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I had a pretty good idea what the complaint she’d wanted to file was about and who. “Is Sam on base?” I asked.

Julian’s eyes flashed red for just a moment. “Not that I’m aware of. Why? Do you know something, Charlotte?” He took another step forward.

“No. Just…he’s her sect leader. We should inform him. Let’s take another look at the elevator.” I slipped by him and reached out with my senses. I felt a sudden, intense shock of fear and then…nothing.

“Charlotte?” Julian asked from beside me.

“She was surprised, but then…I don’t know if she fainted or…or worse.” I couldn’t acknowledge the other possibilities. I hugged myself and didn’t shrug him off when Julian put an arm around my shoulder.

“I’ll take you to your office,” Julian said in his low, rumbly voice.

“I’ll see you in the morning!” Orpheus said with far too much eagerness under the circumstances as the doors closed.

When the doors to my lab opened, Julian followed me out.

“I’m fine on my own,” I said without much gusto.

“Perhaps, but I’d like to speak to you. I want to apologize for leaving yesterday and not being there to give you a ride last evening or this morning.”

The elevator disappeared behind him, and he trailed me to my office where I sat wishing I had a cup of coffee. Or something stronger.

“I managed,” I said, focusing on pulling up the files I’d started on the day before. “I walked and I’m still here.”

The silence that followed my statement had me dying to look at him, but I resisted. Yay me. When his bergamot scent invaded my personal space, it didn’t seem fair. But I kept my gaze on his shiny black shoes that stretched into view as he leaned back onto my side of the desk.

“Are you upset with me?” he asked.

“No.” I looked up finally, and the way his bright indigo eyes searched mine made my stomach swim with conflicted emotions.

What was I feeling exactly? I didn’t want us to become codependent, which could easily happen when we worked together so much. But he hadn’t really done anything specific. He didn’t owe me an explanation for his whereabouts or have to report in whenever he went somewhere that had nothing to do with me.

What was wrong with me?

You’ve always had a complicated relationship, Pythia piped up in the back of my brain.

I just met him a few weeks ago, I shot back.

This time.

Pythia for the win.

I guessed that was my confirmation that Julian’s assertion we’d been lovers in a past life wasn’t fiction.

“You’re brooding,” Julian reported. “That’s my job.”

A laugh burst out of me, and I shook my head. “I guess I’m just feeling slightly uneasy about…” I spread my hands wide. “All of this. And you’re the only one who’s earned my trust so far on this island. Well, maybe Daphne, and of course my family, but they’re here because of me. I’m also mad at myself because I don’t want to be reliant on anyone. I’m an adult. I can take care of myself. I should take care of myself.”

Julian considered me, then dropped into a squat so we were at eye level. He reached out and cupped my face with a cool hand. “You are perfectly capable, Charlotte. But sometimes it’s okay to let others step in to help. That doesn’t mean you’re weak. On the contrary, it means you’re strong.”

His thumb slowly stroked the skin of my cheek, sending tiny shivers of anticipation through me. I found myself leaning closer to him, like he had a magnetic pull I couldn’t avoid. My tongue darted out to wet my suddenly dry lips as he angled his head toward me.

“We should work. There’s a woman missing,” I said, and he froze as only a vampire could.

“Have you had any progress since I left?” He didn’t remove his hand from my cheek.

“I have a suspect. Tittwell.”

The last thing I expected was for Julian to laugh, yet that’s what he did. In fact, I’d never seen him laugh that hard. And as he straightened and covered his mouth with a fist, I felt the blood rush up my neck.