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Though his unwavering intensity should’ve chilled Leah to the bone, it had the opposite effect. Fire danced along her skin. The comfortable room had turned too warm.

“Mr. Blackmore. It’s nice to meet you.”

Was that her? How could she sound so normal when completely new and foreign sensations bombarded her? Her hand seemed to act of its own accord too as it reached out to shake his.

Blackmore stared at it for a brief second before his pale lips curved up into a cruel and mocking smile. He spun on his heels and slithered to the window, the movement full of lethal grace.

Leah stared at his back, at his wide shoulders and the muscles that moved under that crisp shirt. Her eyes trailed down his body, taking in the lean waist, a delicious butt she wanted to sink her teeth into, and those powerful thighs. She squeezed her legs together against the sudden ache between them.

Julian Blackmore had a body that made rational women lose their minds. Case in point. She’d never experienced such attraction to anyone before.

Once Blackmore was on the other side of the room, Leah’s breathing returned to normal, but the tension remained. She dropped her hand, glad that he hadn’t taken it. What would it have felt like? Would he be as cold as marble? Or would his skin be as hot as the flames that licked at her still?

She knew the answer. Vampires were dead. His skin would be as cold as his dead heart. It didn’t stop her from wondering, though.

How pointless. There were better things to think about, such as suppressing her body’s demands for release. For the first time in her life, she couldn’t tune out her body, couldn’t reach that safe spot in her head where only her thoughts mattered, not the physical. Never the physical.

“What makes you want to work for us?”

Leah had herself almost under control when Blackmore spoke again. His voice was a weapon used to lure women into a false sense of safety until he was ready to strike.

Too bad for him, Leah wasn’t just any woman. She might have never met an Ancient, but deception was a game she excelled at.

“The money, of course.”

Blackmore still wasn’t looking at her, which suited her. She needed to acclimate herself to his presence, not stare at his wild face that had imprinted itself on her mind.

“You’re not afraid of us?”

Leah’s brows rose. She almost said no, but why bother? She only lied when she could get away with it. “It would be stupid not to be afraid of vampires.”

Blackmore turned around. His smile almost reached his eyes. “Smart woman.”

His body relaxed, making him seem approachable. Or at least as approachable as a sleeping tiger with a cub to protect.

Leah felt a push in her mind. Spine stiffening, she glared daggers at Blackmore.

“I don’t appreciate anyone trying to read my mind, Mr. Blackmore. If that is how you plan to treat me, I will be happy to find another job.”

Dmitri would skin her alive if she left, but Blackmore didn’t know that.“

It’s a habit. Forgive me, Miss Davis,” Blackmore drawled, his tone not apologetic at all. His gaze sharpened before he spoke again. “But Miss Davis, I’d be careful about throwing empty threats around.”

Leah didn’t let it show how much his words had rattled her. “It’s not an empty threat. You need me. The Gathering is only three weeks away. You don’t have time to hire someone new.”

His expression darkened. Leah wanted to kick herself. She must have a death wish to antagonize him like this. When he pulled up the screen on the desk, she sighed with relief.

“You have a C2 implant. An expensive gadget for a student just out of school.”

“I had a rich uncle who left me some money when he died.” If he checked her background, it would match her story. The Organization had made sure of it. “I’d like your word that you won’t try to read my mind.”

She wasn’t foolish enough to think the implant could safeguard her. It was a mental shield that stopped humans from projecting their thoughts. A powerful vampire like Blackmore could bypass that shield, but it would irreparably damage the mind in question. She’d seen some individuals who’d had their minds stripped despite a C2 implant, but it was a necessary danger.

Better a shield than none.

Besides, the Organization had done its research. Ninety-five percent of the humans working for Blackmore had a C2 implant. The vampires encouraged their human employees to receive the implant.

Blackmore leaned against the table and stretched his legs. “Since you asked nicely, you have my word that I won’t attempt to destroy your C2 implant.”