"Sometimes."
"And do they often come true?"
"Sometimes."
He smiled again. "You're not very forthcoming with information, are you?"
"You're a bounty-hunting killer who has been warned off the case. Why is it surprising that I'm not forthcoming with information?"
"I wasn't talking about the case."
"And why would I want to provide personal information?" My voice was dry. "You and I have nothing in common."
"Other than the fact we're both paid to kill, you mean?"
I crossed my arms and resisted the urge to point out that I at least was a legal killer. Being on one side or the other wasn't really his point. "Other than that, yes."
"Well, we do seem to have this odd attraction flaring."
"Kye, the full moon is only days away and we're both werewolves. Lust is natural-but I, for one, am not going to act on it."
"I wouldn't bet on that."
Neither would I, actually. "Get in the car and leave, or I'll make you."
There was nothing pleasant or nice about his sudden smile. He considered me for a moment, then raised a hand, lightly brushing his fingertips down my cheek. It felt like I was being branded by fire and, deep inside, my wolf shivered. I wasn't entirely sure whether it was fear or anticipation.
"Don't ever threaten me, Riley," he said quietly, his voice so silky soft, carrying no hint of threat and yet full of it all the same. "Because I will kill you if I have to. Nothing personal, of course. I'm just here to do my job."
I stepped away from his touch, but I could still feel the heat of it on my skin. Part of me wanted to scrub it away, the other half wanted to exalt in it.
"You have no idea what I'm capable of, Kye. Don't ever think you'll come out on top in a fight with me."
"Ah, but I have the advantage of knowing what you are. You have no idea what I truly am, and therein lies my advantage."
And with that, he turned and walked around the front of car and climbed in. The big car roared to life and, within seconds, he was gone.
Leaving me standing there wondering who was the bigger fool-him or me.
After a second, I grabbed my cell phone and called the Directorate as I walked to the car. Sal answered.
"Of course it would be you," she said tartly. "It's nearly my quitting time."
"I'd hate for you to be bored in your final few minutes, Sal," I said cheerfully. "I need you to start a search for me."
"Of course you do." In the background I heard keys tapping. "Okay, who?"
"Kye Murphy. Werewolf, bodyguard, and gun for hire. Rhoan and I did a basic search on him awhile ago, but I need a deep one. I want it all-gossip, secrets, family, the lot."
"And why would you be needing all this?"
"Because he's turned up on a crime scene twice now, and each time he's gotten there before us. I want to know where, or how, he's getting his information."
"You could always arrest his ass."
"I have a bad feeling that would not be easy-and that's another reason why I need this information fast. He's hiding something, and I want to know what."
"Sounds like you've got a thing for this bad boy," she said dryly.
"All werewolves have a 'thing' for each other during the full moon phase, Sal. It's beside the point."
She sniffed. "I'll initiate it, but it'll take awhile to collect the information."
"Let me know when it's there."
"Will do."
I hung up and climbed into my car, then headed home to write up my overdue reports. Neither Rhoan or Liander were home when I got there, but I found a note on the fridge saying they'd gone out for dinner.
Which made my stomach rumble a reminder that it needed something more substantial than a burger. So once I'd typed up the report and sent it off to Jack, I grabbed my cell and rang Quinn.
"I was wondering when I was going to hear from you," he said.
The sexy lilt in his voice made want me to sigh in pleasure. "I didn't want to disturb any vital business meetings."
"All business meetings are vital, and they all drag on into boredom if there isn't a reason to take a break." His voice was wry. "Am I going to see you tonight?"
"That depends on whether you intend to pay for dinner or not. I gave my last spare cash to a street kid and now I'm broke until payday."
"And I'm sure there's a perfectly good reason for you doing that. Only it probably won't make sense to the more logical of us."
"That's a rather catty remark from someone who wants sex tonight."
"Not when I'm paying for the dinner you obviously can't afford."
"True. Apology accepted then."
He laughed softly. "Shall I try and book a table at Wren's?"
Wren's was the latest "it" spot for all of Melbourne's high flyers and, as such, had a waiting list months long. Luckily for us, Quinn knew the owner and most times could get us squeezed in. We'd been there five times now, and I adored the food. Mainly because Wren's was rare in the world of fine dining-it actually served enough food to keep even a hungry werewolf happy.
"If you get us a table, I'll love you forever."
"If only you would," he said, with another laugh. The sound washed across my senses as sweetly as a caress and made my body tingle with desire. "What time?"
I glanced at my watch. It was just after six-thirty now, and Wren's was in the heart of Toorak, which was always a hassle to get to.
"I can be there by seven-thirty."
"You really are hungry."
"And maybe not just for food," I said cheekily. "I hope you're not wearing an expensive suit, vampire, because I fully intend to rip it off later."
"Be my guest. It'll be worth the loss."
I grinned. "See you in an hour."
I hung up then walked into the bathroom, having a quick shower and drying my hair before heading for my bedroom. Wren's was posh, so I grabbed a form-fitting black skirt that was split up the left side, and a sexy black jacket for warmth. The jacket was short, barely skimming my waist, and the neckline plunged enough to show glimpses of my lacy red bra. I had matching panties, but I didn't put them on. There was something delicious about going without them. To complete the outfit, I chose four-inch red stilettos-the ones with the wood heels, of course. Mainly because Jack had a habit of calling me out to a job at the most awkward times, and the wooden stilettos had come in handy as a weapon more than once.
Quinn was already waiting in front of the glass and chrome building when I arrived. He was dressed semi-formally in black pants and a neat pale-pink shirt that was roughly rolled up to the elbows, and he was holding a black jacket casually over his shoulder. He looked absolutely wonderful.
His gaze met mine for a moment, then swept down my length, and the desire that stirred the air when he looked up again was powerful enough to make my wolf soul want to howl.
"You look fantastic," he said, swinging around and offering me his free arm.
I laughed softly. "I was just thinking the same about you."
"Then we're well matched." The gray-clad doorman opened the door and gave us a nod. Quinn continued, "Frances couldn't give us a table tonight."
Disappointment ran through me, then stalled as I saw the amusement in his bright eyes. "I'm sensing there's a 'but' to that statement."
"But I booked out the starlight function room for us instead."
I stared at him for a moment, then laughed. "That room is huge."
"So is, I presume, your appetite, because I have preordered all your favorites. Besides, what is the point of being a billionaire if I cannot splurge occasionally?"
I grinned. "I guess this means we'll have to make sure you get your money's worth."
The look he gave me just about smoked my insides, and it was all I could do to stop myself dancing with excitement.
Frances Wren, owner and chief hostess of the business, approached as we neared the maître d's station. She was a tall, willowy woman with perfect blond hair and sapphire colored eyes. She was also over five hundred years old, and didn't look a day over twenty. Vampirism did have its benefits.