Minalynn James—truly “Mina” to the few friends she possessed—tried to take deep breaths—a whole lot of them. Her stomach was in knots, her hands were sweating, and she could not let the walking sex god beside her realize just how terrified she really was.
Lucien Thorne. She’d found him. Finally. She’d only been searching for the guy…oh, for the last five years. For a while, she hadn’t even been certain he was real. Most folks thought he was just the stuff of legend, a nightmare character used to terrify and control those who would threaten the paranormal status quo.
Mina knew all about paranormals. A lot of humans didn’t. They were blissfully ignorant. She didn’t have that luxury. Mostly because she wasn’t human.
The boat was rushing across the water, Lucien—Luke—was staring at her as if he wanted to devour her, and she was trying to figure out how not to get herself killed. Because if she made the wrong move with him…
Well, she knew what happened to his enemies.
But I’ve got this. I can control him. I’ve proven that already.
“We’re almost there,” he murmured.
Her eyes squeezed closed. His voice—sure, it didn’t have the power that hers did, but that deep, hard rumble was sexy. She hadn’t expected that. She hadn’t expected to find anything about the guy to be sexy.
After all, Luke was the big bad monster that the paranormal world feared. Immortal, incredibly powerful, capable of controlling all the dark magic out there…he was rumored to be pure evil.
Evil wasn’t sexy to her.
But…
Lucien was.
Tall, probably around six foot two or six foot three, the guy totally dwarfed her. And he was strong—not in a bursting-at-the-seams body builder kind of way, but…with wide shoulders. A broad chest. And, the way that shirt was sticking to him as the wind battered against them…looks like a twelve pack going on there.
His hair was thick and black. And his eyes—they were so dark and deep. When she’d first looked into them, she’d almost forgotten to breathe. He had a little cleft in his chin, a slightly hawkish nose, and lips that should have looked a little cruel but…
Sexy. He just comes across as sexy. His appeal seemed to fill the very air around him.
Yes, so she’d seriously miscalculated when it came to that part of the equation. The plan had been for him to want her. For him to be putty in her hands, but when Luke had kissed her…
She’d wanted to jump his bones.
Mina cleared her throat and tried to focus. She’d come too far to screw this up now. “Not many men have their own islands.”
“I’m not many men.”
Well, technically, she didn’t think he was a man. He was a whole lot more.
“How big is the island?” But she already knew. The place was—
“Just over a hundred acres. It’s the biggest private island off the coast of the Keys.”
It was a freaking billion dollar island and she could see it—right up ahead. A massive house was illuminated on the island, full of glass windows that shined out light. Gorgeous. Like something right out of a magazine.
Who would have thought hell would be so pretty?
The captain hurriedly secured the vessel and then Luke was walking her toward the dock. She scrambled out of the boat quickly, mostly because she didn’t want him putting his hands on her again, not yet, anyway. She needed to think.
Step one…a very, very big step one had been getting to the island.
Step two…that would be getting him alone. Convincing him that he had to give her a very special prize that she knew he kept inside his home.
A treasure, of sorts. Though some said it was supposed to be more of a curse.
“What’s the rush?” Luke asked as he moved behind her. The guy’s steps were perfectly steady on the dock. “We have all night.”
No, they didn’t have all night. Because if he found out that she was working him, the guy would—well, she didn’t know what he’d do. But it wouldn’t be good.
“I just want to be alone with you,” she said, turning to look at him from beneath her lashes. She made sure to inject power into her voice. No one had ever been able to resist her before, and he was showing signs of being just as susceptible as other men. So much for the all-powerful Luke Thorne. “Take me into your home.”
“Of course.” He offered his arm to her. Very gentlemanly-like, but she didn’t think there was anything at all of the gentleman in him. It was his eyes that gave him away. They stared at her with a predatory intensity.
He slowed his steps to match hers. A good thing considering the heels she wore should have been lethal weapons. She’d been focusing with all her might on not wobbling in them. Men liked sexy shoes, right? So she’d upped the sexy ante in order to catch Luke’s attention. But, since that first glance at the bar, he really hadn’t looked at the high heels again.
But he did keep staring into her eyes, and…
He opened the door to the house. Mansion. It is more of a mansion than anything else.
“You don’t keep it locked?” she blurted. Seriously, what in the hell?
He laughed. “I own the island.” And, with his left hand, he gestured around him. “I know every person who comes and goes.”