Don't Touch

DON’T TOUCH A Seven Families Novel LUCY LEROUX Don’t Touch © 2023 Lucy Leroux All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental. Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. http://www.authorlucyleroux.com ISBN: 978-1-942336-73-0 First Edition. All rights reserved. Created with Vellum DISCLAIMER This book is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, and events portrayed in this novel are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with someone else, please send them to the author’s website, where they can find out where to purchase a copy for themselves. Free content can be downloaded at the author’s free reads page. Thank you for respecting the author's work. Enjoy! TITLES BY LUCY LEROUX The Singular Obsession Series Making Her His Confiscating Charlie, A Singular Obsession Novelette Calen’s Captive Stolen Angel The Roman’s Woman Save Me, A Singular Obsession Novella Take Me, A Singular Obsession Prequel Novella Trick’s Trap Peyton’s Price The Spellbound Regency Series The Hex, A Free Spellbound Regency Short Cursed Black Widow Haunted The Rogues and Rescuers Series Codename Romeo The Mercenary Next Door Knight Takes Queen The Millionaire’s Mechanic Burned Deep - Coming Soon Writing As L.B. Gilbert The Elementals Saga Discordia, A Free Elementals Story Fire Air Water Earth A Shifter’s Claim Kin Selection Eat You Up Tooth and Nail The When Witch and the Wolf Charmed Legacy Cursed Angel Watchtowers Forsaken CREDITS Cover Design by Robin Harper http://www.wickedbydesigncovers.com Editing by Jason Letts https://imbueediting.com/ INTRODUCTION Giving new meaning to the words off-limits. Psychometrist and witch, Nova Navarro is on her own. After her father-figure and former employer dies, she organizes her own auction, seeking a patron who can protect her. The ability to read objects makes her a hot commodity in the witching world. With one touch of any item, Nova detects curses and secrets within it. Zhi Zheng, the auction's winner, is one of the world’s most feared telepaths. As the new head of an old and dangerous magic family, he can't let Nova's gift fall into his enemies' hands. He must safeguard his investment at all costs. However, the more time he spends with her, the more he craves her. But Nova’s power is so extreme, one touch of Zhi's skin on hers will send her into uncontrollable convulsions. He can’t risk Nova's safety for his own selfish pleasure. As his rivals attempt to steal his precious prize, Zhi risks everything to keep her safe. They must face the threat head on or die trying. But will one touch be enough to save them? CONTENTS Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Epilogue About the Author Other Books by Lucy Leroux The Singular Obsession Series The Complete Spellbound Regency Trilogy The Rogues and Rescuer's Collection: Books 1-4 Writing as L.B. Gilbert Discordia The Elementals Collection The Shifter’s Claim Collection: Books 1-4 To Hell and Back CHAPTER ONE Zhi Zheng flipped through the auction catalog with feigned nonchalance. “Which one is it?” he hissed from behind set teeth. “Hell, if I know,” Han muttered. His cousin’s placid expression was in direct contrast with his tone. “But judging from this crowd, we were right to drop everything and come here.” Here was the ass end of New York State at the private estate of the recently deceased Llewelyn Montclair. The house was a pretentious Palladian mansion straight out of an English period drama, which fit what he knew about that man. He had never met Montclair in life, but he had seen him from a distance a few times at charity balls and the like. He’d noted him at the time, memorizing his face because of his reputation. Montclair had been an avid collector of rare and precious antiquities. Normally Zhi didn’t give a damn about that sort of thing, but Montclair was one of those who went the extra mile to acquire objects of magical significance. It had been his obsession. He’d traveled the world and learned to speak eight different languages so he could negotiate for his acquisitions without having to go through an interpreter. And in so doing he had managed to nearly bankrupt himself. Montclair had no children, but he had several nieces and nephews ready to put his collection on the auction block to recoup whatever cash they could, picking over the carcass of his estate. The Marchesi Auction House, the one most favored by the Seven for their expertise in magical artifacts, had been charged with the task of liquidating the assets. Han leaned forward a bit, his eyes tracking a particularly dangerous witch from the