The Darkest Kiss (Riley Jenson Guardian 6)

He leaned back and picked up his wineglass, his movements elegant and casual. As if he hadn't shared a mind-blowing kiss only moments before. And yet I could feel the hunger on him, smell his arousal.

He took a sip of the drink, then said, "None of the Trollops are here yet."

I glanced at my watch. It was just after seven-thirty. "I thought this gig started at seven?"

"It does, but the beautiful people tend to arrive just before the main proceedings. Unless they are on the hunt, of course. Then it's a different matter."

"I think most people would consider you one of the beautiful people." But despite the scent of his arousal spinning all around me, he didn't particularly seem to be on the hunt. But then, if a vampire with over twelve hundred years behind him couldn't control his emotions and needs, then who could?

"Was that a compliment? Ms. Jenson, I'm shocked."

"Okay, so I've been a little sparse in my compliments. But then, so have you, buddy."

"Which is very remiss of me. You look stunning in green, by the way."

I smiled. "Compliments that you've been prodded into don't count." I leaned back a little, and crossed one leg over the other, showing a nice amount of thigh. "So what are we going to do, Quinn?"

"I don't know." His gaze went past me. "Marcy Bennett and Enna Free just walked into the room."

I twisted around to look. Two statuesque blonde women stood at the doorway, one dressed in dusky orange that clashed a little too much with her overly tanned skin. The other was wearing the deep red of autumn leaves.>He raised a hand, as if to touch my face, then stopped inches away, pausing long enough that I felt the heat of his fingers, then let his arm fall again. Part of me regretted that. Part of me was thankful.

One touch was not what I needed right now, even if my whole body ached with a need that totally refuted it.

"You made your choice, Riley. In the end, I respected it."

"Because you had no other option." I took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Look, I don't want to stand here and rehash the past."

I don't want to redo us. Don't want to deal with any more pain. Just go, just leave, before it all starts up again and I end up in an even bigger mess.

He didn't leave, of course. Whether he'd actually heard my thoughts or not, and whether he was simply ignoring them, I couldn't say. I wasn't consciously trying to use telepathy, but he and I had a link that went beyond psi-talents. So often in the past, he'd made comments that suggested he was reading more of my thoughts than he would ever admit, but he'd never really confirmed or denied it. The only admission he'd ever given was that our sharing blood had allowed us a deeper connection than was usual, and that he could read my thoughts whenever I was sick or in the midst of lovemaking.

Any lovemaking, not just him and me.

That was just one of the things that had torn us apart. That and him trying to change the very essence of what I was.

He studied me, his dark gaze assessing. As if I were some fragile animal he didn't want to spook. I would have laughed if it wasn't so true.

After a moment, he asked, "Would you like a drink?"

"Just a lemonade. I'm actually working a case."

"Oh?" He snagged two drinks from a passing waiter, and handed the lemonade to me. I took the glass, careful not to touch him. The heat from his fingers hit mine regardless, and a tremor ran through my body.

"Yeah," I said, glad my voice sounded normal when my insides were anything but. God, after everything this vampire had done to me, you'd think I'd be over the sight of him. But no, my ditzy hormones were acting like I was a pubescent pup going through her first moon dance. "We think we've got a bakeneko on the loose."

He raised dark eyebrows. "Now there's a creature I've not heard of in a while."

"So you do know of them?" I took a sip of the drink. The fizzy liquid did little to ease the dryness in my throat.

"They're rare. If there's one in Melbourne, you've got real problems."

"Tell me about it," I muttered. "The bitch has killed five people already."

"That's definitely not a good sign." He hesitated, then said, "Come sit at my table, and I'll tell you what I know."

"What about your partner?"

The smile that touched one corner of his lips was sexy, and yet at the same time, almost sad.