Amaryllis

other talents, so naturally I picked up the other talent in the room at the same time you did. As I told you, I also picked up the echoes of the other prism.'

'You said the prism's style of working felt familiar.'

'It was. I would swear that whoever it was trained at the same place I did, the Department of Focus Studies at the university. I could feel Professor Landreth's influence.'

'Who is Landreth?'

'He was the head of the department for years.'

'The name sounds familiar.'

'Probably because of the newspaper articles that were written about him after he was killed in a hiking accident last month. It was a terrible tragedy.'

Lucas nodded. 'I remember something about it now.'

'He was a brilliant man.' Amaryllis spoke forcefully because Lucas did not seem overly impressed with just who and what Professor Jonathan Landreth had been. 'He contributed enormously to our understanding of the focus link and how it works. More importantly, he wrote the Code of Focus Ethics. His death was a great loss to the profession and to research.'

'Uh huh.'

'It was a great personal loss for me, as well.' Amaryllis's teeth clamped together again. 'He was my mentor. I admired him enormously. I miss him.'

'I'm sorry.' Lucas looked as if he didn't know what else to say. 'Well, I should be on my way.'

'Wait, you didn't tell me what sort of talent Senator Sheffield was focusing.'

'From what little I got before he burned out his prism. I'd say that he was generating pure bat-snake oil and charm. In other words, charisma.'

'Charisma?' Amaryllis repeated, uncomprehending.

'It's a politician's stock-in-trade.'

'But charisma is not a psychic power.'

'What would you call it?'

'I don't know.' Amaryllis waved one hand in a small, vague gesture. 'A personality trait or something, I suppose. But not a psychic talent.'

'Power is power.' A smile came and went at the edge of Lucas's mouth. 'Regardless of whether or not it's been documented and studied by the experts.'

Amaryllis pursed her lips. 'I'm not sure about this. I don't think that it would be ethical to focus charisma, assuming it's a form of psychic energy. Especially if the talent was a politician.'

'Don't worry about it. It's not your problem. So what if the guy was focusing with an intent to convince people to vote for him and to donate to his campaign fund? That's what politics is all about.'

Amaryllis was not mollified. 'But if charisma can be focused for those purposes, it would be an act of deliberate misrepresentation or fraud or something.'

Lucas looked amused. 'Welcome to the real world, lady.'

She scowled. 'Doesn't it bother you that a very high-class talent in Sheffield's position is using his abilities to con people?'

'He's a politician, Amaryllis.'

'But he was using an academically trained prism to focus.'

'So what? I used one tonight, too.'

'But Sheffield's prism should know better than to become involved in an unethical use of talent. Professor Landreth drilled the Code of Focus Ethics into all his students.'

'No kidding.'

'There are standards in my profession,' Amaryllis snapped. 'And the prism who was working with Sheffield tonight may have violated them.'

Lucas propped one shoulder against the wall and studied her with an expression of reluctant fascination. 'I have some advice for you, Amaryllis. Nobody likes a self-appointed conscience.'

'Spoken like a talent with a classic case of prism envy.' Amaryllis reached past him to yank open the door. 'Good night, Mr. Trent. Rest assured, your bill will be in the mail first thing in the morning.'

Lucas didn't move and the door stayed closed. 'You asked me a professional question. Mind if I ask you one?'

Amaryllis watched him with deep suspicion. 'What is it?'

'Was it good for you, too?'

'What?' she whispered.

He appeared to be satisfied with her stunned expression. 'So, it wasn't all happening on my end. I wondered about that. I told you, I haven't had a lot of experience with the focus link, and I didn't know if getting sexually aroused was a common side effect or if it was relatively rare.'

Amaryllis was nearly speechless. She knew she was blushing from the top of her head straight down to the soles of her feet. 'I assure you, I have no idea what you're talking about.'

'Just tell me how long I can expect the effects to last.'

'Effects?' she repeated weakly.

'Yeah. Effects. How long will this overpowering urge to take you to bed last?'

'Mr. Trent, please.'

'Will it disappear by morning? It's kind of distracting.'

Amaryllis swallowed and then took refuge once more beneath the mantle of professionalism. 'I don't know how long the feeling lasts. I have never heard of any link producing sensations of the sort you're complaining about. Furthermore--'

'I'm not exactly complaining.'

'Well, that's what it sounds like to me.'

'Maybe kissing you would work off a few of the side effects.' Lucas tossed aside his jacket and reached for her.

'Mr. Trent. You're a client.'

'Yeah, I know.' He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her against his chest. 'Don't worry, I always pay my bills.'

'That's not the point.'

Amaryllis flattened her palms against his broad shoulders. She barely had time to notice that his gloaming gray eyes were as impenetrable as the dark fog that she had imagined coalescing beneath her kitchen cabinets.

His mouth came down on hers.

Chapter 5

Lucas knew that kissing Amaryllis was the act of a desperate man. He had told himself that taking her into his arms would be the quickest way to shatter the illusion of sexual desire that had held him in thrall all evening. He knew more about the nature of illusions than most people, he had assured himself. Hell, he was an expert. He knew one when he saw it.

But the reality of Amaryllis's sweet, warm, incredibly sexy mouth did not have the therapeutic effect he had anticipated. Her lips actually trembled. A shiver went through her, sending shock waves through him.

The evidence of her response sent Lucas straight over the edge. He had a mental image of a jungle canyon full of exotic flowers, and then he was falling straight into the mass of petals. The hot, heady fragrance of desire inundated his senses.

'Lucas.' Amaryllis gave a soft, delicious cry and threw her arms around his neck. 'Lucas.'

She wanted him. The knowledge was dazzling. She wanted him just as badly as he wanted her. At least this was a case of mutual sexual synergy. The link had definitely worked both ways.