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Stop behaving like some idiot love-struck mortal If she messed this up, he’d never want her for his tresora, so she’d go by the book A Kyn lord has complete dominion over the mind and body of his tresora, Burke’s voice echoed in her mind Whatever their wishes may be, we submit to their will entirely, and make no demands of our own

The kiss that she wished would last forever ended after four heartbeats It h his ars, which she could no longer feel The roohted itself halfway as Jamys lifted her off her feet

"I haven’t fainted since the last time you were here," shesalts or so"

Jamys put her down on a black cloud, and sat beside her "Too ht" She’d forgotten the price tag of being his thought receiver "Sorry I have to take a nap now" When he started to stand, she clutched his hand "Don’t tell anyone, please" As he frowned, she closed her eyes "They’ll give you the redhead I just know it"

The black cloud shifted, and strong, cool ar silky hair fell across her cheek, Chris smiled

As soon as the sun set, the Treasure Palace opened its gilded doors to the hordes of patrons clever enough to secure an invitation to the exclusive casino No one quite knehere the Palace was located; the only way to reach it was by taking a ferry with black-painted s, on which silent, stone-faced guards prevented any curious passenger fro out on deck Once inside the club, the lure of the free booze and the riches waiting to be won at the high-stakes ga tables and in the poker rooms made it worth the unsolved mystery

As one of the Palace’s special perks, the casino’s staff was exclusively fely beautiful woled with the patrons, their hostess status designated by the deowns of satin and silk they wore These lovely ladies brought drinks, converted cash into chips, fetched snacks, and, for the right price, would escort a patron back to one of the private encounter rooms, where it was ruuest desired The ladies’nickname as the Pleasure Palace

Werrennow and then to accept coently refuse offers from various patrons She wore a simple winter-blue satin sheath dress that matched her eyes and complemented the upswept coil of her fair hair The only jewelry she as a necklace, which lay out of sight beneath her bodice

Two of her ladies came to join her, and she took theht talk without being overheard by one of the guards standing by the exits "Has the master returned?"

"Not as of yet, lady" Claudea, a slender waif in a child-size gown of red, returned the appraisal of an older uards left before one for supplies" Werren nodded to a passing socialite carrying a s "Has anyone found out anything frohtclub and a policewoman," Claudea said

"We’ve only four hours left" Analise, one of her older ladies, touched a plued hand to her silver-streaked black curls "Or perhaps he won’t arrive until after dawn"

Claudea sighed "If he’s wanting sport, he’ll not wait He’ll send the guards to drag us from our beds But could be that he’s become infatuated with someone in town He always takes his time when he is"

"What if he doesn’t return?" Analise said, a wistful note in her voice "What will happen to us? Who will look after us?"

Werren saw one of the guards heading toward theo and find souard, a spiteful brute named Ralston, who took her arm and marched her to an unoccupied corner "You have a nice chat with your friends, Duchess?"

"I was suggesting some suitable companions for them" She nodded toward the blackjack table, where her ladies were already engaging the two men with theup sohtened "Dutch will hear about it, too"

"I’ve nothing to hide," Werren said, and reached up to center the knot in his tie "Does your shift end before dawn, Mr Ralston?"

"You think I’m that stupid? That I don’t knohat you are?" He shoved her away from him "Get back to work"

Werren left the hot, smoky confines of the casino and walked out onto the observation deck for some air She’d hoped that Ralston would not have believed anything said about her and the other wouards hadn’t, which had proved extre any chances He had recently beco ago had been stolen froators and researchers He’d also begun leaving behind his bodyguards andthere ry, for he always returned to the Palace in a seething, vicious ht, Dutch would probably let him watch as he punished her or the women This tis so much anymore It was the inventive humiliations Dutch inflicted that tore at her soul One day he would shred as left of it, and then her ladies would have to look after the at the sea and lifted her eyes to the ht had silvered the dark clouds Soh at the moon, she could remember her mother’s face