Kiss The Night Goodbye

Michael nodded his thanks and continued on. Nikki's gaze met his as he pushed through the door, her relief a warm sigh through his mind.

'Anything?' she asked.

He shook his head and glanced at the doctor. 'What's the verdict, Mike?'

The gray-haired doctor glanced at him over horn-rimmed spectacles. 'She fine. Several loose teeth she might want to see about, but other than that, just bruises and cuts.'

'So there's no need to keep her in observation?'

'No,' Mike said.

'No,' Nikki echoed, eyes flashing dangerously.

He smiled and twined his fingers through hers, then he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. 'Then we have a job to do.'

She hopped off the bed and grabbed her sweater with her free hand. 'What job?'

'Lenny didn't give us anything. We'll have to check his apartment.'

'We meaning you, me and Jake?'

He nodded. Even if he didn't need their help, he doubted he'd keep Jake away any more than he would Nikki. 'I can't cross a threshold uninvited, remember?'

She grinned and stepped close to brush a kiss across his lips. She winced even as she did it. 'Oww.

That hurts.'

He slid an arm around her waist, pressing her lithe body against his, drinking in the heat of her, the smell of her—sweat intermingled with cinnamon, sunshine and honey. 'Then I shall have to find other places to kiss.' He brushed his mouth down her long neck. Her pulse raced against his lips, an intoxicating sensation that called to the man in him rather than the vampire.

Desire flooded the link between them. With her breasts pressed so snugly against his chest, he couldn't help being aware of her arousal, just as she was no doubt aware of his. He wished they were home.

Wished he could give in to passion's flame. Hoped he had an eternity to feel this way.

But right now, they had work to do.

He stepped back. Her gaze scooted down his body and a cheeky smile tugged her lips. 'Keep that thought until later.'

'I intend to.' He tugged his shirt out of his jeans to hide his erection and led her toward the exit.

Jake fell into step beside them. 'So, where are we off to?'

Michael smiled. 'Lenny's place.'

'Why?'

'To find clues.'

'No luck with the mind rifling, huh?'

'No. Your car downstairs, or did you walk?' Jake's car had tinted windows, which would protect him from the effects of the sun. Though by the time they cut through the traffic, the sun shouldn't be a problem.

Jake's expression was horrified. 'Me? Walk? I'm too old for that sort of foolishness.'

Nikki snorted softly. 'Old my ass. You did that test quicker and easier than I did. And you can out sprint me.'

'Only when I'm scared shitless. Fear does wonderful things to the feet.' Jake's gaze found Michael's. 'Is it safe for all of us to be going out?'

Meaning, was it safe for Nikki to go out? Michael pushed open the stairwell door and waved her through. 'Yes,' he said, following Jake into the stairwell. 'Because we don't know who else might have infiltrated the Circle.'

'So we stick together?' Jake asked.

'For the moment.'

'There go my plans for tonight,' Nikki murmured.

'Hey, old men can be deaf when they want to be.'

Nikki's glance back at Jake was wry. 'I wasn't planning to make bedsprings squeak. I had something more exotic in mind.'

'Oh.' Jake's expression was amused. 'Well, you'll just have to be exotic some other time.'

'I guess.' But her thoughts slipped into Michael's, as heated as her skin had been moments ago. How about we spend a little time in the spa tonight? Not as exotic as I wanted, but at least the noise of the spa might cover… other noises.

Heat flashed to his groin as he remembered the time they'd spent in the spa last week. She might have a lot less experience than him, but she'd taught him a thing or two that night.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

Amusement and passion shimmered through the link, wrapping him in heat.

Say that a little more breathlessly,she said, and I might think you were excited about the prospect.

Just a little.

Cool. It's a date.

A smile tugged his lips. We live together, so it can hardly be called a date.

Don't use living together as an excuse for laziness. You will come appropriately dressed, won't you?

Oh, I intend to.

Her laughter ran through him. Good. I can't wait.

Neither could he. They reached the underground parking garage and walked across to Jake's silver Mercedes.

'Where to?' Jake asked, as they climbed in.

'Massachusetts Avenue.'

Once they got there, Jake parked the car up the street from the apartment building, and they all climbed out. The apartment block Lenny lived in was not the rundown building he'd expected—though why he'd actually expected that was beyond him. The Chevy Chase area was considered one of the more prestigious areas in Washington.

'You must have been paying Lenny a decent salary if he could afford an apartment in this place,' Nikki commented, regarding the old but classy-looking apartment block dubiously.

'Apparently so.' He walked through the old-fashioned concrete arch and approached the security doors. He directed a lance of kinetic energy at the locks, and the door opened with little protest.

'You would have made the best cat burglar,' Jake commented.

'I was, once.'

Nikki's gaze jerked to his. 'You? On the wrong side of the law?'

His smile was wry. 'Often.'

Though his clashes with the law had more to do with the darkness within him gaining the upper hand than anything else. He'd walked the edge for more years than he cared to remember. If he hadn't met Seline, he might not have been around to find Nikki.

They took the stairs to the fourth floor. Michael checked the corridor and motioned everyone out of the staircase. Lenny's apartment was the third from the end. Though the echo of heartbeats came from the apartments on either side of Lenny's, no life beat in his.

Michael stopped and switched to the infrared of his vampire vision. No life at all inside, human or otherwise.

He stepped back and glanced at Nikki. 'Your turn.'

She pressed a hand against the door. Energy shimmered through the air, dancing lightly across his skin.

The door opened without a creak of complaint.

There was little furniture in the living room—a chair, a TV, and a ratty looking coffee table dotted with dried coffee rings.

'What are we looking for?' she asked, stepping through the doorway.

'I don't know. Something unusual. Something out of place.'

She nodded and began searching. Jake followed her in. Michael leaned against the doorframe and watched