Countess Esmeralda daVinci —she claimed to be one of those daVincis —was rich, powerful, beautiful, erotic, eccentric, brilliant, greedy, passionate, cruel, commanding. She had long had her eye on Archer Cordell, through her last three husbands. They’d had business dealings before, dealings that were often consummated in bed. “Archer is attracted to her, but she’s dangerous. She wants to control him. Right now, he needs her to put this deal together, which means a weekend at her castle. We’ll all have to watch our step —people have visited her castle and never returned. She keeps an elaborate dungeon for slaves, both willing and unwilling. If the circumstances were right, all of us could end up there.” She blushed; he laughed. “We might enjoy it, but Archer might not. Who knows? He may nee
