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musings penetrating her thoughts like mind sex. That had never happened to her before. When he’d placed his hand on her lower back to usher her out onto the balcony, it was as if he’d been inside her head, whispering how he wanted to lick that sensitive spot where his fingers rested so sensually. She heard his internal monologue as clearly as if he’d voiced the desires aloud, their connection had been that strong.
    Shivering at the recollection, she took a bite of her chicken, afraid to look directly in his eyes for fear he could see or read her thoughts.
    “How did you come to work for Caleb and the Reliance Group?” Chase asked as he sliced off a section of his porterhouse steak.
    Grateful for the change of topic, she speared a few glazed carrots onto her fork and finally looked across the table. His expression was curious and full of interest, which made it easy for her to open up to him. At least about work-related things.
    “About four years ago, I moved to Vegas, and my first job here at the Onyx was as a reservations clerk. From there, I moved to a junior casino hostess position and was eventually promoted to executive casino host,” she explained before taking the bite of vegetables.
    A moment later, after a drink of her water, she continued. “At that time, no one at the hotel knew of my psychic abilities, and I preferred to keep it that way. Being able to read people and see things that aren’t tangible isn’t something I put out there, mainly because of the skepticism and distrust that comes with admitting you’re clairvoyant.” Then there were dishonest con men who saw an easy opportunity and used her gift to swindle other people—all without her knowledge.
    Her stomach cramped at the reminder of how gullible she’d once been, to the point that she’d let someone close for the first time ever, only to be deceived in the most devastating way. She’d let her heart rule her emotions and the decisions she’d made, instead of keeping a clear head and seeing past her ex-boyfriend’s bullshit charm for the unconscionable crook he’d been.
    It was a lesson learned the hard way and had nearly destroyed her confidence and self-worth. Now, when it came to men and relationships, or rather, affairs, she purposefully kept things casual and short-term, because her biggest fear was letting her emotions get involved, which skewed her judgment when it came to seeing people for who and what they really were.
    “I totally understand about keeping your psychic ability close to the vest,” Chase said in commiseration, completely oblivious of her inner turmoil. “When people learn what you’re capable of, a lot of them either tend to think you’re a freak, or a fraud.”
    “Exactly,” she said, hating more than anything that her gift had been used to dupe an unsuspecting victim, and she’d unknowingly been part of the scam.
    She forcibly shook off those dark thoughts and continued with her story. “I knew Caleb because he worked casino security, and one night he was escorting a man through the gaming area who was drunk and belligerent. As I was walking toward them, the other man stepped into my path before Caleb realized what he was doing. I had to put my hand on the man’s chest to keep him from knocking me over. The first thing I felt was the evil emanating from him, and that was quickly followed by flashes of a woman gagged and bound to a bed in a hotel room. It was the terror I saw in her eyes that convinced me that whoever this girl was, she wasn’t a willing party to whatever games he was playing with her.”
    The unpleasant memory still had the ability to make her feel sick, and she set her fork on her plate until she finished the story. “As soon as Caleb handed the man over to his security guys, I pulled him aside and told him what I’d seen. Of course, Caleb was doubtful and suspicious, but just to be on the safe side, and because I wouldn’t give up, he had someone go up and check the drunk