Patterson, James - Alex Cross 8 - Four Blind Mice

I went back to the dining room to clear away the rest of the dishes, but I couldn't resist taking a quick peek out the front window to check on Jamilla and the kids.

They were out in the street, tossing around Damon's football. The three of them were laughing. I also noticed that Jamilla had a real good arm, threw a tight, little spiral. She was used to playing with the boys.

Alex Cross 8 - Four Blind Mice

Chapter Thirty-Four

Jamilla was staying in the bedroom at the top of the stairs, the room we always kept for special guests -presidents, queens, prime ministers and the like. The kids thought we were doing it for appearances, and we would have, but the unvarnished truth was that Jam and I had never been together that way, never even kissed before the airport reunion. Jamilla was here to find out if things should go any further between the two of us.

She came in through the back door of the kitchen while I was finishing up the dishes. The kids were still playing outside and Nana was straightening up God knows what upstairs. Probably the guest room, but maybe the hall bathroom. Or the linen closet?

“I can't stand it,” I finally said.

“What?”she asked. “What's wrong?”

“You really want to know?”

“Of course I do. We're buddies, right?”

I didn't answer, but I grabbed hold of Jamilla's shoulders and kissed her on the mouth. Then I kissed her again. I was keeping an eye peeled for the kids.

And Nana, of course.

And Rosie our cat, who is a big gossip too.

Jamilla started to laugh. “They all think we're doing a lot worse than this the kids, your grandmother, even that nosey cat.”

“Thinking is different to knowing,” I said.

“I like your family a lot,” Jamilla said as she stared into my eyes,“ I even like the cat. Hiya there, Rosie. You gonna tell everybody about our kisses?”

“I like you,” I said as I held Jamilla in my arms.

“A lot? ”she asked as she pulled away. “You better like me a lot after I came all the way here from San Francisco. God, I hate plane rides these days!”

“Maybe I do like you a lot. I don't see you saying too much. Not a lot of reciprocation going on here.”

She grabbed me again and kissed me harder. She pressed into me and then she slid her tongue into my mouth. I liked that a lot. I was starting to respond in kind, which probably wasn't a fantastic idea in the kitchen.

“Get a room,” we heard a voice behind us.

Nana was there, but she was laughing. “Let me call in the kids. I want them to see this too,” she said. “Let me get my Instamatic camera.”

“She's fooling with us,” I told Jam.

“I know,” she said.

“Heck I am,” said Nana. “I'm rooting for Alex to get to third base.” She was cackling like a cartoon crow again.

Alex Cross 8 - Four Blind Mice

Chapter Thirty-Five

I woke up alone in bed the next morning with the sheets thrown every which way around my body. I was kind of used to the feeling, but I didn't like it anymore than I ever had, especially with Jamilla sleeping just down the hallway in the spare bedroom. I hoped she was okay with how things were going and didn't want to go back to San Francisco already.

I lay in bed for a few minutes, thinking about other people who wake up feeling alone, even though some of them do share a bed with somebody else. Finally, I slid into some loose-fitting clothes, then tiptoed down the hall to check on Jamilla.

I tapped lightly on the door.

“I'm awake. Come in,” I heard her say.

It was a nice sound, her voice musical, sweet. I pushed against the door and it opened with a soft whine.

“Morning, Alex. I slept great,” Jamilla said. She was sitting up in bed, wearing a white tee-shirt with SFPD printed on it in black. She started to laugh. “Sexy, huh?”

“Actually, yeah. Detectives can be sexy. Samuel T. Jackson in Shaft, Pam Grier in Foxy Brown. Jamilla Hughes in the guest bedroom.”

She whispered, “Come over here, you. Just for a minute. Come here, Alex. That's an order.”

I came forward and Jamilla reached out her arms. I slid into them like I belonged there. Kind of nice. “Where were you when I needed you last night?” I asked her.

“I was right here in the guest room,” she smiled, and winked. “Listen, I don't want your kids to get the wrong idea either. But.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “But?” I asked. “But what?”

“Just but. I'll leave the rest up to you.”

As we were finishing breakfast in the kitchen, without the cloth napkins I told Nana and the kids that Jamilla and I were going to tour Washington for the rest of the day. We needed a little time to ourselves. The kids just nodded over their cereal bowls; they'd been expecting as much.

“I won't expect you two home for supper then,” Nana said. “Is that right?”

“That's right,”I said. “We'll catch a meal in town.”

“Uh huh,” Nana said.

“Uh huh,” said the kids.

I drove about four miles from the house on Fifth. I pulled into 2020 O Street and stopped the car. Some people might have trouble finding the place, or even any information about the Mansion on O Street. There's no sign hanging outside, no indication that it isn't a private residence. Most guests come to the Mansion because of word of mouth. I happen to know the owner through friends at Kinkead's restaurant in Foggy Bottom.

Jamilla and I went inside, where I registered, and then we were brought upstairs to the Log Cabin room. Along the way, just about every surface, corner, cranny and crevice was filled with antique puppets, lithographs, jewelry in glass cases. We took it all in. Silently.

A strange thing happened to me on our way upstairs. I had the thought, here I go again. It almost caused me to stop walking and head back to the car. But something inside told me not to give up, not to shut feelings out, to put my trust in Jamilla.

Neither of us said a word until the bellman was gone.

Alex Cross 8 - Four Blind Mice

Chapter Thirty-Six

I could get used to this in a hurry!“ Jamilla whispered when we were alone in the room. ”Let's explore this place. It's beautiful, perfect, Alex. Almost too nice."

And so we explored.

The Log Cabin room was an amazing two stories that even included a sauna-Jacuzzi. The loft was reached by spiral stairs and had a full kitchen. The walls and floors were wood-paneled to suggest the simply hewn tongue-and-groove design of a cabin. A rough-cut, stone-framed fireplace was there to keep everything cozy. There was also an aquarium.

Jamilla did a quick, gleeful dance. She obviously approved, and so did I, mainly because she was happy. It sure was a whole lot better than the front seats of cars where we'd spent so many hours together during surveillance details in New Orleans.

As we checked out the suite, we explored each other a little, too. We stopped to kiss and I discovered once again that Jamilla had the sweetest-tasting mouth. We held each other and danced in place. We kissed some more and my head began to feel light. I was still nervous, and I couldn't quite figure out why.

Jamilla slowly unbuttoned my denim shirt and I helped her loosen and then slip out of a cream-colored silk blouse. Under her shirt, she wore a plain, thin, silver chain. Very simple and lovely.

Her hands gently unfastened my belt, then loosened my pants. I helped her out of her leather ones. “Such a gentleman,” she said. Somewhere along the way I kicked off my shoes and she did the same with her sandals.

Which finally, somehow, brought the two of us to the centerpiece of the suite a king-size bed.

“I like this, ”she whispered against my cheek. “Nicest bed I ever saw.”