CHAPTER 3

JC found Justin the next morning visiting the Eiffel Tower.

"So you've gotten her on your side?" Justin asked, sipping his hot Vanilla cappuccino.

"Yeah, but..." JC paused. "Jus, I feel for her. Last night I... I kissed her, Jus. You don't know how bad I wanted to take her into my arms... and... and... and touch her. You don't know."

Justin gasped incisively. "Josh! You know what Lance says about getting involved with people who are so close to the enemy! If you sleep with her, you'll be sleeping with the enemy, basically!"

"But Justin... She doesn't know what they're doing." JC said softly.

"You're getting in too deep." Justin said.

JC sighed. "I may be, Jus, but it may save her life."

***

Heather smiled happily as she sat by the hotel pool wearing a white bikini and reading a steamy Danielle Steel book.

The contents of the book seemed to envelope her in a dream.

"His hand slipped beneath the soft, silky material of the kimono, and she gasped at the warmth of it." The words made her head roll back in longing. Why was she feeling like this toward a stranger? She had never felt like this in her entire 16 years.

"Hello, Heather." The voice surprised her, and she leapt out of the bittersweet daydream.

She opened her eyes. "Hello, JC. How are you?"

"Hi." He grinned. She noticed that he was wearing blue swimming trunks, showing off his lean muscular chest. She had never seen a shirtless man up close before, so the look on her face was of amusement. As he was squatting next to her, her eyes examined the magnificent lines and crevices of his stunning upper body. She loved what she saw. The clearly, deliciously defined six-pack, the soft swarm of hairs around his bellybutton, the small strands of hairs that were whipped and curled on his perfect, finely chiseled chest. But most of all, she loved his face, his soft-skinned, gentle, kind, loving face, and his perspicuous, penetrating blue eyes. "I'm good." he spoke. She longed to touch him, but remained still. "Found out anything?"

"Yes." she said. "They're having dinner tonight with Joey and Monsieur Len`ard. And a couple of my step-father's other associates. They'll be leaving at eight, and will at least be gone until four in the morning. They told me that I'd need my beauty sleep, so they asked me to stay at the hotel. If you come to my room, I can get you into my parents' room. You can snoop."

"Sounds great, Heather. I'll be there." He touched her arm tenderly.

"JC?"

"Yes?"

"Will you kiss me?"

The question shocked him.

He looked around to insure that no one was looking.

"Sure."

He leaned down and softly pressed his lips to hers. Her hands dropped the book and her arms slid around his sweaty neck. His hands began to move over her back.

Within a few minutes, the kisses became more urgent and passionate. She sighed into his mouth, her hands groping his broad shoulders fervishly. She sighed again.

"Oh, JC..." She breathed. "I want you." He stopped his hands and lips suddenly.

"I'm sure you're not ready for this. And we're in public. I'm not going to let this happen. I'm not going to take advantage of you. I care about you. I have since I first saw you." He caressed her cheek with his palm.

"I care about you, too." She smiled sweetly. "More than you know."

He smiled back at her, then kissed her deeply. "I'll see you later, sweetie."

***

Joey nervously knocked on the door of Chris and Danielles hotel suite.

"Yes, Joey?" Chris asked as he opened the door.

"Sir, we must speak... immediately." Joey said, rushing in.

Chris closed the door. "What's wrong, Fatone?"

"I just have gotten word that there might possible be a spy here in Paris. He or she might sneak into our rooms tonight and search them.. We must have guards watching tonight." Joey said.

"Where did you come across this information, Mr. Fatone?" Chris asked, rubbing his goatee with his forefinger.

"It is going around our ring, sir. Monsieur Len`ard told me. The German fellow was told by someone, then told Monsieur Len`ard." Joey said.

"Hmm. I'll have to speak with out German friend. He's coming tonight, is he not?" Chris asked.

"Yes, sir." Joey said.

"Go speak with Monsieur Len`ard about having a few of his guards watch our rooms tonight. I'll phone our German friend." Chris said.

"Yes, sir." Joey nodded, then left.

Chris watched as the door closed. "Hmm. I wonder whom our spy is?"

***

JC arrived on the floor Heather's room was located near eight that evening to discover that guards were standing in front of the room Chris and Danielle shared, and also in front of Joey's room. That was going to make his mission a bit harder.

He smiled, ran a hand through his slicked-back hair, and walked to the door of Heather's room.

***

Heather pulled the door open when she heard the knock. She felt a bit odd in her pink sundress when she noticed that JC was wearing his tux.

"Hello, JC. Come in. " She grabbed his arm, pulled him in, and shut the door.

"Heather, I noticed that there are guards in front of the other two rooms, and I feel as if I am putting your life in danger. They might catch us. We may have to run for our lives." JC said.

"What can we do to prevent being caught?" she asked.

"I don't..." he paused as an idea struck him. "I think I know. We can both go into exile for a few days after recovering information from your parents' room. Then, you can return alone, and your parents will not know, and you find Joey to worm more information out of him. And that should be enough to nail him... and Chris... for good."

"I'll do it, JC. I'll do it." she said softly.

"Thank you." He smiled. "You may want to pack some clothes."

***

JC slipped out the hotel without anyone noticing. He went around to the back and found a ladder. He placed it near the balcony outside Heather's room.

He climbed it slowly, then swiftly and quickly jumped onto the balcony.

The back door flew open, and Heather stepped forward, wearing a red leather coat and carrying a small suitcase.

"Put down the suitcase and come with me." he whispered.

He stood up slowly on the railing, then, in a single bound, he jumped onto the railing of the other balcony. He balanced himself by grasping the overheard light. "Jump." he murmured.

She stared at him as if he were asking her to stick her head inside a crocodile's jaws. "You're nuts!" she cried softly. He reached down and pulled gently on each of his shoelaces as he shook his head.

"You better be glad I'm wearing my 'Spiderman-Stick Shoes' tonight." He sighed as he turned around. He fell backwards and she gasped. His shoes clung to the side of the railing as he leaned back, his head close to the other railing. He took her hands in his own. "I advise you to hang on." His shoe laces were close to his toes, and he lightly stepped on them. She flew over his head and landed on her feet on the opposite balcony as he slowly came back to standing on the railing.

"Wow." She murmured. "That was interesting."

***

Chris stared at his watch as he sat with Danielle, Joey, a Frenchman, a German, and two other men. "It seems Mr. Timberlake is late. He was to be here fifteen minutes ago."

"I'm sure he'll be here, sir." Joey said.

"Hmm. I hope he doesn't mind if we start without him." Chris said.

***

Heather watched as JC rummaged through her step-father's dresser.

"Anything would help. Plane tickets, hotel reservations, receipts, Journals..." JC trailed off as he found a folder. "'Project Japan'..." As he pulled it out, he accidentally knocked over a vase.

***

"Did you hear that, Randol?" One of the guards outside Chris and Danielle's room asked.

"What, Men`ard?" Randol asked.

"There is someone in the room!" Men`ard cried. He reached for the doorknob.

***

"Someone's coming in!" Heather whispered, her eyes filled with terror.

"Go on to the balcony! Quick!" JC responded. He quickly removed his shoes. "Change into these shoes and you can get to the other balcony."

She nodded and took them. She disappeared behind the balcony's door.

JC hastily yanked a squeeze bottle from his pocket and sprayed into the small space of the door. "I'm glad I brought my 'Super-Stick Alloy Compound 300'." he murmured, jamming it back into his pocket as he picked up the folder.

***

Heather was halfway down the ladder when JC jumped from the balcony onto the ground.

When she got down, holding her shoes, wearing his, and carrying her suitcase, she whispered, "You just jumped two stories; all the way from the third floor!"

"Ah, I've jumped more." JC shrugged. "No big deal." She took off his shoes and he pulled them back on. "Let's go." She stepped into her shoes and then followed him towards the Eiffel Tower.

"Where are we going?" Heather asked.

"To see an old friend." he said.