“Not sure.” Doug faced her with a look of amusement and inched closer. “But if memory serves, it’s best not to answer this question from a woman. It’s a no-win scenario.”
“Well, wise guy,” she said, meeting his challenge. “The unicorns went extinct over three thousand years ago, and for your information, I’m only about three hundred, thank you very much.”
“Don’t look a day over twenty-five,” he murmured.
His bright blue eyes studied her intently as his towering form invaded her space. May I kiss you, Olivia? His mind whispered through hers as he brushed the line of her jaw with his thumb. Olivia nodded silently. There was something both innocent and erotic in the way he asked. The enticingly wicked sound of his voice rippled through her mind.
Olivia’s feet seemed nailed to the floor as he wavered closer, and his legs brushed temptingly along hers. Bathed in moonlight, Olivia held his hand against her cheek as Doug leaned down, gently capturing her lips.
Tenderly at first, caressing her mouth with his, he cradled her face in his hands as though she might break. Olivia sighed as his tongue slid between her lips and tangled slowly, tenderly with hers. He suckled her bottom lip briefly before releasing it and placing a kiss at the corner of her mouth.
“I’m addicted to the taste of you,” he murmured against her lips.
The sound of footsteps in the hallway captured their attention, breaking the spell.
“It’s the night security guard,” she whispered, stepping from his embrace abruptly. “We have to go.”
Doug followed Olivia as she whipped around the corner and made swift work of opening one of the ornately carved doors. Moments later, they were standing in the outdoor garden overlooking the Hudson River.
“What if they see us?” Doug glanced over his shoulder, but the guard was nowhere to be seen. “How exactly do we explain our presence?”
“Mel is the guard on duty tonight, and if we had to, we could glamour him. Believe me, it wouldn’t be the first time.” Olivia watched as confusion washed over his handsome face. “Vampires can erase or create memories, like hypnosis. Anyway, I’d rather not. I don’t enjoy glamouring humans unless necessary.”
Olivia walked through the gardens and hopped onto a wooden bench beneath the wisteria-covered arbor. She sucked in a deep breath and reveled in the multitude of scents in the night that filled her head and made her smile. There was great beauty in the world and having amped-up senses could be a perk, highlighting the smallest of luxuries in nature.
“Why not?” Doug jumped on the bench next to her and looked out over the river with the glittering city lights reflected on the surface. He turned to face her, his eyes sparkling. His voice dropped low, to just above a whisper, as his eyes locked with hers. “Tell me. Why don’t you like glamouring humans?”
“Because it’s too personal and intimate.” Olivia’s voice wavered, but she cleared her throat, hoping to steel her resolve. “I don’t like invading the mind of another being without permission. It feels like I’m violating them somehow, and it’s bad manners.”
“You speak with your mind,” he said with a lopsided grin. “I have to admit, the first time I heard you, I thought I was going insane. But it also turned me on.” Doug linked one strong arm around her waist and yanked her against him. “So why is it okay for you to touch my mind? I mean, I know you’re not changing my memories, but you’re still… slipping inside of me.”
Olivia’s stomach fluttered as he leaned closer and nuzzled her neck, trailing kisses down her neck. Why is it just me? She shut her eyes and arched back, allowing him better access, and his clean, fresh scent filled her head, making her dizzy with desire. Why can our minds whisper to each other? Olivia clung to him and moaned as he kissed his way up to her ear, nibbling her lobe seductively. Why can’t I think of anything but you? Lust fogged her, threatening to consume her.
“I would love nothing more than to take this further,” she said breathlessly. Olivia squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to touch his mind, fearing it would break her last ounce of self-control. “But we are running short on time.”
Doug silenced her with a kiss. A knee-buckling, head-spinning kiss that would have stolen her breath, if she had any. He dipped her, so she was perched beneath the fragrant arbor. Olivia tangled her arms around his neck and sank into the kiss, allowing him to take control and take as much of her as he wanted.
It was liberating.
Doug broke the kiss and whipped her to a standing position as his hands settled on her hips. “After sunrise,” he said firmly, “you are going to answer my questions… among other things.”
He released her from his grasp and looked out over the city. “Where do we go first?”
Olivia smoothed back the stray hairs that came loose during their kiss and adjusted the gun at her hip. She tried desperately to seem unaffected by his sudden display of affection but failed miserably. Doug gave her a sidelong grin and folded his arms over his chest, which was puffed up like a rooster.
“We’re going to the medical examiner’s office first to see if any other bodies have turned up.” She stepped onto the stone wall. “Then we go back to the area around the club and the park because that’s where they’ve been hunting. Chances are that’s where they’re nesting. They’ll stay in a pack out of instinct.”
“I’m supposed to be dead, right?”
“Yes.”
“What if someone sees me?”
“You’ll be moving so fast that even if they do catch a glimpse, they’ll think they saw a ghost.” Her lips curved into a smile. “Time to fly.”
“Fly?” he asked skeptically.
“Like a bird.” Olivia arched one eyebrow and leaped like a bullet into the night sky. “Or a bat.” She dropped down and hovered in midair, staying there for a moment, while Doug gaped. “What’s the matter, detective? Chicken?”
“Not on your life.” Doug’s blue eyes crinkled at the corners as he looked at her mischievously. “How about a little coaching for a newbie?”
“Remember when you were in the tunnels tonight and you ran like the wind?”
“Yeah?” He peered over the edge at the steep drop but leaned back quickly.
“Did you think about it, or did you just do it?”
“Shit.” A grin cracked his handsome face, and he rubbed his head, reminding her of a little boy. “You’re right, but this is a little different, don’t you think? I mean, running is one thing, I’ve been doing that my whole life, but flying is another.”
“Use your mind as much as your body.” She winked. “From what I’ve seen so far, you’re good with both.”
Doug gave her a cocky grin, meeting her challenge, and in one giant leap, he shot into the air. Olivia watched as he swooped through the sky like a stealth bomber, until he finally stopped and hovered next to her. His eyes were alight with excitement, and his body hummed with power. Now she was the one gaping like a stunned sheep.
“What’s the matter, Olivia?” he murmured wickedly as he drifted closer and his foot tapped hers. “You act like you’ve never seen a guy fly.”
“I guess I didn’t expect you to do it like you’ve been doing it all your life.” She shook her head in wonder. “You were born to be a vampire.”
His features darkened. “I was born to be a cop.” His jaw clenched, and he drifted back, increasing the distance between them. “Let’s go.”
He flew ahead through the inky night towards the Village. As they sped through the city night together, she prayed he would eventually forgive her.
They landed on the roof of the medical examiner’s building, and Olivia once again marveled at how easily Doug stepped into his new life—into her life. He had been quiet since they took flight, but she sensed the tension in him as he absorbed the sounds and sights of the city in an entirely new way. His brilliant blue eyes scanned the roof as they walked to the door, but Olivia stopped him before they went in.