Zeus?” Tiffany asked.
“No one knows,” the woman said, dismissing her with a patronizing jerk of her shoulder, adding, “Which is part of the problem. He should identify himself so we can decide if we want to continue associating with him.”
Tiffany followed the entreating glance the woman sent to Ryzard. She was obviously trying to pull him over to her side for reasons other than any real concern about the club.
“That seems hypocritical, doesn’t it?” Ryzard said calmly. “When we keep our own identities secret?”
“I have to agree. It’s quite possible to have a wrong impression about someone until you know them better,” Tiffany said with a significant look upward to Ryzard.
“Well, we don’t keep any secrets from Zeus, do we?” the woman insisted. She wavered with indecision a moment as her gaze touched on his hand holding Tiffany’s so possessively. Then she made a noise of impatience and muttered, “I’m just saying,” before she walked away.
Tiffany raised her brows, not that Ryzard could see them and appreciate her pique at coming upon a woman hitting on him so blatantly.
“Good morning,” he said before swooping to kiss her.
She stiffened, but he took his time, working swirls of reawakened passion down through her torso and into her belly until she softened into his loose embrace. When he lifted his head, he said, “I’m starving. You?”
Food was the last thing on her mind, but she followed him through the indoor/outdoor dining room to a table near the lagoon-shaped pool. They accepted coffee and placed their orders before she lost her ability to stay silent and asked, “Do you pick up women at all these things?”
Setting down his coffee, he regarded her with a hard look. “Your pretty blue eyes have gone quite emerald, draga. ”
“Who is she?”
“That’s a question I can’t answer. Members do not out other members. That’s why I didn’t introduce you.”
She narrowed her eyes. “If I had looked at my watch, would I have seen her nickname?”
He shrugged. “Possibly. Mine is turned off except for you. She only spoke to me because we happened to meet at the door and have spoken before.”
“About?” she prompted.
“It’s confidential.”
“Have you seen her away from these things?”
“Also confidential.”
“So you won’t tell me anything.”
“This is how the club works. That’s why it works. But I will tell you that I have never had a sexual relationship with her.”
“And she would never admit to one if you had because members don’t out other members. I’m just supposed to trust that you’re telling me the truth.”
“Yes,” he said firmly. “I do expect you to trust me.”
Her gaze dropped to the button he’d only half pushed through its hole in the middle of his chest.
“If you had let me make love to you last night, you would not be feeling so insecure this morning,” he added.
Her heart skipped at that, but she only said, “I’m not insecure. I don’t know you.”
“Exactly.”
Oh, he was infuriating. And sexy. Her eyes were eating up the way his shirt was perfectly tailored across the line of his shoulders and hugged the strength in his arms. Her fingers itched to unbutton the whole shirt and expose his very promising chest again.
It’s just hormones, she tried to insist to herself, not wanting to succumb to feelings that were a lot more complex than mere lust.
“I’m jealous of her for being pretty,” she admitted in an undertone, ashamed that she was this shallow, but, “I used to be and it gave me confidence. Don’t deny that being physically attractive is powerful,” she warned with a point of her finger. “My mother still turns heads and uses it every day. And she places so much importance on looks.”
The weight of that knowledge slumped her into her chair.
“Sometimes I wonder if that’s why she chose Dad and not Paul Sr. He wasn’t ugly by any stretch, but Dad’s got that Mr. President,
“No one knows,” the woman said, dismissing her with a patronizing jerk of her shoulder, adding, “Which is part of the problem. He should identify himself so we can decide if we want to continue associating with him.”
Tiffany followed the entreating glance the woman sent to Ryzard. She was obviously trying to pull him over to her side for reasons other than any real concern about the club.
“That seems hypocritical, doesn’t it?” Ryzard said calmly. “When we keep our own identities secret?”
“I have to agree. It’s quite possible to have a wrong impression about someone until you know them better,” Tiffany said with a significant look upward to Ryzard.
“Well, we don’t keep any secrets from Zeus, do we?” the woman insisted. She wavered with indecision a moment as her gaze touched on his hand holding Tiffany’s so possessively. Then she made a noise of impatience and muttered, “I’m just saying,” before she walked away.
Tiffany raised her brows, not that Ryzard could see them and appreciate her pique at coming upon a woman hitting on him so blatantly.
“Good morning,” he said before swooping to kiss her.
She stiffened, but he took his time, working swirls of reawakened passion down through her torso and into her belly until she softened into his loose embrace. When he lifted his head, he said, “I’m starving. You?”
Food was the last thing on her mind, but she followed him through the indoor/outdoor dining room to a table near the lagoon-shaped pool. They accepted coffee and placed their orders before she lost her ability to stay silent and asked, “Do you pick up women at all these things?”
Setting down his coffee, he regarded her with a hard look. “Your pretty blue eyes have gone quite emerald, draga. ”
“Who is she?”
“That’s a question I can’t answer. Members do not out other members. That’s why I didn’t introduce you.”
She narrowed her eyes. “If I had looked at my watch, would I have seen her nickname?”
He shrugged. “Possibly. Mine is turned off except for you. She only spoke to me because we happened to meet at the door and have spoken before.”
“About?” she prompted.
“It’s confidential.”
“Have you seen her away from these things?”
“Also confidential.”
“So you won’t tell me anything.”
“This is how the club works. That’s why it works. But I will tell you that I have never had a sexual relationship with her.”
“And she would never admit to one if you had because members don’t out other members. I’m just supposed to trust that you’re telling me the truth.”
“Yes,” he said firmly. “I do expect you to trust me.”
Her gaze dropped to the button he’d only half pushed through its hole in the middle of his chest.
“If you had let me make love to you last night, you would not be feeling so insecure this morning,” he added.
Her heart skipped at that, but she only said, “I’m not insecure. I don’t know you.”
“Exactly.”
Oh, he was infuriating. And sexy. Her eyes were eating up the way his shirt was perfectly tailored across the line of his shoulders and hugged the strength in his arms. Her fingers itched to unbutton the whole shirt and expose his very promising chest again.
It’s just hormones, she tried to insist to herself, not wanting to succumb to feelings that were a lot more complex than mere lust.
“I’m jealous of her for being pretty,” she admitted in an undertone, ashamed that she was this shallow, but, “I used to be and it gave me confidence. Don’t deny that being physically attractive is powerful,” she warned with a point of her finger. “My mother still turns heads and uses it every day. And she places so much importance on looks.”
The weight of that knowledge slumped her into her chair.
“Sometimes I wonder if that’s why she chose Dad and not Paul Sr. He wasn’t ugly by any stretch, but Dad’s got that Mr. President,
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