StrategicLust by Elizabeth Lapthorne Read Free Book Online

separating
work from play, you said,” she whispered to him as Kiera and Melissa thanked
the waitress for their beverages. The witches’ voices covered Kate’s quick
words.
    “A guy has to try his luck,” Josh replied impishly. Kate’s
face turned serious, the annoyed professional seeming to win the battle.
Quickly, he changed tack and sat on his hands to stem any further irresponsible
behavior.
    “Look, I’m sorry, I just can’t help myself. But there are
plenty of professionals here to help keep our group safe. I’ll try, I promise.
I don’t mean to distract you—I’m just not used to repressing my urges when I
want to caress a witch I…care for.”
    “You wouldn’t know what to do with a pretty witch who didn’t
respond to your innate charm and charisma, would you?” Kate concluded with a
sigh. Josh wanted to chuckle, to make light of it and tease a smile from the
sexy witch, but swallowed the impulse as the waitress placed his coffee in
front of him and left. The silence returned and he couldn’t think of a way to
tease Kate without making a spectacle of them both.
    As he sipped his drink, Kate added a packet of sugar to hers
and cast another quick glance his way. Her smile was soft, her eyes alight with
humor, and Josh knew for certain she was not mad. He had learned the hard way
many, many years ago, however, never to underestimate a witch and the
volatility of her moods. Like a switch being flipped, Kate’s glance turned
professional once again and she scanned their surroundings, paying particular
notice to the people who sat near them. She was back in Guardian mode.
    Josh wondered if he were in trouble. Even though the thought
of Kate being mad at him caused his stomach to twist unpleasantly, he knew he
hadn’t truly angered her. That didn’t mean he was home free, and despite
himself Josh discovered a deep curiosity lurking in his chest.
    Many witches had kept him on his toes, but this whole
situation with Kate went further than that. He would have died laughing had
anyone asked him a week ago, but Josh found himself looking forward to the
conversation he knew was boiling between them. He and Kate had much to discuss,
and one thing she could never be was predictable.
    Josh looked forward to the challenge she presented as he
took another sip of his coffee.

Chapter Three
     
    Kate couldn’t help but be amused by the rapport between
Melissa and her lover. She was not in any way threatened or upset by their
friendliness—far from it. Part of her job as a Guardian was to take a few
glances at any given situation and sum it up accurately.
    Melissa Geyton and Daniel Cranstone were deeply in love—partners
in every true sense of the word. Nothing on this Earth could possibly interest
Melissa in an affair—or nothing that Kate could imagine from their body
language and the silent cues between them. Joshua might be a handsome rogue, he
might ooze sex appeal and charisma like other wizards gave off an air of power
or hunger, but nothing but friendship and a light, amused attraction resonated
between Melissa and Joshua.
    The thought that other witches in the past had been made jealous
by it caused Kate to want to laugh. A lesser witch—one who might not be so
self-assured or self-reliant—might worry about how she could hold on to a
wizard like Josh. Not she. Kate had decided the easiest way to retain Josh’s
attention was to keep him on his toes.
    The result of a bored Joshua Delamere would likely be a
wizard whose attention strayed. While Kate could feel her attraction to Josh
deepening with each conversation and passing day, she was not a fool. She knew that
at this point Josh did not in the least desire a more solid, permanent
arrangement with her. Nor would she try to twist or turn their situation into
forcing his hand somehow.
    It was a delicate line she was walking right now. Even
though there had been no cause for concern since she had begun to protect Josh,
the fact that his life was