after it gets to know you."
"This one will very definitely stay in a cage." Sariana stated firmly. "I'm not taking any chances with something that has as many teeth as this thing does." She got to her feet and went quickly across the room to deposit the small lizard inside its gold filigree home. Then she latched the cage door shut. "There we are. Safe and sound. In the morning I'll try to convince Luri that his gift would much rather be free to romp along the riverbank."
Gryph rose slowly, watching Sariana as she bent over the gold cage. "I don't think it will want to be free in the morning, Sariana. I think the bonding has already started. Lucky won't want to leave you."
"Nonsense. Any wild creature would rather be free."
"There are exceptions to every rule."
Sariana grinned as she turned around to confront him. "Not in the eastern provinces, there aren't. We don't bend the rules very much where I come from, let alone make exceptions."
"You're not at home," Gryph reminded her. He went slowly forward, approaching her as she had approached the scarlet-toe. "Things are different here."
She didn't move, but some of her amusement faded. She seemed to realize finally that there was more going on in the room than the successful capture of a scarlet lizard. She searched his face, her eyes wide and questioning. "Gryph?"
"Don't be afraid of the differences between us." He moved a little closer, pleased that she still wasn't trying to dodge his slow, careful advance. In another step or two, he could touch her. He wanted that. Wanted it very badly.
"I'm not afraid of you, Gryph."
He smiled faintly, pleased by the words. "I think it would take a lot to frighten you. A nervous little coward would not have made the voyage to the western provinces when things went wrong at home."
Sariana shook her head slightly, her mouth trembling between a smile and uncertainty. "I didn't have much choice."
"You had a choice. You took the one that held the most promise, but also the one that held the most risk. With a temperament like that, you might be more at home here in Serendipity than you would be in Rendezvous. Have you ever thought of that?"
"No," she said flatly, "I haven't."
Gryph took a chance. He put out his hand and touched the fold of her robe where it fell just below her shoulder. The soft thrust of her breasts was only a few centimeters from his palm. He sensed her catching her breath and he sought desperately for a way to calm her again.
"You're a woman who's not afraid to take risks," he whispered, his voice rough and husky with need. His fingers trembled on the fabric of her robe. "Will you take a risk with me?"
"I don't know what you mean. I'm already taking a tremendous risk just by hiring you."
He brushed that aside, impatient with her small attempt to sidestep the issue. "I'm talking about another kind of risk and I think you know it."
A frantic protest mingled with anger leaped into her wide eyes. "You ask too much, Shield!"
"And I overstep myself, don't I?" he taunted gently. "I go too far, reach too high, dare too much, demand more than I have any right to expect."
"I see you understand your situation perfectly," she muttered. Her lashes came down to veil her eyes. "Gryph, please, it's very late. You must leave. Don't embarrass both of us by going any farther with this."
"I can give you a little time, Sariana. Not much, but a littte. Would that help? I want to do this right."
She trembled. He could feel the small shiver that went through her and he knew with absolute certainty that it was caused by excitement as well as feminine wariness. He could make her want him. He was sure of it. He just had to give her time.
"Time?" she breathed. Her eyes were luminous pools. Emotions moved just beneath the surface of those pools,
"This one will very definitely stay in a cage." Sariana stated firmly. "I'm not taking any chances with something that has as many teeth as this thing does." She got to her feet and went quickly across the room to deposit the small lizard inside its gold filigree home. Then she latched the cage door shut. "There we are. Safe and sound. In the morning I'll try to convince Luri that his gift would much rather be free to romp along the riverbank."
Gryph rose slowly, watching Sariana as she bent over the gold cage. "I don't think it will want to be free in the morning, Sariana. I think the bonding has already started. Lucky won't want to leave you."
"Nonsense. Any wild creature would rather be free."
"There are exceptions to every rule."
Sariana grinned as she turned around to confront him. "Not in the eastern provinces, there aren't. We don't bend the rules very much where I come from, let alone make exceptions."
"You're not at home," Gryph reminded her. He went slowly forward, approaching her as she had approached the scarlet-toe. "Things are different here."
She didn't move, but some of her amusement faded. She seemed to realize finally that there was more going on in the room than the successful capture of a scarlet lizard. She searched his face, her eyes wide and questioning. "Gryph?"
"Don't be afraid of the differences between us." He moved a little closer, pleased that she still wasn't trying to dodge his slow, careful advance. In another step or two, he could touch her. He wanted that. Wanted it very badly.
"I'm not afraid of you, Gryph."
He smiled faintly, pleased by the words. "I think it would take a lot to frighten you. A nervous little coward would not have made the voyage to the western provinces when things went wrong at home."
Sariana shook her head slightly, her mouth trembling between a smile and uncertainty. "I didn't have much choice."
"You had a choice. You took the one that held the most promise, but also the one that held the most risk. With a temperament like that, you might be more at home here in Serendipity than you would be in Rendezvous. Have you ever thought of that?"
"No," she said flatly, "I haven't."
Gryph took a chance. He put out his hand and touched the fold of her robe where it fell just below her shoulder. The soft thrust of her breasts was only a few centimeters from his palm. He sensed her catching her breath and he sought desperately for a way to calm her again.
"You're a woman who's not afraid to take risks," he whispered, his voice rough and husky with need. His fingers trembled on the fabric of her robe. "Will you take a risk with me?"
"I don't know what you mean. I'm already taking a tremendous risk just by hiring you."
He brushed that aside, impatient with her small attempt to sidestep the issue. "I'm talking about another kind of risk and I think you know it."
A frantic protest mingled with anger leaped into her wide eyes. "You ask too much, Shield!"
"And I overstep myself, don't I?" he taunted gently. "I go too far, reach too high, dare too much, demand more than I have any right to expect."
"I see you understand your situation perfectly," she muttered. Her lashes came down to veil her eyes. "Gryph, please, it's very late. You must leave. Don't embarrass both of us by going any farther with this."
"I can give you a little time, Sariana. Not much, but a littte. Would that help? I want to do this right."
She trembled. He could feel the small shiver that went through her and he knew with absolute certainty that it was caused by excitement as well as feminine wariness. He could make her want him. He was sure of it. He just had to give her time.
"Time?" she breathed. Her eyes were luminous pools. Emotions moved just beneath the surface of those pools,
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