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.
“I didn’t come with anyone.”
“Why not? You’re an eligible bachelor who has women falling at his feet and who never has to pay for it, aren’t you?”
His soft laugh sent little shivers of delight traipsing up my spine. Good Lord, I had it bad.
“Trust you to quote my own damn words at me,” he said.
“That’s not answering the question. As usual, I might add.”
He gave a slight nod in acknowledgment of the barb. “There was no one in my life that I wished to take to this function.” He paused, then added with a slight glint of mischief, “Sometimes, going solo is better than settling for second best.”
“Says the man who can afford nothing but the best,” I said dryly, totally ignoring the intent behind the words.
“Ah, but there are some things you can’t buy, no matter how much you try.” He raised his glass slightly, as if in salute, then took a drink before adding, “It’s a lesson I’ve learned recently, actually.”
“Who’d have thought ancient vampires could still be taught things,” I said lightly, even as I wondered whether he had learned anything, or if it was just another one of those lines, easily said but never really meant. There’d been a lot of those moments between us, too.
And I guess, to be fair, it hadn’t been all one-sided. He might have been playing me right from the start, but I’d never really taken what lay between us too seriously. He was a vampire, after all, and he could never give me what I’d spent half my life wanting—kids, and a family of my own.
Except that was all out of my reach now, anyway, thanks to the vampire half of my soul and the experimental drugs that were forced upon me.
He swung around and offered me his arm. I hesitated, then slipped my arm through his. It wasn’t flesh-on-flesh contact, but it was still contact, and the desire that rushed through my body left me giddy and breathless in its wake.
He didn’t say anything, even though we both knew he was aware of my reaction. He was a vampire, after all, and he’d sense the acceleration of my heart, if nothing else.
We walked across to a table that held a prime position on one corner of the dance floor. He released my arm then pulled out a chair, seating me before sitting down himself. I shifted so that I was sitting side-on in the chair and facing him. My knees were inches from his thigh, and the heat of his body caressed my skin as warmly as any touch. And I wanted to be touched so badly.
I blew out a silent breath and tried to get a better grip on my hormones. I might as well have tried to put out a bushfire with a wet towel. “So tell me what you know about bakenekos.”
“There’s actually not a whole lot to know, because they’re so rare.” He took a sip of wine, his expression thoughtful. “They are cats—real cats—who somehow gain the ability to take on human form to revenge the death of a much-loved master or mistress.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Then they’re generally not responsible for the first death?”
“No.”
“So why do the legends say that bakeneko are known for eating their masters?”
“Because they do eat flesh. Apparently, it allows them to take on that person’s human form—a handy thing if they intend to track down and kill those they perceive as responsible for the death of their master.”
“All of which the one we have here is doing.” I paused to take another sip of the fizzy drink. It was actually a bit too sweet for my liking. “Do they normally have sex with their victims?”
“I’ve only heard of one or two instances, when the cat has been in heat.”
Trust us to get one of the randy ones. “Why would it be scratching the necks of the men it’s killing?”
“That could be a form of territorial marking.” He shrugged. “Remember, you are not dealing with something that thinks like a human. It may be out for revenge, but it is still a cat, and reacts like a cat.”
“A very smart cat.”
He made an eloquent motion with his hand. “Of course. Is she just killing men?”
“No. She’s been killing women and taking over their identities.”
“Which suggests that the bakeneko believes the women played a part in her owner’s death. Unless they’re cornered, they don’t do random.”
“Well, the only connection between the ladies seems to be the fact that they belong to a group collectively known as the Toorak Trollops.”
“Ah, the high-class hookers themselves.”
I raised my eyebrows at the hint of scorn in his voice. “I was told they weren’t.”
“That depends on your definition of hooker, doesn’t it? If they sell their bodies for the high life and gifts, is that not a form of prostitution?”
“They might just enjoy sex. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“No, there’s nothing wrong with it, even if such wanton indulgence does sometimes offend the stiff sensibilities of very old vampires.”
“I’m glad you said that.”
“If I didn’t, you probably would have.” He smiled another sweet smile, unraveling a few more threads of control. “However, these women ask for their favors first. That, in my opinion, makes them pros.”
Well, yeah, if you were intent on defining prostitution, asking for payment before the act would definitely be one of the criteria. “So you’ve had personal experience with the Trollops?”
He shook his head. “Not personally, but I have friends—”
“No,” I interrupted, feigning surprise. “You actually have friends? How shocking.”
His laugh was soft and warm, filling his dark eyes with mirth and causing that flame of desire to burn even brighter. “Yes, even the control freak has friends.”
I smiled. “I’m glad.”
“So am I.” He reached out again, and this time, the palm of his hand cupped my cheek as his thumb lightly brushed across my lips.One touch.
One single, solitary touch.
And it felt so good that tears briefly filled my eyes. God, how long had it been since anyone had caressed me with any sort of feeling or gentleness? I may have voluntarily restrained my more sexual nature, but a lot of that had been the simple distaste of not wanting just another hand on me. I’d wanted more—had needed more. And with that one simple caress, I knew that I could not let it end here tonight.
I leaned forward and kissed him.
For the briefest of moments, he didn’t react. Then his other hand came to my cheek, holding my face gently, tenderly, as he deepened our kiss.