"No." His gaze held. "Now then," he said, "Are you going to tell me what this is all about?"
She let out a long sigh. "My brother called."
"And let me guess. He told you that I was married."
"Well, yes."
"I'm not," he reassured her again. "I wouldn't have made plans to see you if I was involved with another woman. You believe me, don't you?"
She wanted to and that was what she was afraid of. She had mixed feelings about this man. Vibes telling her he wasn't human, vibes that he wasn't totally truthful with her, and yet there was something about him that kept drawing her back in. His eyes, his strength, his kindness... She saw how he treated his employees. She witnessed his affection toward a big goofy dog, and to top it off he was a fearless hunter. She would never forget, he risked his life to save hers. He had all the qualities she'd been looking for in a man. He had brawn, brains and he was beautiful inside and out. She may not say this to his face, but there it was all laid out on the table. Tremayne was the man of her dreams, the man she could build a life with if he were willing to take the leap with her. She rubbed a hand over her face. Where had all that come from?
"What is going on in that pretty little head of yours?" he asked.
"Just trying to figure you out. Trying to figure us out."
He leaned near and kissed the top of her head. "That's what dating is all about. We get to unravel the mystery. Believe me, Cassandra Hayes, you have me just as mystified."
"What do you mean?" But before she could question him further, he turned on his heels and headed toward the kitchen. She followed.
He strode over to the cupboard to retrieve glasses. "I mystify you?" she asked.
"Aye. But I'll tell you what I do know."
"Yeah, and what's that?"
"You're smart, courageous, and a darn good kisser. I have the mind to kiss you now, right and proper."
She was taken aback by his forward behavior and a little turned on by it too. "Is that a challenge?" She lifted her chin.
"It's a promise." He strode toward her and took her in his arms. He lowered his mouth gently to hers, savoring…seducing. Anticipation for more curled through her as his kiss deepened. His hand moved to the nape of her neck as he moved closer until their bodies were pressed together. Kissing came natural to this man, and darn it if she didn't love that about him, too.
When he finally allowed her to breathe once more, she felt a little lightheaded. Is this what swooning was all about? She liked it and…she didn't. She wanted to be in control and right now…she definitely wasn't.
"Why the frown?" he asked.
She looked at Tremayne.
"Why the frown?" he repeated and gently rubbed the pad of his thumb between her brows. "Was the kiss that bad? 'Cause I could try again."
He made a move to make good on his promise, but she placed a hand firmly on his chest to halt his advances. "Later. Let's pace ourselves, shall we?"
His smirk told her he knew how he affected her.
"Hey, Boss," his employee strode into the kitchen and came up short. "Oh…uh…"
"This is Cassandra Hayes," Tremayne said to his employee. "Cassandra, my tongue-tied employee, Morris. I should have introduced you both yesterday. My apologies."
"Nice to meet you," the young man recovered and stepped forward to shake her hand. Dark haired and lanky, but he had a firm grip.
"Likewise," she told him then glanced at Tremayne. "I'll go upfront. Maybe when you get a break we could –" she shrugged, "find something to do." She didn't give him a chance to answer, but she didn't miss his grin as she headed up front. Man, he did have a great smile, and the dimple proved to be way too sexy for his own good.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Tremayne enjoyed having Cassandra there at the pub. Not that he asked her to, but she helped with the orders when it became too busy to keep up. She was a natural with the customers, and joked with them with ease. She hit it off with Georgina and Morris too as if they were long lost friends, delighted to be reunited.
"Nice crowd tonight," Cassandra said as she joined him behind the bar. "Did you know there's quite a few that are preternatural beings?"
"Is that a problem for you?" he asked.
She shrugged. "Not really, I guess."
"You're a hunter," he said, making sure he kept his voice low. With the chatter and the band playing, he didn’t fear their conversation would be overheard.
"So are you." She tilted her head to glance at him. "I don't see you having a problem with it."
He sighed and wished he could tell her the truth. Tell her he was one of the creatures she'd been trained to kill, but he didn't want to put a damper on the evening. She would be leaving soon. She'd be given another job and she'd forget about her time here with him.
"I don't do this, you know," she said throwing him off guard.
"What do you mean?"
"Go out with other hunters." She chuckled. "I don't date much at all really." She met his gaze and added, "What is it about you that keeps me coming back for more?"
She asked the last as if she were angry with herself, as if this hunger for more was a defect in someway and she wished to eliminate it. He understood the emotion perfectly. "I don't know, Miss Hayes, but I suffer from the same dilemma."
"We are truly a pair, aren't we?" She looked away, but his next words drew her back.
"I'm willing to take a risk, and see where this leads. How about you?" Why oh why did he encourage her with another challenge? It was like he loved flirting with death because let's face it, the more time he spent with her, the closer she would come to realizing he wasn't who he'd claimed to be. Being human was a big deal to her. Lying about what he was probably wouldn’t win him any points either. However, just maybe if she got to know him, he could change her position on the preternatural world. Wouldn't it be something to have a hunter on their side? The Warriors for the Light seemed to think all creatures human and not could work together to eliminate evil and not eradicate species in the process. He was beginning to see their point. In the WFTL's world, Cassandra and he could be together.
"You want to see what we have will work?" she asked and licked her lips. That innocent move almost undid him, but she seemed not to notice. "What exactly are you asking me?"
She was good. She threw it right back to him. And she had a point. What exactly was he asking? Heck, he didn't know either. "Stay for a few weeks," he found himself saying. "Stay and see what comes of this." The holidays were around the corner. Would she really stay with him when her family would demand her presence?
Without even asking, he knew the Hayes exchanged presents and probably had Christmas dinner already planned with all the fixings. He didn't partake in any of it. He was of the old world where they celebrated Yule. They didn't go around chopping down perfectly good trees to decorate with ridiculous trinkets, nor did they have elaborate dinners, being his kind preferred a rare vintage of wine and blood.
He met her gaze head on. Anticipation thickened the air in his lungs as he waited for her to make a decision. No matter if she stayed or not, he knew his life would never be the same. Cassandra intrigued him when very few beings ever did. Maybe he was going soft in is old age.
Cassandra's mobile buzzed and the tension between them evaporated. She pulled out her phone. "I need to take this," she said and glanced around the crowded pub.
"You can use my office if you'd like," he offered.
"Please, if you don't mind." She followed him and he opened the door for her, and then headed back up front to allow her some privacy.
He hesitated when he spotted both of his cousins sitting nice and pretty at the bar. No doubt here to lecture him once again on the stupidity of keeping company with a hunter. It seemed to be their favorite pastime of late. Truly, they needed a hobby.
"Bram, Sheerin." He inclined his head in greeting as he approached. "Any word from the GOJ? Have they caught up with Gunthorn?"
"Not yet," Bram said. "But
the bugger can't hide forever, now can he?"
He'd hoped the situation was already under control. He didn't like the idea of a vampire, with serial killing tendencies, hiding out in his territory. "Thought the GOJ were better than that."
Bram chuckled. "They're short handed. Seems quite of few of the Nephilim have ventured over to the Warriors for the Light branch. They tend to investigate the situation thoroughly before offing the trouble makers without a trial."
"In this case, the kid gloves can come off. Gunther is as bad as they come. He can't be rehabilitated. He is what he is, a killer of the worst kind. He preys on the innocent. You've seen his trophy case."
"Aye, the limey bastard," Sheerin said. He has been doing this for a long time. He knows how to avoid being captured."
"I couldn't help but notice the hunter is still hanging around," Bram said, changing the subject. He inclined his head toward the back room where he'd obviously seen Cassandra go.
"Of course you couldn't," he mumbled.
"She's now working for you here at the pub?" Bram asked, knowing full well it wasn't the case.
"She's just helping out for the evening. It's no big deal." He shrugged and tried to keep his anger in check.
"Seems odd," Bram voiced.
"Is it so difficult to believe a woman would fancy my company?" Tremayne asked and didn't quite keep the terseness out of his voice.
"Yes," both Bram and Sheerin said at the same time.
"What we mean to say," Bram took over again, "a hunter does not dilly dally."
He laughed at his cousin's choice of words. "She's taking a holiday."
"Here?" Bram insisted.
"The Hamptons are a prime place for vacationers. Don't act so surprised."
Bram and Sheerin exchanged glances again, before Bram spoke his mind, "She needs to go home before she discovers you are not Mr. Green. You're days spent with her are based on lies. Surely you see this. What can come of such a relationship?"
"Let me worry about it, will you?"
Bram didn't appear pleased to have his warning dismissed. But bly me, he needed to butt out.
"Who do you think called her just now?" Bram continued to plague him with negativity.
"I don’t care," he said, but couldn't help himself from glancing toward the closed door.
"You should," Bram insisted. "Do you think the Preternatural Regulating Bureau she works for is just going to let her run amuck until she feels like checking in? Her job is hunting down creatures such as ourselves."
"I know what she does for a living, Bram, and like I said, I have it handled." He walked away to take a man's order at the other end of the bar, but he glanced every so often at his office door and wondered who had called Cassandra. Damn Bram for planting the seed of doubt.
Once he'd taken care of the customer, Bram called him over again. He would have liked to ignore him, but he knew his cousin would just move his seat closer to where he stood, even if he had to glamour a customer to move out of the way. Better to face Bram head on.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Cassandra sat down at Tremayne's desk, impressed on how neat he kept everything. Her desk at home was an organized mess at best.
Ocean paintings decorated the walls. The one on the far end looked like the Cliffs of Moher. She wondered if he missed home… missed Ireland in general. She pondered how long it been since he'd been in Ireland. She knew he'd been living in London before he came here.
"Are you listening to me?" Derek asked. His voice had an edge to it.
"Loud and clear," she told him. I told you Tremayne confessed that he wasn't all that close with his family. He told me he was no longer married, and I believe him."
"Based on what evidence?"
"On he told me," she stressed.
"I don't want to see you hurt," Derek said.
"I know, and you don’t have to worry. I know what I'm doing. I'm not rushing into marriage or anything. We're just having a good time."
Her brother harrumphed. "Is that what you want me to tell everyone at home? You're not serious with the guy. You're just having a good time."
"I really don't care what you say. It's this kind of attitude that makes me want stay away from home. I'm an adult. I don't need to check in every time I sneeze."
Derek was silent on the other end. Good, she'd shut him up. Unfortunately, the silence didn't last for long. "I care about you, Cassandra. That's all."
"I know. I promise, I'll be careful. If it will appease everyone, give me another assignment to work on while I'm here. Then perhaps no one will be preoccupied with what goes on with my private life."
"I'll still worry, but I'll put the word out to the Bureau. Still haven't received the official case closed for the last one you took. Not sure what's taking so long to give it the stamp of approval."
"That's odd," she said with a frown. "The Lamia is dead and the vamp is the GOJ's problem now. What else could be holding up the case?"
"Dunno, but I'll keep you posted. I'll let you go then. Stay safe."
"Stay safe," she repeated and ended the call. She sat there for a moment, mulling over the reasons why the agency wouldn't close the case. Did they think there was someone else involved?
For a second she thought of Tremayne. Why had each of the preternatural beings they encountered glanced at him as if he were one of them? Could it be simply they knew him from Eternal Bliss or was there something more to it?
She shook her head. She had to stop over thinking this. If Tremayne were a preternatural being, he had plenty of time to make his move. For Christ's sake she fell asleep in his bed and all the man did was tuck her in for the night. He didn't try anything. "A perfect gentleman," she murmured. Well, not so perfect. His kiss could tempt a saint to have wicked thoughts. And she had plenty of those.
"I just can't figure you out, Tremayne…Gerard or whoever you really are. But I will."
She opened the door to head up front but, Tremayne was standing there. "I was about to knock, he said. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, just an overprotective brother checking up on me."
"He's just worried about you." He tucked a loose tendril behind her ear. "If I had a sister…" her gaze riveted to his. "…who was a hunter," he added, "I'd worry about her too." He maneuvered them back inside his office and shut the door.
"That's reminds me," she said. "Your sister has been pestering the Bureau. Said you aren't returning her calls."
"I know." he sighed as he backed her against the wall. "She's trying to play matchmaker. Wants me to give my marriage a go again. My ex and her are friends. No matter what I say, she doesn't want to hear that I'm not interested. We fought all the time. She hated my hunting ways. And before you ask, the answer is no. I'm not interested in giving the marriage a go again." He played with her hair, twirling it around his finger. "Besides, I'm already taken."
She swallowed hard. "You are?"
"I would hope I am, or I need to brush up on my flirting techniques." He leaned in and kissed her, making her forget anything else. When they came up for air, he asked, "Well, am I taken or not?"
She threw her arms around his neck. "I think I need more convincing."
His devilish grin made her heart leap in response. His head dipped and her lips met his.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
"It's less than a week until Christmas, sis," Derek said into the phone. "The case is finally closed."
"Thanks, Mr. Obvious. I got the update." The hold up had been Tremayne's sister who kept insisting her brother hadn't returned her calls, but Cassandra had been there when Tremayne phoned. He'd spoken to his sister at length. The woman obviously had some serious issues. No wonder Tremayne had no desire to return home. His sister had to be a nut if she thought Tremayne wanted to rekindle a relationship with his ex-wife. The woman had a temper and broke things when she didn't get her way.
"There is no pleasing her," Tremayne had told her about his ex. "She doesn't want me. I can assure you. She j
ust doesn't like that I've moved on."
"Sis? Are you there?" Derek's voice broke through her reverie.
"I'm here."
"When are you coming home?"
"I don't know." Axel had called her earlier in the week, Wade yesterday, and now Derek.
"Are you in love with this hunter?" he asked.
"I haven't known him long enough."
"Not an answer."
She gently pushed the curtain away from the window and glanced outside her hotel room that overlooked the parking lot. It was well lit with parking lights. She hadn't rented the place for the view, but for the price and the strategic placement. She could see who was coming and going without being compromised, a must in a hunter's world.
Tremayne was going to pick her up in a few minutes for an early dinner. …And there he was. She spotted his car pulling into the lot. He pulled into an empty space and cut the lights.
"I gotta go," she told her brother, not leaving any room for negotiation. She slipped her phone into her coat pocket as she opened the door.
Tremayne stood there with a smile and his dimple winked. How could a mere smile make her stomach flip-flop and her heart speed up a notch?
Are you in love with the hunter? Her brother's words echoed inside her head.
"Hi," she said and wished her voice would stop sounding as if she were a sex-phone operator.
"Hi," he said back. "Are you ready?"
She stepped outside and closed the door to her room. "Yep."
They'd seen each other every day for the last week and a half, and always the gentleman. Like now… He opened the car door for her, waited for her to slide in before he shut the door again and jogged to the other side of the car.
A perfect gentleman… Sure he'd kissed her until she couldn't see straight, but he hadn't taken their relationship any further. He always put a stop to their foreplay before they ended up in the bedroom. As much as she loved being with Tremayne and as much as she enjoyed their card games and late night chats, she wanted more. Thought he did, too, but for some reason when things became too heated, he backed off. Heck, she still lived in a hotel room. He didn't even ask her to stay at his place, and he had plenty of rooms. Was she out of line? Too forward?
Stake and Dust (Stake and Dust series, Book I) Page 14