Unspoken (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3)(42)

“No. I’m going home. I’ll do it there.”

“Wait,” he said. “Let me at least give you some ointment.”

“I’ve got some.” She walked past him.

“This is better. It’s especially for vampires.” He darted over to his backpack and pulled a tube out. He walked over to hand it to her. She smelled so damn good, as if she’d just showered. Shampoo and feminine soap. When his fingers brushed her hand, his heart hiccupped and he could swear he saw her pupils grow bigger.

“Your uncle came up with it.” He had to force his eyes away from her breasts, where he could almost make out her nipples.

She frowned, but took it. “Were you able to describe the face from my vision?”

“Yeah, the artist did a good job. They ran it through their database, but didn’t get anything.”

He ached to run his hand across her cheek. She looked so … touchable.

“So we still have nothing.”

“We’ll get them,” he said. “We still need to go over the vision. See if we can remember anything different that could help us.”

“Then let’s do it.” The fact that she agreed so quickly sent a tiny wiggle of pleasure to his chest. He’d love to stay here and enjoy … what he could almost make out under her shirt.

“I can’t. I have to be somewhere, but I could come by your cabin when I get back. It might be late. Or we could do it tomorrow evening. I’m pretty sure Burnett has me working tomorrow morning.”

She stood there staring at him as if trying to read him. “You’re going somewhere?”

He nodded.

“Is it about the case?”

He nodded again.

“My dad’s case?”

“Yeah.”

“Then let me change my clothes and I’ll come with you.”

He shook his head. “No.”

She frowned. “Why?”

“Because you can’t.”

Doubt filled her dark eyes. “Is Burnett going?”

“No. I have to do this one on my own.”

“Do what on your own?” she asked, tilting her head to the left. Her right hand came to rest on her hip. Chase wondered if she knew how cute she looked doing that. Like a kitten trying to act tough. Someday when he knew her claws had been clipped, and he wasn’t quite so afraid of her, he’d tell her that.

“Where are you going?” she snapped.

“Burnett mentioned something earlier. He said the best place to get information about lowlifes like Douglas Stone would be from other lowlifes. I called in a favor from a friend. A guard at one of the council’s prisons. He’s letting me in to ask questions. I was going last night but didn’t make it. And I didn’t mention it to Burnett because … there’s no way they’d let him in.”

“So you’re hiding something.”

Chase frowned. “From Burnett, not you. And if I get anything I’ll tell him. I just … I’m afraid he wouldn’t allow me to go. I’d rather ask for forgiveness than permission.”

“Why wouldn’t he let you go?”

Chase pulled his phone out and checked the time. He had three minutes before he had to leave or he’d be late. “The inmates aren’t the best hostesses. Normally when someone goes in, they go with several guards. Because I’m not really working for the council anymore, he’s going to let me sneak in, so it will just be me.”

“Then take me,” she said.

He shook his head. “He wouldn’t let you in either.” Not to mention Chase wouldn’t let her near that place. These were the worst of the worst lowlifes.

“Then don’t go.”

Her stubborn expression made him smile. “Careful, Miss Sass, you almost sound like you care.”

She scowled. “Don’t make more out of it than it is.”

He walked over to the kitchen and filled a bowl of dry dog food for Baxter. He felt her eyes on him and loved knowing he had her attention. She always had his whenever he was within a hundred feet of her.

She took a step closer. “Do you even know if someone there has information about this Stone guy?”

“No. That’s why I’m going.”

She stepped closer. Was that really worry in her eyes? Yup, it was. He’d kiss her if he thought he could get away with it. Problem was, he wanted to do so much more than kiss. He wanted to run his hand over that little splash of sweet skin low on her abdomen. He wanted to take that top off of her and …

“Why would they tell you anything?” She tugged down her shirt as if she sensed it distracted him.

But it was such a sweet distraction. “Because they don’t have anything to lose. Because they might think it’ll offer them some salvation. It’s a long shot, but I have to do it. We want to catch this guy, remember?”

“Yes, but…”

Baxter brushed against his leg. Chase knelt down. As he gave the dog a good rub behind the ears, he pressed his forehead against the dog’s snout. And damned if he didn’t catch a different scent.

Disappointment tightened his gut. He stood up. All he could think about was where on Della’s sweet body the shape-shifter had touched. His head said to ignore what he knew and leave. His heart didn’t listen. “Can you do something for me?”