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Oh, là là.More? With every breath, her thoughts clouded. At this rate, she’d forget her own name before they were finished. Best they hurry before it blinded them to their purpose.

“Drinks for my guests,” the king bellowed, and a woman in a gauzy red dress raced to their side. Amber liquid swirled in the glasses. Yellow flames flickered on the surface. “Blow it out first.” She winked. “Or not, if you prefer the heat.”

“Thank you.” Vivian plucked a glass from the tray.

“Sit.” Dante gestured to a second smaller throne positioned next to his. This one was forged with smokey curls and a thick fur pelt on the seat. Perhaps it was reserved for his future queen?

As Vivian accepted the offered seat, she met Liam’s eyes, conveying an I-told-you-so with the arch of a brow. Without throwing a single punch, not only had they not been hurled outside, but Dante treated them as honored guests.

Once settled, she blew out the flame on her drink and sipped from her glass while Liam drained his in one gulp. Hints of cinnamon and cloves washed over her tongue.

She drew a deep breath to settle her nerves. Fragrant smoke filled her lungs. Warmth spread throughout her chest, curling into her stomach before heading south and tingling through her sex. She clenched her thighs, biting her lip to hold in a wanton gasp. Was Dante’s herb an aphrodisiac? No wonder his parties were so popular. It seemed everything in Pyrrhos was created to be delightfully stimulating. She lowered her head, using the shadow of her hood to school her reaction.

“You’re hiding,” Dante cut into her thoughts. “A female of your experience. Why is that?”

She lifted her head, only to discover his attention fixed on a point just over her shoulder. “Sorry?” Surely, he couldn’t be so crass as to call her out for her reaction to his silly herbs when he burned it by the truckload.

He waved a hand in her general direction, indicating her entire person.

“Ah, the cloak,” she said, her pique easing. “I’d hoped a bit of mystery would see us through your doors.” She pushed back the hood, baring her face.

Beside him, his panther took in her features with its predatory stare. “Hmmm.” Dante frowned, canting his head as though he was listening to her rather than seeing her. “No. That isn’t it.”

Vivian needed to keep him interested, or he’d toss them out. Feeling his familiar’s eyes still tracking her, she parted the cloak over her thighs, revealing just a hint of her garters, then slowly crossed her stocking-clad legs. In a sultry purr, she said, “I’ve little to hide. Ask, and I’ll share with you my most intimate secrets.”

“Why ask when solving the puzzle is far more entertaining,” he countered, tone equally husky.

Liam chuffed as though irritated with their flirting. Thankfully, he remained silent.

“Far be it for me to ruin your fun.” She ran her finger along the rim of her glass, then tucked it between her crimson lips.

The way Dante’s panther studied her was disconcerting, to say the least. Still, she kept her focus. His master leaned closer to her, propping his elbow on his knee, saying in a conspiring manner, “There’s a piece of you missing, sweet Vivian.”

She arched a brow. “Do tell.”

His flirtatious grin took on a more somber cast. “The mage stole something from you that wasn’t his to take. Something that belonged to another.” He canted his head in Liam’s direction, his black horns gleaming.

Her stomach twisted, and she sipped from her drink. The game had soured now that Dante’s flirting hit closer to the truth. Perhaps this meeting would prove more trying than she’d anticipated.

Dante tapped his ringed finger against his chin as though he pursued some deep thought. “Your protector could have saved you from that pain if he’d only opened his eyes. And yet he chose to close them to the truth. Curious.”

Liam broke his silence, taking an assertive step forward. “Now see here. I’ve—”

“Hush, Liam,” Vivian snapped.

Dante chuckled, leaning back in his seat. “You are both so blind. The answer is right in front of you, and yet you don’t see. Instead, you come to me, seeking my guidance. Much to your detriment.” The last he muttered under his breath.

While her frustration built, she played along. “How can you know the answer when I’ve yet to pose my question?”

“Questions, questions,” he spat, sprawling back in his throne, seeming irritated that she’d broken some imagined rule. “I cannot give you what you seek until you’ve paid the price. Nothing of value comes for free. You, of all people, should know that.”

And just like that, the intimate rapport between them ended. Apparently, the King of the Fire Demons had the attention span of a two-year-old and a temper to match. “Fine.” She stiffened. “What is it you want from me? Money, gold, diamonds?”

“Nothing so mundane.” He puffed smoke through his nostrils as though insulted. “After all, this gift has cost me greatly.” He tapped the corner of his eye. “My sharing it with you deserves something personal in return.”

At last, they were getting somewhere. “Name your price.”

His mercury-glazed eyes bore into her, peeling her apart one carefully constructed layer at a time. The urge to shrink beneath his disconcerting gaze grew almost unbearable. It took every bit of her resolve not to look away.