Leopard's Prey

his body. She blinked, drawing his attention to her impossibly long lashes. Before he drove straight into the bayou, he forced his gaze back onto the road.
    “You jump around in the conversation, Remy. I’m havin’ trouble keepin’ up.”
    “No, you aren’t. Now you’re just stallin’. I told you a long time ago,
chere
, you’re no coward, and it’s time you just told me what was upsetting you. I’m gettin’ the feelin’ you think our relationship is about sex and nothing else.”
    He glanced at her again and just before her long lashes veiled her expression, he caught a flash of pain in her eyes. Instantly he felt as if a giant hand squeezed his heart hard. Upsetting her was one thing, but genuine pain was another. He didn’t like ever being the cause of that. She’d had enough pain in her life and he would bet his last dollar she was facing more.
    He was positive her agent and his murky friend were up to no good. And he knew Bob Carson was. The man followed her everywhere taking photographs and selling out her privacy. He couldn’t yet prove that Carson was stalking her and destroying her property, even frightening her, but he would find the proof. She knew all three men, had known two of them for years, and it would hurt to find out that they really cared nothing for her . . .
    The moment the thought entered his mind, he cursed himself. Of course. What an idiot. His brothers were right. Bijou had never been important to her father or her nannies. She’d never been loved by anyone. She probably had no idea what it felt like to have someone caring for her. He’d talked about the sex and little else.
    “I think our relationship is about your leopard bein’ crazy about mine, as well as the great sex,” Bijou stated. “I think that because you said it. More than once.”
    Remy tightened his fingers around her hand, keeping her palm pressed tightly against his heart. “Then I’m a moron if I made you believe that.” Looking back, he realized he had said just that. He shook his head.
    Bijou shrugged. Her lower lip trembled and she bit down with her small teeth. “It’s all right, Remy. I’m not askin’ anythin’ from you. I’m a grown-up. I was there, just like you were. I wanted to have sex with you. It’s not like you forced me. I’m well aware people have casual sex all the time.”
    “What we had was
not
casual sex. Had you ever had sex before, believe me,
chere
, you would never even consider attaching the word
casual
to what we have together.”
    “Remy, I’m well aware we barely know one another. I’m not one to jump into bed with just anyone . . .”
    “I know that. I was there, remember? I should have been much more careful with you that first time,” he admitted.
    “I wasn’t sayin’ that. I just mean, you don’ know me any better than I know you.”
    “You’d be surprised at how well I know you, Bijou. I didn’t lose track of you over the years. And I’m a cop.”
    She turned cool eyes on him, although again, there was that tiny hint of amusement. “You investigated me?”
    “Of course. Did you expect anythin’ less?”
    “No, I guess not. But that doesn’t mean you know me, Remy. Nor do I know you. I didn’t even know about the leopard business.” She lowered her voice when she used the word
leopard
, clearly still uncomfortable with the idea of being a shifter.
    He pulled her hand up to his mouth, brushing his lips over her knuckles. “I’m not good with words. I know that. Not with anyone I care about, but there’s a hell of a lot more to our relationship than our leopards—or great sex—regardless of what I may have said earlier.”
    “See, I don’ know you that well, or I’d know whether you were just sayin’ that to make me feel better, and keep me around for your leopard, or if you mean it.”
    “I’ve never once told you a lie. We do have great sex. And my leopard is crazy about yours. Maybe I left out how I feel, but only because I’ve never actually felt this way about a woman before. It’s new to me as well, Blue. Just give us time. We’re interrupted every two minutes and I have to find this killer. But you’re on my mind, every moment, you’re on my mind.”
    Bijou smiled at him a little tentatively, but her smile reached her eyes. “I’m apparently not the most lovable person in the world.”
    “That’s bullshit.”
    “You said yourself half of New Orleans wants me dead.”
    “True, I did say that, which is why you’re