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Authors: Marianne de Pierres
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side of mine.
I wasn’t sure if I was feeling that mellow, but I gave him the benefit. I needed to know what was going on.
‘I’m also curious why he would allow a Series 7 Intimate to be destroyed for you ,’ he said.
Does he mean Derek? Obviously a Series 7 was worth more than a human being to Lavish Deluxe. I sat back to consider the question and to get the scent of him out of my nostrils. Casual sex wasn’t on my list of things to do while I was here, yet it was pretty much all that was on my mind.
‘Maybe it wasn’t in his plan. What else?’ I stalled.
He slid his hand along my thigh and cupped my crotch.
The brash move got me pushing off the bar, dumping us both on the floor. I rolled quickly so that I was astride him, one hand gripping his throat and the other in a fist above his face.
He smiled up at me with the keen lasciviousness of someone who would welcome the right sort of pain.
‘And why would an Amorato , even a raw one, react like a street fighter to a mild flirtation? Unless, of course, she wasn’t who she said she was . . .’
I smacked him in the mouth anyway. It probably proved his point but I couldn’t help myself. I had a head of steam to let off - and he was so . . . so . . .
Blood trickled from where I had split his lip. I wanted to lean down and taste it.
Yes . . .
The Eskaalim was in my head again. The building strength of its presence got me up and putting some distance between Delly and me.
I knew my self-control was slipping. Since I’d used it to help me with the guards at the Interchange it had found a new way around to get at me. If I stayed in this place too long . . .
I paced a little, keeping an eye on the Koreans who had closed in.
‘OK. Let’s just say I’m new to your business. My . . . er . . . speciality . . . is violence. You saved my life back there. Let’s work on an deal that’s acceptable to both of us,’ I said.
Lavish got to his feet and waved the Koreans away. He climbed back up on to his stool and sucked his bleeding lip. ‘I’m sure we can work something out.’
I joined him at the bar and swallowed my drink in one gulp. A tremor seemed to have been with me since we’d climbed alive from the UL. It wasn’t getting any better. Lust? Shock? Anger? Whatever, I couldn’t find a way to release it.
‘What do you know about James Monk?’ I asked.
Lavish’s expression got cagey. ‘Media are our main clientele. I’ve tried to secure Monk’s business before but he’s got a consort and doesn’t usually hire out for himself. When you contacted him I thought you were just another opportunist. When he contacted you . . . well, that was a different matter.’
I pretended to be astounded. ‘How could you have known who I was contacting?’
‘There isn’t anywhere less private than a Hi-Tel lobby, Belliere. In every sense of the word.’
‘You hacked the comm line?’
‘Let’s just say I have a very good technician.’
So I hear.
‘So how can we both get to Monk now?’ It seemed the logical question I would ask under the circumstances. ‘Or should I say, what do you want me to do?’
‘You must contact him and insist on servicing him here.’
‘What do you get for that - the kudos?’
He smiled, his lips compressing in a narrow line. ‘If you like. Once he’s patronised my club, my profile will grow exponentially and I’ll call things square between us.’
‘He may not want to come here,’ I said.
‘Well, that depends on how persuasive you can be.’
I immediately thought of my guns, and my pins and my knives - none of which I had with me. ‘How do you mean - persuasive?’
He laughed - until he saw that I was serious.
Putting his glass down, he slid off the stool and came around to my side, locking his arms around my waist. Tilting his head back, he stood on his toes and ran his tongue along my jawline, up to my ear lobe.
Despite the sensations trickling into my crotch, I found myself reaching for an absent
I wasn’t sure if I was feeling that mellow, but I gave him the benefit. I needed to know what was going on.
‘I’m also curious why he would allow a Series 7 Intimate to be destroyed for you ,’ he said.
Does he mean Derek? Obviously a Series 7 was worth more than a human being to Lavish Deluxe. I sat back to consider the question and to get the scent of him out of my nostrils. Casual sex wasn’t on my list of things to do while I was here, yet it was pretty much all that was on my mind.
‘Maybe it wasn’t in his plan. What else?’ I stalled.
He slid his hand along my thigh and cupped my crotch.
The brash move got me pushing off the bar, dumping us both on the floor. I rolled quickly so that I was astride him, one hand gripping his throat and the other in a fist above his face.
He smiled up at me with the keen lasciviousness of someone who would welcome the right sort of pain.
‘And why would an Amorato , even a raw one, react like a street fighter to a mild flirtation? Unless, of course, she wasn’t who she said she was . . .’
I smacked him in the mouth anyway. It probably proved his point but I couldn’t help myself. I had a head of steam to let off - and he was so . . . so . . .
Blood trickled from where I had split his lip. I wanted to lean down and taste it.
Yes . . .
The Eskaalim was in my head again. The building strength of its presence got me up and putting some distance between Delly and me.
I knew my self-control was slipping. Since I’d used it to help me with the guards at the Interchange it had found a new way around to get at me. If I stayed in this place too long . . .
I paced a little, keeping an eye on the Koreans who had closed in.
‘OK. Let’s just say I’m new to your business. My . . . er . . . speciality . . . is violence. You saved my life back there. Let’s work on an deal that’s acceptable to both of us,’ I said.
Lavish got to his feet and waved the Koreans away. He climbed back up on to his stool and sucked his bleeding lip. ‘I’m sure we can work something out.’
I joined him at the bar and swallowed my drink in one gulp. A tremor seemed to have been with me since we’d climbed alive from the UL. It wasn’t getting any better. Lust? Shock? Anger? Whatever, I couldn’t find a way to release it.
‘What do you know about James Monk?’ I asked.
Lavish’s expression got cagey. ‘Media are our main clientele. I’ve tried to secure Monk’s business before but he’s got a consort and doesn’t usually hire out for himself. When you contacted him I thought you were just another opportunist. When he contacted you . . . well, that was a different matter.’
I pretended to be astounded. ‘How could you have known who I was contacting?’
‘There isn’t anywhere less private than a Hi-Tel lobby, Belliere. In every sense of the word.’
‘You hacked the comm line?’
‘Let’s just say I have a very good technician.’
So I hear.
‘So how can we both get to Monk now?’ It seemed the logical question I would ask under the circumstances. ‘Or should I say, what do you want me to do?’
‘You must contact him and insist on servicing him here.’
‘What do you get for that - the kudos?’
He smiled, his lips compressing in a narrow line. ‘If you like. Once he’s patronised my club, my profile will grow exponentially and I’ll call things square between us.’
‘He may not want to come here,’ I said.
‘Well, that depends on how persuasive you can be.’
I immediately thought of my guns, and my pins and my knives - none of which I had with me. ‘How do you mean - persuasive?’
He laughed - until he saw that I was serious.
Putting his glass down, he slid off the stool and came around to my side, locking his arms around my waist. Tilting his head back, he stood on his toes and ran his tongue along my jawline, up to my ear lobe.
Despite the sensations trickling into my crotch, I found myself reaching for an absent
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