"Love is."
"For you, maybe." I thanked the waitress as she brought over our order, then began tucking in to the thick, gooey chocolate cake. Which wasn't as delicious as the scent coming from the big wolf sitting opposite me, but still more than lived up to the standards of this place.
"So how does the whole sex and dating bit work for you now?" I asked.
He shrugged. "There will always be an emptiness deep inside, one that no amount of lovemaking will ever fill. But I'm a werewolf, and sex is still damned good." He gave me a grin that was so sexy my insides just about melted. "I can demonstrate just how good, if you'd like."
"You know," I said, glad my voice sounded dry rather than husky with the excitement that was buzzing around my insides, "as much as I enjoy a bit of exhibitionism, this is a little too public for me."
He laughed - a rich and luscious sound. "Well, I didn't mean right here and now."
"I'm glad." Time, I thought, to change the subject. "Have you heard from Ivan?"
He took a sip of coffee, then said, "Yeah. He checked himself out of hospital this morning."
I frowned. "Was that wise? That vamp's still out there and Ivan might still be a target."
"He seems to think that the worst is over." Ben shrugged. "He said Vinny will keep him safe."
I snorted. "Vinny sold him out the first time. Why wouldn't she do it again?"
"He believes she values him too much to give the vamp access again."
"If he believes that, he's an idiot." Vinny was hungry for both power and wealth, and I didn't think she was particularly fussy about how she got either.
He shrugged, then looked past me. "Ah, here she comes."
I twisted around. The woman approaching was typically wolf in build, but given she probably stood at five one, she was definitely on the small side. But she exuded a sense of authority and her brown eyes had a no-nonsense gleam to them.
She kissed Ben lightly on the cheek then her gaze came to me. "Riley Jenson, I presume?"
I nodded and fetched my badge out of my purse to show her. "Ben's requested my help in finding out why your lover Denny died."
"Yes, he told me that."
There was a brief flicker in her eyes, one that hinted at sorrow. Then it was gone, replaced by the no-nonsense gleam. Jilli might be sad about her lover's death, but she wasn't going to let it stop her from going about her daily business. Jack would have loved her attitude.
"Tell me, do you know if he had any vampire lovers?"
Little frown lines briefly creased her otherwise smooth forehead. "Not that I knew of. But we'd only been lovers for a few weeks."
"What about clubs? Which of those did he frequent?"
"All of them. Particularly the underground ones."
I raised my eyebrows and glanced at Ben. "There are still underground wolf clubs?"
"For people who have similar sexual needs to Denny. Such things are generally not authorized at the legal clubs."
Meaning they weren't places I'd want to frequent - though I would, if it meant getting answers. I glanced back to Jilli. "When did you and Denny last have sex?"
"The night he died."
"So it was you I smelled on the sheets?" My gaze went to her neck as I said that, but she had a turtleneck sweater on.
"Yes, but he was perfectly fine when I left him." She sniffed. "He was sleeping, in fact."
Her tone seemed to imply he had no stamina, and I resisted the urge to smile. "And there's nothing else you can tell me? Nothing he said or did that seemed odd to you?"