“I find myself in a sensitive situation,” Veronica said. “Lady Ada assured me you are a friend who can be trusted. Can I trust you to keep my confidence?” she asked.
Rhys’s expression turned serious. “Of course. Ada’s friends are my friends, and even if that were not the case, I try not to throw women or children to the wolves if at all possible. It’s bad publicity.”
Veronica unwrapped her scarf. Now it was Rhys’s turn to look dazed. Veronica’s makeup was stellar and she looked stunning. “I am running from a House,” she said simply. “I have asked Lady Ada to take me with her when she leaves, but she suggested I talk to you first. She thinks I’ll feel trapped by my decision to throw in with her. What do you think?”
Rhys blinked twice then shook himself out of the daze. “Running from a House is a tricky proposition,” he said finally. “How is your financial situation?”
“It is of little concern.”
“In that case, you have two, maybe three options.” He ticked them off on his fingers. “One, if your face isn’t well known, you can hide in plain sight with a new identity. It is very expensive, but quality work can be had for the right price. Two, you can run and keep running. Or, for the third option, you can disappear into the farthest reaches of the ’verse and hope you’re never found.”
“And which do you recommend?”
“Depends on the person. I can help you with one and three, but two works better for some, our lovely Ada included—despite my best efforts.” Rhys tossed a suggestive smile at me.
I rolled my eyes, but Loch rumbled. I felt the vibration more than heard it and my nipples tightened in response. Thank God for lined bras. I nudged his shoulder with mine and he quit, but his hand flexed around my other shoulder and pulled me closer.
Even though Loch had to know Rhys was just messing with him, he seemed incapable of shrugging it off. Rhys knew exactly how to get under his skin.
A knock on the door prevented further discussion. “Enter,” Rhys said.
The butler slid the doors open. “Dinner is ready, sir,” he said.
“Excellent,” Rhys said. He stood and helped Veronica to her feet. Loch stood as well. After a pointed look from Rhys, Loch offered me a hand. I accepted his help up, then hooked a hand through his elbow before he could walk off. It was obvious that Loch was unfamiliar with the social niceties the rest of us understood without thought. And by the scowl on his face, either the knowledge gap or the niceties themselves pissed him off.
The dining room was just as ostentatious as the rest of the house. A beautifully carved wooden table big enough for fourteen sat under a brilliant chandelier that glittered with cut crystals. Four place settings were centered in the middle of the table.
Rhys led Veronica to the near side, then rounded the table and sat across from her. Loch followed his lead and deposited me next to Veronica. When he sat across from me, I gave him my best wicked smile. His eyes darkened, and I decided: I would have this man tonight, if he would have me.
I tabled my dirty thoughts. Rhys, Veronica, and I chatted lightly about a wide range of topics. Both Rhys and Veronica were excellent conversationalists, so I found myself enjoying their company. Loch occasionally chimed in, but he seemed content to let the conversation flow around him. Rhys threw the occasional flirtatious remark my way, mostly to annoy Loch, but it was clear to me that he was focused on Veronica.
The food was exquisite and the wine flowed freely. I allowed myself two glasses, then switched to sparkling water. A gentle buzz was fine, but getting hammered was not in the plan.
After dinner, Rhys turned to Loch. “Please escort Ms. Yasmin back to the drawing room. Ada and I will join you momentarily.”
Loch did not move. Veronica glanced at me and I nodded slightly. She stood with a pointed stare at Loch. He settled more firmly into his chair.
I rolled my eyes. “Did you already forget our earlier conversation?” I asked him.
His eyes dropped half-closed and he grinned lazily. “I believe that conversation was unfinished.”
Heat flushed through my body. I kept my voice even through sheer force of will. “Well, if you want any chance of finishing that conversation, I suggest you trust me now.”
Loch held my gaze for a long moment, then nodded and stood. He and Veronica left the room.
Rhys cast me an appraising look. “You’re playing with fire,” he said without preamble.
I didn’t pretend ignorance. “He’s leaving tomorrow.”
Rhys seemed surprised. “Are you sure?”
“Very,” I said.
Rhys idly swirled the wine in his glass. “I’ve known Loch for a long time,” he finally said. “And I’ve only seen him like this once before. It ended poorly.”
Jealously stabbed deep. “Oh?” I asked in what I hoped passed for a casual tone.
Rhys’s expression turned knowing. “Pretend indifference all you like, but I know you, Ada von Hasenberg. Just be careful. I don’t want either of you to get hurt. And Loch guards those he thinks of as his like a dragon guards gold.”
“We just have good chemistry,” I said. “He doesn’t think I’m his.” Just the thought made me twitchy, but underneath that, warmth tried to bloom. Damn my soft, traitorous heart.
Rhys merely raised an eyebrow and stood. “Let’s join them before he proves you wrong,” he said.
We returned to the drawing room to find Veronica grinning and Marcus scowling, but neither would say why. Rhys poured a round of brandy. The alcohol burned on its way down, leaving me pleasantly warm and languid, but Loch apparently did not share my feelings. “Care to spar?” he asked Rhys with studied casualness. “Or have you gone soft?”
Well, that was one way to throw down a gauntlet. “You’re going to ruin a perfectly good meal with exercise?” I asked, trying to give Rhys an exit.
“It appears so,” Rhys said with an exaggerated sigh. “Ladies, if you’ll excuse us.”
Veronica and I stood with the men. “If you think we’re going to sit down here while you two beat yourselves bloody, you think wrong,” I said. “Someone has to be there to knock some sense into you once your egos take over.” Veronica nodded in agreement.
Rhys led us upstairs to a large open room with a padded floor. He and Loch stepped into a side room. They both came out wearing loose pants and no shirts. Veronica and I shared an appreciative glance. Both men were built with defined abs and heavy musculature. Loch was the slightly bulkier of the two, but it was a near thing.
Loch’s stomach was no longer bruised. He must’ve spent the afternoon in the medbay.
The men began taping their knuckles with a single-minded determination. Even Rhys’s easygoing charm had morphed into careful concentration. “If you kill each other,” I said, “I’m not cleaning up the mess.”
“I’m not going to kill him, I’m just going to rough him up enough that he remembers why he shouldn’t mess with me,” Loch said. “It shouldn’t take long.”
Rhys grunted. “I’m not going to kill him, either. I’m just going to beat some manners into his thick skull. Feel free to thank me later, Ada, in any way you’d like,” he said with a sly grin. Loch lunged at him, but Rhys expected it and flowed out of the way.
Then it was on.
Both men moved faster than anyone I’d ever seen. Arms and legs blurred as hits landed with solid thuds. They were not pulling punches and they used both hands and feet in some style of mixed martial arts. It also became clear that this was not the first time they had sparred. While they were not pulling punches, they also weren’t aiming for maximum damage.