"I won't have to. It's inevitable, Riley. You and Rhoan are two peas in a pod - and you were both born for this type of work."
A chill ran through me at his choice of words. It wasn't chance. Nothing was ever said by chance when it came to Jack. He knew Rhoan and I were twins. "I'm not a killer."
"All wolves are killers. It's just that in today's society, the urge is well controlled."
"That's like saying all vamps are killers."
"All vamps are. Some just manage to channel it into other areas."
Like becoming guardians and killing with the approval of the state. I shivered. "So basically, you're saying that you intend reeling me in bit by bit."
"Yes."
"And the offer of help tonight - what strings come attached to it?"
"That you promise to take the test sometime in the future."
"Sometime? You're not setting a limit of when?"
He grinned. "There'll be no need to. You'll come to me eventually."
"You don't know me very well if you think that."
"I know you better than you know yourself," he said, his cold gaze burning with a certainty that chilled my soul
He knows what we are. I licked my lips and hoped like hell the intuition was wrong. "Okay, you have a deal."
"Good. Drop by the office and I'll give you full details about Moneisha."
"I have some things to do first - could be a few hours."
"I'll be here."
"Surprise, surprise," I muttered
He chuckled, and hung up. I slipped the Mercedes into gear and cruised back to the city, making it to Talon's as dusk began shifting toward true night
His house - though calling it a house was a misnomer when it was so damn big I could see several levels clearly above the fifteen-foot fences - sat on a leafy acre right in the heart of Toorak. I drove up to the wrought-iron security gates and said my name into the speaker. The gates slid silently open
The driveway snaked through stately elms, past manicured lawns, and finally presented the Old-English¨Cstyle mansion in all its glory. It was a truly beautiful house, but it was a little hard to believe that only one man lived there. Obviously, Talon had more money than he knew what to do with
I parked in front and climbed out, feeling more than a little out of place in my old work skirt and sweater. The door swung silently open as I climbed the steps, and the red beam of a weapon scanner swept down me as I stepped through the door
A security cam buzzed as it swung around, and I raised an eyebrow. "Why all the gadgets?" I said, sure there'd be microphones here somewhere
"A millionaire can never be too careful these days." Talon's husky tones seemed to come out of thin air. "Take the stairs, first door on the left."
I did as ordered. The door slid open as I approached, and the room I entered was an office big enough to play football in. The walls were a cool, dusky blue, and the furniture chrome. Talon was sitting at a desk down the far end. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and I very much suspected he wasn't wearing any pants, either. A bottle of champagne and two glasses sat to his right
"Stop," he ordered softly
His aura hit me, snatching my breath, making my legs feel boneless. He was heat and longing and need, and I'd never felt anything so potent in my life. It had me ready for him in an instant, but the unease I'd felt in the car earlier increased. What he was projecting couldn't possibly be natural
"Strip," he continued in that same, flat tone
I kicked off my heels, then, with his gaze a fever that flamed my skin, did a little, teasing dance as I took off my sweater, skirt, and undies. By the time I'd finished, it wasn't just his aura making me ache, but my own desire
He took a deep, shuddery breath, then reached for the champagne and poured two glasses. "Walk to the desk."