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"Afraid so. Though emotive vamps do tend to leave you a little more strung out emotionally for a few hours afterward."
I must have slept through that period of recovery, because I was feeling okay by the time I'd left Jin's. "And if I don't eat and refuel? Can it become dangerous?"
"Well, he could drain you to the point that you're physical unable to defend yourself, but he can't kill you with his feeding as a blood vamp can." He paused. "See if you can grab some hair samples. We'll run some tests and see exactly what we're dealing with."
"He said he'd ring tonight, so I'll see what happens." I paused. "Have you decoded whatever was written on the inside of the ring?"
"Not yet. It appears to be some form of glyphs. We're trying to find a match."
"Anything else of interest in Cole's report, then?"
"Yeah, you were being a pain in the ass at the scene. Not that that's a surprise."
"Hey, I was just asking questions. He needs an attitude adjustment." And a good dose of werewolf sex. "How did Dunleavy actually die?"
"Heart attack."
I raised my eyebrows. "Really?"
"The initial attack happened during the skinning, the fatal one after eleven."
Which was about when I'd been entering his flat. The poor man probably thought I was Gautier coming back to finish him off. "What about the time of death of the woman?"
"About eight. Which means Gautier had to have some means of getting out of there without facing sunlight, even if the old girl next door didn't see it."
"Logically, speaking, I'd agree. But I've just got a feeling something more is going on."
"You tried to clarify that feeling?"
"I can't clarify something that's as tenuous as a feeling."
"Yes, you can. You just need more training."
"What I need is more sleep. Especially if you want me out with Jin tonight."
"Take the day off, but keep your phone on in case I need to contact you."
"Done deal."
I hung up and headed back inside. The smell of hazelnut coffee swam through the air and I just about drooled. "You've been preparing for my visit."
He nodded as he dished up several pancakes. "It's the only reason I have food in the house. Normally, I don't."
I propped on a stool and leaned my arms against the bench. "So it's been a while since you invited another woman here?"
He added bacon and eggs to the plate, slid the lot across the bench, then looked me in the eye. "I've never invited a woman here before."
I raised my eyebrows, even as a warmth I couldn't even begin to explain spread throughout my body. "Never, ever?"
"Never, ever."
"Wow." I picked up my knife and fork. "Thank you for the honor."
His sudden smile was filled with warm amusement, and once again my hormones stirred to sluggish life. Jin had better be a short-term job, because I sure as hell wasn't liking the impact he was having on my sex life. I mean, normally I'd be jumping over the bench after a smile like that.
"At least you can no longer say I don't share anything of myself."
I wanted to point out that this was just a house, even if was his sanctuary, and that what I'd been talking about was him. His past, his hopes, his dreams - everything that had made him the vampire he was today. But I didn't. It was a step forward, and for now, that was enough.
