Bound to Shadows

relieved breath.

'That was very well done,' Cole said softly, giving me a grin that reached his cool blue eyes. 'Even if a lot of it could be considered stretching the truth.'

'Hey, better that than getting your head kicked in by an aggrieved crowd.'

'Too right,' Dusty muttered, then gave me a smile and a wink. He had a nice smile on the rare occasions that he flashed it. 'Although the heads getting kicked in would be theirs, not ours, and the boss hates that.'

I grinned and glanced at my watch. It was nearly eleven thirty, which meant if I didn't get my butt into gear, I'd be late for my meeting with Kye.

I refused to call it a date. Not when he was basically blackmailing me to be there.

I glanced at Cole. 'Could you send me the details of the car once it's traced? I'm betting it's stolen, but Jack will still want me to follow it up.'

He nodded. 'I sent the details into headquarters, so it shouldn't take long.'

'Thanks.'

He nodded and got back to work. I rose and walked back to my car. Time to head home and get changed, because jeans and a top would never be classed as 'something nice'. Although I refused to wear something sexy, because the damn man didn't deserve that, either.

Of course, finding something that could be classed as nice without being overtly sexy was another matter entirely. I was a werewolf. Sexy was my thing.

In the end I chose a very basic floral sundress, and teamed it with a black leather belt, which nicely matched the black and white print. Classy and neat, even if the floral print was last year's style. Not that Kye would care.

So why did I?

I grimaced at my own fussiness and, ignoring a small tremor of excitement, grabbed a change of clothes, then headed out.

Franklin's turned out to be at the top end of La Trobe Street, just down from Exhibition. It was a pretty, blue two story building with lots of lovely fretwork and arched windows. The glass was mirrored, suggesting it was one way, and there was very little signage out front—which left me wondering what sort of restaurant this place was, beyond the fact that it was obviously one that didn't want to be easily found.

I parked in one of the spots down the road then walked down, my heels clicking quickly against the concrete—a rhythm that matched my pulse.

There was no handle on the double doors out front, just a discrete buzzer. That had wariness flaring.

It was very tempting to just turn around and walk away, but I didn't trust Kye not to follow through with his threat.

Besides, part of me wanted to know what this place was. A dark and utterly stupid part.

I pressed the buzzer lightly and a moment later, a sultry female voice said, 'Franklin's. How may we help you?'

'Riley Jenson. I have an appointment with Kye Murphy.'

'Ah yes, Mr. Murphy has been waiting for you. Please come in.'

The door softly clicked open, and I went through into a small foyer that was all dark marble and gold fittings. A small desk sat to the right, and a plush gold sofa and several potted plants to the left. The petite blonde behind the desk gave me a warm smile.

'Good afternoon, Ms. Jenson,' she said, and waved an elegant hand to another door. 'If you'll just go through there, Christine will show you to your table.'

I did as bid, but the second I went through that other door, I knew this place wasn't just a restaurant.

The soft music that caressed the air was sensual and erotic—a melody designed to relax and seduce the senses. The air was as heated as the music and rich with the scent of lust and sex and rich, spicy food. Despite my misgivings, I breathed deep, allowing the ambiance to soak through my pores, right into my very bones. An answering tremor of excitement coursed through me.

Franklins was a wolf club—a very discrete wolf club. One that obviously only catered to certain levels of clientele. Certainly I'd never heard of them before, but I guess that was no surprise because they weren't targeting the likes of me. It was surprising they allowed the likes of Kye, but I guess he could probably afford whatever this place cost. He was one of the top hit men in the country, after all.

The door swung shut behind me, and another petite blonde appeared. 'Riley Jenson?'

I nodded, my gaze roaming past her, studying the dark wine walls. No cameras, no deadeners, nothing security related that I could see, but I imagined it would all be there. If this place was catering to upper class clientele, they couldn't afford not to be careful.

The blonde gave me smile that lit up her brown eyes. A woman who enjoyed her job, obviously. 'Mr. Murphy awaits you in the green room. This way, please.'

She escorted me down a long hallway that was all pale gold and green. It wasn't trying to be sexy, just warm and welcoming, and in that it succeeded. There were doors to the left and the right, and the scents coming from them were a mix of food, alcohol and lust. But not sex. That scent seemed to be drifting down from above, though I could hear no noise that suggested mating. They obviously had good soundproofing.

The blonde stopped at the second last door to the right, just before a sweeping gold and glass staircase. As she swiped a card through the reader slot, I leaned forward and looked up the stairs. Two oversize doors waited at the top. A grand entrance to a grand dance floor, perhaps.

'There you are, Ms. Jenson.'

I gave her a somewhat tense smile and walked in. The room was on the small side, but lushly furnished. The walls were a rich, dark cream, and covered on three sides with oil paintings that depicted various forest scenes in which naked people ran about. The fourth was covered by green velvet curtains, and in front of it sat a leather sofa so well padded it looked as if it would envelop you once you sat down. A black table dominated the rest of the room, the chairs well padded and the same rich green as the curtains and the sofa. The far end had been set for two, although the table looked able to seat at least eight.

Kye was leaning against a mantle, although the fire itself wasn't lit. Which was just as well, given the warmth in the room. But the air was nothing compared to the heat that flashed between us when his gaze met mine. It hit like a punch to the gut and I stopped, momentarily breathless.

He looked good. So good. His black pants fit his long, strong legs superbly and made the most of his well toned butt. His shirt was roughly rolled up at the sleeves, revealed his muscular arms. The color was dark green, and contrasted richly against the gold of his eyes, making them seem even brighter.

Or maybe that was just the heat in them. The desire.

His gaze swept my body—a caress that left me hot and sweating. I clenched my hands, digging my fingernails into my palm, using the sharp sting as a buffer against need.

I didn't want to want this man, but fate had taken that choice from me. But I'd be damned if I'd step into his arms without a fight.

'Why the pretence of a meal, Kye? Why not just save some money and attempt this seduction at one of the regular clubs?'

'Because I rarely go anywhere public these days. In my line of business, that can be dangerous.'

'Meaning there's a contract out on your head?'

'Not yet, but I don't believe in taking chances.'

'Then use a disguise. You're well versed in the art.' I walked across to the table, poured myself a wine, then added a little acidly, 'Actually, you're pretty damn good at lying, too.'

He raised an eyebrow. 'And why would you say that?'

'Because it's true.' I took a sip of the wine and almost sighed in pleasure at the sweet taste. Brown Brothers really did make a decent white.

Though I really didn't want to know whether he'd known it was one of my favorites.

'It may be true, but I'm curious as to why you've suddenly mentioned it now.'

'Because you lied to me about your discussion with Mandy Jones.'