Nor could he remember the last time anyone had challenged him like this delicate little piece of femininity did now.
The woman nudged the blanket with her toes, trying to draw it closer without his notice.
Because the situation amused him, Navarro decided to goad the girl further. “I’ll entertain questions under one condition.” His gaze bored into hers.
Her gulp was audible. “What condition?”
He almost smiled, anticipating her flight. “That you remove all of your clothing.”
Her eyes rounded, and her breath caught. “You’ll answer my questions if I get naked?” Her voice squeaked.
Navarro crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes. “I don’t promise to answer anything, but I will let you ask your questions.”
Her brows drew together. “You think I’ll strip without any guarantee you’ll give me what I came for?” Her heartbeat accelerated and her cheeks paled, but the smell of her musky arousal surpassed the slightly acrid aroma of her fear.
“Do you really know what you came for?” he asked, letting his voice drawl like a velvet caress.
She blinked, and her round, stubborn chin rose a notch higher. “There’s no reason to be obnoxious. I trespassed, okay? If you’d let me in to begin with, I would have been long gone by now.”
“It’s my fault you’re standing half-clothed in my study?” he asked, incredulous.
Her expression turned bullish. “Two minutes—that’s all I need.”
“I told you my condition.”
Anger rose to obliterate her caution. She was a headstrong minx. He could hear her heartbeat thundering in her chest, see the pulse thudding at her temples. Navarro wouldn’t have been the least surprised to see steam billow out of her ears.
She reached for the waistband of her jeans. “I’m an investigative reporter,” she bit out. “A professional!”
“Fascinating. Just what was the subject of your last report?” he asked, knowing full well, because he’d watched the news the previous night.
Her brows furrowed. “Passion Parties!”
Her scowl would have made a lesser man flinch. He gave a slight snort. “That’s hard-hitting journalism?”
“It was an assignment,” she said, with a disgusted twist of her lips. “The fluff I usually get stuck with—but this story is going to put me in the big leagues.” She opened the buckle and slid down her zipper, all the while glaring daggers.
“What is a Passion Party?” he asked, baiting her and enjoying the anger that made her breaths harsh and her actions jerky. Just how far would she really go for a story?
“Sexy parties.” Her glare slid away. “Housewives hold them. They learn about using…sexual devices and model undergarments.” She huffed and toed off her leather loafers, giving each one a kick that sent them flying against the wall.
The chit really was going to strip. He had no doubt if he looked inside her mind at this moment, he’d see himself with a red target circling his head.
Navarro turned to hide the smile that almost curved his lips. He walked to a side table and poured himself a drink. Once his expression was under control, he lifted the crystal decanter in her direction. “Care for a brandy? It will help keep you warm.”
She muttered under her breath, pushed her jeans and underwear down her hips, and stepped out of her clothing.
With his superior hearing, he caught the words, “Smart ass!” and bit back a grin. He shrugged, set down the decanter, and took his seat, letting his gaze slide over the creamy flesh of her rounded bottom.
Pretending indifference, he gave her pale limbs a dismissing glance and indicated the chair opposite his armchair.
She stomped over and flounced down on it. As soon as she was seated, she slid one leg on top of the other.
An action that effectively cut off his view of the triangle of curly hair at the apex of her thighs.
Situated before the fire, her body was illuminated by flickering firelight. The red-gold flame painted her pale flesh in golden tones. Lovely, he thought, though a little lacking in curves. If he had half a mind to seek a little refreshment, she’d offer only a light snack.
Navarro settled deeper into his chair and took a sip of his brandy. He glanced at her mutinous face over the top of his glass. “You have two minutes. You may begin.”
Although he was sure she couldn’t see his features clearly in the darkness, her gaze narrowed accusingly. “I’m following an interesting story,” she said, her tone biting. “It involves teenagers who were pronounced dead but are still walking around Seattle, and a serial killer who was part of your organization, but mysteriously disappeared.”
He stirred his glass with a negligent turn of his wrist, watching the firelight swirl in the amber liquid. “Sounds like old news.”
Her fingers dug into the leather arms of her chair as she leaned forward. “How about a string of unsolved murders—” she blurted, “also teenagers, but in south Florida with MOs suspiciously similar to those here in Seattle? They started shortly after the pilot of your private jet filed a manifest. Wanna guess his destination?”
Navarro stilled. The murders weren’t unsolved—the outcome just unpublicized—and the killer had paid the ultimate price. But the fact she’d made any kind of link between the killings and his actions disturbed him.
“You’re kind of quiet,” she said, her lips curving in triumph.
“Interesting facts,” he said, keeping his voice even, although his amusement and patience had dried up. “But you haven’t asked me a single question—and you only have one minute left.”
The woman sat back in her chair, her expression benign.
She wasn’t finished, yet. Navarro guessed she’d probably even forgotten she was entirely nude.
Her gaze was too focused, her smile almost feline—small and enigmatic. “Humor me,” she said. “Just one more item of trivia. One of your associates, a fellow master on your council, was aboard that plane, but he didn’t return. The murders resumed in Florida around the same time Dylan O’Hara arrived. Don’t you think the authorities would find that interesting?”
Navarro relaxed. She had a few facts, but wasn’t connecting all the dots. “No.” He set aside his glass. “See how accommodating I’ve been? I answered your question.”
A frown creased her forehead, and her shoulders slumped. “Okay, so maybe I haven’t figured it all out yet—how he’s connected and why the killings suddenly stopped—but I’m not through digging.”
“Tell me, Miss Coffey. What do you think will happen if you approach your station with this information—and your creative spin? Do you think anyone will believe a shadow government comprised of vampires exists in Seattle?”
“It’s the truth,” she replied, indignation clear in her tone. “I just have to find proof.”
“Why did you think it necessary to talk to me? Did you think I’d tell you anything, especially if your muddled theories were correct?”
“I didn’t.”
“Didn’t what? Think?” His voice rose, and Navarro drew back. That last had felt like anger speaking. He hadn’t lost his temper in years, but the girl was too headstrong. Had he been a different sort of vampire, she could have walked into a nightmare.
She shrugged one shoulder. “I just wanted you to know…that I know.”
Navarro shook his head. No wonder she was relegated to reporting on how bored housewives spent their husbands’ money. “I’m not understanding your logic. You think I’m a vampire and conspiring to hide a killer. If that were true, shouldn’t you be worried I’ll make a meal of you and be done with this annoyance?”
Her mouth opened and closed like a guppy’s. “Well, you are a vampire—you’ve lived in this house for forty-five years, but you don’t look a day over thirty.”
That was the only part of what he’d said that she’d latched onto? The ridiculous woman obviously counted being right as more important than staying alive. “Again, pardon my confusion,” h
e said, letting sarcasm season his voice, “but I hardly think my real estate investments warrant the use of your venerable investigative skills.”
“Don’t you patronize me!” she said, her voice rising. “What is it with you men?”
“I think, Miss Coffey, you’re a rather foolish woman. No doubt you’ve heard that before. You came here without a clue of what you hoped to achieve. You simply blundered your way inside my home.”
Her lips thinned. “Perhaps, I am an idiot, but I have a nose for a good story. Maybe I’ll turn my attention to a new development. Tell me, why would vampires seek out three fellows of the GenTech Institute and murder them? What interest would vamps have in a bunch of geneticists?”
Navarro drew in a sharp breath. What did she know?
She must have heard him. Her expression changed from indignant to thoughtful.
He waited, hoping she’d draw another irrational conclusion.
“Geneticists working on cloning,” she murmured. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and her mouth clamped shut.
Damnation! “Yes, it’s an interesting development. And something I’m already investigating myself, Miss Coffey.”
She swallowed and lifted one finger. “I’ll just be leaving. I’ve overstayed my two minutes.”
“Come, Miss Coffey,” Navarro said, with a deep inward sigh. He really didn’t want to do this, but the chit had forced his hand. “We’ve only just become acquainted. I insist you extend your visit.”
Chapter Three
‡
“I can’t stay here,” Sidney sputtered, dismayed at his suggestion.
“But you will.” Navarro took another lazy sip of brandy.
He sat so calmly she wanted to kick him in the shins. “I will not!”
“As I said before, I am investigating this new…circumstance.” However nonchalant his actions were, his expression remained watchful—his gaze piercing. “I want no interference from you.”
Sidney shivered, and her nipples tightened. Lord, she hoped he didn’t notice. Nothing like a little threat of danger to remind her how vulnerable she really was—and just how much she liked that feeling. Especially in the presence of a drop-dead gorgeous man.
“Until I’ve satisfied my curiosity, you will remain my guest.” His gaze dipped to her chest and his nostrils flared.
What had that look meant? Could he smell her arousal? She pushed off the chair, afraid she’d leave a puddle of evidence if she sat a moment longer. “We’ll just see about that,” she said, not even trying to disguise her snarl. She bent to scoop up her jeans.
A booted foot stepped on a pant leg, and Sidney’s heart lurched. When had he moved? How had he gotten to her side so fast? She dropped the denims and jerked upward. He stood so close her breasts dragged along his white shirt.
Sidney backed away a step, unnerved by his proximity and his dark stare. His expression gave away nothing about his thoughts, while she feared hers told him exactly what was on her mind. Half of her wanted to run screaming from the house—the other half wanted to test forbidden waters.
“Do you really think you’d like to experience my bite?” he murmured, his gaze dropping to her lips.
Her eyes widened at the accuracy of his guess and the white tipped incisors peeking from beneath his upper lip.
She shook her head even as her body released a trickle of creamy excitement. “I can’t stay,” she repeated. “I’ll be missed. I have a job.” She continued backing toward the door.
“It’s Saturday morning. You won’t be missed until Monday.” He took a step closer—so slowly, she knew he was taunting her.
Sidney lifted her chin. “People know I’m here.”
He gave her a long, intense stare. Then his eyes narrowed. “You’re lying.”
Damn him! She stomped her foot before she remembered he could see everything jiggle. “What if you don’t find what you need by Monday?”
“Then we’ll have to send out for clean underwear and a toothbrush.”
“I’ll need them before that!” Realization finally hit Sidney he was serious about her staying. How the hell was she supposed to investigate the story of a lifetime if he kept her prisoner? “I can’t stay here indefinitely. People really will get concerned.”
“I’ll give your station manager a call—we’re old friends.”
Her eyebrows shot up at that bit of news. “You wouldn’t dare—”
“And I’ll let our friend Moses know you’re in good hands.”
She stilled. “You know Moses?” She shook her head—here was a little fact Moses hadn’t bothered to pass along. “How do you know Moses and I are friends?”
He leaned close and inhaled deeply. “I’d say you’re considerably more than friends. I smell him all over you.”
She jerked back her head and glared. “That was really crude.”
He shrugged as though her opinion didn’t matter one bit.
The action only managed to raise her ire another notch.
“You’re safe—for now,” he said, his glance raking over her. “I never take another man’s leavings.”
“Leavings? I don’t belong to any man to be his leavings. And if anyone’s leaving, it’s me!”
With a wicked gleam in his eyes, he bent and picked up her clothing from the floor.
“Wait a second,” she said, alarmed by the smirk quirking one side of his lips. “I need those.”
Her jaw dropped open when he tossed them into the fireplace. When he folded his arms over his chest, she gave him the meanest look she had in her limited arsenal. “You hardly think that will stop me from leaving.” She stalked to the door and reached down for the blanket.
His foot landed in the middle of the bundle. His hand settled on her bottom.
She didn’t even wonder at how he’d managed to cross the room so quickly. “Fine! Keep the goddamn blanket.” She straightened, but was unwilling to turn and look him in the eye. One glance and he’d know exactly what his broad hand was doing to her. “Don’t think I won’t walk out of here naked as the day I was born.”
“It’s cold outside—getting more so by the minute, my dear. You’ll think twice before you head down the drive.” He leaned close, his breath ruffling the curls next to her ear. “I’m really not that interested, my dear. I can wait until the smell of him no longer clings to your skin.”
“Not interested? Then why are you squeezing my ass?”
“I’m testing to see whether there’s even a meaty rump steak to be had. I’ll have to get Inigo to fatten you up a bit—you’re too scrawny.”
Sidney gasped in outrage and pushed away his hand. “I’m not on the menu, you jerk.”
“I agree.” His other hand reached around and cupped her breast. “You’re not even a late night snack.”
Her cheeks burning from his insults, Sidney flung open the door and stormed into the hallway, heedless of her nudity.
She jammed hard against the servant’s shoulder as he stood, straightening his tie. The man had been eavesdropping!
He cleared his raspy throat. “Miss, may I show you to your room?” His gaze remained fixed on her forehead.
Sidney knew he’d already gotten an eyeful and flushed hotly. “Well hell!” Soft laughter sounded behind her, and she rounded on the master vampire. “What the hell am I supposed to do with myself for the next couple of days?”
He gave her a rapacious smile—showing his lovely white fangs for the first time. “You’re a resourceful girl. I’m sure you can find endless ways to entertain yourself.”
“What makes you think I’ll just sit here twiddling my thumbs all weekend long?”
“If thumbs give you pleasure…” he drawled.
Sidney felt warmth wash her chest and cheeks.
“Your curiosity will keep your active little mind occupied. I know you’re dying to know what secrets my desk will give up. And can you really pass up the opportunity to learn more about a vampire’s…special kiss?”
Christ! Did he hav
e to remind her hormones just how attractive his mouth was?
His eyes glittered, and his lips drew apart.
Her breath hitched, and she leaned toward him, feeling inexplicably drawn into his dark gaze.
His mouth curved mirthlessly.
Son of a bitch! Sidney straightened, realizing he was toying with her once again. She glared at him. “You have to sleep sometime.”
He closed the door in her face.
Sidney wondered how difficult outrunning the old man waiting at her side would be.
“Beware the sentry dogs in the yard,” Master Navarro’s voice sounded from the other side of the door. “Inigo let them out shortly after you entered my library.”
*
“Who the fuck does he think he is? Keep me prisoner, will he?”
Navarro raised a brow at the loud mutterings of his houseguest as she paced the length of her room. Inigo had given her the guest bedroom with the hidden cameras and listening devices.
Although the sun would soon rise, Navarro felt no fatigue. The woman had invigorated his blood as no one else had in quite a long while—perhaps in the last century.
“I don’t take another man’s leavings,” she mimicked, her mouth curling in disgust. “Well, I don’t take cold leftovers—that’s what you are, Navarro!” she shouted through the locked door of her bedroom.
Still naked, she flounced onto the bed, beating her heels and hands against the mattress.
Navarro studied her attributes. Alone, each was unremarkable. Her bottom was rounded, firm. Her breasts a scant mouthful, tipped with small cherry nipples. Her body was trim, athletic, but not overly so.
No, her curves and pretty face weren’t what held his interest. It was her courage, the surprising twists her mind took, and the sensuality that plumped her lips and kept her nipples tight and hard, even now when only anger fired her passion.
Knight Edition Page 3
