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Eyes wide and fearful, she backed up a step.

“Oh, for the love of the Goddess! I’m not going to hurt you, Soleil.” He couldn’t prevent the sneer as he said, “Your hero, Damian, would wear my guts for garters if I did.”

“You’re jealous!” she blurted.

They both winced.

“I amnot!”

For a moment, she looked crushed, then she crossed her arms over her ample chest and glared. “You can forget it, mister! My sister loves her husband, and he’d give you an aneurysm in a second if he evensuspectedyou had the hots for her.”

“What?Why in the world would you think I have the hots for your sister? I mean, she’s sexy as hell, but?—”

“Becauseeveryonehas the hots for my sisters. Vivian, Josie, Taryn…” She shrugged and turned away. “You just seem like the type to go after classy women.”

He was, but he wouldn’t confirm it and give her the win. Also, who knew when the Aether would be listening in? The last thing Trev needed was for Dethridge to think he was after the man’s wife. Because his train of thought had jumped the track, it took Trev an extra heartbeat or two to register Soleil’s slumped shoulders.

In his mind, he replayed the conversation. She actually felt inferior to her siblings! Upon first seeing her, he might’ve believed she couldn’t hold a candle to the other women, but now… Well, now he doubted he’d not notice her first should the group walk into a room together.

Approaching her, he observed the graceful line of her neck and the way the dark hairs curled into little ringlets on either side, like little sentinels guarding the silky skin there. Trev had the overwhelming urge to place his lips on the V created by her shoulder and neck, currently exposed by her peasant top.

“I’m not interested in Vivian,” he said gruffly. “I can imagine a lot of people find your sisters attractive, Soleil. But you’re a beautiful woman, in your own earthy way.”

She spun so fast she crashed into him, and he instinctively caught her around the waist, preventing them both from falling.

Her chest rose and fell with her rapid breaths, and Trevor was damned if he could keep his eyes locked on anything but the exposed curve of her breasts not covered by material.

Christ alive!

He wanted nothing more than to bury his face in the shadowy valley created by their fullness. To cup her tits and suck her hardened nipples until she cried out and begged him to fuck her.

His gaze flew to her flushed face, locking on her pillowy cherry-red lips.

“Yeah, I’d say you’re pretty fucking hot yourself, sweetheart.” His voice had come out deep and growly, surprising them both. Closing his eyes, he shook his head. What the hell was this woman doing to him? He’d teased her earlier about losing sleep, but his nights had been haunted by their kiss, too. And after their second…

He needed to leave this island and go back to the city to get laid. Soon. If not, he was likely to do something totally out of character and asinine like promise Soleil the moon and stars or give her a shiny diamond ring. Trevor didn’t do commitments. Things along those lines gave him hives.

“I’ve got to go.”

CHAPTER4

“What the hell do you mean you won’t reassign me?” Trevor was on the verge of kicking puppies and making babies cry. Or crying himself. “The mark knows of my existence. She’s aware I’m following her, ma’am.”

“You have your orders, Blane,” Councilwoman Agnes Vector snapped. “See to them.”

“But—”

“We’re done here.”

Cold and final, the lead councilwoman of the Authority dismissed him without a second glance, and it took everything within Trev’s power not to leap over the high table and strangle the witch with her dangling necklace.

Turning on his heel, Trevor stalked to the exit, only stopping when Councilwoman Mathilda Price stepped in his path. The long black robes of the Authority hid what he knew to be a high-octane body made for racy sex. Wavy golden hair, large cobalt-blue eyes, and a wide mouth set off her Margot Robbie look.

“Mattie.”

“Trev.” She gave him a tentative smile, and his response was a tight one of his own.

They’d been lovers for a brief time about a year ago, but he’d screwed it up with his inability to commit to her. To love fully. And she deserved far better than his sorry-ass excuses.