Approaching Liken’s brother, she noticed immediately that he was the good-looking guy who had given Kate a hard time. Liken nodded his head at the man.He smiled even as his voice comfortably teased,“Sharon, my brother, Tair. Do not let him charm you.” His voice filled with pride as he introduced them more formally. “Tair,this ismy pactmate, Sharon.” Gesturing toward Tair, he said,“Sherree, you remember Tair. He was present at our Oath ceremony.”
It was easy to believe they were brothers. Both had the same powerful build, although Tair was a little leaner. His dark hair was longer than Liken’s hair, with more curl to it. The arrogant stance and charisma were identical, though. Duel heartbreakers, she decided. She gave him the beginnings of a shy smile.
Smiling warmly in response, Tair took her hand in his and said, “Welcome, Sharon. It is a pleasure to meet my future link. Liken doesn’t deserve you, but he was ever lucky.”
Sharon smiled back helplessly. She had no idea what he meant by link, but he really was charming. “It’s nice to meet you, too. Although you’re really jumping the gunsince we only took the oath yesterday.” She added quickly, “We still have three weeks to decide if we’re compatible.”
Tair arched a questioning eyebrow in Liken’s direction at her comment, and a silent message passed between the two men.“Ahhh. My apologies. Apparently my brother has not worked his magic on you yet.” His eyes were amused.
When Liken lightly hit his arm, the amusement only grew. “Please sit with me.” With an easy gallantry that reminded her of Liken, Tairpulled out a chair and motioned for her to sit.
Taking a seat to his left as he gestured, she saw Liken sit down in one beside her. They were each sitting on one side of the square table. She felt dwarfed between the two men.
Looking over at Tair, she said quite innocently, “You must be the one with magic. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone leave Kate speechless before. She’s used to getting her way. I was impressed at the oath yesterday.”
Tair laughed. “Well, I can believe she would be a worthy challenge to any opponent at any game. She was quite fierce in her protection of you.”
Suddenly swamped with missing her friend, Sharon’s smile dimmed. “Yes, she is. She’s a very loyal friend.”Images of the good and bad times she had shared with Kate flashed through her mind. She wished fiercely that she could see her friend and tell her what had happened so far.
Sensing her longing, Tair placed his hand over hers. He sought to reassure her, although he couldn’t quite contain a secretive smile at the knowledge that the two friends would be together sooner than either of them could imagine. “Sharon, you will always have her friendship. You will be together with her again. You have my oath.”
Shrugging off her sudden mood, she attempted to lighten the tone of the conversation. With a brisk nod of her head, she said, “Of course. It’s only three weeks. I’m just used to having her around to try to arrange my life. Kate has very definite ideas on making your own happiness.”
Her smile widening into a grin, she said, “she just happens to think she knows the best way for everyone to go about it.’Her grin slowly turned into a chuckle.
Tair’s eyes were dark with appreciation. “Yes, I believe she does. That confidence is very apparent. I doubt she gets surprised very often.”
Sharon laughed. “The horrible part is she’s usually right. Of course, it was her bright idea that got me into this… situation… in the first place.” The memory of a much younger Kate urging her to sign passed through her mind. With a shake of her head at their youthful naiveté, she glanced toward Liken.
Liken was smiling. “So I have Kate to thank for my good fortune. For that I owe her much. Perhaps she will be rewarded in the future for her good deed.” He shot a sidelong glance at Tair.
Tair’s eyes held a promise. “I have no doubt she will.”
At that moment a man appeared, asking if they were ready to state their selections. Sharon gave Liken a questioning look. He said to her, “If it pleases you, I will select for you. I know you are not yet familiar with the foods here.”
He was certainly being careful about appearing domineering. Giving an assenting nod, Sharon listened as he ordered. Nothing was familiar, but she hoped for the best.
After the waiter disappeared, Liken turned to Sharon. “Forgive me,sherree, but I need to ask Tair about something.”
He turned to Tair. “What is happening with Bek?”
As Tair filled him in, Sharon realized they were discussing one of his work cases. Tair must be a cop, too, from the way he talked. As the waiter brought them their food, conversation around the table turned to lighter topics.
Tair asked how she had enjoyed her time on Shimeria thus far. Fighting off a vivid memory of their activities on the couch that morning, Sharon felt her cheeks warm. Her enthusiastic response to his caresses still mortified her. Making a polite response, she avoided Liken’s knowing gaze.
Quickly, Sharon began complimenting the food. As they told her the name of each dish, she asked questions and spoke enthusiastically of the beauty of the neighborhood. Both men made an effort to keep her entertained and at ease. Many times, masculine heads turned at the sound of her laughter during the meal.
Lunch passed quickly. Tair finally said regretfully, “I have enjoyed this time much, but I cannot stay longer. I must report back to my command.” His signaling nod brought the waiter immediately. The waiter took his ID card and disappeared into the other room. Coming back almost immediately, he handed the card back to Tair with polite thanks. Tair stood and gave a little bow toward the two of them. “Please stay and enjoy. I have paid for all of us.”
Liken made a noise of protest, but Tair overruled him. “It is my right as link of the oath couple.” Offering a slap to Liken’s shoulder, he said, “Guard her well, brother. Else some sneaky male might steal this delight.” With a wink at Sharon, he left.
Liken’s smile was rueful as he heard Sharon laugh. “Charm in abundance, I know. Should I worry he has swayed you with his tricks?” His eyes were teasing.
“Maybe. He’s pretty smooth.” Her smile was flirtatious. “Not jealous of big brother, are you?”she asked with false innocence.
He shook his head. “He might make you laugh,sherree, but you are mine in the end. Besides, that surface charm covers steel. He can be very ruthless. He took great pains to set you at ease. I appreciated it. I trust my brother.”
His eyes took on a hard gleam as they swept the restaurant. His voice matched his eyes as he said quietly, “I am not so tolerant of others.”At his look and words, several of the men who had been eyeing Sharon quickly turned away.
Sharon was surprised to hear the conversation around her dip and then pick up volume again. Then she remembered the Shimerian hearing. A little part of her perked up at his jealousy. He was publicly stating his claim. His heart might not be vulnerable, but he was feeling possessive. It was a start.If he could feel jealousy, those feelings could deepen over time. Love might be possible.Feeling a little lighter, she asked, “What do we do now?” Almost immediately she realized she would probably get some embarrassing answer.
Although his eyes gleamed, he merely said courteously, “I thought I would show you the city. “ She nodded her assent eagerly. Going back to the house would put them in intimate territory. She wasn’t ready to tangle with him again. Of course, she couldn’t put it off indefinitely.
Chapter 6
The rest of the day, they exploredGlowen’da.As they walked around the city, Sharon realized the similarities to Earth. The contact and constant flow of travelers between the two planets were slowly blending the cultures. Although the landscape was alien, there was a familiarity she felt as she walked and asked questions.