feel like Vissimo should stay out of the media because you’re as unchanging as Cher.” Oh my god, was Cher a vampire? She didn’t age, but I put that down to surgeries and whatnot.
Rory nodded at a young woman, who fluttered her eyelashes in response. I’d never been able to do that. Tried for a whole hour one time.
“We take turns,” he replied. “Plus, we control the media within this city. There are enough royal siblings that we only need to take ten years every century. This is only my second turn.”
Somehow I gathered it wasn’t a chore for him.
Rory scanned the room again, and I did another sweep. I couldn’t see anyone I knew in the main chamber. We’d turned up an hour late, so mostly everyone should have arrived. Maybe I could just relax for the next few hours.
Actually…
“Two hours and fifteen minutes to go,” I said in glee.
“We just got here.”
“The time frame was inclusive of travel.”
He shot me an irritated look.
I sighed prettily. “You should negotiate better, Mr Senrite. Terms and conditions, my boy. Terms and conditions.”
“You are intensely annoying.” He straightened as a couple approached.
I smirked. “That’s what your eldest brother says too.”
“Not sure that’s the word he’s looking for,” Rory murmured, gaze settling on my breasts as another camera flashed.
Laughter bubbled in my throat. He was trying so hard to piss off his sibling that I couldn’t be angry about it. A waitress with a tray of champagne sauntered by. I snatched a flute.
“Free booze!” I sipped at the contents, my insides welcoming the honey explosion of bubbles like an old friend. Though I’d only had one person I’d put under that umbrella.
The sweet bubbles soured in my mouth.
“Mr Ringly,” Rory greeted in a cold tone.
I glanced at him and deduced the conniving vampire had become an asshole vampire. He posed like a fucking king at my side, expression aloof.
The middle-aged couple gaped.
Rory cut me a look.
My turn?
Leaning into Rory’s side, I fixed a smile in place. “Mr Ringly, a pleasure to meet you.”
The man’s eyes bounced to me so fast and with so much relief, I nearly snorted.
“I’m Bas, Rory’s date.” I’d never gone by Bas before. Hopefully that helped confuse any rumours.
“B-Bas,” Mr Ringly repeated.
I peered at the woman on his arm. She gaped at Rory, reminding me entirely of my seventeen-year-old self. He was probably lapping it up.
“This is Mrs Ringly,” the man said, drawing her forward.
She didn’t seem in much of a hurry to shift her gaze from Rory. Not that I could judge—but if she knew he’d looked in the mirror ten times on the drive here, she may reconsider.
“Lovely to meet you both,” I murmured, sipping at my champagne.
Mr Ringly licked his lips a few times. I slid him a glance, frowning when he did it again.
He licked them a third time.
No way.
Either Mr Ringly had one hell of a nervous habit or he was a Licky Lips! Just like my drugged-up homeless man. Was Mr Ringly high?
I hid a grin behind another sip of champers.
“Have you had a chance to look over my new proposal, Mr Senrite?” the man spoke to me.
I peered up to Rory. “Have you, baby?”
He choked and covered the slip with a cough. “This would be the loan proposal for subdivision of Wells Row? You sent another one?”
“Yes. My development application was finally approved.”
That sounded about as interesting as watching paint dry. Rory was vain and dealt with boring stuff. Definitely dodged a bullet. I bit my lip to hold in the snicker, sipping again.
Arm in arm with the vampire, I scanned the crowd as he and Mr Ringly spoke. A few groups glanced my way. At little ol’ me, the woman with the magical vagina that snagged Mr Ageing Complex beside me.
Typical rich snobs. They darted looks and murmured to their friends over their drinks, sharing arch smiles. Like that wasn’t totally obvious.
In fact, it made the one person not doing the same stick out like a sore thumb.
One person was staring at me without any of the frills.
My jaw dropped.
Rhys!
Jeans and black tee boy brushed up nice in the smart black tux. What was he doing here? His attention lifted from my boobs to my eyes. He coloured and returned his attention to the woman he was next to. An older woman.
I had the hots for a one-hundred-and-forty-nine-year-old, so power to him. And her.
Last time we’d spoken, I’d promised to call him. I wanted to smooth things over. And honestly, the