Page 27 of Kiss of Seduction

Evie’s eyes unfocused, and her breathing quickened. It was too big a question.

“How was the shower?” Natalya said instead. Evie sighed out some of the tension, her shoulders relaxing.

“It was good. It helped... a little.” Evie looked around the apartment as though she was expecting the shadows to grow teeth. “Your place is… nice.”

Natalya’s apartment was grand, though it looked more like a hotel suite than a lived-in home. Wood and steel furniture gave it an industrial feel similar to the club below, and the walls were decorated with the same sort of sensual artwork as she had in her office.

“I don’t spend much time here,” Natalya said. “It’s too empty.”

Evie smiled carefully. “You don’t have guests often?”

“Is it that obvious?”

“You just seem tense, is all.” Evie looked away from her. Not shy, but nervous. “Thank you. For letting me stay here. I don’t think I would have liked living in a nightroom much. They’re too dark.”

“It’s the least I can do. I may leave for a few hours at a time to tend to business below, but I’ll always be near. You won’t be left alone until we figure out why Varro wants you back.”

“How will you do that?” Evie crossed her arms. “Are you a mind reader or something?”

“I’m not, no.” Natalya smiled, but it faded quickly. “We’ll have to talk about what went on at the estate. What was said, who was there, how they acted. If there’s something you know that’s a threat to Varro, we need to find out.”

“I didn’t even know what they were talking about most of the time.”

“The risk to Varro is if you give that information to someone whodoesknow. Whatever he’s planning, he desperately doesn’t want us to find out. That means we must.”

Evie’s face fell at the statement. Her eyes lost some of their luster. She looked exhausted, but her shoulders were taut.

“How did you know I needed help tonight?”

Natalya cocked her head in surprise. Evie may be scared, but she was observant. No wonder Varro was worried. And though Natalya didn’t like sharing her secrets with anyone, the last thing Evie needed was to be kept in the dark.

“Since you kissed me in my office, I have been able to sense what you’re feeling. When you’re sad, or happy, or afraid. It’s how I knew you were in danger.”

Evie looked startled. “Can you do that with everyone?”

“No. I can detect and affect emotions, as well as senses, but only if I can see or touch someone. That I can feel you always is… disconcerting.”

“Is that why everyone was staring at us?”

“They don’t know. And I’d prefer it stays that way. I’m not in the habit of sharing things about me that I don’t even understand myself.” Natalya noticed a slight smirk creep onto Evie’s face. She agreed with the statement. “They were staring because you were touching me.”

Evie frowned, confused at first and then frightened. “Was I not allowed to?”

“You’ve done nothing wrong.” Natalya moved next to her, taking Evie’s hand. “What do you feel?”

“A tingling. And a sort of… warmth.” Her freckled cheeks turned pink. “It’s nice, I guess.”

“What you’re feeling right now is my influence at its baseline. No holding back, and no pushing you. To other humans, this touch makes their nerves hypersensitive. It feels like flames. It takes great effort for me to make it bearable.” Natalya letgo of her hand, though it took her a second to actually do it. “Supernaturals are naturally resistant. You’re a Seraphic, which might mean you’re that too, but it doesn’t explain how I can feel you as I do. Not understanding it concerns me.”

Natalya didn’t mention that the last time she had the ability was with Roland. She didn’t want to think about him, especially not in the same vein as Evie.

Natalya pulled a key from her pocket. “This is the only key to the master bedroom. You’ll sleep there.”

Evie hesitated a moment before accepting the key. “You won’t need it?”

“I only need to sleep if I’m injured.”

Evie swallowed and turned the key in her hand, doubt and nervousness flashing over her beautiful features. An understandable reaction. The security of a door probably felt flimsy after what she saw Natalya do to the one in her apartment.