both sitting at the cutting board.

“Is it true?” Anne-Marie asked. “Was Morrison here to get you to sell the Josephine?”

Josie nodded as she took a deep sip from her coffee.

“I knew it. I knew there was something about him. Something that kept coming up in the cards. Mystery. Deception.”

“So what did he say?” Philippe asked. “Did he come here to finish the job?”

She remembered what Drew had said about his intentions having changed and smiled softly. “No.”

“But he tried.”

“Yes. But not in the way you think.” She put her cup down. “It had nothing to do with the hotel.”

“Maybe it should have.” Anne-Marie drank from her own cup, causing her bracelets to clank.

“How so?”

Her friend shook her dark head, which was covered with the usual African head wrap. “Josie, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but this place, the Josephine, is packed full of bad karma.” She looked around as if half-afraid an entity might materialize from out of thin air and go for her throat. “It’s all I can do to sit here with you.”

Josie absorbed her words. “Are you telling me I should sell?”

Anne-Marie’s eyes were sober. “I’m saying that maybe you should consider it.”

Josie felt as if the ceiling had just fallen in on her.

The one person she’d expected to try to talk her into giving up the Josephine-Drew-hadn’t, while her best friend, a woman she’d known for countless years, who knew how much the hotel was a part of her, was.

The day was beginning to emerge as one of the most unpredictable of her life.

She looked at Philippe, who was considering his coffee.

“Maybe she’s right, Jos.”

She couldn’t believe she was hearing this. She moved to get up from the table.

Anne-Marie placed a stilling hand on her arm. “We’re just concerned about you, girl. We see how much you have on your shoulders. You’ve been carrying quite a burden since your granme passed to the other side and it’s only gotten heavier since the murders.” She shook her head. “I say maybe you should take what they’re offering and run. Start up a new life someplace else. Somewhere that isn’t as haunted by the past as this place is.”

A part of her recognized that what they were saying was right. Another felt betrayed for the second time that day.

She met Anne-Marie’s pitying gaze. “I want you to help me rid the hotel of that bad karma,” she said point-blank.

Her comment appeared to be the last thing either of them had expected her to say.

She’d surprised even herself.

“If it’s true that this place is cursed, then you’re just the person to help me, right?”

Anne-Marie didn’t appear to know what to say. “I thought you didn’t buy into any of that.”

“At this point, I’m just about willing to try anything.”

Philippe made a tsk-tsking sound and got up to refresh his coffee, topping off Josie’s cup as well, while Anne-Marie appeared to ponder what Josie was asking.

“You can’t just try, chérie. You must believe.”

“Believe in the ritual?”

“Believe that good can conquer evil. That love triumphs over all.”

Love…

Anne-Marie’s gaze narrowed on her. Then she appeared to come to some sort of understanding, while Josie felt like the other woman had just gazed straight down into the very chamber of her heart.

Anne-Marie nodded. “Yes, yes. This just might work.”

DREW PACED THE LENGTH of his room then back again. His suitcase was packed, as was his laptop.

He looked at his watch. Three hours had passed since he’d left Josie standing alone in the kitchen. Walking away from her had been, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the hardest thing he’d ever done. Harder than facing a battalion of heavily armed Iraqi soldiers on the border of Kuwait. More difficult than his divorce. Tougher than his demotion when his divorce had delivered a blow he hadn’t expected.

She wasn’t going to call.

Shit.

But he hadn’t been called “The Closer” for nothing. He’d be damned if he’d give in that easily.

Leaving his suitcase and briefcase sitting near the door, he went out into the hall, his intention to head over to the Josephine and do what he probably should have earlier. Kiss Josie until she remembered none of the bad and wanted nothing more than to enjoy more of the good.

His cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He slowed his purposeful stride down the hall and fished it out of his pants.

“Hello?”

“Drew?”

Josie.

He stopped and closed his eyes.

“If you’re free, I’d like you to come over tonight. Say around ten?”

Ten. A good four hours away. He didn’t think he could survive it.

But he would have to.

“I’ll be there.”