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like you’ll need it, and I can make another if need be. In fact—” He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a small charm ball with a tiny glass window set into it. “Take this, too.”
    I turned it in my free hand curiously. “What is it?”
    “This is a magical beacon. If you get into water hot enough you need out, crack the glass with a thumbnail or even your teeth and I’ll show up to help. All of the M and C people have one. Actually,” he said with a smile, “probably a dozen operatives will show up if you break that particular one. It’s keyed to my personal magic. I have more than one employee who will drop everything to save the guy who signs their paychecks.”
    That made me laugh as I tucked it into a pant pocket. I wanted that one close to me. In fact, it might wind up inside my bra, which is seldom searched, even by the bad guys. And if I was being strip-searched, I wanted it where someone might break it by accident.
    I squared my shoulders and looked once more into those flame-licked hazel eyes. “Thanks, Creede. Really. For everything.” I meant it and it came through in my voice.
    He growled and frowned, because I’d just broken the rules. Tough-guy bodyguards don’t thank each other. It’s considered gauche and … soft. His sudden discomfort made me smile and caused me to impulsively reach out and hug him. I didn’t plan it; I swear.
    The things the touch of his body did to mine were beyond description. Even the vest, stuffed with Kevlar and “toys,” couldn’t stop his magic from bringing my skin alive. Every nerve stood at attention, and goose bumps crawled across every inch of me. The scariest thing was that I absolutely knew he wasn’t just reacting to my siren abilities. He had a charm to prevent himself from being magically influenced by me. A grunt from him told me the reaction wasn’t one-sided. I started to pull away, but he would have none of it. His arms snaked around my body and held me tight against him, while his mouth moved to my ear and stopped just before making contact. I could feel his warm breath on my earlobe.
    Now panic tore through me, because all my body wanted was for him to tear off my clothes and throw me to the floor. Bruno had made me feel like that sometimes, but this was different. It was superficial, lust without emotional depth. But that didn’t make it any less real or wanted. I hadn’t had sex in a long time and my body knew what it needed. “I have to go, Creede.”
    He didn’t respond except to move his hands up my back, which made my stomach tighten and my fingers dig into his muscular shoulders. “I know.” The words pushed into my ear softly, a mixed message. What did he know? That I had to get to the job or that I wanted to feel his fingers on my skin, his lips close over mine? Then I remembered he was a skilled telepath. Crap. While I hoped he was using discretion, he could easily know what I was thinking before I’d even processed the thoughts.
    His lips began to move against my neck and his hands slid down to grip my hips possessively. My heart was thudding in my throat. Interesting that I was less afraid to hunt the demon than to have this man touch me.
    “Yes, it is. Very interesting.” My eyes widened at his words and at the feeling of his lips against my cheek. Delicate but powerful, the sensation strong enough to weaken my knees. His lips lingered there for what felt like an eternity while my brain swam, unable to think.
    “You have to let me go, Creede.” My voice was a whisper and I could hear the fear in it. Who exactly was I afraid of?
    He returned the whisper, and while the words made me think he was amused, his tone was low and serious: “I’m not the one who has somewhere to be. This is yours, Celia. You can pull away if you want to. I won’t stop you.”
    I couldn’t see my watch because my fingers were gliding through his so-soft hair, pulling his lips closer so they were once more moving against my neck. Bad.