Page 43 of Close Encounters of the Sexy Kind
“As you wish.”
A knock at the door sounded.
“Come!”
The door was opened and Ryan was ushered inside by her escort, who disappeared after a nod to Tiberius and Quintus.
Tiberius’s blood warmed instantly, remembering how exquisite it had been to pleasure her. She now wore the conservative, proper persona she presented to the rest of the world, but he had seen a different side of her. He had experienced the wonder of the passionate, sexy siren who dwelled beneath the surface. The lovely rose tint on her cheeks suggested she was having similar thoughts.
Quintus inclined his head in greeting. “Detective Winslet, we meet again.”
“Q.”
Tiberius rose and went around the desk to greet her. “Quintus was just leaving.”
“Right,” Quintus said with a forced grin as he walked toward the door. “On that note, enjoy your visit.”
“It is lovely to see you again, Ryan,” Tiberius greeted her.
She avoided looking at him directly, choosing to gaze around the space instead. Tiberius sensed her discomfort and knew she was trying to reconcile her dream with the waking reality.
“Nice office. It’s not what I expected.”
He leaned back against the desk, assuming a casual, nonthreatening pose. As much as he wanted to go to her, he could feel her anxiety echoing through him. Clearly, the bond between them had strengthened even more than he had realized.
“Oh? What did you expect?”
She lifted her shoulder in a slight shrug. “I don’t know. Something more ... tacky, I guess.”
He laughed softly. “More preconceived notions, Ryan? I assure you, there is much more to me than you think.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” she said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “You said you will answer my questions.”
“Yes,ifyou are willing to listen with an open mind. Can you do that?”
“That depends on what you expect me to believe.”
“I will speak only the truth.”
“Then we won’t have a problem.”
Tiberius sincerely hoped that would be the case, yet he feared it wouldn’t be as easy as all that. “Please, sit down and make yourself comfortable. Would you care for a drink?”
“No, thank you. I’d rather just get on with it, if you don’t mind.”
“As you wish.”
“Is Maximus really your last name?”
Ah, so she had been doing a bit of research. “Legally, yes.”
“What about illegally?”
He grinned, pleased with her quick wit and directness. “My family’s surname has no recognizable pronunciation in your language.”
She frowned. “You mean, like when Prince changed his name to a symbol?”
He shrugged. “I know of no such other prince, so I cannot say.”
