The Devil's Touch - By William W. Johnstone Page 0,2

wore her hair long, a dark, rich brown that tumbled down to the center of her back. She was tall, with a magnificent figure. Her complexion was flawless. Full lips and very pale gray eyes. Sam thought she and Xaviere looked a lot alike. The pale eyes shifted, and for a moment, lingered on Sam. The young woman smiled at him, and Sam returned the smile. He looked around at Xaviere. The two young women did resemble each other. Same pale eyes, brown hair, tall, and both had great figures.

Professor Cash left the room and Professor Gilbert tapped a pencil on his desk. "Class, I would like to introduce our new arrival. This is Miss Desiree Lemieux. She has just transferred in from Paris. Her parents have purchased Fox Estate and she has come Sam thought Professor Gilbert was going to fall all over himself. That he was quite taken with the young woman was obvious.

"Oh. my," Gilbert said. "We're all going to have to brush up on our French, I see."

The young men in the room all shared the same thought: They would like to brush up against Desiree.

"My English is quite good, Professor," she replied, in a voice that touched the groin of every male.

Again, those pale eyes touched Sam, then quickly dropped away.

"Yes, you certainly do, Desiree," the professor agreed. "Well, why don't you sit—umm—right over there, next to Mr. Balon, and we'll open class."

"Is she as beautiful as everyone says she is?" Nydia asked him.

Sam, Nydia, and Little Sam lived several miles outside of Logandale, about five miles from the center of Nelson campus. Nelson, one of the most expensive private colleges in North America, would have been financially unattainable for Sam had not his father set aside insurance money for his—at that time unborn—offspring. Nydia, who had been attending Carrington College before she met Sam, had transferred to Nelson after their marriage. For Nydia, money was no obstacle, for she was an extremely wealthy young woman, having inherited all of Roma and Falcon's holdings, worldwide, at their death. At the hands of Sam.

Nydia's mother and stepfather had been witch and warlock. Her true father was Sam Balon. Sam and Nydia were half brother and half sister. But they had been forgiven for that and allowed to live as man and wife. Forgiven by the One who has the power to forgive any sin.

"Yes, she is," Sam replied.

"Oh?" Nydia turned dark blue eyes to her husband. "Better looking than someone I might name?" she teased him.

"Well, now." Sam looked up from the research he was doing on ancient civilizations. His eyes sparkled with mischief. "Let me think. Umm? Desiree is—"

"Oh?" Nydia interrupted. "My. With a name like that, she would have to be lovely."

"Oh, she is! 'Bout this tall." He held up a hand. Then, using both hands, formed an hourglass shape.

"Really?" Nydia stepped closer to her husband. "How interesting."

"Perfection," Sam said, not realizing he was about to take the game past the foul line. He opened his hands and made a squeezing gesture. "'Bout like that, I'd say."

"Big boobs, huh?" There was a flatness to her tone that Sam failed to catch.

Sam rolled his eyes.

Nydia took his hands in hers and pressed them to her own breasts. "About that size, Sam?"

The dim light of realization clicked on in Sam's brain. Struggling mentally to get his foot out of his mouth, Sam said, "I would say there is only one person I've seen that is more beautiful than Desiree."

Warning signals flashed dangerously hot in Nydia's eyes. "Oh? And who might that be—dear?"

Sam looked up into her eyes and grinned. "Why— you, Nydia."

The warning lights dimmed, then cut off. "Almost swallowed both feet, didn't you, darling?" she said with a smile.

He closed his textbook and pulled her onto his lap. "I did come close." He kissed her. "But I'm only a man, remember?"

"I'll keep that in mind. What did Xaviere have to say about the new girl in class?"

"She thought the boys' behavior very funny."

Nydia unbuttoned his shirt and tugged at the hair on his chest. "Since Little Sam is with Janet, at her house … why don't we mess around some?"

"Got anything special in mind?"

She whispered in his ear.

"My pleasure," Sam said.

"Is the child one of ours?" Professor Gilbert asked, looking at Little Sam but speaking to the group of men and women gathered at the Sakall home.

"1 cannot tell," the daughter of Satan said, straightening up after her examination of the child. She brushed back