Taking a deep breath, Caine smoothed a hand over his hair, then exited his office and walked down the hall toward the washrooms.
He put his ear to the door, and heard some mumbling. The word jerk and a few choice swear words came through a little louder than normal. Yup, she was definitely in there.
Without announcing his intentions, Caine pushed open the door and walked in. Eve was leaning on the counter, her head down, with the tap running. There were a few balled-up wads of tissue paper lined up on the Formica near her fisted hand.
She glanced up when he walked in. Fumbling for the tap, she turned off the water, and then gathered all her tissues and shoved them into the garbage can.
“What are you doing in here? This isn’t a coed facility, is it?” She looked around, obviously searching for any missed urinals.
“I wanted to apologize.” He cleared his throat, and smoothed a hand over his shirt, pressing down on a wrinkle he just noticed. “You’re right that it is none of my business in how you handle your…affairs, and I’m sure, if handled properly, that it wouldn’t interfere with this investigation in any way.”
When he was done, he noticed that she was staring at him, her brow wrinkled as if in deep thought.
“Do all your apologies sound so forced and contrived?”
“If by that, you mean I’m not used to apologizing, then you’d be correct. I suppose I’m not used to someone so emotional that I would need to make an apology.”
Shaking her head, Eve turned back to the sink, turned on the tap and started to wash her hands. “You come in here all intent on apologizing to me, and end up insulting me again.” She sniffed. “Go figure.”
Caine blew out a breath, and then tried again. He wasn’t used to having to coddle anyone.
Everyone on his team did his or her job without complaint. He’d had to discipline both Lyra and Jace several times on their behavior, but neither one had displayed any emotion other than anger. He wasn’t used to having to explain himself or his behavior. It was uncomfortable and he didn’t like it much.
“Eve, we are very different. The way we work, the way we think, and the obvious physical differences.” He took in a deep breath, trying to sort through his thoughts so they came out coherently. “I will try and remember that so I think before I speak to you.”
She glanced at him sideways, then nodded. Turning, she wiped her hands on a paper towel and gave him a half smile. “I accept your apology.”
“And for the record, when I was talking about liabilities, I was in no way referring to you.”
She gave him a genuine smile, and her face lit up. He thought she looked quite beautiful, even with her hair in disarray. In fact, he preferred her that way. Unkempt, fresh faced and…stunning.
Clearing his throat again, he looked away and fiddled with a button on his shirt. Where these sudden nerves came from, he didn’t know. He was usually wound tight, confident, unfazed. However, being around this human, with her looking at him the way she was, started to unravel some of his tight threads. And he didn’t like the feeling one bit.
“And I’m sorry for calling you and your team hostile,” she said as she tucked her hair behind her ear.
He shook his head. “No need. We are. However, we need to all get along and try to work as a team. I know you are trying.” He smiled at her. “I know we seem like a freak show to you, and I appreciate your professionalism in not letting it get to you.”
She smiled at him gently, and for a moment it was as if the room had disappeared, as if it was just the two of them standing across from one another in an empty white space.
Caine felt an intense connection between them. A connection he hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
However, as soon as the moment came, it disappeared.
“We have to leave soon.” He turned toward the door. “Why don’t you get something to eat, and I’ll meet you in the garage.”
He left before she could say anything. The moment he was out of the washroom, he took in a deep cleansing breath and rubbed at his eyes. This was going to be one hell of a case, and it had nothing to do with the murder.
Squeezing his hands into fists, he pushed down the hunger coursing through his body.
This was not the time or place for his sexual appetites to be rising to the surface. He was close to three-hundred years old, for pity’s sake, and had long ago learned how to control his urges. He had stopped frequenting the Club, hadn’t he, since gaining control over himself? No longer feeling the need for the tension-relieving facilities to regulate his desires, he had revoked his membership.
However, there was something about the woman that battered at his senses. Something that yanked the bars on his cage. If he wasn’t careful, those metal bars around his desire would dissolve into molten steel and no one would be safe. Especially not a defenseless human woman like Eve.
Chapter 9
B y the time they drove out of Necropolis and onto I-35 toward San Antonio, the silence was killing Eve. She was normally a quiet, introspective person, but sitting in the same vehicle as Caine, with his spicy cologne tickling her senses, was stretching her nerves. It was becoming increasingly difficult to stay still and pensive.
She had busied herself looking out the passenger window as they drove down the dark road, but there were only so many road signs that could occupy a person’s mind. There was nothing to see out in the darkened desert. The only thing she could discern were the lights of San Antonio as they approached.