Sucker for Love Read Free Page B

ganache, and so he didn’t clash with my eau de cotton candy.
    “Maybe he was something else. A were. A demon.” Ash’s gaze locked with mine. “What did his profile say?”
    “He didn’t actually fill one out. He just showed up tonight with lots of cash and this.” I handed over the business card with Justin Barrett Findlay in black script and an address. “And a Visa Gold card.”
    “We’ll run a trace on the Visa number and see if it matches the name and address on the business card. But I wouldn’t hold my breath. If something bad did go down here, I’d be willing to bet this guy didn’t use his real name.” He examined the couch for a few seconds before leaning in and taking a huge whiff. “It doesn’t smell like vamp blood.”
    “Meaning?”
    “The most likely scenario is that you’re overreacting.She probably bit him and he turned out to be a bleeder.”
    I shook my head. “She didn’t bite him.”
    “How do you know?”
    “Esther is extremely weight conscious. She would never pig out in front of—or on—a potential eternity mate.”
    He shrugged. “We’ll gather some info and see what we can find out about this guy.” He walked to the open ballroom door and signaled two of his men who stood near the buffet table. I figured they were both werewolves, on account of they were practically drooling over the roast beef tray. “Get this scene processed and analyzed,” he told them when they reached us. “Then we’ll know what we’re really dealing with.” He turned to me. “I’ll call you if anything comes up.”
    “An hour, right?” I asked hopefully.
    “More like twenty-four. We’ll have to bag and tag all the samples, do some testing. That takes time.”
    “What do I do in the meantime?”
    “You don’t do anything. I’ll handle it from here.”
    “You’re going to find her, right?”
    He nodded. “If she’s even missing. I’m betting the two of them snuck off somewhere and are having a good time as we speak.” He gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze and his voice softened. “You should stop worrying and head home. It’ll be daylight soon.”
    “If?” My brain was still stuck on the first word. “What do you mean if?”
    “There are a ton of possibilities as to what happened here.”
    Sneaking off. Humping like bunnies. Sucking like leeches. I could so relate to that. But this was different. It felt different.
    It felt … wrong.
    “She wouldn’t just up and leave without saying good-bye. She’s too nice for that.”
    “Maybe she wasn’t thinking too clearly. Desperate women do desperate things.”
    Amen.
    My mind went blank, giving way to a very vivid image of me minus my clothes. Ash was there, touching and stroking and …
    My breasts grew heavy and my tummy tingled.
    Bad tummy.
    “When’s the last time you had a date?” I blurted, desperate to ignore the lewd and lascivious thoughts that suddenly rushed through my head. “Because if you need one, I would be more than happy to help.” He grinned and reality zapped me. “That is, I could find you someone,” I rushed on. “A nice female demon. Someone you could take home to Papa.”
    “I seriously doubt he’d go for that.” His cell phone chose that moment to beep and he shifted his attention to the display. “I’ve got to go. Mo and I are working a case in the Bronx and he just spotted our subject.” His gaze collided with mine and his eyes smoldered again for a split second. “Will you be all right?”
    “Why wouldn’t I be?” I shrugged. “You said yourself, it’s probably nothing.”
    “I could drop you off at home on my way out.”
    And I’d sit next to him in the backseat of a cab? As it was, I had the crazy urge to strip naked and haul him into the nearest storage closet. A dark, cramped backseat would surely send me over the edge into nympho-land.
    My legs shook and I felt the wetness between my thighs. I stiffened at the realization. I knew why I was having such an intense