Polaris Rising (Consortium Rebellion, #1)(59)

“Welcome, welcome. I figured we’d all be more comfortable in here than in the formal sitting room,” Rhys said. He’d dressed for dinner in a dark, formal suit and he looked damn good in it.

I pulled the scarf from my face. “Thank you for the invitation,” I said. “Rhys, this is Yasmin,” I said, pulling a slightly dazed-looking Veronica along with me. We’d agreed to use her middle name tonight. “Yasmin, meet Rhys Sebastian.”

Rhys bowed over her hand. “Ms. Yasmin, it is a pleasure to meet you,” he said.

She dipped into a curtsy. “The pleasure is mine, Mr. Sebastian,” she said.

“Please, call me Rhys. Come, ladies, sit,” he said. He offered each of us an elbow with the grace of a Consortium gentleman. I wondered, not for the first time, about his past.

Loch growled something too low to hear as he followed us. The ghost of a smile touched Rhys’s mouth.

Rhys led us to a pair of settees. He settled Veronica on one, then settled me on the second. Rhys’s eyes danced with a devilish light as he made to sit next to me. Loch closed the distance and hauled Rhys up, then turned and dropped him next to Veronica.

Loch sat beside me, close enough that his body pressed against mine from knee to shoulder. He sprawled, letting his arm drape behind me on the settee. His fingers played idly with the edge of my scarf. I hid a grin. Loch was very clearly sending a message.

Rhys sat next to Veronica with a tiny, satisfied smile. He knew he was playing with fire, but he didn’t care. And Loch’s glower did nothing but make Rhys’s smile grow.

Interesting.

Rhys turned to Veronica, who still looked a little shell-shocked. “So tell me, Ms. Yasmin, what do you do?”

“It’s just Yasmin,” she said. “Currently, I’m between jobs. But I help people find what they’re looking for.”

“Ah, a lady after my own heart,” Rhys said. He smiled a devastating smile but Veronica was getting her feet under her. Her expression turned knowing. She’d figured out he was blinding her with his beauty and from the way her eyes crinkled at the corners, she was about to turn the tables on him.

“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.