The Denver Chronicles

Chapter 30

Charlotte woke to a loud bang.

Something had fallen in her room. Her heart racing, she sat up and fumbled with the drawer in the dresser next to the bed. She had a canister of pepper spray that she wanted to grab before turning on the bedside light. Fingers reaching into the darkness, she grabbed the small can in her hand and then reached for the lamp.

Something shuffled in the dark and then banged again. Charlotte wanted to yell, or to say something to the intruder but her throat appeared sealed shut. She couldn't make a sound, even

when she tried. Suddenly, light filtered into the room as the door flung itself open from the hallway entrance beyond the bed. Then it slammed shut. Finally, she was able to turn the lamp on, bathing the hotel room with bright light. Her suitcase was on the ground, along with her work bag and her computer.

"Charlotte!"

Liam bounded into the room, anger on his face. He shut the hotel room door; his gun drawn.

"Liam..." she squeaked; her fingers tightly wrapped around the pepper spray.

He quickly swept the room and then the bathroom. Not being very large, it took only a few seconds. To Charlotte though, it felt like an hour. Her pulse was racing, and she felt frozen in the bed, the sheet falling to barely cover her lap.

"Charlotte, who did you see?" Liam asked.

She couldn't answer but shook her head, fingers still stuck to the pepper spray.

Realizing she was in shock, he walked to the bed and sat next to her.

"It's ok. No one is here now. Charlotte, it's ok," he softly replied.

She glanced at him, her blue eyes melting his. Laying his gun down on the duvet, he scooted closer to her in one movement, then tilted her chin upwards, his lips twitching slightly. Charlotte's eyes seemed to glow with a bright blue. Lowering his face to hers, Liam slowly and deliberately kissed his charge. Giving out a tiny moan, Charlotte kissed back, softly and slowly.

The air in the room stood still as they gave in to their attraction. Liam felt an overwhelming protectiveness for the tiny woman now in his arms. Charlotte had moved so he could hold her close. Neither cared about the reasons why. They both wanted this. Finally though, after a few heavenly minutes, Liam broke the kiss.

Breathlessly, he spoke,

"Charlotte, we have to talk about this."

"I know," she whispered, "I'm not using my gifts though, not now."

Liam brushed a strand of her hair away from her face, his fingers tingling at the contact. It was just as soft as he had imagined.

"You aren't?"

"No," she whispered again, barely audible.

"You can turn it off, making the male species attracted to you?"

She smiled, her eyes sparkling in the light from the bedside lamp.

"I think so. I was terrified when you busted in the room. After I heard the crash and woke up, then you kissed me. I wasn't thinking about anything. Just panic and fear."

Running a thumb over her bottom lip, he slowly smiled back.

"That's a good point. We need to figure out who snuck into the room though. They could've killed you, but they didn't."

Touching his earpiece, Liam began talking to his crew.

"Find him, or her. Bring them to our office. I want this breach figured out. One hour."