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Nodding, Leo folded the papers and stuffed them in his back pocket. He followed her out of the room, his hand on her lower back. But before they had time to disappear, they heard voices down the hall. One male, one female.
“Shit!” Amelia hissed, eyes wide. She glanced down the hall, then at Leo, who was fumbling with the lock on the doorknob. “Shit, shit, shit!”
There was no time to hide. No time to do anything. She hauled Leo to his feet, slammed Ari’s door, and ran for their room. If they could just unlock it and slip inside—
“You are such an idiot, Ari,” Vanessa’s voice spat, coming around the corner. “I’m not getting involved with this. I like my job, and I’m not messing it up for you.” Her heels clacked on the wooden floors, and Amelia knew they were caught. They had mere seconds.
Ari’s voice was a low rumble, and she could barely make out the words. “There’s no risk, Vanessa. I’ve got the clients all lined up already.”
What?
The tip of his glossy black shoe appeared from around the corner. Amelia shoved Leo against the wall next to their door, wrapped an arm around his neck, and pulled him down for a kiss. He froze in shock for a long, long moment, and Amelia wanted to scream at him to put his arms around her. She couldn’t scream, because her mouth was otherwise occupied, so she thought very hard in his direction.
At the very last second, when two bodies appeared in her peripheral vision, Leo wrapped his arms around Amelia, slid them down to her bum, and hauled her up against his chest. Then he spun around and slammed her against the wall, shoving his groin into the cradle of her hips.
At the contact of his body against hers, the noise that came out of her was totally unplanned, and she didn’t know if it was due to the physical impact or the sheer eroticism of Leo’s movements. Having no other choice, she wrapped her arms and legs around Leo’s body, which brought her crotch into direct contact with his. She wore a fluttery, calf-length skirt that trapped her legs tight to his body, and also meant that the only thing between Leo’s jeans and Amelia’s core was the thin scrap of her underwear.
Apparently, thinking very hard at someone worked really, really well.
A wolf whistle split the air. Leo tore his lips away from hers, breathing heavily, and shot a glare down the hall. Slightly dazed, Amelia blinked and followed his gaze.
Ari and Vanessa were at the mouth of the hallway, watching them.
“Couldn’t even make it to the room, huh,” Ari called out, a grin painted on his lips. “Didn’t take you for an exhibitionist, St. James.”
Vanessa’s expression was pinched. She said nothing.
“Do you mind?” Leo asked, like he had every right to be making out with Amelia in the hallway, in the open, where anyone could (and did) walk by.
Ari laughed, but there was something odd about his expression. It seemed a bit forced. “Come on, Neale,” he said to Vanessa. “Let’s leave the lovebirds to it.”
They turned away and headed back the way they came. Leo let Amelia slide down the wall until she was on her feet before creeping to Ari’s room to re-lock the door. He opened it, turned the lock on the knob, then closed it again, eyes on the far end of the hallway. Then he met Amelia’s gaze and tilted his head to indicate they should leave.
On shaking legs, Amelia joined him. Somewhere along the way, she’d gotten incredibly turned on. That hadn’t been part of the plan.
“Are you okay?” Leo said in a low voice that made Amelia’s nipples tingle.
She nodded vigorously. “Uh-huh.”
“Did I hurt you?”
“No,” she said. It wasn’t pain she had felt when he’d pinned her against the wall. It was something else entirely.
He seemed to relax then. “Good.”
There was a pause. All the stress and adrenaline of the last hour crashed into them as they stared into each other’s eyes until Amelia’s lips began to twitch. She covered them with a hand, but it wasn’t enough. A little giggle slipped through, and when she lifted her gaze to his, she caught Leo’s shoulder’s shaking.
Then, like a dam breaking, they burst out laughing, stumbling to their own room. Leo opened the door, and they crashed inside, leaning on walls and furniture as they cackled.
“Worst sleuths ever,” Amelia said, wiping her eyes. “What did you even take?”
Leo pulled the papers out of his pocket and took a look. “A list of clients. I don’t recognize any names.”
“So, basically, we’re no closer to finding the ring or even knowing if it’s actually been stolen.”
Leo met her gaze, a wry grin teasing his lips. “Yep.” He stuffed the papers under a couch cushion and spun around to look at Amelia. “We’ll look at those later. We need to start participating in the scavenger hunt or people will ask questions.”
Taking her hand, Leo led her back down the stairs and into the foyer. They took a picture in front of the correct painting in the powder room, and Amelia hoped she didn’t look as dazed as she felt.
