three hundred years to achieve.
'Oh, God, Michael, I'm so sorry,' she whispered.
'Don't.'
He'd stopped near Jake's desk. She stared at his back, saw the tension in the set of his shoulders and arms. Could feel his anger and frustration, a wave of heat that boiled across her skin.
'You did what you thought was best,' he continued.
Yes, she had, but what good had it done? In some respects, she'd still lost him. She rubbed her eyes wearily. 'Why are you here?'
He glanced around. The wisp of depravity had left his eyes, but the anger still burned. 'You are working on a case at the moment, are you not?'
'I'm a private investigator,' she reminded him blandly. 'That's what I do.'
Two could play word games. If he wouldn't come straight out and tell her why he was here, why should she offer anything more than what he'd actually asked?
He sat on the edge of Jake's desk and slowly swung one leg. He looked casual, unconcerned, yet she knew the appearance was a lie. Tension and worry were emanating from him in waves thick enough to touch.
'This is a case that has gone wrong,' he said.
'Lots of cases go wrong, Michael. Take Monica Trevgard's case. It certainly didn't end the way I wanted it to.'
If her words had any impact, it certainly didn't show. His face remained as impassive as ever. 'Stop playing games, Nikki. You need to go to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and I need your help.'
'I'm not the one playing games. Nor am I the one skirting the real issue here.' She stared at him for several seconds. When he didn't respond, she sighed and wrapped her hands around her coffee cup, studying the dark liquid intently. 'Why me? Why now? Don't you belong to some organization full of psychics and vampires and God knows what else?'
His reply was terse. 'Yes. And it is the lady in charge of that organization who insists I accompany you.'
Obviously, given the choice, he'd rather be anywhere else than here. She closed her eyes, fighting the sting of tears. 'That still doesn't answer the question of why it has to be me.'
He hesitated. 'Seline did a reading. If you go there alone, you will die.'
Fear rose. Yet death, in one form or another, had been a constant shadow in her life. She glanced up sharply. 'Why was she doing a reading on me?'
'She wasn't. She was trying to discover more information about Vance Hutton.'
Nikki frowned. 'The actor? Why?'
'He's disappeared from an exclusive resort in Jackson Hole, and apparently he's not the first.'
'So why are you getting involved?'
'The resort is the base for some form of dark force. Whether it is a vampire or something worse, Seline can't say. So she sends a killer to hunt a killer.'
A chill raced across her flesh. What in the hell could be worse than a vampire like Jasper? 'So how did my name get involved?'
He shrugged gracefully. 'Seline's visions sometimes have a will of their own.'
'And you believe her?'
His dark gaze met hers. 'I would not be here otherwise.'
Though she'd known this all along, having it said out loud seemed to make it final. Unchangeable. Like he'd taken the knife from her boot and sliced open her heart.
She looked down at her coffee. A tear ran down her cheek and splashed against the back of her hand.
She ignored it. 'What happens if the kid I'm looking for isn't in Jackson Hole?' Even though it felt as if someone were squeezing her throat tight, her voice came out even, as devoid of emotion as his.
'If it comes to that, you can search nearby areas during the day.'
She frowned. It was tempting, if only because she'd be close to Michael. Yet she couldn't escape the feeling that he wasn't telling her everything. 'How expensive is this place?'
'The Circle will pay for everything.'
'And in return?'
He hesitated. 'You are to be my cover. The resort is geared towards couples.'
A couple? How could that work when he couldn't even touch her? And even if he could, could she survive touching and kissing and loving him, knowing all along it was nothing more than a lie? That after the mission was over he'd simply leave? 'If you think you can share my bed and just walk away again, I've got news for you—I'm not that easy.'
'I never thought you were.' He sighed and looked away. 'Believe me, this is as hard for me as it is for you. But we have no other choice.'
'Bullshit, Michael. We have plenty of other choices. You're just afraid to try.' As she'd been, not so long ago. Yet even then, even as he'd tried to make her admit her feelings, he'd warned he would never stay.
That she could never share his world.
She hadn't believed it then, and she didn't believe it now.
'I have watched the passing of three centuries,' he said softly. 'I have buried those that I cared about more times than I want to remember. I do not want to have to bury you as well.'
'And I have lived just over a quarter of a century, but I've watched my mother, father and lover die brutal deaths. What makes us so different?'
'The fact that I must drink blood to survive.' His voice was as hard as his expression.
'A fact I'm well aware of, believe me.'
He made a chopping motion with his hand. 'Enough, Nikki. This is strictly a business proposition, nothing more.'
After what they'd been through? After what they'd shared? Not likely.
'Okay then,' she said, her voice sharp. 'When do we leave?'
He raised an eyebrow in surprise. 'No further arguments? Questions?'
'Nope. You can brief me on the details during the flight there.'
'Okay.' He hesitated, his expression a little confused. 'We have seats booked on the eight-thirty flight.'
She glanced at her watch. If she went home now, she'd have plenty of time to catch a shower and rest before she had to get ready. She gulped down the last of her coffee and rose.
'Since it's nearly ten and the sun plays havoc with your health, do you want to stay here? The sofa's still in the storeroom if you want to lie down.'
'If that is all right by you.' He was regarding her warily, as if expecting a violent explosion at any second.
'I have to see MacEwan at five, so I'll come by and pick you up after that.'
'Fine.' He frowned. 'Are you okay?'
'Yes.' She picked up her keys and headed for the door, then hesitated, looking back. 'The last time you were in Lyndhurst, you taught me a very important lesson. Life is for living. You cannot fear it. You cannot retreat from it. I'm not retreating, Michael, and I'm sure as hell not giving up. I never will.'
She walked out, slamming the door shut behind her.
Chapter Seven
The aircraft engines' droning was the only sound that broke the silence. Night filled the cabin, and around him, people slept and dreamed.
Michael stretched out his legs, grateful that Seline had booked first-class seats. He wasn't sure he could have handled anything else right now—he hated flying at the best of times, especially in economy, with its cramped seats and lack of elbow room. Conditions that would have been made all the more unbearable with Nikki wedged beside him.
He'd known his blood lust might pose a threat to her, especially since she'd been the first human he'd tasted
