“Is that so?” Riley looked up at him through shuttered lashes.
Cyprian wrapped his hand in Riley’s hair, halting her, as her lips pressed against his chest. He wanted to take her back into the bedroom, but resisted. Riley had to be sore, despite her insistence that she enjoyed his possession. It was too unbelievable to fathom.
Cyprian was considering the predicament, when the chime on the door pinged. He was about to ignore it, but it sounded again.
“Just a minute.”
Cyprian stepped out of the bathing stall, wrapped a towel around his waist, and headed for the door.
“Cyprian, greetings,” the Overseer said.
Ah great. The tentacled Overseer was the last male he wanted to see.
“Greetings,” Cyprian replied flatly.
“I personally wanted to express my appreciation for what you did for me this morning. I am here to invite you to a late lunch. Ah, I am glad to see you located your human.”
Cyprian glanced over his shoulder to see Riley standing at the bedroom door. She was wearing the half smile he found grating, but this time it was directed at the Overseer. Cyprian agreed with the sentiment.
“Yes. That is fine. Give us a moment to get dressed,” Cyprian replied, then headed back into the bedroom and closed the door. “I would like to continue our discussion, but it will have to wait,” he said to Riley as they got dressed.
Cyprian didn’t want to rebuff the Overseer. Like it or not, the slithering male had the power to make things difficult for him.
“What did you do this morning? The Overseer was looking at you like you walk on water,” Riley asked, suspicion lacing her voice.
Cyprian was reminded again that Riley lumped him into the same category as the tentacled Topus, and the scaly Jurou Biljana. Their sincere discussions only went so far in convincing Riley he had redeeming attributes.
“I guess I saved him,” Cyprian replied with a frown. “After I realized you were gone, I needed to get out of the viewing gallery to look for you. The employee entrance was the only option. He had access.”
Riley expression softened again.
“I forgot to thank you for looking for me.”
Riley leaned forward and pressed her lips to the bare spot of flesh over Cyprian’s heart. She stroked his back as she held him close. Her gesture of gratitude leveled him. Cyprian liked the strong spirited Riley, who drove him mad. But in contrast, it made her sweet side even more enthralling. The kiss she bestowed on him was like a blessing, that struck him to the marrow.
“Well, we better not keep Cuttles waiting. By the way, I’m glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t like him. That’s another person we agree upon,” Riley snickered.
“Am I that evident?”
“Yeah. The muscle in your jaw pulses whenever his name comes up.”
Riley reached up and rubbed his cheek. His palm covered her hand.
“I wanted to decline his offer, but didn’t think it was wise,” Cyprian groused.
He’d much rather spend time in the suite with Riley. He was enjoying their détente.
“Agreed. I don’t trust Cuttles any farther than I could throw him.”
“Throwing him. That sounds like a good idea.”
“Let’s wait to see how good lunch is first,” Riley giggled.
Cyprian couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face hearing the unrestrained melodic sound. He debated actually throwing the Overseer, if it would make Riley laugh like that for him.
Riley
Cyprian can be quite the charmer, when he wants to be.
Riley shook her head as she thought about the general. He was a force to be reckoned with, when he latched onto something. Cyprian’s erotic torture might have worked, if he hadn’t gotten lost to the passionate moment. That made Riley smile, though not just because she managed to keep her secrets. She took perverse pride in making Cyprian lose control. The result was cataclysmic. It even touched her the way he did a one-eighty, and was remorseful for being a brute. Riley didn’t know what kind of sex Cyprian thought was acceptable, but it was probably very vanilla.
Maybe that’s why he found you. He needs something more. Someone who can draw out all that barely leashed passion.
Riley grinned to herself as they followed the Overseer through the bustling auction house. They stepped onto a staircase that was positively freaky. The alien stairs were more like an escalator, but with clear broad glass platforms. Cyprian kept her safely to the inside, as the daunting see-thru escalator went up and around to the next level.
Riley’s eyes widened when she looked at the restaurant. It was a giant, slowly rotating glass dome. The decor reminded her of Versailles, with all the mirrors and gilding. Even the servers were dusted from head to toe in gold.