Edge Of Darkness

16

“Ember. How nice to see you.”

“Um, you too,” she responded, sounding a little unsure if that were actually true.

Her brown gaze flickered over him, uncomfortably keen, and he hoped she overlooked the pulse throbbing in his temple. He wanted to press his fingers against it, but restrained himself. “Having dinner?”

“Oh…” Christian glanced back at the restaurant, still feeling as if he’d been hit by something large and heavy. “Yes. It’s my favorite place in the city. Have you ever eaten here?”

Ember wrinkled her nose. Her whiskers twitched with the movement, and he stared at them in utter fascination. “Nope. This is more my stepmother’s speed.”

There was faint distaste in her voice, and he wondered whether it was directed at him or her stepmother.

After a moment’s pause he said, looking over her outfit, “So…been out on the town I see.”

She looked down at herself and blushed. Crossing her arms over her chest, she muttered, “Asher—you met him earlier—we always do Carnaval together. It’s a tradition.”

A smile tugged at his lips. “It’s a nice tradition. Especially when you get to dress up.”

She glanced up at him, saw him smiling, and gave him a tentative smile in return. “It’s my thing. Cats. I volunteer at the shelter on my day off. Asher’s always telling me I’m going to wind up one of those crazy old cat ladies with like two hundred of them in her apartment and no friends so that when I die, it’ll take weeks before someone discovers my dead body and by then the cats will have eaten half of it away.”

Good God. The thought made the veal fricando he’d had at dinner turn over in his stomach.

Seeing the look on his face, Ember quickly said, “I mean, I don’t have any cats now—my landlord won’t allow pets in the building—I didn’t mean to make it sound like I’m some weird collector or something…”

She trailed off, color rising in her cheeks, and Christian felt a sudden, violent urge to touch her face, feel the heat of that pale, almost translucent skin. He stifled it by biting down hard on the inside of his lip and shoving his hands into his pockets.

“Well, anyway, it was nice to see you,” she said, stepping back. “If you still want the copy of Casino Royale, you know where to find me. Have a good night.”

She turned away but he stopped her with a blurted, “Do you need a ride home?”

Corbin looked at him over her head with raised brows. Yes, he knew it wasn’t a good idea for a million different reasons, but he didn’t like the thought of her wandering around in the dark alone. Wearing that.

“Um…well…sure. I guess.” Dubiously, Ember looked at the car. “This is yours?”

He inclined his head and didn’t look at Corbin, whose mouth had pinched to a tight line. He wouldn’t dare contradict Christian aloud, but his expression was proof enough of what he thought of this plan.

“That would be great. If it’s not out of your way. I live in the Plaça Sant Jaume.”

“By City Hall, I know the place. It’s not too far.” He gestured to the open door. “After you.”

She hesitated for a moment, sending a surreptitious glance toward Corbin, then shrugged, capitulating but still with that slight uncertainty. She climbed in the back of the Audi and he tried very hard to keep his eyes averted from the incredibly alluring sight of her latex-clad bottom, embellished with that sinuous tail, disappearing into the car.

He followed her in and settled himself but then lifted his backside from the seat when he realized he’d sat on her tail.

“Sorry.” He held the fuzzy tail aloft between his fingers. “This is yours, I believe.”

“Well, it sure isn’t yours,” she quipped and lightly removed it from his hand.

Buckling his safety belt in the driver’s seat, Corbin sputtered a horrified cough that Christian tried to cover by leaning forward and pounding him on his wide shoulder.

“That cold still bothering you, Corbin?” His voice was stern, his gaze full of warning. Their eyes met in the rearview mirror, and Corbin acknowledged the warning with a small, curt nod of his head.

“These things sneak up on you when you’re least expecting them, sir,” he replied. “I’m sure I’ll be fine, though. Thank you for asking.” Then he started the car and concentrated on steering them out into traffic. He didn’t look in the mirror again.

“So…do you always eat so late? It’s past midnight,” Ember said softly from beside him, pulling his thoughts back from a precipice. He turned to look at her, admiring the way light from the passing streetlamps wove strands of bright color into her dark hair, gold and bronze and mahogany glints that flared and faded as the car picked up speed. They were seated close together but not too close; the sedan had a spacious interior and the back seat would easily fit three adults. He noticed she’d chosen to sit as close to her door as possible, while he’d taken a spot almost in the middle. He hadn’t done it consciously, but as he looked at her, he was glad he had.

He smelled the clean, warm scent of her skin, the citrusy shampoo she’d used earlier to wash her hair, the chemical smell of her latex costume, the liner she’d used to draw on her whiskers, and the paint she’d used to blacken the tip of her nose. Still she wore no other cosmetics, no lipstick or mascara, and he was glad she didn’t. It made her seem more real to him.

More…bare.