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“Then how did you mean it?”
“I simply need to touch you. Stand up.”
I took a large gulp of champagne, then did so. She pressed her hand under my left breast, the coolness of her long fingers sending goose bumps skittering across my skin. There was nothing sexual in her touch, nothing dark or uneasy, and yet all of those things slid through me.
Lauren closed her eyes. For several minutes, she neither moved nor breathed, although she obviously was breathing, since otherwise she’d have passed out.
Then she retracted her touch and opened her eyes, a frown creasing her smooth features. “The device is very powerful. I’m not entirely sure if it could be stopped from functioning for any length of time.”
“Damn.” I sat back on my chair and met Lucian’s gaze. “It was worth a shot, I guess.”
“Young woman, you weren’t listening.” Her soft voice held more than a hint of rebuke. “I said I couldn’t stop it for any length of time. Meaning, it might just be possible to stop it for brief minutes.”
“A few minutes is better than nothing.” I hesitated. “But whether we could use it would depend on just what it takes to achieve that.”
Her gaze slid down my length. Horror swamped me. Not that, I thought. Anything but that. Or blood.
But when her gaze met mine again, there was little in the way of desire. Just cool calculation. And if I hadn’t been aware of it before, then that look alone was enough to tell me she was very dangerous.
“Lucian has already informed me of your aversion to blood magic—”
“I thought you said she didn’t do blood magic,” I cut in, glancing at Lucian.
He shrugged. “If I had said anything else, would you have come here?”
“Probably not.”
“Then that explains the lie. You need to explore all options, Risa. It is foolish to do otherwise.”
“Blood magic is not an option.”
“Which is a shame, as it’s the most powerful form of magic available here on earth,” Lauren commented.
I met her gaze again. “It also taints the user in the extreme.”
“That is a debate I will not get into. It does, however, lessen our options.”
“At least there are options.” Hopefully, there were some that were a little less unhealthy than blood magic. Although Ilianna was going to hit the roof either way.
“Perhaps.” She glanced at Lucian, then rose and finished her drink. “I will be in contact if I uncover any possibilities.”
She gave me another of those cool, thoughtful looks, then walked out. But as I watched her leave, foreboding shivered through me. She would find a way to mute the Raziq’s device—I had no doubt of that.
Just as I had no doubt that the price would be one I’d be reluctant to pay.
I rubbed my arms against the sudden chill in my flesh, and couldn’t hold back a sigh of relief when the door closed behind her.
“I’m glad she isn’t staying for dinner.”
“So am I.” Lucian topped up my glass. “As much as I like the occasional threesome, I have this odd feeling you would not have been your usual unrestrained self.”
I gave him a wry smile. “That is, of course, presuming I’ll have anything to be unrestrained about.”
He gave me an innocent smile. “Of course.”
I crossed my legs. “So how come you know about this place and I don’t?”
“A client told me about it and offered an introduction.”
