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"Don't." I'm, barely able to speak above the pounding of blood in myears.
He pauses there for a moment, and I can hear his breathing, feel it on my lips, and it's fast. Almost as fast as myown.
Then he pulls back and releases my hand. "Nope," he says, his voice all matter of fact. "Can't compel you. I thought that Michel was just fooling me." He shrugs. "There's more than one way to skin acat."
"What do you mean?" I say, confused. "And by the way, that's a terriblemetaphor."
He grins. "Sorry. I forgot you're one of those catpeople."
"How do youknow…"
Then I remember that he's touched me quite a bit. He's probably sensed I have twocats.
He rubs his fingers over my hand, which is resting on the tabletop. "I just have to touch you to know anything I want to about you, Eve. Keep that inmind."
I pull my hand away. "Do you like making me feeluncomfortable?"
He turns and moves a bit closer. "Do I make you uncomfortable?" he says, all faux innocent. "I apologize, Eve. My intent is not to make you feel …uncomfortable."
God, being with him is like being with a naughty trickster. I can imagine him as the evil man with the curling moustache who's trying to take advantage of the innocent young woman in those old silent films, tying the damsel in distress on the traintracks…
"Look," he says and now his face is serious. Contemplative. Almost regretful. "I feel bad, that's all. You were off the radar. Safe. Blissfully unaware. Now, here you are, right smack in the middle of things that are so much more dangerous than you can possibly imagine." He stares at me, the grin gone, the blue eyes now serious. "I'm sorry,Eve."
The abrupt change from leering cad to thoughtful man makes my headspin.
"Sorry forwhat?"
"For everything. Everything that happened. Everything that's going to happen." He shakes his head. "But the cat's out of the bag, so to speak and in keeping with the cat theme. There's nothing to do now but hang on tight." He takes my hand and turns it over, then presses his lips on my outstretched palm. "If you need me for anything, if you ever feel in danger, you just have to call me. I knew your mother. We were friends. She trusted me to look after you. I feel a certain degree of responsibility for you even if you aren’t mine. I will come to you at any time if you needme."
Then he lets go of my palm and finishes the last drops of espresso in his cup. He doesn't look at me, just stands and buttons his coat. "Gotta go. Being so close to you makes me realize it's time for a bite to eat," he says, grinning. "I'd ask you to join me for a meal, but I don’t know if food would satisfy menow."
Now the cad is back and the brief glimpse of a decent mandisappears.
I turn my face away from him. "Goodbye,Julien."
"Good night,Eve."
Then he's gone and I sit alone in thebooth.
* * *
I'm backin my apartment a few moments later, glad to be home, my nerves all on edge. I have a bath to warm up, and then return to my mother's files and start sorting through them, hoping to find something about the SCU and the tests to be an Adept but can't find anything in the first new box I open. It's then I hear a knock at mydoor.
I go and check the peephole. It'sMichel.
I unlock the door and peer at him. He has a big smile on hisface.
"Hello," I say, unable to not smileback.
"I just wanted to come over, see how you're doing. I brought this," he says and holds up the manuscript. "I thought I'd read a bit foryou."
I'm in my nightgown and socks, but I want to hear him read the manuscript so I open the door. He comes in and I can feel his gaze move over my body. My nightgown is to the knee and flimsy and I have no underwearon.
"You'll have to excuse me," I say. "I just got out of thebath."
He makes that throat sound and steps inside and takes off his boots and coat. I take his coat and hang it in my closet and motion to the tiny livingroom.
"I'll be right back," I say. "Make yourself athome."
