“She’s been taking target practice.” She pulled her phone out. “Kevin, we need you in here. We got another note – and we need someone to take us back to the hotel. Joshua looks like he’s gonna be sick.”

“Coming,” was Kevin’s reply.

James put her arms around JC. “Steady, baby,” she crooned.

“James...”

“It’s okay. Hold it together just a few more minutes, Joshua. Just a few more minutes.”

A moment later, Kevin appeared, taking the note into a plastic bag. JC pointed out the waiter who had delivered it, then was gently escorted to the waiting limo by James.

The moment the door closed, JC crumpled. He began to sob – fear, frustration, helplessness poured out. James knelt beside him, letting him bury his face in her breasts.

“Hush, sweetheart. It’s okay,” she murmured in his hair.

“It is not okay, James. I want this to be over. I am sick of this.”

“I know...I know, baby. Maybe there are enough clues this time. Maybe she slipped up...”

“Maybe she’ll actually kill you.”

“No, Josh, I’m a wily old bird.”

“James...” He continued to weep helplessly, her arms his only comfort.

By the time they reached the hotel, JC was cried out, nearly limp from the expenditure of emotion. James undressed him and put him to bed. When she made to move away, he grabbed her hand.

“Where are you going?” he demanded.

“Not far. I’m going to see if Kevin found out anything, then I’ll take off my makeup and be back.”

“Don’t go anywhere.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

The promise soothed him and he lay back. “I’m such a wimp.”

“No, Joshua, you’re under a lot of pressure.” She brushed a kiss along his brow. “I’ll be right back.”

“I think she may have left enough behind,” Kevin told James over the phone.

“Good. I don’t think Josh can take much more.”

“He did seem kinda brittle...”

“I’m taking him to Chicago in the morning.”

“His folks?”

“Yes. We’ll do some zigzagging and have no checked luggage. If the stalker is looking for him, she’ll have a tough time following. I’ll use my credit card.”

“You know best.”

“He needs his family, some safe haven.”

“What can I do?”

“Make sure I have a car when I get there.”

After making more arrangements with Kevin, James rung off and went to the bathroom. She removed her make up and changed into her nightgown.

JC was still awake when she slipped into bed.

“I was gonna peel that dress off of you.”

“Some other time,” she said as she switched off the light.

“James...”

“Come here, baby.” She urged his head against her shoulder as her arms went around him. She kissed and nuzzled his hair, giving comfort.

“You’re so strong, Lady J.” He was so very glad his James was with him. If the cool stranger she was just yesterday had been at his side, he didn’t know if he’d been able to handle it.

“Go to sleep, baby. We have a long day tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“We are going to Chicago, but we can’t go the direct route and we can only take carry-on luggage.”

“Just you?”

“Just me. Will your parents care if we just show up?”

“No.”

“Then prepare to eat airline food a good portion of tomorrow.”

“As long as you are with me, baby.”

“I’m here, Joshua.”

Soothed by her presence, JC felt his body and mind relax. “I can’t...well, you know tonight.”

“I’ll survive one night,” she mused.

He slid one hand across her satin clad middle to rest his hand on her hip, to hold her close. “Night, James.”

“Night, Josh.”

Safe in the sweet comfort of her arms, JC let himself drift off to sleep, his head pillowed by her soft breasts.

It was a manic day. They woke early, tossed some needed articles in small duffle bags, grabbed her laptop and off to the airport. James explained they would go to several different cities, not approaching Chicago directly. It was tiring, tedious, and nerve-racking for JC. He lost himself in sleep as long as he had her hand in his. When they finally touched down in O’Hare early that evening, he was ready to stop and catch a breath.

At the car rental place, she had a nondescript dark blue sedan waiting for her. Once in the car, she handed him her cellphone so he could alert his parents, saying he’d talk more when he arrived.

Karen Chasez opened the door for her weary son and his girlfriend. He, for one, never thought the small woman’s arms felt so good around him.

“Hey, Mom.”

“You look terrible.”

“Thanks. I feel pretty wiped out.”

“We held dinner.” Karen motioned James in. “Come in, please.”

Pulling back from his mother, he took James’ hand. “Mom, this is James Deerfield.”

“How do you do, Mrs. Chasez,” James acknowledged politely.

“Better than you, I think.” Karen smiled warmly. “You look only slightly less ragged than Josh.”

“It has been a long day.”

“Well, just set your things down and have some dinner, then you can get some rest.”

“Josh!” JC’s father boomed his enthusiastic greeting.

In his father’s strong, beefy embrace, JC felt like a frightened, tired little boy again. Tears flooded to the surface.

Roy held him close and let him cry. “It’s okay, son. You’re home.”

Both parents looked to James. “It’s been a rough couple of months for Joshua,” she stated ambiguously.

“She’s still after James,” JC sobbed.

Karen looked surprised. “Who?”

“Josh?” James asked and received a nod.

“Joshua has been pursued by a stalker set on eliminating all female competition.”

“Gracious!”

“It’s been several months now and Josh is about done in.”

“I should say so!” Karen rubbed her son’s back soothingly. “Feel like having something to eat, dear?”

“Yeah.” JC pulled himself together. “Sorry.”

“No need to apologize, son.” Roy patted his back. “This is scary business.”

Reclaiming James, JC said, “She’s my rock.”

Dinner passed quietly, son and parents catching up on events since they had last seen each other. Then JC explained about the stalker and his mother looked to James.

“And what do you do, James?” Karen asked.

“I’m a security consultant. I was asked to help out on the case. I met Josh – and things...”

“Clicked. She’s been with me every step of the way,” JC stated, smiling across the table at her. “She wouldn’t leave me even though she was shot.”

“Josh...”

“James is brave and strong and loyal.”

“Good qualities.” Roy said, noticing the warmth in his son’s eyes.

“Mrs. Chasez, the meal was wonderful. May I be excused?” James asked.

“Certainly, dear.”

“Me too, Mom. I’ll show James where to put her stuff,” JC rose to take James’ hand.

James came back to the room after her shower, feeling less grungy and ready to rest. She was surprised to see her gown laid across the bed. She hadn’t packed it.

JC wrapped his arms around her from behind, nuzzling her neck. “Wear it, baby.”

“I was gonna wear a tee shirt...”

“No, I need you to wear the gown.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

“You crawl into bed and rest. I’m gonna talk to Mom and Dad, then take my shower.”

“I’m going to check in with Kevin first.”

“Then get some rest. You don’t have to be ‘on’ tonight.” Dropping a quick kiss on her lips, he left the room.

“We may have her,” Kevin told James over the phone. His voice was exuberant; he enjoyed the chase. “People recall a blonde no one knew.”

“Wonderful! I hope to God she’s caught. Joshua’s at the end of his rope and it’s fraying fast.”

“He looked shell-shocked.”

“Being with his parents is exactly what he needs.”

“What about you, James? What happens when we get this wacko off the street?”

“What do you mean?”

“You and Chasez.”

“There won’t be any me and Chasez. He’ll get back to his life. I’ll get back to mine. There’s nothing between us but his loneliness and lust.”

“Are you sure?”

“That’s all there can be, Kevin.” Her voice was so firm it forbade argument.

“Well, you get some rest. This may go down fast.”

“Thanks for the hard work, Kevin. Keep in touch.” With that she rang off. At last she slid between the sheets to relax.

JC slipped quietly into the room, then into bed. James slept so peacefully, he decided against waking her. Tomorrow would be soon enough to love her.

“Joshua?” she mumbled as his arms came around her.

“Yeah, baby. Go back to sleep.”

“Oh…kay.” She let out a sweet little sigh and relaxed against him.

His brave, tough Lady J...tomorrow he would tell her what she meant to him.

James woke to the feel of soft, damp kisses along her neck and shoulder. JC was pressed against her back, his mouth on her flesh.

“Mmm...this is nice to wake to,” she purred.

“Morning, baby.”

“How are you this morning, Joshua?”

“Glad to be away from the pressure cooker for awhile.” He urged her to her back and he propped upon one elbow. Tenderly, he traced her face from forehead to chin. “You being with me helps a lot, but I needed to be here.”

“Your parents are wonderful.”

“Yes, they are.”

“Kevin said they may have enough to nab the stalker this time.”

He shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about that right now.”

“Oh?” She smiled wickedly and outlined his lips with a teasing finger. “What did you want to talk about?”

“You. Us.”

“Us?” Her smile was replaced with a frown.

“I love you, James. These last months I never would have survived them without you.”

“What you feel is gratitude, lust, and proximity.”

“No, baby. What I feel is love.” He lowered his mouth to hers, only to find her cheek instead. She’d turned away.

“You can’t love me,” she murmured.

“Why is that?”

“Because...because you can’t.”

Gently he took her chin in hand and brought her gaze to his again. “That isn’t a convincing argument.”

“We live in two different worlds...”

“You’ve lived in mine for months – and fit perfectly.”

“I was acting...”

“No, you weren’t. You’ve been real since the moment you took my hand at the club. You may try to pretend it was just lust and proximity. If that’s true, how come you came to me when you needed your itch scratched? Why not Kevin?”

James didn’t like what he was saying.

“Why did you let me skip condoms?”

“No risk...”

“There’s always some. You don’t let ‘just a client’ spill in you. You let a lover do that. It’s intimate.”

“Joshua...”

“And you don’t call me ‘JC.’ If you wanted to hold yourself apart from me, you would have used my initials.”

James felt trapped. His arguments were good. “I do care for you after a fashion, but it’s over as soon as the stalker is caught.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

Deadlocked.

Holding her chin still, JC lowered his mouth to hers. Just before their lips met, he whispered, “No, baby.” His mouth was mobile, coaxing, and excruciatingly tender.

After several moments of his attack, James whimpered in surrender. She buried her hands in his hair and became an eager participant.

The chime of her cellphone doused cold water on James’ libido. Pulling away, she snatched it up. “Deerfield.”

“Hey, Deerfield. It’s Kaplan.”

“Smartass.”

“Good morning to you too, James.” Kevin chuckled.

“What’s the news?”

“She’s in custody, attempted murder and stalking. She’ll probably plea mental defect.”

“As long as she’s off the streets.” To JC she said, “She’s been caught.”

“So when will you head this way?” Kevin asked.

“I’ll take the first flight I can.”

“I’ll pack for you.”

“Thanks.”

“What about Chasez?”

“I’ll pack for him when I get there...”

“I’m going with you, James.” JC told her.

“You don’t need to...”

“My stuff...”

“Can be dropped off at your home. You should spend some time with your parents.”

“Call me when you have a flight, James.” Kevin said and rang off.

With a heavy sigh, James set the phone down and rose from the bed.

“James...” JC tried to take her hand, but she evaded him.

She pulled clothes from her bag and began to dress.

“Baby, listen to me…” JC pleaded. “James, it doesn’t have to end here.”

“Yes, it does,” she stated flatly. “Right here and now.”

“James...”

Zipping up her duffle, she neglected to pack the nightgown. That wounded him deeply. She was the cold stranger he couldn’t reach once more.

Climbing off the bed, he murmured, “I’ll let you out.”

At the door, she said, “Thank your parents for their hospitality for me.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“Good-bye.”

The door closed between them.

“No, it’s not good-bye, James.”