Chapter 28
He tried to get out of bed without rousing her, but since they were still entwined from their last energetic bout of lovemaking, it was no easy task.
Finally, he managed to disentangle her arms and legs gently and pull the coverlet over her.
Finding his clothes, he dressed quietly.
But she must have sensed he was no longer lying next to her, because she reached out a slender arm and patted the empty mattress, then raised her head. “Where are you going?”
“To do some investigative work. While you stay here.”
“And do what?”
“There’s food and coffee in the kitchen, then… I don’t know—read a book maybe.”
“Read a book!” She looked so horrified even in her sleepy state, he had to laugh.
“Yes, Clare, there is a library of books downstairs, and a world beyond work.”
She cast him another outraged look and he couldn’t resist sitting down beside her on the bed. Hooking a finger under her chin, he gazed deep into her eyes.
“Stubborn little human. Do. Not. Disobey. Me.”
She huffed. “I thought we were equal now.”
“No, I said you were superior to me. But that doesn’t mean you should disobey me.”
“You can’t seek obedience unless you tell me where you’re going.” She pouted, but her eyes twinkled.
“I’m off to see Waldo about storing some of your blood, then to interview Dorothea, Matteus Kominsky’s mother.”
“You get all the fun jobs.” Her lower lip stuck out further, and he couldn’t resist the urge to bend and kiss that pillowy softness, nibble on it gently.
“No need to envy me.” He made a face as they parted. “She is a ghastly vampire, but she has a tongue that wags like a dog’s tail, and I need to know what she knows.”
“You need one more kiss before you go to bolster you, then, sir.”
He stared at her longingly. “Temptress.”
She reached out and reeled him in close, pulled his head down kissed him, and the delight of it took him so by surprise that he completely lost his balance.
Giggling, she placed her arms around him and before he knew it they were rolling on the bed again. He kissed her eyelids, her nose, little kisses everywhere and fuck, that sound… That sound was him laughing.
She rolled into him, moved her leg between his and nudged it into his groin.
“Ah, sir, you appear to have a problem.”
Yep, he was hard as a rock and turned on like crazy. A century of celibacy, and now the dam had broken and he was insatiable. All he wanted was to rip his clothes off again and lie with her naked. Make sweet, slow love to her.
He smoothed the hair out of her face and gazed into her eyes. “If you knew how often I have longed for you in the dark lonely nights, how I cannot believe you are finally here in my bed…”
“Me too.” She snuggled into his neck, and all he wanted was to stay. But he was still a man of duty. Finally, with a sigh, he extricated himself and stood. “Not even an army of fucking grimaalds could stop me coming home to you, sweet Clare.”
Home. He’d never thought of this mausoleum as a home, but with Clare here, all that had changed. “Be good, my little necromancer.”
Her eyes danced, and then then she pushed down the covers and rolled her slender thighs out to the side, pushing them open with her palms with a coquettish smile.
“The necromancer will be eagerly awaiting your return. Sir.”
As soon as he’d gone, Clare jumped out of bed, padded over to the window and stared down at the old, cobbled road winding down Motham Hill. This part of town was so beautiful, with its tall trees and mature shrubs in large, gated gardens.
She watched the black car purring out of the drive and disappearing. She couldn’t believe she’d been ordered to stay at home.
Like a mistress, like a lover. Not a cop with a crime to solve.
She smirked. It wasn’t altogether an unpleasant concept. For one day, she didn’t mind so much. If it meant he’d come back and make love to her, she’d happily quit her duties for twenty-four hours.
She had never seen this Oliver. He was relaxed and smiling all the time. The lines around his face had smoothed out, as if the worries and pain he’d been carrying for centuries had been relieved a little.
Because of her. Because of what was happening between them.
Not just her blood, she was more confident of that now. He hadn’t even bitten her in their lovemaking last night.
After a quick shower in the grand en-suite bathroom, she hugged the fluffy towel around her body and looked at her face in the mirror, glowing, her eyes alight with something she’d never seen there before. An inner confidence that came from being… desired. Dared she now believe it might be more?
She needed time to process, but everything was moving so fast, and she sensed it was because of their connection. A connection that had been there the moment they met. A connection that was forged in a deeper reality than theirs.
They were like two pieces that slotted together. Two hurt loners, who had found each other.
And now so much more about her made sense, because she had met Oliver. And found out about her heritage.
All the events of her school days fell into place now.
She had been different. And those human girls had sensed her difference, just like they had sensed Natalie’s.
And by the sound of things, Edward had always felt different too.
Perhaps the other three, whose parents wouldn’t even talk about them, had felt the same.
Misfits in the human world.
With magick blood running through their veins. All of them with witch ancestry.
And her own blood, even more powerful than the rest. The ability to bring souls back from the dead. Not for evil intent, but for good. Had her parents hidden it from her and Adam? Did they even know?
When the case was finished, she would raise it with them. They weren’t so far off from solving it, she was certain.
Her breath caught on a spike of pure adrenalin.
And as if by serendipity, her phone rang in the bedroom.
Hurrying over to her purse she realized it was her other phone. Anna’s phone. There was only one person who knew that number.
Clare picked it up. Put it to her ear.
“Hi, Anna darling, it’s Emmaline,” came the breathy voice on the other end. “I have got hold of that extra special employer the Master mentioned. He is very keen to interview you. Could you meet up this afternoon?”
Clare pulled a face. She’d promised Oliver that she would not move, not before he had back-up vials of her blood. She knew it would be foolhardy to break that promise.
“Today I—I can’t, I’m in Tween visiting my mom who’s been unwell.” Please gods, don’t punish her for the lie. “But I—I’ll be back in Motham later tonight. How about tomorrow?”
“Oh darling, sorry to hear your mom’s sick. Tomorrow, lunchtime then. We’ll make the beast take us out to lunch.”
The beast? Something about the way Emmaline said it made little hairs stand up on the back of Clare’s neck. “W—who is he?”
“Ah, I have to keep that secret for now. But I will tell you tomorrow before we meet him.”
“That’s so wonderful, thank you Emmaline,” Clare gushed. It wasn’t wonderful, it was unnerving, felt like walking into a trap, but she sensed too many questions would make Emmaline suspicious. “Where shall we meet?”
“Come to my office first, and we’ll get his chauffer to drive us to the venue. See you at noon tomorrow.” Emmaline let out a squeal of laughter. “I just know we are going to be the best of friends after this.”