“Fine, if you must tell one person, let it be someone who can keep a secret.”
“Thank you. But what am I supposed to tell my friends as to the reason I decided to move in here with you, someone they think I dislike?” Her lips parted. “Sorry if that came out wrong.”
“Not to worry. I’ve given this cover some thought, although I don’t think you’re going to like it very much.”
“What does this cover entail?” Gillian crossed her arms over her chest, and her robe peaked open. He followed the movement with his eyes, not able to keep from gazing at her creamy skin.
He’d always been of the mindset to rip the band-aid off clean. “It’s simple; we tell everyone that we’ve been secretly seeing each other. We tell them we’re a couple.”
Laughter bubbled up from the back of Gillian’s throat. “You’ve got to be kidding me. They’re psychic and intuitive, even if I managed to pull off this lie, they’d be able to see right through it by my breathing and body language.”
“Not if it were true.” Mulroney reached over and pushed her hair behind her ear. Goosebumps pebbled along her skin. “Like it or not, you’re attracted to me. Well, at least physically anyway.”
Maybe it was the warmth in his blue eyes or the huskiness in his voice, but Gillian couldn’t help thinking that maybe the feeling was mutual. The abrupt shift in his demeanor made her head spin. “You’re pretty sure of yourself, Detective,” she whispered, not able to deny the stream of anticipation pulsing through her blood in hot revolutions.
“Forgive me for also pointing out that your heart rate speeds up whenever I come within five feet of you. I’m not saying this to sound arrogant. It’s simply the truth and will assist in our cover. It shouldn’t be too difficult to convince everyone we simply took our attraction to the next level.” His words cut through her and cleared away any misconceptions she had about their relationship. She was good for one thing—to act as bait.
“Okay fine, so maybe my body might be, but it takes more than physical attraction to make a relationship, even a fake one. What about trust and compatibility? We have none of those things, and how about the fact that we barely tolerate each other?”
“Don’t make this more complicated than it has to be,” he said, finishing the last of his breakfast and pushing his plate away. “We should start by getting to know each other. What if we say that we started dating recently and kept in touch after the investigation on the coven? We convince everyone there were instant fireworks between us.”
“Oh, there were fireworks alright.” She wanted to throttle him.
“Not those kinds of fireworks.” His expression grew serious. “Can I ask you a question?
“Why not?” She smirked. “We’re a couple now.”
“Last spring, during the investigation on the coven, you never told me why you took such a personal offense when I interrogated you.”
She shrugged and ran a hand through her tangled hair. As much as she might be put off by staying here, he was risking his own life to keep her safe. At the very least, he deserved to know the truth. “When I was younger, my parents used to have some very heated arguments, mainly about my dad’s gambling. I remember one night in particular. I was probably about seven at the time when the neighbors called the cops.”
He knitted his brows together. “Please, go on.”
“It had been a Sunday evening, and I’d just finished watching a cheesy family movie on TV. We were about to have dinner when the fight started. It got heated fast. I was ashamed when the cops came in and started questioning my parents. I remember I ran out of our apartment and hid in the hallway until they left. I guess having you come to the coven reminded me of that time in my life and it freaked me out.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through something like that, or if it brought you back to a dark place.” His words softened the crux of her anger. “It was never my intention.”
There was still the matter of him ruining her chances at a job she’d been vying for, but this wasn’t the time or the place to drag up the past. For now, they’d bury the hatchet for everyone’s sake. Besides, once Brooke was found she’d probably only see Mulroney in passing. “Apology accepted.” She got up from the table, rinsed her plate, and loaded it in the dishwasher. “Since you cooked, I’ll do the dishes.”
“Fair enough.” He loaded the rest of the plates in the sink, cleaned off the counter, and put away the remaining food in the fridge. When he finished, he leaned his hip against the edge of the counter. “We should probably start by asking each other some questions.”
“Okay, let’s do this.” She glanced at the clock on the microwave. “We have about thirty minutes to get to know each other before I have to get in the shower.”
It didn’t take long to learn where they’d both grown up, their favorite movies and TV shows. Who knew Mulroney loved Impractical Jokers? It was hard to believe he had a sense of humor. He always came across as such a tight-ass.
“Where did you go to college?” he asked. “Wait, I saw the NYU sweatshirt.”
The subject filled her with regret. She finished the last of the dishes and refused to look him in the eye. Mulroney brushed past her to open a cabinet under the sink, and a shiver danced along her skin. He pulled out the dishwashing liquid and poured the soap in then pressed a button.
After she wiped her hands on a towel, she walked into the living room and sat on the couch. She tucked her legs beneath her. He followed and took a seat opposite her in one of the wing-backed chairs. “I never went to college. The sweatshirt belongs to Brooke. I had to take care of my mom. I went to work instead.” She leaned back against the pillow. “Enough about me, how about you?”
Gillian braced for the worst, expecting him to look at her with pity in his eyes, something she wouldn’t be able to handle. His gaze filled with compassion instead. “I went a few times actually, first in Europe, and then, to Fordham for criminal justice. It’s never too late to go back and take some classes online you know. You can do anything you want to.”
His encouragement surprised her. Warmth spread from her head to her toes and everywhere in between. “I have thought about it. Okay, back to the questions,” she said, eager to change the subject. “Do you have any siblings? I mean, are any of them vampires?”
He gazed down at a spot on the coffee table before his eyes met hers once more. When he did, his expression became stormy, filled with a myriad of emotions. “No. They all died a very long time ago.”
“I’m sorry. It must be difficult to live all this time alone.”
He remained silent. She sensed there was a lot more to the story, but it wasn’t her place to probe. “Okay, we might have enough to convince everyone if they ask us questions, but what about Willow and Alex’s engagement party? It’s in a few days. I hope we’ll find her by then, but with Brooke missing, how can I plan on attending?”
“You must do what you normally would to not draw attention to yourself, or it might make the others suspicious. It’s important to stick to your routine. I was invited to the party as well. We’ll have to figure that part out later.”
This was getting more difficult than she thought. She assumed she could keep their pretend relationship under wraps, claim they were having some crazy hot sex, and then, when Brooke was found, she could say things had simply fizzled out. The idea of trying to “fake it” in front of their friends was something she wasn’t sure even she could pull off. She glanced at her phone. “We have a few more minutes left. Are there any deep, dark secrets to divulge?”
His eyes clouded. Perhaps she hit too close to home. “How about we focus on how we started dating.”
Now came the part Gillian would have to pay extra close attention to, their story—the story of how they went from disliking each other to falling madly in love and moving in together. “Would you like to give it a shot?”
“A few months after the investigation wrapped up, I got your number from Alex and gave you a call. I asked you to
meet me for coffee. At first, you thought this was related to the case and agreed. You were surprised when I showed up holding a single red rose.”
“A rose? Isn’t that a little corny?” It was kind of sweet.
“Okay, forget the rose. You were shocked when I showed up and told you that I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” he said in a husky voice.
Her heart pounded. Even if this was a ruse, just hearing him say the words made her a little giddy inside. “How did you convince me to give you a chance?”
“We shared coffee and some conversation. We took a walk and watched the sunset.” He gestured to the sun shining brightly through the windows.
She reached for a couch pillow and placed it in front of her body. “Sounds romantic. It seems as though you’ve given this some thought.”
“Undercover work makes me good at my job, Gillian.” This was the first time he said her name, and it made her skin flush. “I think it’s time we start calling each other by our first names.”
“How did you get me on my good side, Garrett?” His name sounded funny on her lips, and the moment she said it, he visibly tensed. Damn, she’d give anything to find out what he was thinking.
“After I did some heavy-duty groveling for the way I treated you during the last investigation, you agreed to go out with me on a real date.”
“I think I like the groveling part. Where was this alleged date?” she asked, curious at what he’d come up with.
“I took you to hear live music.” Garrett smiled, showing a flash of straight white teeth and a hint of fangs. “I found out where your favorite band was playing, and then, we went to a vegan restaurant and talked for hours.”
“I’m impressed by the level of your deceit,” she said sarcastically.
“You were devastated by my charms and how attentive I was.” He moved from the chair to the couch. His sexy male scent invaded her nostrils, and she forced herself not to sigh. “I couldn’t keep my eyes off you.” His gaze filled with heat. This is all a game, she reminded herself. “I was the perfect gentleman, which intrigued you even more.” Lust gleamed in his blue eyes. “As a matter of fact, you told me late one evening when we were on the phone that when you went to bed you were aroused the whole night.”
Heat shot to her core. “There’s quite a level of detail to this story.”
“We want it to be convincing, don’t we?” He moved closer still.
“Is that you what you do, move in for the kill? No hesitation?”
“None,” he said with conviction. “Especially when I see something I like, and when I do, I go after it full-on, no holds barred.”
“What happened after this momentous date in which you swept me off my feet with your charm and good manners?” she murmured, swallowing hard.
“Don’t forget attentiveness.” His big body filled the small space between them. “I called you every night. I needed to hear the sweet sound of your voice.”
Her breaths came out in short little puffs of air. She wondered when this had become real. Or was this still part of the charade? But the truth was, she wasn’t sure anymore. She knew one thing—she didn’t want it to end. “What about the second date?” she whispered, hanging on his every word.
“By then we were both pretty worked up, being so attracted to each other and denying ourselves.” He glanced at her lips. “After all those late-night calls, we became desperate to see each other, but we were both busy and couldn’t get together right away.” His voice sounded pained now. “But I knew, as we both did, that once we gave in to our desires there’d be no turning back for either of us.”
His words made her warm all over. “You assume a lot.”
“I couldn’t wait to be alone with you. Naturally, I invited you here so I could cook you dinner. I bought your favorite wine and cooked your favorite foods, and then, after a fabulous dinner—” He stopped and simply stared into her eyes, not saying a word. His hand moved to rest on the arm of the couch. He was so close now all she had to do was lean back and he’d be touching her.
She swallowed and wondered if he could hear the wild thump of her heart. “What happened after this fabulous dinner?”
“I explained the power of sex with a vampire and that it can be irresistible to some.” He cocked his head to the side, as though trying to gauge her reaction, and she found herself falling deeper into his gaze.
“Do vampires ever just have sex without the blood bonding thing?” she whispered, and the air grew thick with sexual tension.
“Sure, some do, yes. Not all vampire blood’s addictive. When the technology became available, I made sure to have mine tested and found out that it’s not.”
Gillian tried to collect her scattered thoughts. Everything was happening so fast. She could barely keep up. “Getting back to this fake relationship. How did things progress so quickly? I’m still not sure anyone will believe it.”
“At first, we agreed to take things slow, but we couldn’t resist each other anymore. So, after we peeled each other’s clothes off and made love until the sun came up, I couldn’t bear to be away from you a moment longer. I asked you to move in with me.”
“And I agreed just like that?” Gillian asked in disbelief. “This cover you’ve created makes you sound a little possessive and impulsive. Do you honestly think anyone will buy it?”
“What if you said you’ve always secretly fantasized about getting swept off your feet? You and I both wanted to explore this thing between us and give it a real chance, so you moved in, end of story.” His face changed back to normal, the heat now gone from his eyes. He moved in a flash of light, to a chair at the dining room table and booted up his laptop. “Do we need to go over this again?” he asked, not bothering to look her way. This little game seemed to have had zero effect on him.
Her face flushed. “You’re one hell of a storyteller, but do you really think my friends will believe that after a couple of dates, and some good sex, I moved in with you?”
“It could never be just good between us, Gillian—exceptional, mind-blowing, yes.” He looked up and his eyes turned dark, almost molten.
The conviction in his words made her nipples tighten into points and heat pool to her inner thighs. His confidence bordered on cocky. She wanted to deny it, but the words got sucked back in her throat, along with all the air in the room. “Even still, I’ve never been flighty.” Okay, maybe she was, but he didn’t need to know that. Ever since a dark fae tried to abduct her and turn her into fish bait, she’d made an oath to live life to the fullest every day.
“It’s your job to convince them for their safety as well yours, but I’ll be right there with you every step of the way.” The warmth in his voice made her melt.
She shook her head from the sexual haze. “This all seems so out of character, even for me.”
He pinned her with his gaze, as though trying to delve beneath the surface. “Yes, but when it comes to love and passion all bets are off. Don’t you agree, Gillian?” Her name sounded decadent on his lips like warm chocolate.
She nodded her head, shock jolting through her body. She never imagined Mulroney to be such a romantic. The knowledge made her a little dizzy. “I hope I can remember everything we talked about.”
“Make some notes if you have to. It always helps me to refer back, and most of all, try to sound convincing.” The genuine concern in his voice caught her off guard. Could she have been wrong about him? The question nagged at her. “Oh, and disregard what I said earlier about staying off social media. I permit you to tweet away. Let’s see if it lures him out.”
“I’ll do my best.”
She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to concentrate on work at this point. Her heart tugged with worry over Brooke, and she was still heartsick over Salem. Now there was a pretend relationship to contend with and a smoking hot detective at her beck and call. She got to her feet, cut through the hallway, and up the staircase without looking back at Garrett. Why did it feel like she was getting in bed wi
th the devil, an icy-blue eyed one at that?
Chapter 12
After Garrett walked Gillian through the doors of her shop, he’d made sure the place was secure and then crossed the street to the unmarked late model Sedan parked on the corner. An officer Garrett had seen around the station rolled down his window, and Garrett flashed his badge. “Detective Mulroney,” he said and offered his hand.
“Scott Andrews. We’ve never met, but I’ve heard a lot about you, and Gillian Howe, of course.” He cracked a smile. Garrett ignored the friendly ribbing. “I’ll be your eyes and ears, Detective.”
“Good. I’ll be back at some point today after my meeting.” Garrett handed Andrews his card. “My cell number is written on the back. Don’t hesitate to reach out if anything looks suspicious.” He hoped the officer didn’t pick up on the protective note in his voice.
The officer’s grin widened. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on your girlfriend.” So much for being discreet.
The MBI offices were located twenty-five miles due north of Raven’s Hollow. The building couldn’t be found on a GPS or a map. Garrett had been here many times before since the two agencies worked together to solve a myriad of cases over the years.
And yet, coming here never got old. From the outside, the huge brick structure resembled a run-down factory, but inside, it was a high-tech mage facility. Wall-sized computer screens filled much of the space, along with life-size moving holograms of wanted criminals.
Denopoulos insisted they meet here, mainly because it was off the grid. There was too much at stake to risk talking at the station. Garrett hated the idea of dirty cops on the payroll. But like it or not, the investigation on the Shadow Cabal proved it was very much a reality. Going forward, there were few on the force he would trust these days.
“As far as we can tell, Lawrence has gone underground since he kidnapped Brooke Corey. He was last seen at a hotel in Clifton twenty-four hours ago; then, the trail goes cold.” Garrett slid the file across the table to Alex Denopoulos, the only human on the MBI, and his demon partner, Cayden Teague, hoping they had something more to go on than he did. “We have the client list from the Cherry woman, which might be a place to start. We’ve contacted all the witnesses from the party, and no one’s talking.”
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