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have complete control over you, so you need to make sure that, whatever you do, you don’t say his name. Ever.”
    “I don’t even know his name.”
    “Hopefully, since we’re out here, he won’t be able to tell you.”
    Tempest sat down on the mattress next to Franco. “I can’t stay out here forever. I have a house to finish renovating, a B&B to open and hopefully some money to make. I can’t let this—thing—control me.”
    When he put his arm around her, she felt the same wonderful sense of calm that she’d felt earlier. But that didn’t mean she was going to have sex with him. Not when she’d just met him.
    “I understand perfectly.” Franco put his fingers under her chin and turned her face toward him. He gazed into her eyes. “I won’t let him near you, I swear. I can hear him, and something tells me I can piss him off. If it takes that to keep him from bothering you, then that’s what I’ll do.”
    The fierceness of his words touched her very soul and made her spine tingle. No man she’d ever dated had offered to stand between her and a demon, even though they’d never had the chance. And she was pretty sure that, even if they did, they never would have. They probably would have run for the hills and left her standing directly in the incubus’ path.
    “A woman would run through fire and water for such a kind heart.” She probably shouldn’t have said that. It sounded too much like she was falling in love with him, which she wasn’t. She barely knew him.
    “Excuse me?”
    “It’s Shakespeare, from ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor.’ I’m just saying that, you’re a good person. Thank you.”
    The smile on his face turned mischievous. “Well, I have ulterior motives. I want to get to know you, in more ways than just one. And to do that, I have to get you through this. I’m just saying…I’m not all that kind. Just remember that.”
    He ran his tongue over his lower lip and they both laughed. Then he tackled her, covering his body with hers. “We’ll just pretend this is a big slumber party.”
    “That’s going to be tough.” She tried to keep herself from grasping his hips and grinding herself against him. “I never wanted to kiss any of my—”
    His laps came down on hers, hard and insistent, yet feeling gentle and sweet. She moaned softly, opening her mouth in invitation. He accepted it instantly, his tongue diving into her mouth, filling her completely. Her body reacted as she knew it would, her pussy growing instantly wet, her nipples tightening even more, begging for attention.
    When the deep kiss was over, he placed several smaller kisses around her lips, not stopping until she moaned with need.
    “Hi. I’m Franco Antonio LeBeau, age thirty-three. I was born in New Orleans and grew up here. Never went to college. I’ve worked at my parents’ bar, named Franco’s Grill, since I was sixteen years old. I can read minds. I believe in ghosts, and I think you are absolutely stunning.”
    “Thank you.” She put her hand on the back of his neck, pulling his face down to claim his lips. This time it was her tongue that did the exploring, the feeling sensual and exciting as the kiss deepened.
    When he lifted up and looked down at her, she smiled, hoping it looked as sexy as it felt. “Hi. I’m Tempest Adriana Gandy, age thirty-one. I was born in New Orleans and graduated with a bachelor’s degree, and then a master’s degree, from Tulane, both of them in English. I worked at WXBJ as a news producer for about six years before I decided that I wanted to run a B&B. That’s what I’m doing now. I can’t read minds and I’ve always believed in ghosts, but until today, nothing like demons.”
    He kissed her gently, his mouth lingering over hers. It made her feel as if he could swallow her up at any second, and she loved the idea.
    “What play is Adriana from?”
    “‘The Comedy of Errors.’”
    “My personal favorite has always been ‘The Taming of the