“He seemed pretty into you out there,” Gianna added.
Did he? Of course not. “All part of the act,” I dismissed. “He probably does that a dozen times a night with different women.”
“I don’t know about that,” Gianna said. “I saw him dance with others on his way over, and itdefinitelywasn’t the same.”
“What?” That couldn’t be right.
“Not even remotely,” Gianna replied. “What do you think, Nova?”
Nova shook her head. “Nope, you’re not getting me into this. I’ve already been pulled into two romantic entanglements with my tenants—one of which I am happy to be a part of.”
Gianna laughed. “Me too.” She motioned at me. “But what about Zoe and Lucas? You saw that spark, right?”
That was one way to describe it. The heat. The magic. His touch.
“Yeah, maybe,” Nova agreed. “Or maybe it’s your predisposition to search for passion.”
Gianna laughed, leaned back, and rested her arm on the seat cushion. “Yeah, that could be it.” She tipped her head. “When you’re having great sex with your hot shifter boyfriend, you want everyone to be just as happy.” She arched her brows. “And satiated.”
I blew out a rough breath. It had been a long time since that had happened for me.
“Are you seeing anyone?” Gianna asked.
“Nope,” I replied. “Not even my vibrator.”
They both stared at me as if waiting for me to elaborate.
“We broke up.” I shrugged. “Okay, the batteries died, and I never bothered to replace them.”
“Oh, honey, you need to take better care of yourself.” Gianna leaned over and tapped my arm.
That was something I’d neglected.
“Be careful what you tell Gianna,” Nova said. “I hadn’t been here for a week before she signed me up for laser hair removal and speed dating.” She snorted. “I don’t know which one was the most painful.”
I shook my head. “Before you try to convince me of either, no and absolutely no,” I told Gianna.
“Fine.” Gianna settled back into the seat with her drink. “But I’m telling you, maybe see where this thing with Lucas might go.”
That was ridiculous. Our dance was just part of an act.
Then why did it seem like more?
No, no. I shook my head at that insane idea. It was all pretend. Lucas wooed women for a living, making every woman feel special and desired for their one lucky minute or so with him.
If I believed there was anything special about me, I’d be a fool—and a tool.
Chapter 5
Zoe
At the Network the next day, I typed up my notes. We hadn’t found anything significant inside or out, so I was ready to call this another dead lead. A part of me lamented how it meant I likely wouldn’t see Lucas again. Despite my best intentions, I couldn’t stop thinking about him and that steamy dance last night—especially when I’d been alone in bed.
Although I reminded myself that we were simply playing a role as part of an undercover mission, my body still tingled whenever I remember that heated spark between us. That wasn’t fabricated, right? If not, my alibi for my reaction had more holes than a spider’s web.
But I had work to do. We had serious matters to pursue and leads to investigate. I couldn’t have my attention diverted by a dragon shifter simply because he’d made me feel desired. My love life had never been exciting, so that wasn’t a difficult task. But I couldn’t deny how vibrant I’d felt dancing with him.
Later that morning, I met up with staff in a conference room. We sat around an oval mahogany table. Pandora was there as well as Nova and other witches. Our group was affiliated with other supernatural networks worldwide, but most of the staff at our location in Salem were witches.
