Page 31 of City of Love

“And it’s for sale,” Margot said, pointing to the realty sign before cupping a hand at the window to peek in. “There’s no furniture in there. It’s totally cleared out.” She came back to Lexi’s side. “There’s no one in there, babe.”

But they had been there. The two men as solid as the sidewalk under her feet. The sensation had been odd, though, and nothing like the visions she’d had before. Maybe she’d just experienced her first remote viewing, the clairvoyance Alana had spoken of. Perhaps she’d actually witnessed Gideon in his world as he crossed a quieter version of Market Street and stood before his home. Maybe her visit to the other world was now triggering more of her own psychic skills. Whatever the explanation, though, she knew what she’d seen.

And whoever that other man was, he’d seen her too.

CHAPTER 13

“Ithought I insisted you stay home, where it’s safer.” Gideon took Lexi’s hand, leading her away from the other World Two visitors as soon as they materialized in his club Friday night.

Her grip tight, but her hand small and warm in his, she trotted to keep up with his steps as he brought her into his office. “And I thought I insisted I was safer here.”

He smiled to himself and released her hand, turning away to shut the door behind them. He’d known she’d be back no matter how much he encouraged her not to. Not just because he’d seen the guest list earlier today, and not just because he’d felt her excitement and urgent need as she’d waited anxiously on the other side of the portal. And certainly not because a tiny hidden part of his soul wanted her back, was starting to believe she was meant to be back. Certainly not that.

When he turned around, she was leaning against the wall, ankles and arms crossed, a brightly smug look on her adorable face. He stalked up to her, returning his own brand of smug, and caging her with his palms on the wall. “Safer here with me, huh?”

She shrugged, her eyes twinkling. “Safer here period. With or without you.” She dipped her knees and ducked out from under his arm.

Twirling to face each other again, she backed up, a grin of success on her face. “I’ve got four hours and I need to use them efficiently. Research.”

He strolled after her as she continued to lead him around the office. An invisible leash he could get very used to. “Research?”

“That’s right, knowledge is power. I need more power. I need books.”

Books. He snorted at the irony as he continued to follow her.

“What’s wrong? You got a problem with good old-fashioned education? Studying up on a subject?” She backed up to a chair, and sank into it.

Gideon leaned over her, placing his hands on the chair arms, caging her once again. He stared down at her face. “Not at all. Scientist, remember?”

Her smile bloomed, and her newfound desire to take control of her life pulled something pleasantly tight in his chest.

“Great,” she said. “Then you’ll be able to help me. I need stuff on precognition, clairvoyance, telepathy—”

He closed the gap and kissed her.

Gently at first, he grazed over her lips as if painting a soft watercolor, but her sweet sighs came fast, and she parted for him. His tongue joined hers, and she slipped her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a deeper exploration.

With her head tipped back as it was, their first kiss was deep and immediate, full of need. Intensely intimate. Of course, having even occasional telepathic access to someone’s inner reflection, to their unfiltered feelings, created a fast and powerful bond.

He pulled her up from the chair and against his chest, forehead resting on hers as they took some air. She’d been back in his world five minutes and already he had her in his arms. His discussion with Roberto teased from the corner of his mind—he had no control when it came to this woman. None at all.

His shaft was steel against his pants, and she fared no better, her open mind revealing to him just how wet she already was. They looked at each other, their faces reddening, and laughed at their mutual exposure.

He took her hand. “Come, we have much to discuss. Starting with a little lesson in how to block your thoughts.”

She followed him back into the main club. “And books?”

He laughed. “Yes, lots of books. I know the perfect place.”

Benjamin Smythe paced back and forth in the main room of Revolution Hall as he waited for his partner in this little scheme to show up. Ironically, Revolution Hall was not only the regular meeting place of the Philadelphia City Council, but a symbolic monument to his world’s decision to forego resource-driven technologies. From what he’d been told, the building was nearly an exact duplicate of Independence Hall in World Two, having been erected after a different, but equally bloody battle in his world, landing it a slightly different name. And here he was betraying everything this building stood for.

He thought of Mary then, remembering the excitement and horror of fighting side by side with her during a later battle. That was what Gideon and the rest always seemed to conveniently forget. He and Mary had fought in the most recent rebellion eighty years ago on the same side they had—battling alongside them to keep the non-industrial lifestyle of their world. Mary had been wounded in the midst of fighting for that cause, a slash to her abdomen ensuring she’d never be able to bear a child.

Feeling jittery from a mixture of fear and power, Benjamin paced the center aisle in an attempt to shake off his restlessness. The Prometheus Group scared him. The level of betrayal he was stooping to scared him. The knowledge of what he was going to be bringing down upon fellow citizens of his world scared him. And his latest worry, that Gideon Ashe’s new clairvoyant girlfriend was going to stumble upon his activities, scared the shit out of him. The untrained little bitch was inadvertently connecting to him.

Just his damn luck.

But if he could hold on just a little longer and accomplish his goals without being detected, he’d be on his way to a brand-new life. Even with his abilities weakened in World Two, he’d soon be a very powerful person in a world where most people had no power at all.

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