A little while later, I’m finishing up a call on the professor’s’ background when Kyle comes up and tosses a notepad and a sandwich down in front of me.

"Well," he pulls up a chair, flips it around backwards straddling it as he unwraps his own sandwich, "we know where he was."

"Was?"

He gestures to the notepad. "After arriving in New York very late last night, he took a taxi to the Best Western near Times Square."

I groan. "Of course he did. What other hotel would he stay at?" I unwrap the sandwich, continuing to look over Kyle’s notes, careful not to make a lot of eye contact with him. He might get the wrong idea and I’d rather Harper not kill him. It could be bad for our relationship if she gets convicted of killing a FBI agent. "But he’s not there now?"

"Nope, but if he comes back, we have a man waiting for him. Right now, as best we know, he’s out wandering around New York City. We’re also following up on a few calls he made from his room."

Great, just great. He’s out there and so is Harper.

With our luck they’ll run smack dab into each other while she’s at lunch.


* * *

I used to hate hotel room beds. Until I found a better way to wake up in them. I smile as I struggle into consciousness, feeling Kels cuddled up against my back with her arm around my waist. I run my hand over her arm and inhale deeply, feeling totally satisfied. Very content. This is an interesting sensation. One I could get used to.

She stretches behind me and groans. This is the way she wakes up in the mornings. Funny, I not only know that she has tea every morning, but I also know what signals the fact she waking up. This is definitely a first in my life. I’ve never had time to learn anyone else’s habits.

I roll over and brush back the hair from her face. "Merry Christmas, Little Roo."

She nods and snuggles into me without opening her eyes. This is her sign that she’s not quite awake and has no desire to be so anytime soon.

I hold her close, feeling very protective of her right now. Between stalkers, serial killers and anthrax nut flakes, we’ve been having a rough couple weeks. And all I want is her to feel safe in my arms. I kiss the top of her head and close my eyes, content to doze and just hold her.

I jump a few moments later when I feel a hand someplace I certainly don’t have one. I open my eyes and look into her now very playful face.

"Oh, so that’s how it’s gonna be, huh? You lured me into an ambush," I chide, loving every moment of it.

She nods again then attaches her lips to my neck as her hands begin roaming my body. Oh yeah, this is good. She seems to enjoy making love first thing in the morning. Not that I particularly care what time of the day she chooses.

"Ah, Kels…" I roll over on my back and enjoy the feeling of being loved by this woman. "So nice," I manage as my eyes slip closed, my hands rubbing up and down her back.

The knock on the door to our room is a huge fucking distraction. Can’t people read a goddamn do not disturb sign? I whimper when she pauses. Don’t stop, Kels. Please, don’t stop.

"Kelsey, I know you’re in there. Open the door!" The woman’s voice is harsh.

"Ah, fuck!" Kels groans. She slaps the mattress then rolls out of bed, pulling on a robe.

"What is going on?" I’m so totally frustrated right now I can’t think. Why is she stopping?

"It’s my mother," Kels explains, tying off her robe.

"Your mother?" Jesus H. Christ! Suddenly, I feel like I should be jumping into my clothes and looking for the nearest exit. Which, of course, would be out the door she’s knocking on. I wonder if she’d think I was just delivering room service.

Service with a smile.

Kels comes and kneels next to the bed, and gives me a long, lingering kiss. She brushes my hair back from my face. "Relax. I came out to my mother years ago, just to piss her off. If I’m really lucky, I’ll get a big Christmas present and she’ll have a stroke when she sees you." She examines me and pulls the sheet up around my very nude body reluctantly. "Just follow my lead."

I nod dumbly, tucking the sheet around me. "I can do that." As if I have a choice.

"Good."

What the hell is it with her family and friends anyhow? Every time she starts doing wonderful things to my body, they manage to ruin it.

There is another demanding knock on the door.

"Kelsey Diane! Open this door, right now!"

Diane? Huh, I didn’t know that. I like it. It’s pretty. Well, hell, she’s pretty.

She smiles a truly evil smile and opens the door. The woman breezes into the room, completely oblivious to my presence. She starts speaking as she pulls off her gloves.

"It’s about time, Kelsey. Did you plan on keeping me waiting in the hall all day?"

I can feel my brows coming together as I watch this woman. She’s so fucking self-absorbed and I don’t like her tone of voice with Kels. At all.

"Merry Christmas, Mother. What are you doing here?" Kels moves into the bathroom and retrieves a robe for me. She walks past her mother, who is peeling off her coat, and gives me the robe, but signals me to stay put. She sits at the foot of the bed and waits for the woman to focus.

"I called that place you work for in Los Angeles and they told me you were in…" Her tirade comes to a sudden stop when she finally takes in the picture before her. The look of shock, horror and disapproval is clear. She turns her back to us. "Kelsey, get dressed this minute! How dare you! "

"How dare I?" She’s on her feet, gesturing with her hands. "Oh, please, Mother! You stormed in here. Live with the consequences of your own actions. And you could at least be civil and let me introduce you to Harper."

She turns back around, squaring her shoulders, looking down at me. The look on her face is indicative of an extremely unpleasant odor.

I simply wait her out. I have to fight back the smirk and the ‘Hi, Mom’ that wants to cross my lips.

"Mother, this is Harper, my partner" she pauses as she smiles at me, "in every way. Harper, this is my mother, Katherine Stanton."

I’m really not quite sure what to say, so I simply nod. I know Kels is dragging this out for the pleasure of torturing this woman. Look up the word ‘Bitch’ in the dictionary, you’ll find a picture of Kels’ mother.

Mother Stanton nods stiffly back at me. And I used to think Kels was uptight.

"Harper, darling," Kels turns to me, "why don’t you go grab a shower while I visit with Mother?" She offers an evil smile, wrinkling her nose at me. Ah, this would be my cue to scandalize Mother.

I get out of bed. Kels knows I never put on my robe without a good stretch first. Why should this morning be any different? Mother comes in, Mother deals with life as she finds it. I can almost see the aneurysm taking form in the woman’s head when I stretch. My Little Roo really does have a mean streak.

Note to self: Never, ever piss Kels off.

I put on my robe. I am then rewarded with a long, deep kiss and sent to the showers like a good team player. Damn, I’m glad I joined this team. The others aren’t nearly as much fun. I let a little chuckle escape as I close the bathroom door.

I start off with a cold shower. I need it. Ice cubes coming out and hitting my body would be about right for this occasion. Or I could ask Kels’ mom to join me. That’d freeze the water on anyone’s ass.

Ew, what a thought, Harper.

I shake my head to rid myself of horrific images and I begin to slowly warm the water and get down to the business of getting clean. Kels’ singing of a Kermit the Frog song the other day now has me humming "Rubber Ducky" as I lather myself up.

After a few rousing choruses of my new favorite song, I hear the door to our room slam. I begin rinsing so I can go make sure Kels is all right when I hear the bathroom door open and close. Very soon I find myself pressed against the shower wall by a very feisty Little Roo.

"You okay?" I manage to croak out before I’m lost to her touch again.

"Merry Christmas," she replies before beginning a heated, torturous exploration of my body.

I look down at Kels who appears to have only one goal in mind at the moment. A goal I can most definitely live with. "Oh, Christ!" I extend my hands, bracing myself against the shower walls to keep from collapsing right here.

Where in the hell is this coming from? She’s like a woman possessed.

Don’t ask stupid questions, Harper, just go with it.

As I slowly slide down the wall after one of the more amazing experiences in my life, I pull her into my arms. I imagine what this would be like out in the rain, in the middle of a sweet-smelling field. God, we’ll have to try that some time.

"She called me a whore," she whispers quietly, completely ending any fantasies I am concocting at the moment.

I’m going to hurt the bitch before this is over. I tighten my hold on Kels. "You know that’s not true." Now, if Mother Stanton only knew who her daughter was sleeping with. I’d like to see her call me a whore to my face. Somehow, I think Mother Stanton’s ‘bravery’ is rather situational. The bitch.

"Five people. I’ve had five lovers in my life." She clings to me there in the bottom of the shower.

"It’s all right, sweetheart," I whisper in her ear, holding her as close as possible. "You’re one of the finest people I know. And I’m so glad to be a part of your life." The words are out before I can censor them. Though, I don’t know if I want to. She needs to hear this, and, I believe, she needs to hear it from me.

And, with any luck, Kels, you’ll never have a sixth lover. If I have anything to say about it.