Ramliel by A.M. Griffin

Chapter Nine

 

Steam practically spilled from Mia’s ears.

His name too!

Inside, she seethed with fury and embarrassment. She’d known exactly who Ram was the second he’d sauntered into the room with what she could only describe as a fairy, sans the wings, on his arm. She’d tried to remain composed, hid her hurt under her smile and with upbeat chatter.

There was no ignoring this.

Ram stood in front of her, looking and smelling better than she’d ever imagined, staring at her like he’d forgotten he had a mate. She squinted at him through her thick eyelashes. If he wasn’t seven feet tall, built like a Mack truck and she wasn’t on an alien planet, she would’ve balled her fist and punched him in the face. Well, maybe not the face because she couldn’t reach it standing toe-to-toe, but she would punch him in the nuts.

Her fingers twitched and curled into balls as she dipped her gaze to where said nuts would be. There was a noticeable bump in his groin. She didn’t know if that was a hard on or him at a resting state. But she liked it.

Ugh. Don’t.

Mia caught herself and the intrusive thought and stopped it immediately. No thinking about bulges or anything of that nature. He’d brought her here and abandoned her. For weeks!

“Mia.” He said her name again, slowly and with deliberate intent. His tongue flicked along the underside of his top front teeth as he did. Dark eyes framed in black watched her intently. “I’ve said that name many times in my head. Never have I spoken it out loud.”

She forced her lips into a weak smile. “Nice to meet you, Ramliel.” She turned to face Ivo, her boss. “Would you like anything to drink? I’m going to hop on over to the bar.”

“Hop?” Ivo asked. “Why not walk? I think hopping might be a problem with those shoes on.”

She’d chosen a light blue dress and flesh-colored stilettos for tonight. She could’ve gotten something made specifically for tonight but she’d wanted to wear something from Earth. This was her first gathering outside of work and she’d wanted to bring a touch of her culture to tonight’s events.

Mia chuckled lightly, despite the rage threatening to overtake her emotions. She had to remember to stop talking in euphemisms but it was hard. She never knew how much her speech was laced with them. “It’s a figure of speech. I’m going to walk.”

“In those shoes…” Ram said.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. How dare he show up and have something to say about her clothes? “There’s nothing wrong with my shoes.” Before she or he could say anything else she opened her eyes, did an about face and headed to the bar. She needed a stiff drink, not that fru-fru stuff the waiters had.

She wove her way through the crowd. Although she was much smaller than most everyone here, she was an oddity. There was only one other human here, but after a brief sighting and a wave, she’d lost her. Mia had hoped to speak with her. So far she was the only human at her job so to see another at a work event piqued her interest.

The crowd stared as she made her way through. No one tried to stop her or engage in a conversation. She got the feeling not everyone was happy with human women on Teague. Her mate not wanting anything to do with her was a big indication of that.

Mia reached the front of the bar and made her selection at the kiosk. A few minutes later her drink arrived. She took it and gulped it down in a breath. She knew this beverage. Hinduru had programmed it in her food processor. It wasn’t bourbon, but it was damn close to it. After the last gulp she wiped her mouth and set the cup in the receptacle and turned around. Ram still stood with Ivo and Haliel. His heated gaze on her.

Her heart skipped a beat and hammered. He’d grown into a very handsome man, er, Yatur. His once small face and puny body was well-defined now. His clothes were expertly made. She’d been on Teague long enough to distinguish between the different fashion statements and styles. Ram’s fashion sense was rich.

The material of his suit reminded her of silk. Blues and silvers intertwined in designs that appealed to her. They molded to his body, stretching in places they were supposed to stretch and loose where needed. She specifically appreciated the tightness over his arms, chest and thighs.

She licked her lips. Then Ram licked his. Their gazes stayed locked on each other. Her chest felt too tight. Breathing became difficult. Neither one seemed to want to break the connection.

The woman he’d arrived with came to his side. The fairy wannabe. Tall, like him and stunning. She glanced in the direction Ram looked, focused on Mia then sniffed at the air. She stepped in front of Ram, giving Mia her back and blocking Ram from view.

Just as well.

Mia turned and called up another drink. Just like the last, she gulped the second one down. This time, instead of turning to watch Ram again, she headed for the door. Thanks to Ram she had a car service and couldn’t be more grateful for that now.

* * *

Mia woke with a raging headache. Her skull felt like it was splitting in two, her mouth like cotton. Very bad smelling and tasting cotton.

“Ugh.” She rolled over and stared at the dark wall.

Thanks to the light dampening blinds, it was pitch black in her bedroom. The only light came from the clock on her nightstand. It was nine in the morning. She didn’t have work this morning. The Teague three-day work week was one she could get behind. To them, work was something done to better the society, not something to enrich corporate America or the few who were already gazillionaires.

Mia blinked, trying to clear the sleepiness from her eyes and get her brain in working order.

“What do you eat for breakfast? There’s no eggs or milk stocked in the food processor, but I can order some supplies.”

Mia yelped at the unexpected deep voice. She turned over. A big figure loomed at her bedroom door. She twisted in her blanket and fell off the opposite side of the bed, hitting the cushioned floor hard.

There was a chuckle.

Mia’s heart slammed against her ribs. “Lights!”

Her room lit up. She kicked the blanket from her legs while simultaneously pushing it away. Once semi-free she scrambled to peer over the bed.

Ram.

He was shirtless and in loose pants that hung low on his hips. His hair was pulled up in a messy bun and his feet were bare. A far cry from the immaculately put together specimen she’d met last night. “What are you doing here?”

One side of his mouth lifted. “This is my house.”