Dark Stranger Immortal (The Children of the Gods #3)(8)
“Is everyone in your family a member?”
“Definitely not, just the ones we invite and who are willing to pay for membership…”
“What about those you don’t invite? They must feel left out.”
“What they don’t know won’t hurt them. Anyway, the place was not intended to be a family hangout. The concept was to provide a top-notch place for the rich and famous—the movers and shakers of society—to mingle and have fun away from the public eye.”
“And you want to take plain old me to hang out with those kinds of people? I’ll stick out like a sore thumb. What will I wear? I don’t know how to dress for a place like this.” She cringed, some of her initial excitement ebbing. “Can’t we go somewhere less intimidating?” As much as she was intrigued, she couldn’t help thinking of how awkward she’d feel amongst such a crowd.
“Nonsense, Amanda will take you shopping and get you everything you need. You know it’s her favorite pastime… Well, maybe second favorite…
Anyway, just leave it to her and you’ll be fine; she is a pro when it comes to fashion. And besides, you need to get out of here and get some fresh air, even if it’s the somewhat polluted type that hangs over Rodeo Drive. I’m certain you’ll have fun on an outing with her.”
Syssi was sure she would, but the idea of spending a small fortune just so she could fit in with the patrons of a snooty place for one night didn’t sit well with her pragmatic nature. And shopping at a place like Rodeo Drive? Not going to happen.
Maybe I could borrow something from Amanda— that makes much more sense.
“Okay, I’ll go… Just for once, I’m curious to see how the elite parties.
But I’m not sure about buying new expensive stuff that I’ll probably never wear again.”
“Don’t worry about the money—it’s my treat.”
“I have the money. I just hate spending it frivolously.”
“Please, do it for me. I feel so bad for turning your life upside down.
Getting you something you would never buy for yourself will bring me much pleasure. Be a good girl and say yes.”
“I’ll think about it. First, I’m going to see if I can borrow something from Amanda.” It was hard to say no to him, but she didn’t want to accept presents from Kian just so he could ease his conscience. This was exactly what her parents had done every time they had neglected her or her siblings. They had bought expensive presents; after a long absence, or for not showing up for teacher conferences, or school plays, or sports games, or graduations… It had been nothing but a bribe.
“There is nothing to think about. If I’m dragging you to this expensive place, I think I should be the one to provide you with whatever you need to feel comfortable going there. Case closed.” Kian really wasn’t used to anyone saying no to him, and with the way his brows were tightening, Syssi realized he was getting impatient with her.
“My big bad wolf… You can huff, and you can puff, but this little piggy will not bow down.” She leaned to nip at his nose again.
“We’ll see about that…” On a surge, he gripped her at the waist and pulled her up, then tossed her over his shoulder. With his arm locked over her thighs, he strode down the hallway toward his bedroom, playfully smacking her upturned behind.
“Put me down, you brute!” Laughing, Syssi pounded her fists on his back.
“Oh, I will… as soon as we reach the bed. Then I’ll put you down… over my knee to finish what I’ve started.” He delivered a stronger smack that actually managed to sting a little.
“Oh, no you will not. Put me down this instant!” Giggling hysterically and fighting to catch her breath, she was barely able to get the words out. But secretly, she was incredibly turned on and wondered how far Kian would take this game… Or more to the point… how far she wanted him to take it…
4
K I A N
K ian smiled smugly as he inhaled the intoxicating aroma of Syssi’s arousal. The minx was turned on by the little scene he was enacting, and he wondered how far she would like to be pushed.
The truth was that even though his predatory nature attracted those with spicier tastes, he had never had the urge to test his partners’ limits before.
And during the short interludes he was accustomed to, he mostly followed their cues.
Except, that was with women he hadn’t been emotionally invested in and hadn’t really cared how they had felt about him. It was different with Syssi.
With her, he had an overbearing craving to push the envelope and see how far she was willing to go.
On some level it disturbed him; he wished he didn’t have these kinds of urges. But given the predatory nature of his people, there wasn’t much he could do about it. Fuck knew, most of the males of his kind were beasts, and even the females were rapacious. Only those further away from the source seemed to get their genetically preprogrammed impulses somewhat diluted.
In his case, however, he was as close to the source as it got.
Being dominant and aggressive had been an advantage in the era he had been born into; as a natural leader and fighter he had what it took to safeguard his family. But as times had changed, and what had been required of him had shifted toward the diplomatic and managerial, he had learned to keep these impulses on a tight leash.