Diltan snorted. Now that he was thinking with his heart and not his ambition, he would not let something like Cissy’s preference for comfortable clothing be a cause for embarrassment. It helped remembering the lush, delicious body inside those clothes.
Besides, if other men found her appearance off-putting, Diltan wouldn’t have to blacken their eyes for looking too closely.
The heat in his voice was genuine as he said, “You look perfect, my lovely. Whether dressed like a man or naked in my bed, I see nothing I don’t like.”
Cissy shook her head as if to say she wasn’t buying it, but her face lit with pleasure. “You are a smooth devil. You deserve to be seen with the likes of me, if only to punish you for such shameless flattery.”
She looped her arm in his. Diltan turned his back on the in-house transport, more than happy to leave behind his concerns in order to spend time with her.
As he led her out onto the sunlit beach at the foot of the cliff, he teased, “Admit your heart pounds to be in my company. I always knew you liked me. I knew it from the moment we met.”
Cissy offered her wonderful bellow of a laugh and shoved against him. “Shut up before I take a swing at you.”
Feeling her warm at his side, Diltan found it impossible to wipe off the stupid-looking grin he knew he wore.
* * * *
Lunch at A Taste of Home was busy, but Diltan had no trouble getting them a table. Cissy noted that though business was brisk, it wasn’t as crowded as at night. Conversation was a steady hum through the eatery, and waiters moved at top speed to get the patrons fed.
Cissy had only seen the place at night, with its dim, intimate lighting that made each table feel like its own private island. During the day it was bright and cheerful, with the walls emitting full-sized vids of the seaside, complete with the salty smell and dull roar of the ocean. The table Diltan got them was next to one of these vid-walls, and Cissy felt she could have walked out onto the sand. She swore she could even feel a slight breeze.
It might have been the serene feeling that kept her from getting mad at Diltan when he confessed he had tried to woo Lindsey from Clan Bacoj. Instead of giving him hell over it, Cissy rolled her eyes at his temerity, called him a few rude names, and let the matter go. Diltan seemed genuinely contrite as well as embarrassed over his admission. In the end, she felt the matter was best left between him and her cousin ... and the mothers of Clan Bacoj. Diltan’s account of how they had raked him over the coals put Cissy in stitches even as he turned a blistering red.
Cissy privately admitted she was impressed he had the decency to admit to his wrongdoing. Most men in her experience would have kept such a thing hidden for as long as possible. Diltan was an ass, but an ass that attempted to rise above that particular shortcoming.
Once he’d come clean about the issue between him and Lindsey, they settled down to lunch. The pair ordered more food than they could possibly eat, tantalized by the menu. They laughed over their many platters, and Diltan insisted Cissy try everything. Her protests about her figure had him waving her off.
“If you knew how good your soft, yielding body feels against mine, you wouldn’t worry,” he scoffed. “I adore your curves. If not for the worry over your long-term good health, I’d beg you to add to them.”
Cissy was all too happy to have an excuse to sample the full menu. Vax’s recipes were the best she’d ever had.
At one point, she groaned around a mouthful of heaven. Hiding her face behind her hand, she said, “That man does things to chicken that no one on Earth ever imagined possible.”
Diltan nodded his happy agreement. “He is a talent. I’m so glad being an asshole didn’t keep me from being one of his investors.”
Cissy had to shake her head at the Dramok again. “Quite the story. Lindsey is still mad at you, and I didn’t think she was the type to hold a grudge for so long. You truly are a jerk.”
He reddened yet again. He managed a devilish look nonetheless. “I’m the biggest jerk in existence. Yet I have moments of being a good guy and it throws everyone off guard.”
They laughed. Cissy felt no real anger at Diltan, not with him so determined to be honest about the matter. She had to tease him, however. “You should have been born ugly or stupid. Arrogance is not crippling you enough. It would do you some good to be instantly reviled once in a while.”
Diltan snorted. “Are you kidding? You came close. Admit it, you wanted to punch me within a minute.”
“That’s probably a record, huh? I was the quickest to resist your charms.”
“Almost. You’ve been a real pain in the ass from the start, but it’s nothing compared to how much or how fast Wal hated me.”
Cissy blinked at him. “Seriously? I know you’ve mentioned you didn’t get along at first, that he had it bad for another Dramok.”
Diltan nodded and speared a piece of ronka in peas and gravy. “He could have cheerfully pushed me off one of the cliffs when we first met. I almost felt like I needed to check my food for poison any time I ate or drank in his presence. He despised me before he ever laid eyes on me.”
Cissy leaned forward, fascinated with the idea that sweet, quiet Wal could harbor such loathing for anyone. “Oh boy. You really had to lay on the charm, huh?”
Diltan snickered. “No, I only had to prove how awful the other man was. He didn’t need much help as it turned out. Then when Wal couldn’t pretend the man wasn’t an utter asshole ... worse than me, even ... he hated me for making him face the truth.” He shook his head. “It’s more Wal’s story to tell than mine, so we’ll leave it at that.”
Cissy was dying to hear more, but she could appreciate that Wal might not like being talked about without his knowledge. She put her curiosity aside.
Her stomach gurgled a warning, feeling tight and overfull. Cissy considered the delicious food still waiting to be eaten with sadness. To distract herself, she invited Diltan, “Tell me more about you then. Where does this horrid sense of propriety come from?”
Diltan grinned and pushed his own plate away. “Ambition, ambition, ambition. I wholeheartedly admit to my need for rank and status.”
“Pushy parents?”
“Not really. My parent clan was well-off, they were generous, and I never went asking for anything. It bothered me, however. Somehow, being handed everything made wealth seem empty and meaningless. I felt like others looked at me as if I didn’t deserve what I was given.”
Cissy regarded him. “So even though you could have anything you wanted for the asking, you were compelled to earn it?”
Diltan shrugged. “I have a ridiculous drive to be and possess the best that there is, but it has to be won. I’ve always been like that. Even before I finished basic schooling, I worked odd jobs to make my own money. I studied business and marketing at an advanced level when I was barely in my teens. I amassed a small fortune of my own before the age of 20 by investing my allowance and earnings. Pretty soon I didn’t have to work at all because my investment income was so phenomenal.”
“Well, at least you aren’t lazy,” Cissy laughed. “You are what I believe we from Earth call a Type-A personality. Ambitious, status conscience, and able to work yourself into an early grave if you’re not careful.”
Diltan sipped the kloq he’d ordered with his lunch. “Wal is constantly on me about pushing myself too hard. It’s true that I love the trappings of success. I want the Empire to remember I was here after I’m gone.” He sighed, gloom settling on his handsome face. “The way things are shaping up with this whole Earther abduction affair, it looks like I might get that. It wasn’t the way I envisioned making my mark.”
“Be careful what you wish for. That’s what they say anyway.” Cissy didn’t like the despondent expression he wore. How could she make him feel better? “Hey, you’re just doing your job, Diltan. It’s not like you arranged those kidnappings or anything.”
He raked his fingers through his hair. Damn the slug, he looked sexy with it mussed. “If
I’d just known Maf had an agenda where those records were concerned! He’s going to make a big deal out of them and set Kalquorians against one another. He might do a better job of it than the Basma has.”
Cissy was determined to make Diltan relax. She thought he took too much responsibility for others’ shortcomings. “Come on, you big snob. We’re here to relax and get our minds off the end of the Empire. Let’s talk about good things. What are you most proud of that you’ve accomplished?”
Diltan drew a deep breath, settling himself. He took another sip of kloq and made the attempt to smile for her. “Since we’ve had so many children born on Kalquor in the last four years, seeing that they have the best possible education has become my primary focus. I’ve put in to form a council committee on it.”
“You don’t already have an educational system?”
“We hardly have any Kalquorians under the age of 30 left. Before Earther women came and began having our babies, we had less than a hundred births total the prior decade. The only real systematic approach to learning has been directed at the Nobeks, who go into training camps around the age of five.”
That reminded Cissy of her nephew Wayne. Jessica was positive her son was going to end up in a training camp within the year. Well, at least his education won’t fall through the cracks, she thought.
She asked Diltan, “What about the Dramoks, Imdikos, and Mataras? What have you done about their schooling?”
“Because there are fewer of those breeds, small classes or individual tutors have become the rule. The Temple of Life often fills in the academic gaps in smaller communities. Priests are always ready to serve others.”
“Our schools on Earth were heavy into religious study,” Cissy said. “Not to mention pro-government propaganda.”
“The Temple of Life has an edict against teaching specific spiritual philosophy to small children unless the parents ask for that,” Diltan said. “The first classes are always comparative in nature, allowing younglings who are curious to learn different ways of thinking. The Temple of Life tries hard not to tell people what to believe and to be open to those who have different faiths.”
“Interesting.”
“As for language arts, mathematics, and the sciences, the need for formal academics will soon grow far beyond what we have in place,” Diltan continued. “In the last five years since the first hybrids were born, we’ve had something of a population explosion. It’s at just over ten thousand births right now, but there are more babies on the way all the time. Plus we have more Earther women coming to Kalquor to join clans, which means more children ... we’ve got to take a serious look at the issue before it has the chance to become a problem. We are talking about Kalquor’s future, after all.”
His tone grew more passionate as he spoke. Cissy could tell Diltan was heavily invested in getting proper education for the children of Kalquor. It impressed her. “You are devoted to your Empire.”
“Our society has been hailed as one of the greatest by the known worlds. I don’t want to see it end. What is the point of saving ourselves from extinction if we aren’t going to be the best versions of ourselves?”
They were quiet for a moment, digesting food and thought. Diltan roused himself and looked at Cissy with surprise. “I just realized, I know nothing of what your vocation is. What is it you did on Earth and what would you like to do for a career? If you wish to have a career, that is.”
Cissy grinned brightly. “You’re going to love this.”
“Uh oh. Now I’m wishing I hadn’t asked.” Diltan chuckled.
“I was a teacher on Earth. I’d like to return to that. So if you’re looking for staff for your first school—”
He regarded her with open-mouthed surprise. Then Diltan’s head fell back and he roared with laughter. “Ancestors! You’re a teacher? Are you teasing me, Cecilia?”
She shook her head, laughing with him over the coincidence. “Not one bit. I taught kindergarten, the very age group Kalquor’s oldest hybrids have arrived at.”
The Dramok’s eyes lit with excitement and he leaned forward. “We have so much to discuss, you and I. To think that I have access to an expert in education – this is phenomenal! Oh, I know there are a few other Mataras on Kalquor who were once teachers, but very few. Now here you are right where I can confer at any time.” He shook his head, delight playing freely over his face. “This is so lucky.”
“I wonder why there aren’t more teachers here?” Cissy mused.
“The first wave of Earther women brought here were off-planet workers. Not a teacher in the lot. Most of the ones found after Armageddon were begged to go to an orphanage colony the Galactic Council set up for the surviving children of Earth.”
Diltan’s mention of the first Mataras begged a new question, one that would put them back in the territory of what made him feel miserable. However, Cissy now had a vested interest in what being a part of this man and his clan’s lives meant. There was a major truth yet to be uncovered.
With some trepidation, she broached the subject. “Would you have supported the Earther abductions if you’d been in on it?”
Diltan didn’t rush to answer. His brows furrowed and he stared at the platters of food they had not been able to finish eating. Cissy knew he wasn’t seeing their leftovers, however. He considered the subject from every angle. Cissy had the insight that he had never thought about what he would have done in Emperor Zarl’s place until this moment.
It gave her the opportunity to study the Dramok in detail. That was not an unpleasant exercise. He was a stunning man with that well-formed jaw, that perfectly straight nose, those high cheekbones. He was smart. Funny. Dedicated to his causes. Despite having some personality flaws, Cissy sensed that Diltan was a decent man, ready to help those he could. And damn, he was good in bed.
As for the way they grated on each other’s nerves ... well, a little bit of friction kept things interesting. Cissy could help Diltan not be so stuffy. He could help her be a little more refined. If they managed to not strangle each other first, the whole lifemate thing might work out.
As long as the Empire doesn’t blow up around us, we have time to figure this out. I’m not ready to tell the gorgeous bastard I like him that much ... but it’s worth a shot.
At last his gaze met hers. Diltan shook his head. “I’m not sure I could have been a part of the kidnappings. Maybe it depends on the individual circumstances. I know that some of the women were in a bad way when they were taken. I’ve seen Earthers who hid from their own shadows who later blossomed into strong, steady women with the support of their clans. But a few, when given the option of de-clanning and leaving the Empire, did so. It wasn’t good for everyone.”
“I guess it depends on the woman and what she went through on Earth,” Cissy mused.
Diltan grinned. “You would not have been one to let men whisk you away like that.” He sobered again. “The thought of coming upon you and forcing you to come to Kalquor is a hard one. I don’t think I could have done it.”
“Even knowing you were taking me from a society that thought of women as second-class citizens?”
“And bringing you to a culture that, with a few loud exceptions, cherishes females with near idolization?” Diltan snorted. “I don’t know, Cissy. I really don’t. I wish I could say with all certainty that I’m a better man than to have taken your choices from you. It would have been a hell of a tug-of-war with my conscience.”
“It sounds like you wouldn’t have gone through with it,” Cissy said.
Diltan took a few seconds to think about it more. He shook his head. “It’s impossible to say for sure unless I was in that position. I have the disturbing feeling I would have initially gone along with it, though.”
Cissy gave him a surprised look. “Do you think so?”
He grimaced. “Remember how stupidly I behaved with your cousin Lindsey? That tells me something about myself. My only saving grace is that when I learned how badly she took my proposal, I wa
s aghast. I thought I was doing her a favor, taking her away from a clan with so little status. I couldn’t have been more wrong.”
“You and status. Someone needs to cure you of that.” Cissy went back to teasing, because she sensed Diltan was ready to beat up on himself some more.
He responded with his smug grin. “It doesn’t look like that will happen any time soon. I must say, I’ve developed a taste for more distantly related but still royal blood.”
Cissy motioned at her less than fancy clothing. “To the casual observer, you’re slumming it. By allowing yourself to be seen with me, you can pretend you’re not so obnoxious.”
Diltan looked her over and shrugged. “I’ll admit that I’m not crazy about the clothes. Yet it has less to do with their cheap construction, terrible fit, and that they are more suited to a man than the fact that I know what’s underneath them. Even if you were wearing a jeweled gown right now, I’d hate it. The best look for you is naked.”
Knowing he found her attractive made Cissy feel warm and happy inside. Not wanting to appear the simpering female basking in compliments, she elected to return his leer. With her gaze raking over that too-fine body, Cissy said, “It’s too bad you’re working today. I’d let you take my offensive outfit off if you were available.”
Diltan looked gloomy for all of a second before his smile returned. “Who says I can’t take the day off? I’ve already canceled several appointments this morning. What are a few more?”
Cissy’s heart sped up at the thought of Diltan’s playroom or his bed. “Really?”
Diltan stood up and offered her his hand. “Why not? As far as I know, we only live once. Tomorrow is going to be a bitch what with me reporting to the Ethics Committee, so I should make up for it with a good time today.”
Cissy let him help her to her feet. “Naughty boy. Playing hooky, are we? Whatever will your constituents say?”
His eyes gleamed. “If they had what I did last night and this morning, they’d congratulate me for my good sense. Besides, I can claim that I knew from the start you were a terrible influence. Let’s go prove it.”
Alien Indiscretions Page 27
