A yellow cab pulled to a halt beside the curb I looked inside, saw that it was Kade, and climbed into the back.
"You look tired," he said, pulling into the traffic with the brutal efficiency of a regular cab driver.
"That's because I am." I hesitated, sniffing the air, my taste buds suddenly watering at a tantalizingly familiar scent "Is that coffee I smell ?"
His gaze met mine in the mirror, a warm smile touching his lips "I thought you might need it after working all night."
He reached across to the seat next to him, then handed back not only a jumbo cup of coffee, but a burger as well. If he hadn't have been driving, I might have leaned forward and hugged him. Not only because he knew exactly what I needed right at that moment, but because he didn't give me any attitude about what I'd been doing.
He simply accepted. Or didn't care. Either way, it was nice.
I flipped open the lid of the coffee container. The thick, hazelnutty aroma curled to my nostrils, and I breathed deep, then smiled. Maybe I should just give men up and stick to coffee. It gave me pleasure without all the hassles.
"Thank you," I said to Kade, and took a sip.
His smile flashed via the mirror. "You know there's an ulterior motive."
"And here I was thinking you did it out of the goodness of your heart."
"Oh, that too."
I grinned. "It'll take more than coffee to get me into the sack right now."
"How about a spa filled with aromatherapy oils?"
"Depends what sort of aromatherapy oils we're talking about."
"Ah. There's a difference?"
"Some are definitely worth more bed time than others."
"What about a mix of lavender and ylang-ylang?"
"Nice. I think they'd earn you a couple of hours, at least."
"Done deal."
Kade did a sharp left, and coffee slopped threateningly around the rim of the cup. "Warn me next time," I chided. "Spilling my coffee will land you right out of my bed again." I hesitated, looking around. Unless this was a shortcut I wasn't aware of, we were now headed away from the Genoveve labs where Jack had set up shop. "Where are we going?"
"To get that bath."
I raised my eyebrows. "Doesn't Jack want us to report back ASAP?"
"Jack is busy," he replied, his gaze front and center as he wove the cab in and out of traffic and parked cars like a man on a mission. "And there's one rule in this game you should never forget."
"And what game and rule are we talking about?"
"This game. The investigative business." His gaze met mine briefly. "Never run yourself into the ground for them. They'll take and take until you have no more to give, then they'll cast you aside to find fresher meat."
"I'm not an investigator, and I'm not a guardian."
"Maybe not officially." His expression was grim as he swerved to avoid a parking car. "And that makes it worse. Think about it—ten days ago you were in a coma, and so badly smashed up no one in that center thought you were going to come out of it. Since then, you've been in the middle of investigations, have been attacked several times, and have taken little in the way of time out."
"We can't afford time-outs. Not if we want to catch these people off guard."
"Is catching these people off guard more important than your health? You look tired, and you've lost weight, even in the brief few days I've known you."
"Having someone attempting to kill you all the time does tend to halt the appetite, you know. And constant sex doesn't help, either."
"And using sex as a means of questioning suspects is not only good exercise, but an extremely stressful situation. I know." He met my gaze again. "Ring Rhoan. Tell him what you learned. Let him uncover the truth from the lies while you rest."
"Has he got a hand in this?"
"I told him what I was going to do, and where I intended to take you. I'm not a fool, and have no wish to incur your pack-mate's wrath."
Wise man. "So where are you intending to take me?"
"To a mare's place in Toorak."
I frowned. "I thought you said your mares had scattered?"
"I did. And they did. But Sable went overseas before I went undercover, and she's not due back for another two months."
The name, and the fact that he seemed sure he'd find the exact scents I wanted, had me staring at him in disbelief. "We're not talking Sable Kandell, are we?" The woman was the latest TV phenomenon, with her show rating through the roof and all five of her books still amongst the best sellers.
"That would be my girl."
His voice held a hint of pride, and I blinked. "How did a military man like you get hooked up with a stunner like that?"
"Simple. We grew up together. She was mine from the word go."
Obviously, there was a whole lot about the horse-shifter culture that I didn't know. "So why let her go overseas? I thought all you stallions were too proprietary to allow something like that."
He ignored the light changing from amber to red, swung right into Hoddle Street, then said, "Oh, have no fear, she's branded as mine. No other stallion would dare touch her."
Stallions branded their mates? Thank God I wasn't a mare—and that wolves didn't have such barbaric practices. "Considering she's overseas, how would you know?"
"I'd know." His voice was flat, and certainly didn't invite further questions. Maybe it was secret stallion stuff. "Call Rhoan," he added, and handed me a phone.
So I called Rhoan, and told him everything Misha and Kellen had told me. Kade pulled into a beautiful old English mansion right in the middle of what was quaintly termed "millionaires row." Meaning, the folk in this street were considered the poorer cousins of the Toorak crowd. Of course, most of the really rich cousins had moved on to leafy Brighton.
Kade led me inside, poured me a glass of wine to drink while he readied the spa, dropped in the scents I'd asked for, then helped me strip and climb in. As the piece de resistance, he leisurely washed my hair as the warm water bubbled around my limbs, easing tensions I hadn't realized existed even as the flowery scents touched the air, soothing and relaxing.
Once he'd helped me dry off, he sat me down and combed my hair, and, though at that point I was ready and willing to dance with him, he led me to bed, tucked me in, and walked away.
It occurred to me then that no other man in my life—besides my brother—had ever treated me so sensually, so lovingly, so damn wonderfully, just because he knew I needed it. Which was a rather sad statement about my life and my relationships to date. Even Quinn, for all his fine words about needing to be in my life, had yet to show the sort of caring Kade had just shown.
Really, the only man in my life showing any real potential as a permanent mate was Kellen, and I barely even knew him.
Maybe I should just cut my losses and play with Kade. I might never find my soul mate, but at least I'd be guaranteed a little tender loving care every now and again.
I was beginning to wonder if Quinn even knew what that was.
It was near five by the time we arrived at Genoveve, and considering we should have been there in the morning rather than late in the afternoon, Jack was in a surprisingly good mood. I wish the same could be said for Quinn. He was standing near the windows, looking out over the old arena, his hands clasped behind his back and tension riding his shoulders. His air of disapproval and anger hit so hard it was like a physical blow. I staggered, gasping to breathe as the air around me seemed to bubble and boil in fury.