He eyed her, likely lingering too long on her glorious mouth. “I highly doubt that.”
She smiled then. “You know, Cale, you choose the most interesting times and places to flirt. That says a lot about you, don’t you think?”
“I’m not flirting.” He smoothed a hand down his tie. At least he didn’t think he was deliberately flirting with her.
“Right, tell that to the ton of pheromones you’re giving off.” Before he could answer, she strolled back into the game room. “The team is on its way. I’m going to go to the car, get my kit and start dusting the scene.”
Discreetly, Cale sniffed at himself. Was he really producing that much? Could she really smell it, or was she just yanking his chain? He was a sick bastard to be thinking about sex at a crime scene, but he had to admit that every time Olena was near him, carnal thoughts blasted his mind like dyn**ite. Unfortunately, his body was feeling the effects.
Chapter 7
They found Luc Dubois’s head in the master bedroom, propped up on a pillow at the foot of his bed. Olena thought it was very Godfather-like. It reminded her of Mafia-style warfare. Vampire society was hierarchical, but she didn’t think it functioned like the mob. It was based more in aristocracy, with lords and ladies and those who had money and power.
But power was power, no matter how one achieved it or wielded it.
And whoever had executed and decapitated Luc Dubois possessed power. Or at the very least desired it greatly.
The team had processed the basement, bagging and tagging the three glasses, the body, and then the head after the coroner had come and done his thing. Olena had dusted for prints and found a lot of smudges on the pool cues, the pool balls and the equipment in the makeshift dungeon. It was obvious the victim did a lot of entertaining. Going through those prints was going to be like sifting through sugar for a grain of salt.
And once Gabriel had done some digging, they knew why the vampire had been so popular.
Luc Dubois had been the owner and proprietor of several fashionable nightclubs around the city. Both mainstream human clubs and Otherworlder bars.
One in particular stood out. Phantasia, a well-known magic sex club that had organized-crime ties.
When Gabriel had mentioned it to Cale, the agent’s eyes had lit up. Gabriel had agreed that Olena would head over there with Cale to interview the regulars just as soon as the crime scene was finished and Phantasia was in full swing. Olena glanced at her watch. It was only around nine at night, still too early to go to the club.
And by the looks of Cale, discreetly yawning behind his hand, he needed a couple of hours’ rest before they continued.
Clicking her kit shut, she walked to where he leaned against the wall and watched as the team finished up their work. “Looks like you could use some rest.”
“I’m fine. I can go forty-eight hours if need be.”
“Well, this isn’t a need-be situation.” She made a point of looking at her watch again. “We have a good five hours before the club is in full swing. I could take you to your hotel and you could catch a couple of hours of sleep.”
“What about you?”
She smiled. “I’m a night owl.”
“Okay. I could stand to change my shirt, anyway. And I’d like to read up on these organized-crime links to the victim.”
She left her kit with Gabriel and let him know that she was taking Cale to his hotel and then would pick him up again to go down to the club. The inspector just nodded and gave her one of his good-luck pats on the back.
The drive to Cale’s downtown hotel was quiet. Cale was busy on his BlackBerry as Olena drove. She didn’t want to talk, anyway. After seeing a decapitated body and then finding the head propped up like a door prize, what did someone talk about?
Olena had seen vampires executed before. One didn’t live as long as she had and not see things like that. But the last execution had been over sixty years ago. She had hoped the world had moved past that kind of barbaric behavior. Obviously, that was a wishful fantasy.
She had reacted strongly to the scene. It had proved a moment of weakness. And in that weakness she had allowed Cale to comfort her. He had surprised her by the gentleness of his embrace and the intimate way he’d stroked her hair. The moment had obviously weakened him as well. He didn’t strike her as the kind of man to crumble under pressure or soften with sympathy. But he had. With her. She could still remember the way his heart had picked up a beat when he held her close, and the enticing scent of his cologne. It had sent a signal straight to the heart of her. Her belly had tightened and she’d been close to quivering in his arms.
She was definitely not a woman who quivered easily. And not when sex wasn’t involved. Cale was starting to seep into her psyche. And she didn’t like that much. She could feel herself losing her footing.
Soon, if she didn’t check herself, she’d be falling right into his waiting arms.
When she pulled up to the hotel, she had every intention of just dropping him off and going on her way. But when she parked, he looked at her with something akin to need in his eyes. Or maybe it was just desire. And then, on the pretense of food and conversation, he invited her to his room.
It was very difficult for a vampiress to say no to an invitation.