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something, Rosier.” The use of his name seemed to break the tension. He didn’t actually move but she felt the heat receded. She hurried into the breach. “It’s not that I don’t want to help you. It’s that I can’t.”
    His scoff of denial as he turned his head from her hurt. “No, it’s true. I am sexually dysfunctional. My exes tell me I’m an ice queen or a Popsicle.”
    She left off the bitch. She knew he’d use it eventually when he realized what she said was true. Ignoring the bile rising in her throat, she waited until he looked back at her. She met his gaze unflinchingly. Let him see the truth in her eyes.
    “You mean to tell me you actually believe that lie?” Rosier’s voice ratcheted down a full octave at least as he finally touched her. The press of his hand on her shoulder sent sparks zinging through her like a pinball machine. She wondered that he couldn’t hear the bells ringing.
    His response was not what she expected. “Damn it. Who is that?”
    Mari nearly wept with frustration. Why wasn’t he kissing her? What was wrong with her?
    He gave her a slight shake. “Mari? Are you expecting anyone?”
    Then it hit her. Those were real bells—chiming softly but insistently. She had a visitor. Shrugging off his molten touch was not her first choice, but she knew she had to. This was her house now. Someone had to answer the door. His look told her that he was as ready to get the door as he had been the lawyer’s tea so she didn’t even bother.
    She made herself move away from his heat then went downstairs to open the door. A handsome stranger smiled at her.
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    Marilu Mann
    “Hello. You must be Marielle, Augustus’ daughter. I’m James. Your father and I were associates—fellow collectors of rare and strange things. I wanted to stop by to offer you my sympathies.”
    Mari gripped the door handle, letting the cool metal keep her grounded in reality.
    Darkly exotic, the man in front of her could have modeled for any vampire hero she’d ever read about. His sable black hair was swept back in a ponytail from his pale face. Ice blue eyes gazed at her with some inner amusement. His sensual lips curved up on one side as if he knew a joke she didn’t. He wasn’t that much taller than she was, but seemed to take up much more room. His aura, or presence, or something made him seem almost larger than life.
    He cocked his head at her. “May I come in?”
    “Oh, of course! Please come in. It was kind of you to come by…I’m sorry. What did you say your name was?” Gesturing for him to follow, she led him to the sitting room just off her father’s office. She did not want to be behind a desk talking to this man.
    In a pleasant tenor, the man held out his hand to her. “I am James LaPierre. Perhaps your father spoke of me?”
    At Mari’s gasp and head jerk, he chuckled. “I can see that he did and it was not favorable. I didn’t expect it to be. Your father and I did not part on amicable terms. He was a hard competitor and I was not the most patient person.”
    She pounced on the word. “Competitor? My father and you? What…”
    Pausing to try to figure out how to phrase her question best, she flipped her hair away from her face. “What were you collecting, Mr. LaPierre?”
    “Please. Call me James. Mr. LaPierre was my father.” His wry smirk made her laugh. “I was collecting objects of a…shall we say, unusual nature? The more unique the better. We both wanted things no one else had.”
    Mari nodded. “My father did mention your name.”
    “I’m sure he did.” His suddenly curt, icy tone shocked her. He sounded offended.
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    Sex and Trouble
    “I’m sorry. I thought… Oh I’ve messed up now.”
    He took a deep breath. She watched his shoulders relax as he sank back into the chair. “We were fierce competitors on the auction floor and the hunt for those items, but never enemies.”
    Mari looked at him. What else did he know about her father? “Is that all?”
    The