Read NocC 014 - Elle James - Hot Demon Nights - Harlequin 2012-05 for Free Online Page A

through me.
    Damn the demon. He had a way of making me hot all over with just a look. I straightened and put distance between us. “Why are you looking up Ivana Felding?”
    For a moment he stared at me as I backed away, a smile curling the corners of his lips. Then he refocused on his computer search. “Checking on a hunch.”
    I paced the floor behind him, still wondering what the hell made demons so special. This one had me tied in knots just teasing me with the image of equipment packages and naked skin. “Are hunches another trick up a demon’s sleeve?”
    “Not all demons. You see, most demons have a special trait, skill, trademark—call it what you will.”
    “And yours is hunches?”
    “No. Mine are strength, speed and apparently a little mind reading.”
    “Nice to know.” I crossed my arms over my chest, mentally ordering myself not to wonder if strength translated into stamina . “Where do the hunches play in?”
    “Same as anyone. I believe intuition is highly underrated. When I have a hunch, it’s usually right.” He glanced across at me. “And it’s a yes on the stamina. What was the name of the woman in your building who was attacked?”
    My mind stumbled over his stamina, my core aching to test his comment. “Judy Smith, why?”
    He keyed her name into the search engine next to Ivana Felding. In moments, several pages of related sites offered information on the two women.
    “Like I thought.” He clicked on one of the links, bringing up an article about the death of Gordon Felding, of Felding and Lebowitz, Inc.
    “What’s just as you thought?” I stopped pacing and leaned over Blaise’s shoulder again. “So? Ivana’s husband was co-owner and CEO of a corporation. We know that. Hell, everyone in New York City knows that.”
    “Look farther down in the article.”
    I squinted, scanning the article until my gaze ran across mention of Judy Smith, the secretary at Felding and Lebowitz who found Gordon Felding’s body. “Coincidence?”
    “Two of the most recent attacks were on women who had a connection to Gordon Felding.”
    “You think whoever is reanimating these dead people is targeting Gordon’s girls?”
    “I don’t know yet, but I don’t believe in coincidence.”
    “Me either.” I straightened. “What were the circumstances of Gordon’s death?”
    Blaise clicked on a few more news articles and read silently for a moment.
    I stood back and admired the way his dark hair dipped below his collar, in loose, thick waves, curling up at his shoulders. What would it feel like to run my fingers through his hair?
    “Can you focus on this case?” Blaise shook his head. “There will be time for those fantasies of yours later.”
    Flames licked at my cheeks, and I fought to keep from popping the back of his head with the palm of my hand.
    “Gordon Felding died of a heart attack, making love to his secretary right after negotiating a deal with an investor from the Cayman Islands over a secret chemical compound. It was supposed to make the business a ton of money. But because he died before the papers were signed, the deal fell through. The company stock plummeted. They’re in Chapter Eleven bankruptcy now, and they still haven’t named a CEO to replace Felding.”
    “Anyone personally take the hit financially along with the failed corporation?”
    Blaise skimmed through all the reports. “Not that I can tell.”
    “Keep looking. With both women being connected to Gordon Felding, I’d put my money on the failed deal as motive for revenge.” I stopped pacing long enough to squint toward the monitor. “On the other hand, any jealous lovers mentioned in the articles? Or was the secretary Gordon’s only fling?”
    “The news articles don’t mention any other women involved with Mr. Felding.”
    “Maybe we need to interview Mrs. Felding again.” I fished my phone out of my pocket. “Whatever happened to Lebowitz? Is he still in the picture?”
    “Lebowitz actually started