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“Why would I explain your presence?
Everybody knows that I think Sydney is in danger, nobody will even blink when I
bring you in.” She grimaced. “Marius will probably pat me on the head and
indulge my female whims.”
    “How will you explain that you had to go as far as finding a
Vampire?”
    “Everybody in the District, including the Guard, believes
Marius’ version. Going outside the District is the next logical step.”
    “And only a Vampire would have the bad manners to use a
brainless female who’s in distress for his own money-making purpose.” He
gritted his teeth. According to Naemas, Vampires were worthless scum, worse
even than humans.
    She didn’t even try to defend her species’ prejudice. “No,
that would very much fit in with the picture most Naemas have of Vampires.” She
swallowed. “And one of the reasons I’ve come to find you.”

Chapter Two
     
    O’Clare nodded and tapped his fingers on his desk, his gray
eyes turned silver. He had beautiful hands, long fingered and with
well-maintained, clean nails. “We will add another layer to the asshole
Vampire.” He captured her gaze. “We’ll pose as lovers.”
    Tanasha clung to her composure. “Certainly not.” Part of her
wanted to jump and shout with glee, but another part tried to remind her how
out of her league he was.
    “This is not up for discussion.” He stood and marched to the
door.
    “Estimable O’Clare, as I’m coming with you, please explain
to me why in Jade’s name you think posing as lovers will be helpful.”
    He shook his head and leaned against the doorframe. Anger
blazed in his eyes, but she couldn’t hear it in his voice. “If this Marius has
indeed kidnapped his wife for some nefarious purpose, he’s not going to stand
by and let you bring an outsider and an investigator at that into the mix. Even
if I’m only a lowly Vampire he’ll run me. I stay off the StarNet if I can, but
you found enough to track me down. So will he. He’ll have to counteract and
that will endanger you.”
    O’Clare smirked. “As I intend to collect all that promised
money I can’t have you in danger. By posing as lovers I can pretend that I’m
only doing perfunctory investigations while I’m fucking you. It’ll take the
focus off us, make us seem less dangerous. Now let’s go.” He opened the door.
    Tanasha froze for a second. His colorful language had drawn
a picture that now dominated her mind.
    When he held the door open for her, she quickly grabbed her
bag and stumbled to him. Her legs felt like overcooked spaghetti after catching
the backlash of his little fantasy.
    She never in her life read another person, never had the
most basic Gift even a four-year-old Naema demonstrated.
    But with him it went far beyond the vague impressions Naema
could decipher from the beings around them. With him she’d been in his head, in
his imagination, seeing pictures of his thoughts. Tanasha read what he liked
about her and how he intended to lavish pleasure on her. It was as if she had a
direct link to his brain.
    She couldn’t remember ever feeling so admired and turned-on.
His graphic images had been like a touch on her nipples, a stroke across her
clit. It had been a long time since she’d been with a man. Her social schedule
being on the quiet side, there wasn’t that much opportunity to meet new people.
    And definitely not a Vampire who wore his sexuality like a
formfitting coat.
    Damn him, she felt off balance and unsure. Could she pose as
a lover, touch and stroke him without falling deeper under his spell?
    O’Clare instructed the recepto-bot to secure the premises
and stepped out of the office. He pointed her toward the elevator and waved the
door closed behind them. The lock snicked without him touching it.
    He put his hand on her lower back to guide her forward.
Tanasha took a step away from his touch.
    “You better start calling me Duncan.”
    Before she could respond the door next to his office opened.
A man and a