Page 23 of Close Encounters of the Sexy Kind
When Quintus said nothing, Tiberius sat back, realizing that Quintus was not as thrilled with the news as he had hoped.
“Perhaps you do not comprehend what I am saying, brother. I have foundmy mate.”
“I heard you correctly the first time.”
“Yet, you are not pleased.”
“Let us just say that I am ...concerned. Yesterday, you sat in this very office, lamenting the improbability of finding a life mate here on Earth, and last night, one suddenly and conveniently appears? It seems rather incredible, don’t you think?”
“Yes, I do, which is precisely why I am in such high spirits. May I remind you that you are the one who spoke of my ancient ancestor and how he had found his mate? Do you now question your own counsel?”
“I questionanythingthat has the potential to influence you so thoroughly. Your benevolence is legendary. You tend to see only the good in people. You must agree that there are those who recognize that and seek to exploit it for their own gain. That is, after all, the reason we find ourselves here.”
The heavy mantle of guilt resettled upon Tiberius’s shoulders, the same guilt he had been carrying around since their arrival a year ago. In fact, the only time he had felt some measure of relief had been in those few hours he had spent in the company of Ryan Winslet.
Quintus’s softly spoken words were a timely, if unwelcome, reminder that things were not always what they seemed. Tiberiushadbeen fooled before, badly. Under the guise of creating an alliance, the stunningly beautiful Celusian princess had employed black magic to convince him that they were mates. Falling prey to her trickery had nearly destroyed the royal family and would have been disastrous for his peaceful people.
Given past events, Quintus’s cynicism was understandable and even warranted, but Tiberius had difficulty in putting Ryan in the same category as the deceitful, conniving Celusian.
“Point taken,” Tiberius conceded. “But the Celusians were motivated by greed and a thirst for power. What could one small, female mortal hope to gain?”
“Bait, for one thing,” Quintus answered without hesitation. “This club may not compare to an entire kingdom, but we do now have a considerable amount of power and influence in the greater Golden Beach area. And, as they have demonstrated time and time again, humans worship money, power, and influence almost as much as the Celusians.”
Tiberius thought of Ryan and shook his head. “Not Ryan.”
“All right then, let us assume for a moment that her motivation is not based in avarice. Sheisa member of law enforcement.”
“Yes, she readily admitted as much. So?”
“Regardless of personal views and good intentions, much of what occurs beneath our roof is considered illegal by local, state, and federal authorities. Those we consider part of our adopted family are loyal to us and go to great lengths to ensure that we at least appear to operate within the confines of the law. However, rumors abound, especially among those who are ... shall we say, displeased by our strong presence in the Golden Beach community. It would be quite a feather in her cap to be the one to expose the truth and shut us down.”
Tiberius sat back and steepled his fingers, considering his friend’s words. “Are you suggesting that Ryan and her friend intentionally entered Bait for such a purpose?”
Quintus scowled, as if he hadn’t considered the possibility that the fiery redhead he had spent the night pleasuring might have been part of a clever ruse. “I don’t know,” he said, getting to his feet, “but Iwillfind out. For both our sakes, my prince, I sincerely hope you are right and I am wrong this time.”
