Don't Look Down Read online

  "What makes you think I'm that easy?" he said.

  She stepped across the bedroll and pulled him to her, kissing him good, feeling herself shiver because it was him.

  "Right," he said when he came up for air. "This afternoon. Hotel room."

  "Damn straight," Lucy said, and kissed him again, loving the way he made her head reel. "You are definitely my Animal of the Month," she said, and kissed him one more time, and then she sighed and started off for the road until he caught her. "I have to get back," she said, tickled that she'd gotten him that easily, and he turned her in the opposite direction.

  "That's back," he said, pointing through the woods in the other direction.

  Okay, so you're not that easy. "I knew that," she said, fighting a grin. "I was just testing you."

  "How'd I do?"

  "You're adequate," she said, and he swatted her on the rear as she stepped across the bedroll and headed back for the camper.

  By the time Lucy hit the edge of base camp, the sky was just beginning to show pink in the east and she was awake enough to realize that walking out of a swamp with some of her clothes in her hands could cause comment. And then there was the goofy smile she was pretty sure was still on her face from being swatted on the butt by a tight-assed military man.

  Such a human thing for him to do. Much like the things he'd been doing for the rest of the night, she thought, and grinned again. She sidled around the back of the trucks and made it to the camper without seeing anybody, feeling stupid for sneaking, but too damn happy to really care. She'd had great sex with an epiphany in the middle. Let 'em comment.

  Then she yanked open the door and saw Daisy sitting at the camper table, yawning.

  "And where have you been, little girl?" Daisy said, grinning sleepily.

  "In the woods with a wolf." Lucy climbed into the camper. "Why are you up before dawn?"

  "I left my pills in the motel, so I couldn't sleep," Daisy said, and Lucy felt her giddy happiness slip away.

  "But you were so tired and happy-"

  "I was thinking about what you said," Daisy said. "About not shooting tonight. They'll never let you cancel, Lucy. I appreciate you trying, but they won't stop."

  Oh hell. Lucy kicked herself. One night of lust in the woods and she forgot about everything but herself. Daisy was right, there was no way Nash was just going to roll over because she said so. Well, at least they had J.T. on their side. She was developing a touching faith in his ability to save people.

  "But if we make it through this, we're going back to New York with you," Daisy said, and Lucy stared at her. Daisy shrugged. "I'll get a job or work with you, and we'll find a school for Pepper, and maybe I can go to school nights. But you're right, from now on we're together."

  Lucy sat down in the chair across from her. "Daisy, I know you're not happy about New York." So maybe I'll move down here and start over. In the clear light of a satisfied morning, that option was looking better. Not practical, probably not even possible, but better.

  "It isn't New York. I wanted to make it on my own," Daisy said.

  "You have been." Lucy leaned across to take her hand. "That's what's been wrong. Nobody makes it on their own. God, I'd be nuts if it weren't for Gloom. You're supposed to have backup."

  "You never did," Daisy said.

  "Of course I did," Lucy said. "I had you."

  Daisy blinked at her. "I was your backup?"

  "Always. You were always there for me." She tightened her grip on Daisy's hand. "And I'm so glad you're going to be with me again. I know it's selfish but I so much want you with me."

  "Oh." Daisy blinked and swallowed. "Oh, that's really good, that I was your backup. I know it's not true, but it sounds so good."

  "It's true," Lucy said, and thought, I'm just not sure I want to go back

  to New York now. How wimpy was she if one night of great sex could make her move next door to alligators? "About New York-"

  Somebody knocked on the door of the camper and opened it.

  "You left-" J.T. said, and stopped as he saw Daisy. He was holding Lucy's WonderWear, which Lucy took from him smoothly.

  "Thank you," she said.

  "Why does he have your WonderWear?" Daisy asked Lucy, grinning at her.

  "Because we had hot animal sex in the woods last night," Lucy said.

  J.T. swallowed. "So. Well. I have to go now."

  "Chicken," Lucy said. "But go ahead." Her smiled faded. "I have to call the hospital to check on Stephanie, and go talk to Gloom, and then Finnegan will probably call again-"

  "Again?" J.T. said, stopping with the door half closed. "When did he call?"

  "Yesterday at the accident, after I threw Nash's phone in the swamp," Lucy said. "He wanted to know if the van was all right and I said no…" Her voice trailed off at the look on his face.

  "How did he know the van was missing?" J.T. said.

  "Nash probably called him," Daisy said.

  "No," J.T. said. "I heard the van go when I saw Nash on the phone, he called whoever it was who stopped the van. I thought it was Finnegan, but if Finnegan called looking for Nash, ir was somebody else." He frowned at Lucy, all business. "Why'd he call you?"

  "I threw Nash's cell phone in the swamp before Finnegan could answer," Lucy said, feeling a little chilled by his focus on work. "So who called Finnegan?"

  "The mole," Daisy said, "whoever that is," and Lucy watched J.T.'s face clear.

  "I know who that is," he said and left.

  Lucy got up to follow him. "Go back to bed," she said to Daisy. "I'll take you and Pepper to the hotel when we get back."

  "Okay," Daisy said. "But when you come back I want to know who the mole is." She raised her voice as Lucy went out the door. "And everything you did last night!"

  Lucy picked up speed to get to the Jeep before he left without her, telling herself that being disappointed because he was back in mission mode was ridiculous. J.T. would find the mole, she knew that, because he would always come through for her.

  And that really is something, she thought, and began to run to catch him.

  Lucy got to him just as he was heading down the road to his Jeep. "Wait a minute."

  He slowed for her.

  "Where are we going? Who's the mole?"

  "Mary Vanity."

  Lucy gaped at him. "You're kidding."

  "Nash and I saw her crossing the lot with her cell phone, and then you came out. The only other person around to see Stephanie take the van was Daisy-"

  "It's not Daisy."

  "So it has to be Mary Vanity," J.T. said.

  Lucy shook her head, flummoxed. That gormless, wet makeup girl had been keeping watch for Finnegan. And Nash had called someone to stop Stephanie. There were traitors everywhere, she couldn't trust anybody, and tonight people actually thought they were going to bring in the helicopter and shoot a stunt? Fat chance.

  "Finnegan say anything else?" J.T. asked, interrupting her train of thought.

  "He wanted to meet me."

  J.T. froze in his tracks. "He's close by?"

  "Well, I would assume so if he wanted to meet." She saw the look on J.T.'s face. "Why? What's wrong?"

  "I was told he wasn't in the country."

  "Told by whom?"

  J.T. headed for the Jeep again.

  "Hey," Lucy said, trying to catch up. "Look, there's no hurry, I told him I'm canceling tonight's shoot, so it's all over anyway. Except for him suing me for four million dollars. Do you think he's really going to do that?" Her head started to throb.

  "I don't think canceling is an option," J.T. said as they reached the Jeep. "Get in, we'll talk about it."

  "It's an option because I'm doing it." She stopped beside the Jeep, wary now. He couldn't possibly be trying to talk her into shooting those stunts, not with everything that had happened. "This is over. No more accidents, no more sabotage, no more people in danger."

  J.T. got into the driver's seat. "Honey, you have to keep the shoot going. Take as many peop