Seduced by Chaos

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Seduced by Chaos

ISBN 9781419921612

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Seduced by Chaos Copyright © 2009 Stephanie Julian.

Edited by Sue-Ellen Gower.

Cover art by Noeland Collins.

Electronic book Publication March 2009

The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

SEDUCED BY CHAOS

Stephanie Julian

Trademarks Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Chuck (Converse All Star Chuck Taylor): Converse Inc.

Converse: Converse, Inc.

Food Network: Television Food Network, G.P.

Phillies: Major League Baseball

The Matrix
: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Seduced by Chaos

Glossary

Aitás:
Etruscan Underworld

Arus:
magical power inherent in the races of Etruscan descent
Enu
: humans of magical Etruscan descent

Etera
(pl.
eteri
): Etruscan for foreigner, used to describe regular humans
Fata:
elemental beings of magical Etruscan descent
Lauru:
Etruscan sprites who love to clean

Linchetto:
Etruscan
Fata
, a night elf
Involuti:
Founding gods of the Etruscans, those from whom all other Etruscan deities were descended

Querciola:
Etruscan
Fata
, always female, induces fierce sexual desire in men and feeds off that desire

Salbinelli:
Etruscan satyr

Versipellis
(pl.
versipelli
): literally “skin shifter”—shapeshifters including Etruscan
Lucani
(wolves), Norse
Berkserkir
(bears), and French
loup garou
(wolves) 5

Stephanie Julian

The guy walked into her bar like he expected to be greeted by a hail of bullets.

Broad shoulders hunched and dark head lowered so she couldn’t see his face, he slid through the door with the ease of a man who made a habit of keeping to the shadows.

Lacey Kohl kept an eye on him as she tapped a beer. Tuesday nights were typically slow at her bar, the Stay-A-While. At the moment, she had only four customers—regulars Mike and Joe at the end of the bar and a couple she’d never seen before.

The man and woman had taken a booth on the side wall and hadn’t stopped talking since they’d come in. The intensity in their voices pinged against Lacey’s
arus
, the magic inherent in all those of Etruscan descent.

The couple might prove useful.

The new guy… Her gaze narrowed. He was Etruscan. Even in her deliberately weakened state, she sensed the
arus
in him.

And even though she didn’t feel any evil surrounding him, he’d bear watching, if only for his long-limbed stride across the floor. And his very fine ass.

Damn, he could prove dangerous if she wasn’t careful.

And if life had taught her anything, it had taught her to be extremely careful.

She snorted silently. Hell, life had taught her to be terrified of walking out the door in the morning. Just the fact that she could stand there and not want to crawl under the bar to hide was a victory in every way.

As she delivered the beer to Mike, the guy headed to the rear of the room and sat at a table, back against the wall with a clear shot at the door.

Control issues. She could relate.

6

Seduced by Chaos

Since she was alone out front tonight, she walked over to his table, an easy smile on her lips. She still couldn’t see his face but his shaggy, sable brown hair curled and waved and made her want to sink her fingers into it.

She’d have to watch that.

“Hi there.” She let her lips curve in a welcoming smile. “What can I get you?”

After a brief second, he lifted his head.

And oh, Sweet Mother Goddess, the guy was freaking gorgeous.

Lacey felt her eyes widen but caught herself before she became a complete idiot and drooled.

He wasn’t classically handsome. He didn’t have the refined edges of Cary Grant or the casual elegance of Paul Newman.

He looked like the all-American boy-next-door dialed up a notch and infused with the brazen masculinity of the Etruscans.

He had a strong nose that tilted up slightly at the end, making him look years younger than he probably was, but his broad forehead, square jaw and high cheekbones were all male.

And that mouth… Tinia’s teat, the man’s mouth should be cast in bronze. Strong lower lip, full cupid-bow upper lip. Made for kissing.

Then she looked into his eyes and the boy-next-door image shattered as she saw something she recognized all too well.

Heat flared in his beautiful hazel eyes when he looked at her. Heat and a strong dominance that should have made her run for the door.

She’d seen that look before, had learned to fear and dread it.

But strangely enough, she felt no fear here. Instead, those eyes drew her in. Such an unusual color, they were brown, flecked with green and blue sparks so bright, she swore they glowed.

Damn, she was staring. Not good.

7

Stephanie Julian

“I’ll take a lager,” he said finally. “Whatever you’ve got on tap.”

Wow, the guy’s voice matched those looks, a slow, sexy cadence low enough to make her tingle from head to toe and every place in between. And she did mean every place.

She hadn’t had that happen in… Well, she hadn’t had that happen to her ever.

Shaking some sense back into her head, she gave the guy a smile she hoped wasn’t too bright. “Coming right up.”

She hightailed it back to the bar, cursing herself all the way.

* * * * *

Teodoro de Feo watched the bartender walk away, feeling like she’d just stuck a
pugio
blade through his gut and twisted.

Lust, strong enough to nearly topple the internal walls he kept around his
amentia
, the madness lurking in his very cells, broadsided him. If he’d come equipped with warning lights, they’d be flashing bright red right now.

He’d never had such a strong reaction to a woman before. He’d grown comfortable believing he never would.

Maybe Rio and Rosie were right. Maybe he
had
been stuck in his apartment way too long with nothing but work to do.

But when you were an Etruscan
linchetto,
a night elf
,
with the handicaps he’d acquired… Well, he’d learned to spend a lot of time by himself and like it. Or at least pretend to like it.

Still, he wasn’t so out of practice that he hadn’t seen through her glamour, the thin veil of magic she used to muddy her features into blandness.

Seemed she was hiding too. Which was a damn shame because she was a classic beauty along the lines of Audrey Hepburn. High cheekbones. Huge eyes tilted up at the corners. A full mouth that made a man wish she’d wrap it around his cock.

8

Seduced by Chaos

And if her mouth didn’t incite thoughts of sex, her body would make any red-blooded man want to get her out of her clothes. Especially those unflattering baggy jeans and that oversized button-down shirt. Even her shoes were scuffed black Converse high-tops. Not exactly high fashion.

What was she hiding from?

The front door opened and a couple breezed through the door, arms wrapped around each other, laughing. The sound made his chest ache with a longing he thought he’d managed to submerge. Obviously, he hadn’t done such a good job of that.

“Hey, Teo, you beat us here.” Rosie slid into the seat next to his and smacked a kiss on his cheek as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders for a hug. “Your brother…”

The wry twist of her lips let him know more than he wanted to about what his youngest brother Rio and his mate had been up to.

“Kids, kids.” He held up his hands in classic time-out formation. “TMI. I’m just glad you didn’t stand me up.”

“You know we’d never do that, dude.” Rio hit him on the shoulder. “Besides, I didn’t really believe you when you said you’d show up tonight. Figured I could hold it over your head when you didn’t.”

Teo shook his head at Rio’s teasing, though he still wasn’t sure he’d done the right thing.

Rio and Rosie had been bugging him for weeks to meet them for a drink, since they all lived only blocks from Lacey’s Stay-A-While here in Reading. But because of his unique challenges, nights out like this were few and far between.

Hell, he couldn’t actually remember the last time he’d had a drink in a bar. Oh wait.

Yeah, he did. There’d been a brawl and he’d ended up feeling so damn guilty, he’d paid for the damages. Anonymously, of course.

Tinia’s teat, he hoped that wouldn’t be a problem tonight. But with the bartender pushing his buttons…

9

Stephanie Julian

He lifted one eyebrow at Rio. “You’re lucky you’re younger and weaker and our parents love you, little brother. Or I’d take you apart.”

Rio laughed, completely at ease. “Never happen, dude. You’re—” He looked up as the bartender returned with his beer, “Hey, Lacey. How’s it going?”

“Hi, guys. Nice to see you.” Not looking at Teo as she set his beer down, she gave Rosie and Rio a warm smile. “What’s up?”

“Oh, not much,” Rosie responded, a slight flush heating her cheeks as she slid a glance his way. “Lacey, this is Rio’s brother, Teo. I know we mentioned him a few times. We finally tore him away from his apartment for the night.”

Lacey’s gaze slid back to him, contemplating, as her lips curved. “Nice to meet you, Teo. I should’ve realized. There’s a strong family resemblance.”

Had he imagined it or had her smile thawed just a little?

Against his better judgment, he felt his mouth curve in a rusty, answering smile.

“Well, I certainly hope you don’t hold it against me.”

“Holy shit, bro. Did you just make a joke?” Rio’s smile held a wealth of teasing warmth. “Damn, you definitely need to get out more.”

Teo flashed Rio a look to let him know he wasn’t fooled. He hadn’t been out of circulation so long that he didn’t realize what was going on.

Rosie and Rio had invited him here for the express purpose of meeting Lacey. Since falling in love a few weeks ago, after Rio unknowingly unlocked Rosie’s magical powers and fought a dead evil witch to save her life, they’d turned some of their not-inconsiderable focus onto him.

Rio had decided since he was so happy and their older brothers already had women, Teo needed one too.

Even if he didn’t want one.

He was going to wring Rio’s neck the second they were alone.

But damn, the woman was gorgeous.

10

Seduced by Chaos

With a laugh, Rosie engaged Lacey in conversation while Rio gave him “the look”.

The one that always made Teo shake his head at whatever prank Rio had pulled. The kid had been a handful from the moment he’d been born forty-three years ago.