Circle of Fire (Damask Circle 1)

He frowned and wondered again what her other talent was. He had a feeling her fear was tied to it—as was the memory of death he occasionally saw in her eyes. His gaze flicked to her lips and he remembered their taste, the warmth of her mouth against his own. He took a long gulp of wine. Such thoughts would only lead him into trouble.

Someone touched his shoulder lightly, and a sweet honeyed scent wafted around him.

He turned his back on Maddie. Even from across the room, he felt her annoyance, even hurt, but he had no choice save to ignore it.

“Eleanor,” he said, forcing more warmth into his voice than he felt. “What a surprise to see you here.”

“I heard you were staying here and thought I’d drop by and say hello,” she purred, brushing the thick strands of silken gold away from her face. “Unfortunately, I can’t stay for long.”

Her nail polish was the color of blood. Appropriate for a hunter. “Another appointment?”

“Business, darling. You know how it is.” She screwed up her nose, then took a sip of wine and slowly licked the residual moisture from her ruby-red lips.

It looked like he wasn’t the only one with seduction on his mind. He smiled and blatantly ran his gaze down her body. Eleanor had certainly come dressed for the part. Her black dress clung in all the right places and allowed plenty of long, honey-colored legs to be seen. Real nice … but no Maddie.

He ignored the thought and took another sip. He hadn’t come here to seduce Maddie, so it was time he started concentrating on the business at hand.

“We could meet for a drink later, if you like. Get to know each other a little better.”

“Oh, I like,” she purred, meeting his gaze with a look that was pure heat.

A dinner bell chimed faintly in the adjoining room. “Are you eating?” he asked, offering Eleanor his arm.

She linked her arm through his. “Only the main course. Dessert will come later—if you’re lucky.”

His smile felt tight. As easy as this seduction was turning out to be, it wasn’t one he had any real desire for.

And yet, at any other time, it wouldn’t have mattered. He, too, was a hunter, both in spirit and in profession. Sometimes he had no choice but to flirt with a woman to get information vital to his case, whether or not he was attracted to her. Many women seemed to relax their guard once the flirtation had moved on to kissing, making it that much easier to question them. His gaze flickered across the room until he saw the fiery gleam of Maddie’s hair. Would she ever drop her guard?

His gaze suddenly narrowed. Hank’s dark head was close to Maddie’s. Though he’d expected this to happen, the sight of the man next to her annoyed him more than he’d thought it would. There wasn’t a thing he could do to get her away from Hank, though. He had a feeling that Eleanor was the key to everything, and with the lives of the teenagers at stake, she had to be his main concern, not Maddie.

He smiled and pulled a chair out for Eleanor. Some days at the office were definitely tougher than others.

ELEANOR’S LAUGHTER RAN SOFTLY ACROSS THE MURMUR OF conversation, a smooth and seductive sound. Maddie gritted her teeth and tried to ignore it—a hard task since Eleanor appeared to be holding court at the far end of the room, with practically every male at the table hanging off each huskily delivered word. Only Hank seemed immune to the woman’s all-too-obvious charms.

Maddie scowled down at her plate. Hank sat on her left, his chair too close for comfort. She didn’t dare move around too much. Every time she did, their arms or knees brushed. It was an intimacy that left her feeling ill.

Eleanor laughed again, and Maddie stabbed a piece of meat on her plate and quickly ate it. Maybe her best course of action was to get away from here as quickly as possible.

“I like a woman who enjoys her meat,” Hank said, a suggestive leer touching his thin lips.

Her stomach turned. If she had to put up with another five minutes of this man, he’d quickly learn just how little she was enjoying his company.

“I don’t eat it much,” she said, glancing at the other end of the table when there was another burst of laughter.

Eleanor had one hand draped over Jon’s shoulders, her golden head close to his. They were a good match, she thought, watching the light run through Jon’s hair as he laughed softly at something Eleanor said.

Maddie scowled and looked back down at her plate. At least she had an answer for her earlier question. She’d rather sit next to a dozen Hanks than watch Jon with another woman.

She stabbed another piece of meat, then held it up on the fork and glared at it.

“I think it’s dead,” Hank said, dry amusement in his voice. “As I think the boyfriend might be, if you ever get him back this evening.”

She glanced at him, startled that her thoughts were so obvious. “He’s not my boyfriend …” She hesitated and felt heat creep through her cheeks when Hank raised an eyebrow. Their act earlier had certainly suggested they were lovers, so she couldn’t very well deny it now. “I mean, we’re old friends, but no longer an item, as such.”

“Both free spirits, hey?”

Maddie shrugged. She’d never been a free spirit where men were concerned. Maybe that was why she’d married Brian. She pushed her plate away, suddenly not hungry anymore.