Amaryllis by Jayne Castle Read Free Book Online Page B

smiled very sweetly as she got into the car. “High-class talents are notoriously difficult to match with anyone, prism or non-prism. They tend to be arrogant and overbearing.”
    â€œIt’s common knowledge that full-spectrum prisms aren’t any easier to match,” Lucas said. “Too damn picky.”

Chapter
3

    Lucas stood with Amaryllis at the far end of the museum hall and tried to keep his attention on Miranda Locking and Merrick Beech. It wasn’t easy tracking their progress through the crowded room. The task was turning out to be ten times more complicated than it should have been because Amaryllis’s dress kept moving. She looked as if she were enveloped in a cloud of brilliant butterflies. Every move she made distracted him from his mission.
    The fluttering dress annoyed Lucas. He had contracted to pay an outrageous sum for a trained, experienced prism. In his considered opinion, Amaryllis was anything but professional this evening. She looked provocative, enticing, and, on top of everything else, she smelled good.
    â€œHave you spotted Miss Locking?” Amaryllis asked as she bent to examine the artifacts in one of the display cases.
    â€œThey’re on opposite sides of the room, but they’re making their way toward each other.”
    She peered at one of the strangely shaped objects in the case. It was made of a silvery green metal. Shaped something like a flashlight, it had no obvious light source. “Let me know when you’re ready to link. In the meantime I’m going to get a good look at these relics. I can’t believe I’mlucky enough to be among the first people to see the exhibition. I thought I’d have to wait months to get tickets.”
    â€œI’m glad one of us is having a good time,” Lucas muttered.
    â€œOnce in a while my job brings a few really terrific fringe benefits,” she said cheerfully. “This is definitely one of those occasions.”
    â€œNice to meet someone who enjoys her work.”
    â€œOh, I do. When I left my position at the university six months ago, I wasn’t at all certain that I would ever be happy in business. No offense, but I assumed that the commercial world would be rather uninspiring.”
    â€œIt has its moments.”
    She glanced at him, her eyes wide and unexpectedly intent. “It certainly has had a few interesting moments for you. You’ve lead a very exciting life, Mr. Trent.”
    â€œLucas.”
    She smiled. “Call me Amaryllis.”
    â€œAmaryllis. Don’t tell me, let me guess. Your parents got caught up in the craze for old Earth flower names, right?”
    To his surprise, the glow of interest in her eyes faded. It was replaced by an expression of cool politeness. “My aunt once told me that my mother chose Amaryllis because she wanted a name that would be exotic enough to make me dream my own dreams.”
    â€œAnd have you dreamed your own dreams?”
    Amaryllis lifted a shoulder in a small shrug. “Sometimes one has to pay for other people’s dreams.”
    â€œI’m not big on cryptic statements. What in the five hells does that mean?”
    â€œNothing.” She gave him a bracing smile. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to get deep and mysterious. Maybe these relics are having an effect on my mood.”
    Lucas frowned. “Why did you leave the university?”
    â€œYou know how it is.” She turned back to the display case. “People change. I felt it was time to try a new direction in my career.”
    Lucas was the first to acknowledge that he had no great gift for intuition, but he had a strong suspicion that there was a lot more to the story than Amaryllis implied. Hewondered if a man had been involved. Then he wondered why he should care if the answer was yes.
    Wrong place, wrong time, wrong woman.
    â€œWhat is Miss Locking doing now?” Amaryllis asked.
    Lucas scanned the crowd and spotted Miranda.