Cursed in the morning. Kidnapped that night. Yep, sometimes life sucks.
 Kendra has one goal: to make a success of her fledgling interior decorating business. But when she overhears her best (aka only) client plotting to assassinate the local warlock prince, her dreams get tossed out the window. Now she needs to get out of town fast, before the guy with the wonky aura decides to practice his assassination skills on her.
But she should warn the prince first, right?
Unfortunately, trying to warn the prince about an assassination threat snags the attention of the Dark Guards, and now the crazy assassin guy is the least of her worries because Web, who swears he is a good guy, is kidnapping her. And oh, by the way, he’s the sexy son of a god, and touching his aura is becoming her new addiction.
EXCERPT
Kendra had just finished her second beer when someone slid into the edge of her aura. She braced her shoulders, then slowly pivoted in her seat to look at the intruder.
“Hi,” he said, as a slow smile spread over his face.
The stool beside her was occupied, so the guy leaned against the wall on the other side of her. She quickly scanned his aura. It didn’t look quite right, but he was standing by a neon light, which could be interfering with the reading. Still, his energy signature was nothing out of the ordinary… and it was pale blue. A nice peaceful and trustworthy blue. The steady glow suggested he was non-magical. If he was a warlock, his aura would shimmer in little undulations. The more powerful the warlock, the more noticeable the fluctuations in their energy pattern, like their magic was a living entity all on its own.
She let out the breath she’d been holding.
Castor’s Kind couldn’t do black magic or any magic at all. It’d be safe to touch him. Safe to do anything she wanted with him. Anything at all. Maybe her luck was finally changing.
“Can I buy you a drink?” he asked.
She bit her lip. She hadn’t had a chance to talk to Jay about his spare room yet, but maybe she wouldn’t have to. Hmm… She eyed the guy again, taking in his broad shoulders and his muscular physique.
Handsome didn’t cover what she saw. He was almost god-like in his perfection. He had a European look about his features. His skin color was what people called olive, but she’d always thought that was a weird description for someone’s skin. He looked tanned, like he was perpetually kissed by the sun gods. His lean face was a study in sharp angles, from his nose to his jaw. A dark scruff accentuated the cut of his cheeks, highlighting the intense masculinity of his appearance. There was a slight wave to his long dark hair that hung loosely around his face, but even that, which might make a lesser man seem feminine, exuded manliness on him. His pale green eyes watched her as she studied him.
“Yes,” she said. “I would like that.”
He ordered them a round, then leaned against the wall again and studied her. It wasn’t an intrusive look, but her skin tingled with awareness wherever his gaze lingered.
“Isn’t this too hot?” His gaze dropped to the scarf she was wearing. His finger played along the soft wool. His fingertip grazed her throat lightly before he drew his hand away. The feather-light touch made her pulse quicken, in a completely different way than it had when Manning had touched the same spot earlier.
She locked her gaze with his. Then she slowly tugged her scarf off. When the knitted length dropped away, she leaned forward a little. He was tall, and from where he stood, he would have a nice view of her cleavage down the vee in her T-shirt. “I was feeling chilled until you came over.”
She didn’t usually act so fast when she wanted to pick someone up. She liked a slow burn. A little flirtation. A little conversation. A little pretending that they weren’t there just for sex. Then she’d unbutton the top button on her shirt. Maybe brush her hand over his arm. Let his hand linger on her leg under the table.
But tonight, she didn’t want all the foreplay. Tension still coiled through her and a night with this god would be the perfect way to unwind. A little quick and dirty sex with an amazingly hot guy would get her through the night, and then she’d be gone in the morning.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“Lisa.” She smiled and brushed her hand over his. “And yours?”
Amusement glittered in the mossy depths of his eyes, like he knew she was lying. “Darius.”
She liked the sound of it, but it was too unusual to be real. Good. They understood one another.
He rested his large hand on her knee. His long fingers, heavy against her leg, traced the inseam of her jeans. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too,” she whispered. She opened her legs, just a little to let his fingers slide higher. They were in the corner, facing the wall. No one would see.
He leaned forward so his lips brushed her ear. “Do you really want that drink?”
She looked at his aura again. Still the same trustworthy blue. “Not really, no.”
“Do you want to take me home?”
“No,” she said.
He pulled back; a hint of surprise lit his face. She grinned.
“I want you to take me to your place.”
He tilted his head as if studying her to see if she was serious, then he nodded slowly. “That I can do.”