Blood Secrets - By Jeannie Holmes Page 0,2
He winked at her, as if to say, “Gotcha,” before moving to her still-warm pillow and curling into a tight ball.
“You sure are jumpy,” a voice announced from near the window.
Alex gasped and aimed her Glock at the newly perceived threat.
“It’s me, damn it!” A man’s silhouette raised his hands and the scent of sandalwood and cinnamon wafted toward her.
Recognition stopped her finger from pulling the trigger. She lowered the pistol, her breath leaving in an explosive puff.
Varik Baudelaire—Director of Special Operations for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigation, her ex-fiancé, former mentor, and current lover—cautiously approached the bed and took the pistol from her. “Fucking-A, baby. What the hell’s got you so worked up?”
“Sorry. I’m not used to someone being here when I wake up.”
He placed the Glock on the bedside table. “Well, it’s little wonder if you make a habit of trying to kill your lovers.”
She moved Dweezil from her pillow. “Oh, fuck you,” she spat and pulled the covers over her head.
The bed shifted with Varik’s added weight and his arms slipped around her. “That sounds like a fabulous idea,” he growled and nipped at her ear with his fangs.
Alex giggled and rolled to face him. “Is sex the only thing you think about?”
“No.” He kissed her neck. “Sometimes I think of food. Especially whipped cream.”
“Whipped cream?”
He pulled back enough that she could see his dark eyes had shifted to the color of molten gold. “It’s very versatile and has many uses.” His hand slipped beneath her University of Louisville T-shirt to cup her breast. “It’s especially good with melons.”
She laughed and shoved him away. “You really are a French pig, aren’t you?”
He captured her, pulling her close, and brushed his lips against hers as he whispered, “Le oink, le oink.”
His mouth covered hers, and his tongue lazily traced the curve of her lips. He rolled her bottom lip between his teeth, teasing her with the possibility of piercing her flesh. A warm tingle blossomed low in her belly when his tongue finally darted between her fangs, exploring and gliding alongside hers.
Alex entwined her fingers in his black hair, reveling in its thickness and the way it slipped over her skin like warm silk. Since taking over as Jefferson’s official Enforcer, he’d found having hair to his waist to be impractical and cut it, a decision with which she wholeheartedly agreed.
An upbeat techno song played, and Varik growled when she broke the kiss.
“Your phone is ringing,” she muttered.
He kissed the scar along the left side of her neck, making her shiver. “Ignore it.”
“It could be important.”
“It can wait.”
The beat cycled to the beginning, and she sighed. “Varik …”
Groaning, he rolled onto his side, reaching for his cell phone. The music died as he answered. “This had better be damn good.”
She could hear the distinctive bass rumble of Damian Alberez, Chief Enforcer for the FBPI and boss to both of them. Rather, he was Varik’s boss. She was cooling her heels on the Bureau’s shit list because she’d turned rogue a month ago and abandoned her oath to uphold the law.
As a result of her transgression, she’d been placed on administrative suspension and ordered to remain within the city limits until the powers-that-be called her to their headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky. Once summoned, she’d face an official inquiry before the Tribunal, the vampire equivalent of an internal affairs committee, and answer for numerous violations of the Enforcer code of conduct. The most serious charge was one of corruption, which if found guilty carried a mandatory death sentence.
“How long ago was the car found?” Varik asked, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.
Alex stretched and pushed herself into a seated position, back resting against the headboard.
“Are you certain about that?” He glanced at her over his shoulder. “Right. Yeah, I know where it is. I’m bringing Alex along for this one.”
She frowned as Damian’s voice rose, and Varik was forced to hold the cell phone away from his ear.
“—no way in hell you’re bringing her,” Damian shouted. “Sabian is suspended until further notice. You know that.”
“Yeah, I know that. I also know that if we’re going to get anywhere with this investigation, we need all the available talent we can get,” Varik snarled.
Damian remained silent.
“Varik,” Alex whispered. “If he—”
“Fine.” Damian’s grudging response cut her off. “Bring her along, but you’re responsible for her while she’s on-scene.”
Varik winked at her. “Agreed. We’re on our way.”
“What—” She gestured to his phone and shook her head. “How do you do