“All good, clear as day,” Saul called back.
Oliver took the earrings and handed them to her. “I’ll let you put these on yourself.”
She stared him in the eyes. “Could you place them?”
She tilted her head to one side. He had no choice but to step forward and clip on one earring, all the time trying to ignore the pale blue vein at her throat.
His fangs twinged, saliva filled his mouth and his cock obligingly pulsed harder.
He clipped on the other earring.
Now step away, man.
He should, but she glanced up at him and her eyes met his for a brief second, and in that moment, time stood still.
Her lips parted and an almost inaudible breath escaped her as she stared up at him. It felt for all the world like he was falling off a precipice into deep dark water, never to resurface.
“Thank you, sir,” she said softly.
Then Saul butted in, and the spell was broken. “Could you say something, Hale? I have your image clear as day on the screen from the necklace, but I need to check the mic works.”
What the fuck was he supposed to say?
“Clare—" It came out cracked over the sound system. Just her name, from his parched dry lips, like an incantation, a prayer, a supplication. He cleared his throat. “You’re all set,” he finished lamely.
“Great, all recordings are working,” Saul said. “Look at how clear the camera footage is.” Oliver forced himself to move, his legs stiff with tension. He watched the screen as Saul played back the footage.
The camera picked up the raw desire written all over his fucking his face.
“Wipe it,” he said in a strangled voice, and stormed out of the room.
When the door slammed behind Oliver, Clare couldn’t help a secret little smile.
Good, she’d got to him.
But despite this small victory, the quickening of her pulse and the sweet heat at her core told her he’d damn well got to her too. The nearness of him, the scent of his cedar and wood smoke cologne had catapulted her back to him holding her in his arms, kissing her so ardently that she would have gladly given him her soul.
You still would.
No way. Fuck him. The guy was a chauvinistic bastard. And really, how could he not be at his age? He grew up in another era. He must have seduced so many women. Shame on her weak flesh!
Saul grumbled, “Hale’s fucking tetchy tonight.”
“Yeah. Seems so.”
“It means a lot to him, solving this case.”
“Sure.”
“He’d give his eye teeth to get Kominsky.”
Her lips twitched. “Unfortunate choice of language there, buddy.”
Saul struck his forehead with his palm. “Honestly, do you know how many puns have come out of my mouth about fangs and wings and fucking bats in bell towers since he got back here? I embarrass myself daily.”
“I doubt he takes any of it personally.” She shrugged.
“I dunno, he seems to have had a humor bypass lately.”
