Kissing Sin (Riley Jenson Guardian 2)

"Talon's mind was partially burned away, remember. Whoever did that would have done a thorough search of all his memory and thought centers first, just to check what had been happening." He paused. "At least, that is what I would have done."

A shiver ran down my spine. I didn't want to contemplate the sort of telepathic strength it took to completely burn away someone's thoughts and memories. I certainly didn't want to contemplate the fact that this vampire could do it as easily as he breathed.

"If this place was abandoned, and no clues left behind, it might take us ages to pick up the trail again." And I had a bad feeling I couldn't afford that.

"If they left in a hurry, there's a chance they left information behind." He glanced at his watch. "We have five minutes before we have to go in."

"Then I'm using them to rest."

I sank down on a nearby log. Quinn sat beside me, close enough that I could feel the warmth of him, but not quite close enough that we touched.

I resisted the urge to move - either closer, so that we did touch, or farther away so that his closeness didn't seem to infuse my soul with heat - and kept my gaze on the fence line rather than the impressive body sitting so very near. "I very much doubt they'd have left that place unguarded. Even if we can't sense anything from here."

"Possibly."

He wasn't even looking at me, yet awareness flowed between us, as strong as it had ever been. Part of me wanted to bathe in it, to lose myself deep in its warmth and never surface.

Crazy, that's what I was.

Or was it simply a matter of wauling something I knew I shouldn't have? Like the chocolate Rhoan used to hide from me when I was a pimply teenager? It was there. I knew it was there, and I wanted it, even if I knew it wasn't good for me.

I crossed my arms, as if to ward off a chill. But the cold night air never truly had a chance to get close, chased away by the heat of Quinn's nearness.

"So, what are we going to chat about while we while away our five minutes?"

It was an invitation to chat on a more personal level, and one I wasn't entirely sure he deserved. Still, if he was going to be involved in this investigation for any length of time, then I guess we did have to start talking.

"How about we discuss mistakes?"

"Depends on whose mistakes we're going to discuss."

"I think we should start with mine." His gaze caught and held mine, his eyes dark pools I could so easily drown in. "That's what my refusal to see you again was. A mistake."

Oh, great. Like I needed that statement when I was torn between the desire to explore what lay between us and the realization that it would be wrong to go there, simply because there could never be anything truly lasting. I didn't want to end up being yet another werewolf who had hurt him.

"And what has brought about this sudden change of heart?" My voice was even, which surprised the hell out of me. Recent revelations aside, he'd still basically dumped me and, at the very least, deserved to have some annoyance flung his way.

"Lot's of things - "

"Like what?" I interrupted. "Are you perhaps finding sex a little hard to get after destroying your fiancee's life?"

It was an extremely catty comment. The annoyance mightn't be showing in my voice, but it was sitting there regardless.

His gaze hardened. "You know why I did that."

"Yeah. She pissed you off. Well, buddy boy, you've succeeded in pissing me off, and now you have to live with the consequences."

He studied me for a moment, then looked away, his face expressionless but the air vibrating with barely contained annoyance. Part of me couldn't help but be pleased with that. Hey, I was a bitch after all.

"I refuse to believe that you can walk away so easily."

"Why not? I'm a wolf, aren't I? We flit from one partner to another, without thought or morals."

Something flickered in his eyes. Recognition of a point, perhaps. "You're not like that."

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not." I studied him for a moment. "I'm a wolf born and raised, Quinn. My morals and ways are never going to be compatible with yours."

"That doesn't mean we can't meet somewhere in the middle."