Page 13 of Lucas
She leaned over, and he met her halfway for a kiss. “You’re way too good to me.”
“You deserve it. Now, finish your drink. It’s time to catch a cab.”
Chapter Six
“Well, that was a bust.”I dropped my purse on a side table and draped my linen jacket over a chair before heading to the bar. I selected a merlot that was already open and poured a glass. “Do you want a drink?”
“I’ll take a glass of wine.” Lucas removed his tie and laid it over my jacket. “At least we were able to confirm theDe første dagewas listed for restoration in Boston and here, just like on the West Coast.”
“I suppose.” I handed him the wine then took a seat overlooking Manhattan and the river beyond. “I was hoping Philipe’s college friend would know more. He could be lying, but he seemed pretty concerned he hadn’t heard from him in a couple of decades.”
Lucas opened his phone. “I have a message from Sergi. Check your burner.”
I jumped up and pulled it from my purse. “I didn’t even think to check. I have coordinates.” I gave them to him, then picked up my wine before I sat on the arm of his chair, looking over his shoulder as he typed the numbers into his GPS tracker.
“Hazel Green,” Lucas said.
“Where’s that?”
“Alabama, about seven hours from New Orleans.”
“Why not just go home?”
“You’re assuming the custodian is still with Philipe or that they haven’t moved again.” He set the phone down and took my glass.
“True. I suppose even with the size of New Orleans, it would be difficult to hide there for decades.”
“From Sergi’s message, she’s been moving every few years.” He pulled me onto his lap facing the windows and placed his hands on my shoulders, his fingers gently kneading.
I leaned into it. “That feels so good.”
“Your muscles are a knot. You need to relax. We still have a long way to go. You knew this wasn’t going to be easy.”
“I know. I’d feel better if someone had spoken to Philipe in the last decade.” I lowered my head as the massage deepened, the warmth of his hands spreading a light tingle through me.
“Our focus needs to be on his contacts now. If we’re close to a library, we’ll stop in just to confirm the pattern is consistent, but it’s no longer our top priority. The Renaud family will have heard of our visits.”
“But they haven’t stopped us. You said this last curator was friendly.”
“And appeared honestly perplexed with the discrepancy in the records. But it’s best we don’t take any chances.” He pulled down my dress zipper a few inches, slipping the straps down my arms, his massage now working its way across my entire back.
“Do you think there might be some members of the Renaud family breaking the rules?”
“I would rather think it’s more about keeping something potentially dangerous from reaching any of the Houses. The Renauds taking sides in Council politics would be almost as earth-shattering as telling the vampire world that dreamwalkers still exist.”
Featherlight kisses followed his hands that continued to work the knots. A couple of minutes later, the zipper was pulled all the way down and my bra was unhooked.
“Am I getting a full-body massage?”
“You need to relax before dinner.” He moved his hands farther down my back as the dress fell to my waist.
His fingers traced my spine, his thumbs releasing pressure points, and as good as it felt, it was the stirring between my legs that demanded my immediate attention. I wiggled, feeling the press of his cock against my ass.
“Dinner in New York. It’s pretty exciting.”
“I guarantee it will be memorable.” He reached around to cup my breast, his massage no longer focused on my muscles.
I leaned back, letting my head drop to his shoulder, and I closed my eyes. His fingers tweaked my nipples as he kissed the soft spot between neck and shoulder, dragging the tips of his fangs up my neck until they nipped at my ears. Then he moved a hand south, his knuckles brushing against my ribcage and over my belly, sending shivers of delight following his touch.
