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“That’s a vivid image.” Lia could not believe for one second that he was telling her the truth. A god’s magical wine cup? That was plain nonsense.
“Whatever you want to believe,” he said, “the fact is, that cup rightly belongs to Eros and those who serve in the Temple of Eros.” He pointed at himself.
“There is no Temple of Eros. It’s 2019, not...19.”
“How can you say that? You have a shrine to Aphrodite.” He gestured at her mantel while staring at her.
She sighed. “Fair point. But my shrine is just for fun.”
“So is mine,” he said. “Sacred fun.”
Lia turned away from him. This was madness. Absolute insanity.
“Lia, I need you to believe me,” he said. “The Rose Kylix can be very dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. And you don’t.”
“You want me to give you the cup.”
“Sell it to me. Name your price.”
“No.” She shook her head. “No, absolutely not. My father gave that to me for my graduation. He’d be heartbroken if I sold it.”
“I’ll trade you one of mine for it. I have kylikes galore.”
“Then you don’t need mine. Now...are you going to go tell on me or not?” she demanded.
“Never. On my honor.”
“Do you have any honor?”
“Somewhere...” He patted his pockets. “Left it at home. Probably next to my stack of tart cards.”
“I don’t like you,” she said.
“Yes, you do.”
“Fine, but I’ve never had good judgment when it comes to men.”
He held out his hand to her and she looked at it. Then she put her hand in his. He turned it palm up and stroked the lines of her life. It tickled deliciously, his rougher male fingertips against her soft tender skin.
“Tell me a sexual fantasy you have,” he said.
“What?” She laughed, too shocked to slap him.
“I want to prove to you that I’m telling the truth about the cup.”
“Did you not just say it was extremely dangerous?”
“Not if I’m with you,” he said. “I know how to use it. I know all its secrets.”
“Oh, of course. Makes perfect sense.”
If he’d detected her sarcasm, he didn’t let on.
“I want to prove myself to you. Let me, please.”
“That’s a little personal.”
“Would you like to know one of mine?” he asked, then went on before she could tell him no. “It’s 1780, and I’m a much-used and abused cabin boy on a passenger ship heading to France, and the exquisite teenage daughter of an indebted courtesan is being sent off to marry an ogre three times her age. When she sees poor me, she takes pity on me and buys me from my wicked captain and makes me her own personal—”
