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with his voice or touch?”
    “I told you he used my full name. Yes, he touched me.”
    The restless shake of her other wrist made Ros notice a darkening mark. He gently took her arm to examine the fingerprint-shaped bruises starting to form. Rage boiled up. It took every bit of his concentration to force his true self back down. Horns and claws could come later when he had James LaPierre by the throat. He would rip his heart out for touching his woman.
    “I’m sorry. It’s the spell. It makes me angry when I see—” Ros bit back the truth from her and from himself. “My owner harmed. I am bound to protect you.”
    He couldn’t deny the small flicker of pain in her eyes. Ignoring that, he pressed on.
    “The ring, Mari. It’s a protection of sorts. It keeps others from causing you harm with a spell.”
    At her startled expression, he chuckled. “Some spells won’t hurt you. They might irritate you, but they won’t do you any real harm. You should always wear your father’s ring. It will lead you to the next key.”
    “It’s too big, that’s why I put it on the chain.” She slid a slim finger through the circle of silver to show him. Then she dropped it back into her hand.
    Closing her hand over the ring with his own, Ros fought the intense need to pull her hand up to his lips to press a soft kiss there. Her scent was driving him crazy. He worked to concentrate his energy on their joined hands. Pulling strength from the earth beneath them, he worked his own magick. Mari gasped and tried to pull away. Energy flowed upward though his body and into hers. He held her tightly, not hurting her, but 53

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    also not allowing her to escape. He denied his body’s demand even though he wanted nothing more than to crush her against him.
    Finally he felt the telltale ebb of the energy that told him the working was complete.
    He reluctantly released her hand then took the chain between two fingers. Unclasping the hook, he held both ends in one hand. Again he took Mari’s hand. Turning her palm up, he let go of one end of the chain so the ring slid into her hand. “Try it now.”
    She looked at the ring then back at him. Sliding it onto her left forefinger, Mari started then raised her eyes to his again. “How did you do that?”
    “I told you I have some magick of my own, Mari-girl.” Leaning forward, Ros kissed her, just a gentle brush against her lips. He knew he would have to move slowly, with this woman, but he would continue on his quest. He only had twelve days remaining.
    Seducing Mari wouldn’t be easy, but deep down he knew it would be worth it. The pleasure they could share would be phenomenal…and he could finally, finally go home again. Then he would take steps to ensure that no member of his family was ever enslaved in this realm again.
    The widening of her eyes at his kiss caused him to come back for more. Mari slid her hands up his arms to clasp them at the back of his neck. Ros moved his own arms around her, tugging her against his body and kissing her again. She didn’t seem to have any objections to this, not pulling away from him. He trailed his hands from her shoulders to her hips, then reaching down farther, he cupped her ass, bringing her against his still-raging erection. Mari gasped against his mouth, allowing his tongue inside that warm cavern, then dueling her own tongue against his.
    This time it was Ros who broke the kiss. Passion-glazed eyes met his ravenous ones.
    “Mari, please let me bring you pleasure.”
    “Ros, I can’t. I mean, you can’t…bring me pleasure. Remember? Popsicle Queen?”
    She stumbled over the words. Ros added her exes to his list of people he needed to rip apart for hurting her in any way. He bent his head to hers.
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    “Mari-girl, let me be the judge of that. Remember, I’m your very own Hedonae. I’m made for this.”
    Maybe it was her need to erase the memory of her dinner with LaPierre. Maybe she felt as he did. Whatever