Sex and Trouble by Marilu Mann Read Free Book Online Page A

thought.
    A full-bodied laugh erupted from James. “Against his will? Is that what he’s told you? My dear, you simply cannot trust a demon. Why do you think we call them that?
    They are fiendishly, if you will pardon the pun, clever. Why, he would tell you anything to get out of his contract. Don’t you let him. Your father wouldn’t want that.”
    Rocking back, Mari crinkled her forehead in thought. Contract? Ros hadn’t said anything about a contract. Then again, she hadn’t asked him about one either. Her father had said not to trust LaPierre. So had Ros. Who was right? Before she bought that contract story, she would command Ros to tell her the truth. For now, she decided to redirect.
    She gave him a controlled smile. “Shall we go in? I’m starving and I want to learn more about my father—about all of this.”
    Now that James had revealed his own abilities to her, he seemed to want to show off. Her door opened at the wave of his hand. He conjured a beautiful white rose for her just before handing her out of the car.
    “Will I be able to do things like that?” Mari could see herself living a life like this.
    James made the use of magick seem so effortless.
    Instead of answering, he asked if she’d found her first key. Mari thought she’d mistaken the look of disappointment when she’d told him no. But she filed away the 39

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    fact that he knew about the keys as well. Hopefully she could weasel enough information out of him to help her in her hunt.
    “Order what you like. It’s all good.” James gave a cool nod to the waitress who faded into the background after handing them their menus. “I hope you will allow me to suggest a wine?”
    Nodding, she perused the menu. The choices were few but the details were so precise that Mari thought if she weren’t hungry already, she would have been after just reading the lasagna description. Then she ruined it by wondering if Rosier had ever eaten here. Knowing he was bound to the house except for coming to her assistance, she had to wonder if her father ever ordered takeout for them.
    She realized that LaPierre watched her as if he could read her thoughts. Could he?
    Mari didn’t have a clue but she yanked her mind back to dinner and her companion.
    “James. I have so many questions.”
    “I’m sure you do, my dear.” His eyes narrowed. “Shall we order and then you can ask me anything you like?”
    His flick of a finger brought the waitress back to their table in moments. She ordered the lasagna then sat back while he completed his part. She didn’t know the winery but knew that she liked that type of wine.
    “That’s a good choice. I’ve enjoyed the syrahs I’ve tried.”
    He simply nodded at her. “So, what is your first question?”
    Mari hesitated. There were so many questions in her mind. Trying to pin just one down was like trying to grasp a swallow by the tail as it swooped by. Still, she knew she needed to take advantage of this time.
    “Witch. What does my father mean when he tells me that I am a witch too?”
    James gave a small laugh as he reached over to grasp her hand in a warm, quick squeeze. “Marielle, I don’t mean to disappoint you but your father really was not thinking clearly if he told you that you were a witch. To be a witch takes years of study 40

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    and practice. It is not something you are born into. He probably meant that you had the ability to learn just like he.” A pause as his eyes met hers. “And I.”
    It wasn’t that she was disappointed, Mari told herself. After all she’d only just learned that she was a witch. So why would it hurt to hear that she wasn’t one after all?
    Like he said she could become one if she studied. For years. Fighting off the tang of bitterness, she nodded.
    “Okay so I’m not a witch. But he was. How did he trap Rosier? More importantly how can I release him?”
    A flicker of something darted across James’ face. Mari couldn’t be sure what the emotion