The murmur of voices had died down without her realizing it.
“Cait, would you like to tell us something about yourself?” Larry asked, his gaze pinning her.
Her eyes widened. “I thought I could just listen this first time,” she said as everyone turned in their seats to stare.
“And you can. But if you’d like to share, we’re all here to listen.”
With embarrassment stinging her cheeks, she rose. “Hi, I’m Cait,” she said with a little wave.
“Hi, Cait.”
Good Lord, they sounded like Moonies. “I haven’t had a drink for forty-seven days.” Ready to plop back into her chair, she saw Larry’s encouraging nod and gave an inward groan. “I like scotch. It quiets the voices.”
“Yeah, that’s just where I thought you’d start,” Jason muttered beside her.
From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Eddie Bradley. He leaned against the doorway, arms folded over his chest, smiling in her direction.
“Um, it’s been a great meeting,” she said, edging out of the row. “I’ll think about coming back, but I have to go.”
Larry stood. “We’ll be here for you, Cait.”
“Thanks.” She gave them a tight smile and wave, and then bent to Jason. “Showtime. Hang back. You too, Syl,” she said, glancing at the chair beside Jason and smiling when Jason automatically jerked away.
Keeping her steps unhurried, she strode toward the incubus. Or at least she hoped like hell he was, because his smile was all kinds of wrong. Intimate, proud of her, softly supportive.
Her heart beat like a drum as she forced her own smile. “Hi there. I wasn’t expecting you to be here,” she lied.
“Told you I’d introduce you around. Larry and I know each other.”
“So he said,” she murmured, following him into the hallway.
“I see things have quieted down,” he said with a nod toward the foyer.
“Yeah, everyone’s pretty much cleared out. Guests are back in their rooms—those who decided to stay, that is.”
“No more excitement.”
Considering how best to bait the trap, she paused. “We had another incident. Just a little while ago. It rattled me.”
“You seem to be taking it all in stride. Want to tell me about it?”
“Want that drink?”
His gaze went beyond her. “Want to invite your friend too? He seems to be giving me the eagle eye.”
“No.” She shook her head. “He’s my partner. And we’re off-duty right now. He can find his own company to keep.”
Eddie jerked his chin to the side. “Want to head into the bar?”
She pretended to think about that for a moment, and then offered him a sheepish smile. “Right. I just walked out of an AA meeting. I don’t think Larry would think very highly of you if that’s where we go. Besides, I really should head back up to the third floor.”
Eddie’s smile slipped, and he sighed. “Doesn’t seem like we’re ever going to have time to get to know each other.”
His seemingly guileless gaze stroked over her, touching on her face, the curves of her figure. That odd warmth she’d come to recognize as something special about him infused her. She leaned toward him and glanced up from beneath her lashes. “Keep me company on the way up?”
His lids fell halfway. His nostrils flared. “Sure. Lead the way, Cait.”
She laughed. “I can’t talk to you if you’re behind me.” She slid her hand into the curve of his elbow. Together they set off.
“So, do you like what you do? Being a PI?”
“I asked around. You and your partner run the Delta Detective Agency. Get any interesting cases?”
She made a face. “Mostly watching cheating spouses. The occasional missing person case. Believe me, it sounds more exciting than the work actually is.”
“Seemed plenty of exciting this morning. What exactly happened?”
At the end of the hall, they turned toward the elevators. “A woman I was following disappeared last night. The police wanted to ask me about what I knew. The officer in charge was on the third floor where her body was found. I guess I must have touched a light switch, and I got shocked. That must be something you see a lot,” she said, angling her head forward so she could watch his face.
“I’ve never responded to a call like that. Downed power lines, a husband deciding he can mess with his own junction box and getting his wires crossed, but you’re a new experience for me.”
She met his gaze, and for a split second, his eyes seemed to glow. She blinked and laughed, knowing she sounded nervous. Maybe he’d attribute it to the fact she was trying to flirt and wasn’t very good at it.
“Will your boyfriend be up there?” he asked as he touched the button for the elevator.
“He’s not my boyfriend. Sam’s my ex-husband. We’ve been divorced for a while now.”
“Still seems pretty protective.”
“Still thinks he owns my ass,” she grumbled.
His smile stretched. “You like playing with fire,” he said, his voice dipping intimately low.
Cait fiddled with a strand of her hair, one knee wagging in front of the other as she held his steady stare. “I’m not that brave. Not really. Not like you,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound like she was gushing too much. “Bet you’ve been in some real hot spots.” The doors opened and they stepped inside.
The trip up to the third floor seemed to take forever, stretching her nerves to the point of snapping. She stood beside an incubus. A powerful creature, or so Morin had warned. She’d only faced one demon before, but she’d been armed with a bellows and had two strong men backing her up.
Alone, and with Eddie Bradley inching closer, her mind went blank.
“Your hair still smells like it’s burning.”
Cait wrinkled her nose. “You sure know how to butter up a girl.”
“I have my ways.” He chuckled, the sound not the least sinister.
She wondered if he was laughing at her attempt to flirt. The doors slid open, and she started to step out.
He didn’t follow. Just lifted a brow and hit the button to reclose the doors.
A chill spilled down her spine. She almost had him where she wanted him, but how to convince him she really did want to get him alone? “I won’t be a minute. We can check in, then go find that drink.”
“Cait,” he said, his expression amused. “Do you really think I’m that stupid?” He tugged her back inside and hit the down button. When the car began its descent, he flipped the stop switch. “That’s better. We’re alone now.”
Her heart pounded.
He turned toward her, then took a quick step forward, his body trapping her against the back of the car. He bent his head and nuzzled her ear. “Think I’m going anywhere near Sam Pierce now that he knows what I am?”
“What you are?” she asked, knowing he had to have felt her quiver that time.
His smile widened. “You really are cute. Especially when you drop the sexy act. I like you. I find that whole witch vibe extremely arousing.”
Her jaw sagged. “What did you say?” Lips brushed her neck, raising gooseflesh. She inserted her hands between their chests, intending to push him away, but his next kiss touched her carotid, which set her pulse racing. And not out of fear. Every bone and muscle in her body began to melt. The feel of his large, masculine body pressed against her, the rich manly smell of him—her knees felt weak.
“I’d like to do so many things to your body,” he whispered. “Give you the kind of pleasure only someone like me can provide. We’d be so good together.”
Heat blazed inside her, made her wet, the sudden intensity taking her breath. “Stop that,” she said, but
