Christian crossed the room and stood before her. “I’m letting you go because you need time to think. When you have, come back to me.”
Probably in about a thousand years, but she refrained from saying the words aloud. Instead, she forced her face into some semblance of a smile, and nodded.
He tilted his head toward her. This time, she swayed away from him, but his hand slid beneath the hair at the back of her neck and held her in place. The kiss was hard and fast, and afterward he whispered into her ear, “You will come back, Tara. We have unfinished business.”
She glanced at the bed, not sure whether he was referring to that or to the search for her aunt, but she didn’t feel up to asking. Perhaps it was better not to know. He stepped away, and she breathed again.
Tara headed for the door, but at the last moment, she turned and studied him. He was beautiful, but now she recognized it as the beauty of a predator, and underneath she could sense something cold, menacing.
“Are you evil?” she asked.
A startled expression crossed his face, then he shrugged. “That’s something you must decide for yourself.”
She nodded and left the room, ignoring Piers who stood aside to let her pass.
Graham waited for her outside. He didn’t say anything, just led her to the elevator, but as they stood in the closed space, Tara couldn’t stop herself from glancing at him surreptitiously. She recalled the expression on his face as Christian fed. He caught her looking and raised an eyebrow.
“What does it feel like?” she asked. “When a vampire feeds?”
He shrugged. “Vampires in general, I couldn’t tell you. I’ve only ever fed Christian.”
“What’s it like?”
“Like the best sex you’ve ever had,” he said, his expression dreamy. Then he grinned. “And I’ve had some great sex.”
“I’ve never had sex.”
His eyes widened. “Bloody hell. A virgin. Better not let Ella get a whiff of you.”
“Ella?”
“Never mind.”
She looked at him shyly. “Are you and Christian… Do you—”
“Have sex? Sleep together?”
She nodded.
“No. Christian is strictly into girls for sex. More’s the pity.”
The elevator doors opened and she followed him out into the reception area.
“Say, is that your friend?” Graham asked.
Jamie loitered on the other side of the glass doors, looking out of place and uncomfortable. His eyes latched onto her like a lifeline, and she smiled.
“Yes, that’s Jamie.”
“He’s cute.”
She ignored the comment. “Right, I’m off.”
“Just a moment.” Graham led her across to the reception desk and reached over the counter. He pulled out the red file she’d left earlier. In that long ago time, when she hadn’t believed in reanimated corpses, vampires, or any of the other things that go bump in the night—or lurk in darkened alleys.
He handed it to her. “You might want to read that now.”
She slanted him a rueful smile. “I doubt it.” But she took the file and stuffed it in her bag.
“And here’s my card. Just in case you feel the need to talk.” He nodded toward Jamie. “It’s best you don’t mention any of this to your friends.”
“Who would believe me? Trust me—you don’t need worry about that.” But she took the card as well and slipped it inside the file in her bag. “At the moment, I don’t want to think about it, never mind talk about it.”
He smiled. “Come on, you can introduce me to your friend.” He led the way out through the doors and came to a halt in front of Jamie.
“Hi, I’m Graham.” He held out his hand. Jamie took it with obvious reluctance.
“Jamie,” he muttered.
Graham appeared amused, but he dropped the hand and turned to Tara. “Remember, call me if you need to talk.”
She nodded.
“What are you going to need to talk to that guy about?” Jamie asked as Graham went back inside the building and the doors shut behind him. He stayed on the other side of the doors and watched them.
“Sorry?” she said to Jamie.
“I asked, what are you going to talk to him about that you can’t say to me?”
He sounded jealous, but Jamie had never come on to her like that.
“Nothing. I don’t plan to go back. I’ve sacked Christian Roth from the case. I decided it was a waste of time. I’m going to do some research into the kidnappings and missing persons myself.”
“So how come you were still at the offices?”
“God! What is this, twenty questions? If you must know, I wasn’t. I’d left already. Luckily, Christian found me.”
“Christian? Found you where? Where did you faint?”
“In an alley,” she mumbled. “On the way back to the station.”
“What the hell were you doing in an alley?”
She heaved a huge, audible sigh. “Leave it will you, Jamie. I fainted but I’m okay, honest, just a little shocked. I’ll go to the doctors tomorrow,” she lied. “I’m probably anemic or something.”
Jamie’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. Then he shrugged. “Let’s go get you something to eat.”
“A steak,” she said. “I want a nice, big juicy steak.”