door suddenly disappeared as a long arm reached over her shoulder. The light from the lobby disappeared, casting her into shadow, and she looked up, not surprised to see Raj right behind her, his easy grin not fooling her for a second.
She murmured her thanks and stepped out onto the landing, pulling her coat closed and hunching deeper into its warmth. “I'm fine, Raj,” she said quickly. “You don't have to—” She jerked her gaze sideways as the solid thunk of a car door punctuated the night. Across the parking lot, a chauffeur had just stepped out of a long, black limo to grab some fresh air. She couldn't be positive, but she didn't think the vehicle had been there when she'd arrived at the station. It could be anyone, of course. Limos weren't common—except on prom nights—but they weren't completely rare in the city either. But for some reason—maybe it was the phone call Tony had received while she sat in his office—she was convinced this one belonged to William Cowens, and that meant Edward Blackwood was nearby. She immediately turned her back on the lobby and stepped away from the lights, just in case. Raj caught her reaction, naturally, and slipped an arm over her shoulders, his great bulk effectively hiding her from both the limo and the lobby. She could feel him studying the limo and its driver over her head.
"Come on, Sarah,” he said. “I'll walk you to your car.” He started down the stairs with her firmly in the curve of his arm. “And you can tell me why you don't want Williams Cowens to know you're here.” Sarah nearly missed the next step, but his solid strength kept her upright. He tucked her against his body with a low chuckle. “I love the boots, sweetheart,” he murmured. But they're not the best choice for the icy streets around here."
Sarah felt a rush of pleasure that he'd noticed her admittedly sexy high-heeled boots, but cursed her own clumsiness. “I didn't expect to be walking much,” she muttered. “And I'm not worried about William Cowens."
"No? Then maybe it's the limo driver. A former lover, perhaps?” He said it lightly, but there was a definite growl on his last words.
Sarah laughed. “Right, it's the limo driver. I was just startled, that's all. I'm not used to hanging around police stations."
They had reached her car by then. Sarah beeped the locks open and Raj reached around her to open the door. “Is it Blackwood?” he persisted.
She threw her bag across the seat and gave him an exasperated look. “I told you. I don't even know—"
Raj placed one hand on the door and braced himself against the roof of her car with the other, effectively trapping her. He was so damn big. She stifled a brief, irrational urge to run, looking up to meet his amused gaze instead. “Do you know how lie detectors work, Sarah?"
She frowned in confusion at the seeming non sequitur. “Of course. When a person lies about something, there are physiological changes that give him away. Pulse rate, respiration . . . and probably some other things too. It's not exactly my field, but what—"
He leaned down until his mouth was at her ear. “Your pulse and respiratory rates just rocketed, little one. And your luscious heart is going pitty-pat. Either you're madly in love with me, or you're not being totally honest. Although it might be both.” She felt the soft touch of his tongue along the curve of her ear. “Delicious,” he whispered.
She shivered and forced herself to meet his icy blue eyes. Except they weren't quite so icy anymore. She licked her lips, and those eyes followed the movement of her tongue before returning to meet her gaze with a slow, sensuous blink. Ice can be hot, too , she reminded herself.
"Why do you care?” she managed to say.
"You didn't come down here to offer advice on vampires,” he chided her gently. “Of course, there's your close relationship with Lord Krystof . . .” He let the words trail off suggestively.
"I don't really know him,” she
She murmured her thanks and stepped out onto the landing, pulling her coat closed and hunching deeper into its warmth. “I'm fine, Raj,” she said quickly. “You don't have to—” She jerked her gaze sideways as the solid thunk of a car door punctuated the night. Across the parking lot, a chauffeur had just stepped out of a long, black limo to grab some fresh air. She couldn't be positive, but she didn't think the vehicle had been there when she'd arrived at the station. It could be anyone, of course. Limos weren't common—except on prom nights—but they weren't completely rare in the city either. But for some reason—maybe it was the phone call Tony had received while she sat in his office—she was convinced this one belonged to William Cowens, and that meant Edward Blackwood was nearby. She immediately turned her back on the lobby and stepped away from the lights, just in case. Raj caught her reaction, naturally, and slipped an arm over her shoulders, his great bulk effectively hiding her from both the limo and the lobby. She could feel him studying the limo and its driver over her head.
"Come on, Sarah,” he said. “I'll walk you to your car.” He started down the stairs with her firmly in the curve of his arm. “And you can tell me why you don't want Williams Cowens to know you're here.” Sarah nearly missed the next step, but his solid strength kept her upright. He tucked her against his body with a low chuckle. “I love the boots, sweetheart,” he murmured. But they're not the best choice for the icy streets around here."
Sarah felt a rush of pleasure that he'd noticed her admittedly sexy high-heeled boots, but cursed her own clumsiness. “I didn't expect to be walking much,” she muttered. “And I'm not worried about William Cowens."
"No? Then maybe it's the limo driver. A former lover, perhaps?” He said it lightly, but there was a definite growl on his last words.
Sarah laughed. “Right, it's the limo driver. I was just startled, that's all. I'm not used to hanging around police stations."
They had reached her car by then. Sarah beeped the locks open and Raj reached around her to open the door. “Is it Blackwood?” he persisted.
She threw her bag across the seat and gave him an exasperated look. “I told you. I don't even know—"
Raj placed one hand on the door and braced himself against the roof of her car with the other, effectively trapping her. He was so damn big. She stifled a brief, irrational urge to run, looking up to meet his amused gaze instead. “Do you know how lie detectors work, Sarah?"
She frowned in confusion at the seeming non sequitur. “Of course. When a person lies about something, there are physiological changes that give him away. Pulse rate, respiration . . . and probably some other things too. It's not exactly my field, but what—"
He leaned down until his mouth was at her ear. “Your pulse and respiratory rates just rocketed, little one. And your luscious heart is going pitty-pat. Either you're madly in love with me, or you're not being totally honest. Although it might be both.” She felt the soft touch of his tongue along the curve of her ear. “Delicious,” he whispered.
She shivered and forced herself to meet his icy blue eyes. Except they weren't quite so icy anymore. She licked her lips, and those eyes followed the movement of her tongue before returning to meet her gaze with a slow, sensuous blink. Ice can be hot, too , she reminded herself.
"Why do you care?” she managed to say.
"You didn't come down here to offer advice on vampires,” he chided her gently. “Of course, there's your close relationship with Lord Krystof . . .” He let the words trail off suggestively.
"I don't really know him,” she
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