"No."
"Then what do you want me to do?" Even as she asked the question, part of her was willing him to give the right answer.
"You up to spending more time with Grey?"
She was up, down, and sideways for it. Hell, she was practically combusting at the thought. "You do know I'm a shifter, right?"
She could almost hear the gears in his mind turning, wondering where the hell she was leading with a comment like that. Eventually, he said, voice a little wary, "Yeah. So?"
"So, I haven't had sex in six months."
He burst out laughing. "Damn it, woman, that's an ache I would willingly have eased."
"Intercourse between departmental employees is not currently approved."
"Darlin', for you I'd break the rules."
She grinned. "I thought you loved your job."
"I do. But you're not the only one who's suffering a drought."
"Well, if you stopped listening in on everyone else having sex and started following up some of the offers you get, you wouldn't be suffering a drought."
"But that would mean making an effort. I'm not sure I'm ready for that."
"Then continue to suffer the drought," she said dryly, "because this shifter isn't offering relief."
"Well, damn."
She smiled. "Where's Grey?"
He paused. "Coming out of room three-o-five and heading toward the stairs."
"Looking for me."
"Most likely." Jack hesitated. "You really don't have to take this any further."
"But if I don't, we may never get any leads on this killer."
"Yeah, but still—" "Jack, I'm safe in the club, and I'm more than capable of protecting myself outside it. I want this killer stopped as much as the rest of you."
"But bedding suspects goes way beyond the call of duty."
"Not for a shifter," she said dryly. Hell, a shifter in a rutting haze would shag anything with two legs and a dick.
Not that she was anywhere near as desperate as that, but given the way her hormones had latched onto Grey, she'd been a lot closer to the mark than she'd thought.
"Shifters have a whole different set of morals when it comes to sex," she continued. Humans might have finally caught on to the "promiscuity is good" attitude, but shifters had been there forever. "That's part of the reason I was picked, wasn't it?"
"Well, that and the fact you resemble the other victims."
"So quit worrying about me, and just start worrying about where you're going to fire those frustrated little sperms of yours when you're listening to me having the best sex of my life."
She cut off the sound of his choked laughter and left the restroom. Grey was making a beeline across the dance floor, heading straight towards her.
How had he known she was in the restroom?
He was still a good ten feet away when the force of him hit her, sucking away her breath and leaving her gasping. Her gaze rose to his. The gray depths smoldered with both desire and annoyance, and his passionate mouth was little more than a thin line. Trouble, with a capital T, headed her way.
And she couldn't wait for it to explode all over her. Or in her, as the case may be.
He stopped so close that all she could smell was heat and lust and man. Her breast brushed against the soft wool of his sweater, sending little tingles of electricity shooting across her body. God, she was puddling with desire for the man, and he hadn't done anything except glare down at her.
What the hell was going on between them? They were complete and utter strangers who'd shared a brief but amazing encounter. Yes, some sort of connection was logical, but this went beyond the usual sexual vibe of shifters. And it was far stronger than anything she'd felt in her life so far.
"I told you I'd come get you if you didn't follow me."
His voice was a low rumble that echoed across the recesses of her mind. It was as if she were somehow feeling his words in her head as well as actually hearing them. She raised an eyebrow, forcing herself to remain still and calm when all she wanted to do was throw herself into this man's arm and beg him to take her.
"And I told you I'd think about it."
"I have a room booked."
"And I have a room full of prospects to explore."
He considered her for a moment, then his gaze slid down her body, taking in every inch, exploring in a way she wished his hands would explore. By the time he'd finished little beads of sweat dotted her body and her breath was little more than pants of desire.
The man was definitely dynamite.
"Tell you what," he said, the smile touching his lips both dangerous and confident. "Give me an hour. If, in that time, I don't manage to give you the best orgasm of your life, you walk free."
Walking right now might be a problem, let alone after she'd spent an hour in his presence. "And if you do manage such a feat, what happens?"
His slow grin became full-blown and damn near blew all her circuitry. "Then you're mine for the entire night."
Oh, yes please…
She took a deep breath, trying to get some air into lungs that felt as if they were burning. "And how are we going to judge whether you've been successful or not?"
"You're a beagle shifter, aren't you?"
She stared at him for a minute, wondering how he'd known. While shifters innately recognized others of their kind, it was unusual to be able to pinpoint the exact breed. "Yes."
"And beagles yodel when they hit the extremes, don't they?"
Jack was going to have a field day with that bit of news.
Especially if she did yodel. "Yeah, but we don't want to deafen other patrons." Or turn them off their own activities.
"Our room is shielded against extremes of noise. Shifters attend these bars as often as humans, and the owners do cater for the rutting requirements of different breeds."
Something else the manager hadn't thought to mention when he'd been briefing her. What else had he left out? As she'd said to Jack, even the tiniest bit of info could lead them to the killer.
And she really, really, hoped that the killer didn't have wicked gray eyes and a mind-blowing smile.
"Deal?" he asked softly.
"Deal," she said. And hoped like hell she didn't end up regretting it.
He placed a hand on her elbow, his touch seeming to scald her skin as he led her up the stairs and down the long corridor to one of the end rooms. She glanced up, checking the position of the security cams, knowing Jack would be watching through them. She gave him a covert smile and a wink before Grey guided her inside and locked the door behind them.
As rooms went, it was pretty basic. The walls were done in a God-awful red, while the carpet and ceiling were a beige that might once have been white. The bed was king size and covered in plain cotton sheets. There was also a sofa, and to her right, a small bathroom.
"Love the color scheme," she said dryly, raising an eyebrow as she turned to face him. The lust so evident in his expression damn near fried her brains. She swallowed heavily and added, "Was there no other choice?"
"Humans equate red with sexy." He shrugged, his muscles rippling enticingly under his sweater. "And the choice was red, black or white."
"Great color range." Her words came breathless again. He was far too close, and breathing air had become dangerously scant.
"Well, people don't come here to admire the walls."
She certainly hadn't… Thought stuttered to a halt as his hand skimmed her side, then slid up her spine to her dress's zipper.
"And there's only one thing I came here to admire," he continued, his voice a low growl that did strange things to her already erratic pulse rate. "Right now, she's far too covered for my liking."
He slid down the zipper with agonizing slowness, then moved his hands back to her shoulders and gently pushed the straps down her arms. The dress shimmied down her body, pooling at her feet. She stepped free and kicked it to one side.