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"Well, well, well," she drawled, leaning forward on her elbows. "Someone had a good night. You're practically glowing, honey."

Heat rushed to my cheeks.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, aiming for casualness and missing by a mile.

Thea laughed, a sound like a tinkling crystal. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. But just so you know, magickal afterglow is hard to hide in a town full of supernatural beings."

Great. Just great.

"Is it that obvious?" I asked, lowering my voice as I approached her desk.

She tilted her head, studying me with eyes that shifted from deep violet to electric blue.

"Only to those of us who feed on sexual energy," she said with a wink. "The others might just think you're having a good hair day."

I huffed out a laugh despite myself. "Thanks, I think."

"Don't mention it." She tapped a stack of folders with one perfectly manicured nail. "These need your special touch. Three new clients, all looking for 'understanding partners' which usually means 'someone who won't run screaming when they reveal their true nature.'"

I took the folders gratefully, glad for the distraction.

"I'm on it."

I'd barely settled at my desk when I felt a shift in the air, a prickling awareness that made the fine hairs on my arms stand up. I didn't need to look up to know that Lust had entered the room.

But I did anyway.

He stood in the doorway of his private office, dressed in a charcoal suit that emphasized the breadth of his shoulders and the lean strength of his body. His dark hair was perfectly tousled, as if someone had run their fingers through it.

Our eyes met across the room, and for a moment, neither of us moved. What exactly was the protocol for seeing your boss the morning after he'd made you come so hard you'd seen stars?

Then, unexpectedly, Lust smiled. Not his usual seductive smirk, but something warmer, almost playful. He crossed the room toward my desk with his typical fluid grace.

"Morning, Juniper," he said, voice pitched low enough that only I could hear. "Sleep well?"

The question was delivered with a knowing quirk of his lips that should have annoyed me. Instead, I found myself fighting a smile of my own.

"Surprisingly well, considering the...workout," I replied, matching his tone.

A flicker of surprise crossed his face, quickly replaced by appreciation. He clearly hadn't expected me to engage in banter.

"Good to know my skills extend beyond the office," he said, dropping a new folder on my desk. "These compatibility analyses need your special touch."

I couldn't help myself. "I thought I already demonstrated my 'special touch' last night."

Lust let out a genuine laugh, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

As I reached for the folder, our fingers brushed. A small spark jumped between us—literal, not metaphorical.

"Static electricity," I murmured, though we both knew it wasn't.

"Of course," he agreed, his mouth curving into that half-smile that made something in my chest flutter.

This was...not what I'd expected. Not awkwardness or regret or even the intensity of unresolved tension. Instead, there was this surprising ease between us. It was playful, warm, and uncomplicated. As Lust stepped away to return to his office, I found myself smiling down at the folder in my hands.

The atmosphere in the office changed the moment Pride walked through the door. It was like watching a ripple move through water. My eyes darted toward the tall, imposing figure who commanded attention without trying.

My breath caught in my throat. This was only the second time I'd seen Pride since he'd revealed that I'd died and he'd brought me back to life. A bombshell he'd followed with a presumptuous kiss that had sent me into a tailspin.