Dead and Dateless (22 page)

“It’s okay.”
The deep, husky voice slid into my head and Ty’s fingers tightened around mine. I shifted my attention to the vamp who levitated next to me and remembered his words.

“I’m helping you because…”

Because
…He’d fallen madly, passionately in love with me and couldn’t stand the thought of me rotting in jail?

Suddenly I was even more desperate not to know.

Loopy, huh? I’d been hounding the guy, eager to know the truth. Yet here I was ready to avoid the subject entirely.

Because…I already knew the truth. The answer had been there when he’d had me pinned to the wall back at his place. When he’d stared down at me, into me. When he’d kissed me. When he’d nibbled at me.

Yep, the nibbling had been a truly defining moment.

Hearing the words would only complicate matters.

“What’s wrong with you? You just went white.”

“Dizzy,”
I mentally blurted. It wasn’t like I could tell him I was freaked out because I liked him and I knew he liked me and that hearing it would make me like him that much more. A shitty realization since we were completely doomed, relationship-wise.

I hiked my cosmetics bag onto the back of my shoulder and glanced down at the chaos below us.
“We’re pretty high up.”

“Since when have you been afraid of heights?”

“Since I don’t usually hover on the ceiling during a raid. All the movement…”
I made a big show of swallowing.
“It’s really unsettling.”

Before my heart could give its next beat, Ty slid in front of me and killed the scene unfolding below. I found myself staring at the back of his head. He floated up flush against me, pinning my body between his back and the ceiling.

His butt nestled into the cradle of my thighs and his shoulder blades pressed into my breasts.

“Just relax. They’ll make their sweep and then it’ll be over.”

Relax? Was he nuts? He was much too close and his body was much too hard and my body was much too needy. We’re talking a recipe for extreme stress. No way was I going to chill in this situation.

Unless, of course, it went on for
forty-five
minutes.

I know, right?

Even a sexually super-charged vamp like myself had her limits. I gave up the notion of ripping Ty’s clothes off and having my way with him and let my guard down enough to relax against him. There. As stimulating as it was being close to him, it was also sort of nice. Comfy even.

I rested my cheek against his back and listened to the steady sound of his heart. It was slow, just like every other vampire I knew.

But he wasn’t like other vamps. He was
made.
Different.

I gave myself the mental nudge to keep from getting so cozy stretched out atop him, but damned if it didn’t lull me even more until I closed my eyes and started to think. To wonder.

“What’s it like?”
I projected the mental thought before I could stop myself.

“What’s what like?”

“The sun. I’ve watched it set many times in my mirror, and I’ve even crept close to the window a time or two. But I’ve never really felt it.”

“Honest.”
His deep voice echoed in my head after a long, silent moment.
“It feels honest.”

Okay, so maybe made vampires didn’t have access to the same quality education we born vamps obviously took for granted. Otherwise, Ty would have had a much more abundant store of adjectives. Like fiery. Blistering. Exhausting. Blinding—

“
That’s the thing,
” his own thoughts cut into mine.
“It’s just the opposite. There’s no darkness to cover up the flaws. No shadows to hide the monsters. Just this bright, warm light that keeps everything real. What you see is what you get. Honest.”

I so wasn’t getting this.
“You’re a veritable artist with words.”

A silent chuckle vibrated his hard body.
“Just close your eyes and try to feel it.”

“I need more description.”

“You haven’t even given it a shot.”

“Are the cops finished yet?”

“Almost. Stop trying to change the subject.”

“It’s a boring subject.”

“You’re the one who brought it up.”

“And now I’m trying to drop it.”

Another chuckle vibrated his strong physique.
“Too late. Come on. Give it a shot.”

“Here goes nothing.”
I closed my eyes and conjured my second most favorite beach fantasy—the one with me chilling à la carte on a chaise loungue, drink in hand.
“I don’t feel anything.”
Except the condensation on my glass. And the fabric of the chaise loungue at my back.

But I’d felt those things before and so they were easy to imagine.

“First you have to look.”

“I want to feel the sun. Not see it.”

“You will. Now look around you.”

I shifted my attention from the yellow ball of fire glowing above and stared at a nearby palm tree. The rich green leaves trembled with the slightest breeze. I noticed the criss-cross pattern on the foliage. A fly buzzed nearby, the tiny wings beating at the speed of light. The water lapped at the shore. I noted the fine grains of sand that floated back out as the water slithered toward the sea. It was both fascinating and oddly soothing. Peaceful, even.

“
Honest,
” came the rumble of Ty’s deep voice.

A smile curved my lips.

W
e took off via bat as soon as the cops fled the designer warehouse. The three-quarter-inch moon lit up the night sky as I followed Ty north. At least, I’d thought that was the direction we were heading. But from the looks of things now, I’d obviously been mistaken.

We’d headed south. Straight to hell.

The Animal Planet version, that is.

I stared around at the inside of the large cabin. Lifeless eyes stared back at me from the faces of the numerous deer, elk, and boar mounted on the walls. A massive bear stood in the far corner on his hind legs, lips drawn back, teeth bared and claws poised.

While I’m as primitive and animalistic as the next vamp (sort of), I’ve never really understood the sport of hunting. Hunting for survival? Yes. But purely for tasteless décor? Do
not
get it.

The dead animal motif extended beyond the walls to every nook and cranny of the spacious cabin. A stuffed raccoon clock ticked away from atop an unfinished pine end table. A bear skin rug covered the worn hardwood floor. The sofa and chair had been upholstered in camouflage print. A matching print comforter draped the four-poster bed that sat off to the side. The loft area held a small twin bed with a mini-size version of the same comforter. Camo print cushions covered two kitchen chairs. A small stuffed squirrel sat center stage on the pine table and gnawed a fake nut. A stuffed fox graced the mantel above a floor-to-ceiling rock fireplace. A chandelier made entirely of antlers gleamed overhead.

“I think I’ve seen this place.”

Ty slid the chain lock into place on the cabin door and drew the curtains on the window beside it. “You’ve been upstate before?”

I shook my head as I set my cosmetics bag on the unfinished pine coffee table—smack-dab between an antler candle holder and a rawhide leather-bound photo album. “The Travel Channel’s
Ten Places Not to Stay When Vacationing in the Free World.
” My gaze swept the interior a second time. “Wasn’t this number one?”

He pulled the curtains—what else, camouflage—on each window before retrieving the one and only bag he’d snagged before we’d fled his apartment. “This is the nicest cabin in the area,” he said as he walked toward the sofa. “It belongs to this guy I know.”

“See there.” I settled in a chair. Comfy even if it did sort of give me the creeps. “You
do
have friends.” Ty avoided the F pool, while I constantly fished for potential clients.

“We’re not friends.” He retrieved his laptop and wedged it onto the coffee table. “We’ve worked a few cases together. He’s with NYPD.”

“He’s letting you borrow his private space. That smacks of friendship to me.” I reached forward and retrieved my cosmetics bag to give him more room. “This guy. He wouldn’t happen to be a made vampire, would he? Because if he is, I really think you should let me introduce him to my client, Esther. The one I mentioned to you?”

“This wouldn’t be the one you tried to set me up with a while back?”

“That’s her, although she really isn’t your type. Sure, she’s made, but the common traits end there. Even though she wouldn’t make a good match for you,”
because she’s not me,
“she
is
really sweet.” He shot me a glance as he opened his computer and a fierce light gleamed in his eyes. My mouth went dry. “Not literally, of course. I mean, she might be, but I wouldn’t know because I’ve never actually tasted her.” I averted my gaze and busied myself digging in my cosmetics bag for my lip gloss. “I was speaking figuratively.” I punctuated the sentence with a few dabs of Shimmering Heaven and rubbed my lips together.

Ty’s gaze hooked on my mouth and he watched as I dabbed again and rubbed, as if mesmerized.

My tummy tingled and I fought to clear my suddenly dry throat. “So, um, how about it?” I capped the gloss and slid it into my bag.

He tore his gaze away and shook his head. “He’s not a made vampire.”

“Born vampire? Because I have quite a few clients—”

“Nope.”

“Were-Chihuahua?”

A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth “You don’t give up, do you?”

“I’m a professional. No job is too small or too large.” Except maybe Rachel the were-Chihuahua. I ignored the depressing thought and gave Ty a hopeful glance. “He wouldn’t be an alpha human only interested in mindless, gratifying sex? Because I’ve got several female werewolves who would be extremely happy to make his acquaintance.”

The grin turned into a full-blown smile and my heart skipped its next beat. “I seriously doubt you have a client who could match up with this guy. He’s in a league all by himself.”

You couldn’t fault a girl for trying.

I pushed to my feet and went around to sit on the sofa next to Ty. Not because he’d smiled at me or because I felt all warm and tingly inside. It was strictly a matter of survival.

Okay. So maybe the tingling was a factor. But it was survival, too. My livelihood had been compromised tonight. On top of that, Ty’s livelihood had been compromised, as well, because now there was no doubt about a connection between us. Someone was framing me for murder and whoever it was knew that Ty was helping me. Which meant they would more than likely be out to get him as well.

“I’m sorry I dragged you into this.”

“Maybe next time you’ll listen to me and stay put.”

I’d expected a “Don’t worry your pretty little head. I thrive on danger.”

Or a “Helping a beautiful vampire is all in a day’s work.”

Or even an “Are you kidding? You’re my ultimate fantasy. I can’t let you face off with your enemies all by yourself.”

What can I say? I’ve got an active imagination.

“If you had listened,” he went on, “we wouldn’t be here right now.”

And that was so bad?

The question echoed through my head and I re minded myself about the dead animal motif. Unfortunately, the intoxicating scent of fresh air and freedom and hunky male teased my nostrils and distracted me from everything except the vamp sitting nearby.

“So what are you doing?”

“I’m about to go over our suspect list for the hundredth time.”

“That’s good.” I nodded and ignored the insane urge to press myself against Ty and beg for another kiss. Crazy, I know. I had things to
worry
about. I didn’t have time to spend the adrenaline pumping through my body and ease my anxiety with hot, wild, life-affirming sex.

Really, I didn’t.

I licked my suddenly dry lips. “We definitely should figure out who could have tipped off the cops.”

“I think we already know who tipped off the cops.”

“Maybelline Magenta?”

He shook his head. “Chief Fairfield.”

“I don’t know anyone named Fair—wait a sec. You think
Remy
blew the whistle on us?”

“You don’t?”

“Well, no. I mean, he wouldn’t…” My words faded as I remembered the
he likes me
exchange we’d had back at Ty’s apartment, followed by the kiss and the nibbling. “Never mind.”

Not that I thought Remy had done it.

I just wasn’t one hundred percent positive that he
hadn’t
.

What I was positive about was that he’d taken an oath to serve and protect (my folks had been at the ceremony when he’d been sworn in), which certainly included blowing the whistle on suspected felons who ran the streets of his small, exclusive, upscale Connecticut community.

Even if said suspected felon was only running the streets out of obligation to said suspected felon’s overbearing, conservative, crazy family.