Sorry for the late post. Yesterday sucked so bad that I completely forgot about it. Nursing can be very stressful... Anyway, on with the fic!

Clarifying Intentions

Joshua Myers noticed right away that there was something different about his prize employee and junior partner on Thursday. For one thing, she was late. Not by company standards, of course. But Alandra was nigh religious about being in the office at six every morning. It was six fifteen when she arrived, jumping into the elevator with him instead of already being upstairs.

"Everything alright, Ms. Shaveed?" he asked, wondering if there had been a death in her family.

"Oh yes, Mr. Josh. I just had a little trouble deciding what to wear for my date tonight," the woman said excitedly. She brandished a garment bag triumphantly. "I sorted it out. How is Ms. Grace doing?"

"She's well," he said fondly, thinking of his wife. "She's looking forward to Sunday dinner with you. Mr. Spiegel must have made quite the impression for you to be going out with him again so soon. Shall I have the cook set another place on Sunday?"

"Mr. Spiegel? Oh no. I'm not going out with Walter. I believe that we are best served as friends. No, I'll be accompanying Mr. Anasazi somewhere tonight." The silence in the rapidly ascending elevator was absolute.

"Mr. Anasazi? You're going out with Tyr Anasazi?"

The woman looked momentarily surprised, then shrugged. "Yes. It turns out that he wasn't just consulting the firm on Monday. He decided to apologize for the mix-up by asking me out officially, but he hasn't told me where we're going. Thus my later than usual arrival. I want to make a good, all-purpose impression." She giggled, looking happier than the elder Myers had ever seen her. He frowned.

"Ms. Shaveed, far be it from me to comment on your personal life-"

"When has that ever stopped you before?" The woman said with a grin.

"-but you may want to rethink your dinner plans," he said firmly. "Mr. Anasazi has a reputation for-"

"I know," she sighed. "I know all about his reputation, Mr. Josh. And I have to admit that it makes me very curious considering what he obviously knows of mine."

"Still," the man continued in a fatherly fashion that made Landi smile fondly at him. "Curiosity notwithstanding, it might be best to skip this invitation. Whatever he wants of you can't be good."

"I offered him a date, not my virtue," she said gruffly. "And I intend to make him fully aware of the difference before the date begins. But," she grinned mischievously, "There's nothing wrong with looking good while laying down the law, is there? It works all the time in the courtroom." The two shared a laugh at that.

"Very well, Ms. Shaveed. I doubt he'll see you coming. Just… be careful. You face a formidable opponent." Landi hugged the older man tightly before getting off at her stop. Joshua looked flummoxed, then smiled fondly as the door of the elevator closed.

"You're late. Good night?" Ms. Scryer asked slyly, taking the garment bag off her hands and pushing an aromatic cup of tea in her hands.

"Hectic morning," Landi offered with a roll of her eyes as the smell of jasmine filled the room. "I just couldn't figure out for the life of me what to wear for my date tonight. Tyr never mentioned where we were going."

"I know that ya don't like surprises, my dove, but perhaps this is for the best. For all his bad-boy reputation, the man has excellent tastes in restaurants. I'm sure he's planned a very special, romantic evening for the two of ya." The lawyer felt a flock of butterflies take flight in her stomach as her grandmotherly secretary mentioned romance. Taking a fortifying sip of her tea, she let the Scottish woman's accent soothe her nerves.

"I just don't understand why, m'athair," Landi grouched. "I'm hardly his type. But… he did say that he'd been thinking about me. Maybe… But that doesn't make any sense either… I just-" (mother)

"Gracious, child! Ya need to calm down. You're carrying on conversations half in your head, you'll end up a madwoman before he can take you out on yer date! Just relax and finish your tea. You have a busy day ahead of ya before you can think of your date tonight."

At that, the younger woman groaned. She was well aware of her full schedule today. She'd been tempted to move her date to the following Wednesday when she would have more time. But she hadn't for two reasons. First, she was afraid that if she pushed it back once, she would find excuses to push it back indefinitely. And second, she really wanted to go, despite her fear. Something about Tyr Anasazi put frissons of excitement in her belly that Walter Spiegel couldn't hope to match. It was a shame too. Walter Spiegel was definitely the safer, more respectable choice of the two of them. But he just didn't do it for her! And it was through no fault of his. Okay, so maybe she wanted to offer him a breath mint every time he spoke (did he not own a toothbrush?). And maybe he visited Atlantic City too often and was a little too fond of the slot machines according to his Twitter feed. But he was definitely the safer bet when compared to a spoiled, rich beyond telling, demigod who oozed sex from his every pore.

"Oh no, my dove. You are not canceling your date tonight! Whatever excuse you have cooked up in that brilliant brain of yours is not gonna cut it tonight, missie! I'll tie you up in whatever dress you've picked for yerself and drag your butt down to him meself if I catch ya getting cold feet. Now come on, we'll be cutting it close enough with all these meetings and paperwork. Whatever did possess you to schedule your appointment for seven? You'll be lucky to make it out of here by eight tonight. Come now. There's not a moment to waste." Alandra sighed, drained her tepid cup of tea, and asked for another one to be brought to her office as she dived head-first into her reports and case citations. Between these and the consultations booked for the day, she completely forgot about Tyr. At three o'clock, Scryer took pity on her young charge and brought her a sandwich and some more of her favorite tea since she missed lunch.

At half past six, she insisted that the prosecutor get ready for her date.

"I can't… I still have so much work to do, Ms. Scryer! I should call to cancel; I don't know what I was thinking, scheduling a date for today."

"Absolutely not!" the older woman said sternly. "You will have work from here till doomsday. But a strapping young lad like that isn't gonna just sit around waiting for you to make up your mind! Ya've got no head on your shoulders if you think otherwise. Now go! You can work a little more on yer citations and what-not after you're dressed."

"Sometimes I wonder just who's really in charge here," Landi griped, stopping herself from delving into yet another of her carefully constructed piles of paperwork.

"You can contemplate that as you change clothes. Come on. Chop-chop." Landi couldn't help a fond laugh as she did as she was told. When she came back, Elspeth stopped dead in her tracks. Landi was a vision in a lacy, sequins-embellished navy blue and nude dress with a fit-and-flare silhouette that fell gracefully to her shins. The V-neck plunged modestly to her upper chest, where a golden butterfly necklace nestled comfortably between her ample breasts. Golden small hoops and a golden watch on her left wrist completed the look. The woman had foregone stockings but was wearing a pair of nude, lace-up, closed-toed wedges to give herself some height without breaking her ankles. Her hair fell down her back in a wavy free-for-all, held away from her face with a pair of golden butterfly clips on either side of her head and caught in a lacy chignon scarf that matched her dress. It was such a contrast from her usual severe bun that the older woman could only stare in wonder.

"You look enchanting, my dove," Ms. Scryer sighed happily, watching the woman spin to watch her dress flare out.

"She certainly does," a new voice intruded on their conversation. Both women turned to see Walter standing in her doorway with both of their bosses. Joshua and Whitmore both looked stunned at her appearance, used to sensible suits and shoes from the woman. "I don't remember you dressing up for our date, Alandra." The woman flushed but was spared from answering as yet another voice filled the office.

"You look enchanting, Landi," Tyr said into the weighty silence. He walked through the throng of men to kiss her hand before spinning her around a couple of times as she giggled.

"I wasn't sure if this would be appropriate. You never told me where we were going."

"This is perfect for where we're going. Are you ready to go?" He kissed her hand again and started leading her out of the room and towards the elevator.

"Wait!" she laughed. "I haven't had a chance to introduce any of my co-workers or employers. You've met Ms. Scryer, my secretary. This is my co-worker, Walter Spiegel. And these are my employers, the founders of the firm, Joshua and Whitmore Myers."

"We've met," he said darkly, shaking everyone's hand as they were introduced. Once that was done, he turned back to his date, looking eager to have her all to himself. "Our reservations are for 7:45. I wasn't sure how fast I could get you out of the office."

Looking at the delicate watch on her wrist, she nodded. "Of course. Have a good evening, Gentlemen. I'll be on time tomorrow, Ms. Scryer. Goodnight all." With that, the two moved to the elevator. Once the doors closed she turned to him, looking him over and trying her best not to squeal or faint. Tyr looked better than those expensive chocolates Nick imported from Sweden tasted. And they tasted good.

"You look amazing," she said, hoping against hope that she wasn't drooling. How the hell was she supposed to keep her cool all night with Mr. Hot-Sex-On-A-Platter as a dinner companion? The man gave a slight smile that revved her hormones into a frenzy.

"Thank you. You know, I almost canceled several times today. I'm glad I didn't."

"Cancel? Wh-why would you feel the need to cancel our date?" she asked, glad beyond words that her shoes were cooperating. She and Gravity had a relationship, one that she was currently violating by being so far from the ground. Hopefully, Gravity would continue to take pity on her tonight, though she was a harsh mistress.

He opened her door for her, and that was when she finally noticed the two men in the front seat of the car. She hesitated, halfway into the car. "Um… What is this?" Tyr looked at her strangely, then towards the men. Finally, a lightbulb seemed to go off in his head to her relief.

"These are my bodyguards, Hazma and Omar. My father insists that they go where I go."

"Oh… That must be… awkward at times," she tried for humor as she planted herself in the back seat of the car. Tyr moved quickly around the car and jumped into the seat next to her. They buckled in and were off.

"Don't worry. Luckily for me, they know when to back off. They'll be driving the car and one will be hanging around the front of the restaurant in case I need them."

"God, that must be a crappy gig in the Winter," she said, wide-eyed at the prospect.

"Akhyran, amra'at yumkinuha 'an tuqadir ma namuru bih," Hazma laughed happily. (Finally, a woman that can appreciate what we go through)

"La 'iitlaqan ya Hazima. Walidi yamtalik sharikat lymwzin. Ladayh qisas hawl ma yajri dakhil wakharij alsayaara," she answered over the men's raucous laughter. The laughter stopped abruptly as all three of the men gawked at her. (Not at all, Hazma. My father owns a limousine company. He's got stories of what goes on in and out of the vehicle)

"Ant ... tatakalam alearabia?" Tyr asked slowly and carefully. (You... you speak Arabic?)

"Bialtabei. Hal 'anta?" she answered cheekily. The guards snickered before turning the sounds into coughs. She decided to take pity on her audience. "Where are we going for dinner, Mr. Anasazi?" (Of course. Do you?)

"Tyr, Landi. I would like you to call me Tyr tonight. We are on a date after all." She ducked her head in embarrassment, only to have him lift her head with a wonderfully callused finger under her chin. And just like that, she was lost in those amazingly deep brown eyes of his. Everything in her wanted to kiss him at that moment. Only two things held her back. First, they weren't alone. And second, she'd never been kissed and therefore had no idea how to go about it. This thought was altogether too depressing and she turned away.

"Why would you want to go on a date with me, Anasazi?" she asked the passenger door. He tried to turn her head again, but she resisted and he stopped with a sigh.

"I told you, I find you fascinating," he answered, pushing one of her braids behind her ear.

"But why?" she asked, turning to face him at last. "Our reputations couldn't be more opposite! I'm not a fast girl! I don't-" When had he wrapped himself around her like this? And how was he doing it? They were both still in their seatbelts.

"I don't care what you are or aren't compared to me. You've been on my mind since Nick and Rachel threw that party a month ago. I haven't had a crush in years. In fact, I don't think I've ever had a crush before. When I wanted a female, I simply had her. But there's this sweet longing when I think of you, Alandra. I seem unable to help my attraction. That's why I wanted to cancel on you. And that's also why I didn't." He was suddenly staring at her lips hard enough to brand them. "I want to kiss you so badly right now, Landi. You wouldn't believe how much restraint I am showing."

"I've never been kissed before," she admitted shyly, lamenting the bare inch of space separating their lips.

"You always felt that you'd marry the man who took your lips for the first time?" he asked, loosening his grip on her slightly. She looked at him strangely.

"Hadha 'aghrab shay' sumietuh fi hayaati. La , lam 'aqbal 'aya shakhs min qabl li'anani lam 'asheur qatu bihadha alairtibat alqawii mae rajul min qabalu. Hadha kulu shi," she shrugged, still staring into his eyes. She felt that she could drown in his eyes. She'd die happy. (That's the strangest thing I've ever heard. No, I've never kissed anyone before because I never felt that strong of a connection with a man before. That's all.)

"Do you feel a connection with me?" he asked softly. She blinked languidly, feeling fizzy under her skin. Finally remembering that he wanted an answer, she nodded slowly. He leaned in closer and she closed her eyes, anticipating the feeling of his lips on hers.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, my Lord. But we've arrived." That broke the spell. She jumped and pulled away from him, remembering their audience. She bent over to undo her seatbelt, having caught the death glare her date was sending to his bodyguards. Then, to her utter mortification, her stomach chose that moment to gurgle. She scrunched up her face tightly.

"I… I uh… I skipped lunch today," she finally admitted into the deathly quiet. She cautiously opened an eye. Omar, Hazma, and Tyr all looked like they were holding back their laughter by sheer power of will. "I was trying to finish my work so that I could go out tonight!" she added defensively as her stomach let out another burble of displeasure.

"So you won't mind if we order all you can eat?" her date managed with a straight face. He let out a sensual laugh that she thought was the sexiest laugh she'd ever heard as he got out of the car. But by the time he'd opened her door and offered her a hand out of the vehicle, his face was straight again. She elbowed him on principle as she walked away, but not as hard as she could have. He caught up to her and playfully put his hands over her eyes.

It turned out that they were in front of an upscale Japanese restaurant. "How the heck did you score Bushniwa? I heard there was a three-month waiting list!"

"I have my ways," he said with a mischievous smile as he pulled her into the fancy place. They only had to wait a few minutes before they were seated at a table with a grill in the middle of it, sipping on sodas. Tyr ordered a bottle of warm sake, but his date laughingly declined.

"You gotta live a little while you're young," he said with a boyish grin on his face.

"That's not my idea of living," she said cryptically. Then she froze at something being said at the table behind her.

"What? What's the matter?"

"Nothing. She just… She just said something grossly inappropriate just now. I always find it amazing what people will say when they think no one else understands.

"But… They're speaking Russian," he frowned.

"Ukrainian," she nodded. The look on his face was making her uncomfortable. "Never mind. You said that they had all-you-can-eat here?"

"Yes. And it's not too expensive either. And don't forget to take a look at the Korean BBQ section. That's a part of the all-you-can-eat menu as well." Her stomach growled at the good smells coming from the kitchen.

"Let's get you settled," he chuckled, raising his hand for the waiter. When the man came over it was clear that he was still learning English. He started off their order speaking in Korean, then switched to broken English. Tyr went to respond just as another waiter came over to help them order, when Alandra stepped in.

"Bwipe obsyeon 2gae jumungwa dongbanjaleul wihan ttatteushan sake han byeong-i jegongdoebnida. Kollalo halgeyo. Byeoldo hwag-in butagdeulibnida," she said, shocking the waiters. (We'll have two orders of the all-you-can-eat options and a bottle of warm sake for my companion. I'll stick with the cola. Separate checks, please.)

"Dangsin-ui hangug-eoneun wanbyeoghabnida," the more experienced waiter said with a smile. (Your Korean is impeccable)

"Gamsahabnida," she grinned. Then she turned to their original waiter and nodded encouragingly. "Deo swiwojibnida," she reassured him. (Thank you. It does get easier.)

"Gamsahabnida." The men rushed off to get their drink refills, giving them a paper menu to fill out for their first round of all-you-can-eat. (Thank you)

"How many languages do you speak?" her dinner date asked.

"Enough," she smiled. Dinner went smoothly after that, the two enjoyed cooking their own Korean BBQ chicken and pork.

"Oh my gosh, this is so good," she gushed. "I'm almost glad that I didn't eat this afternoon!" Tyr had a look of fond appreciation plastered all over his face. Or maybe that was the sake. Either way, the conversation was light and flowed freely between the two. "I was just-" the woman's eyes suddenly bulged. "Damn! She is going to mate him on the table! I mean, damn!"

"What? What happened?" Alandra ignored him, turning in her seat to see over the thin partition between the booths.

"Vybachte, ser i pani. Ne mohly b vy zupynytysya? Vy zmushuyete mene duzhe nezruchno. I ya vpevnenyy, shcho ya ne odyn," she said firmly. This seemed to shock the couple out of their amorous mood. (Excuse me, sir and madam. Could you please stop? You're making me very uncomfortable. and I'm sure I'm not the only one.)

"Zamovkny, brudnyy selyanyn. Vas tse ne stosuyetʹsya," the man said angrily. (Shut up, you dirty peasant. This doesn't concern you.)

"Mene khvylyuye, koly vy mayzhe ne sparovuyetesʹ u hromadsʹkomu mistsi! Na boha, tut ye dity! Vizʹmitʹ tse v inshe mistse; chy ya povynen poyasnyty politseysʹkym, yaki prokhodyly povz, shcho ty hovoryv i robyv tsilu nich?" She'd come around to their table fully now, seeing that they were only half-dressed and completely drunk. (It does concern me when you're all but mating in a public place! There are children in here for goodness sake! Take it somewhere else; or should I explain to the cops walking past what you've been saying and doing all night?)

Someone, presumably one of their bodyguards, charged across the restaurant. "Vam varto povernutysya do yizhi, mis. Tse ne vasha problema," he said angrily, reaching for her arm. Tyr had joined her by now, but couldn't comment as he had no idea what was being said. (You should go back to your meal, miss. This isn't your problem.)

"Dotorknysʹ do mene, ya podam do sudu. Vony roblyatʹ tse moyeyu problemoyu, oskilʹky ya sydzhu pryamo bilya tsʹoho reketu. Tse nepravylʹno, i vy tse znayete! Yim potribno vzyaty tse v inshe mistse," she growled. The two stared at each other angrily. (Touch me and I'll sue. They are making it my problem since I'm sitting right beside all that racket. This is wrong and you know it! They need to take it somewhere else)

"Vy khoch uyavlyayete, khto tsey cholovik?" the bodyguard tried again, reaching for his gun. (Do you have any idea who this man is?)

"Zvychayno, khochu. Tse cholovik, yakyy zipsuvav meni yizhu, pʺyano slynyachy na svoyu zhinku. I, do rechi, zipsuvav moye pershe pobachennya. Vidnesitʹ yoho v spalʹnyu. Vidnesitʹ yoho na zadnye sydinnya avtomobilya, shcho meni vazhlyvo. Ale tobi treba zabraty yoho zvidsy!" Noticing the gun, her expressive eyes narrowed. "What, you gonna shoot me over some damn sushi? You know I'm right!" Tyr's bodyguards had joined the party, flanking the bodyguard. Faced with those odds, the guard decided that a strategic retreat was in order. He grabbed the woman in the middle of an awful retort about Landi's mother and slapped her, pointing at her boyfriend definitively when he started to protest. They grabbed their clothes and left furiously, the bodyguard throwing money at the hostess on his way out. The restaurant erupted into enthusiastic applause, surprising the woman, who suddenly looked embarrassed. (Of course, I do. He's the man ruining my meal by drunkenly slobbering all over his woman. And ruining my first date ever, by the way. Take it to a bedroom. Take it to the back seat of a car for all I care. But you need to take it out of here!)

She sat back in her seat, moving over when Omar sat down beside her. Hazma likewise took the outer part of the booth on Tyr's side.

"You two are trouble together," Hazma chuckled.

"Don't look at me. He was the one ruining everyone's meals by mating his idiot woman in the middle of a classy restaurant! I don't know what made him think he could 'get it up' anyway. With that much alcohol in his system, there's no way he-" she blushed.

"What would you know about that, little girl?" Omar laughed.

"I started out as a pre-med. One semester and I switched to law. Do you guys want some of this sushi? We have to pay for whatever we leave behind and I've lost my appetite." But the two men were already cleaning the little plates and filling out the card for another round of food.

"You didn't seem too shocked by the gun, Landi."

"Mmm? If you knew the neighborhood I grew up in… That's not the first gun I've ever seen. It's not even the first time I've had a gun pointed at me. I'm a lawyer; I'm used to it." He reached around the fire to take her hand, seeing through her bravado to the fine tremors in her fingers. After that, it was easier to help finish off the food. People came over to their table on their way out of the restaurant to thank her for standing up for decency. She blushed profusely at the praise. And when they were finished eating, the manager himself came out to thank them.

"Your money no good here. Please."

"Are you sure? We owe you for four all-you-can-eat meals and drinks. That's-"

"It's fine. You save my restaurant reputation. That worth more than money. But be careful. The one you threw out of here? He Ukrainian mafia." She nodded gravely and walked out of the building. The men trailed out after her, discussing the incident in hushed tones since speaking in Arabic obviously wasn't going to keep her out of the conversation.

"Let me guess? You want to call it a night?" she asked dejectedly. "It's okay. I can catch a cab from here. Thanks for a-" He grabbed her arm before she could gesture for a taxi.

"Where are you going, Cinderella? It's only nine and we haven't gone dancing yet. I intend to help you work off those calories on the dance floor." She grinned at him happily.

Two hours later she was exhausted, but happy. This beat her usual exercise routine hands down. Nothing like an interactive cardiac routine to stimulate the heart and guarantee a good night's sleep. Rachel and Peik insisted that she be up on her dance moves, and it was a good thing they did. There was no room for thought or talk on the dance floor. It was all instinct; and Tyr's instincts ran to the sensual - big shock. Keeping up with him had taken everything in her. They stumbled to the bar through the other dancers.

"What do you want, Landi?" he somehow managed to ask without shouting in her ear.

"Water," she panted.

"Come on! Live a little."

"I told you, that's not my idea of living." She was happy when the man didn't push the issue, reaching into her purse for a few bucks for the bottle of cold water. "What are you doing?" she asked in shock when Tyr paid for the water and his beer with a credit card. He looked over at her distressed face and smiled softly.

"It's only a bottle of water, little one," he whispered against her ear. She shivered despite the unrelenting heat of the club and backed away from him to open her drink. Taking a deep drink before closing the bottle and running it over her forehead to the back of her neck, Landi looked around herself. The place was warm and welcoming, with plenty of room for the bartenders to show off their skills and experience as they filled drink orders. Tyr moved them to a nearby booth so that they could continue to watch the floor show that was the bartenders.

"They're quite good," she said a few minutes later around a jaw-cracking yawn.

"Tired?" The prince of Alibhai asked in amusement.

"I've been up since four o'clock this morning. I'd usually have been in bed, dead asleep, an hour ago. But I'm enjoying myself too much."

"Then let's get you home," he whispered firmly against her ear. At that, he pulled the tired woman to her feet and they made their way out of the club. The drive home was quiet as Alandra fell asleep against her date within minutes of the ride. She woke up in front of her apartment building near the outskirts of town.

"I didn't mean to clock out on ya," she sighed, wiping the drool off her face. "Do I snore?" she asked playfully.

"Why don't you ask me that tomorrow morning?" he said slyly, once again opening her car door for her. This time she didn't return the smile though. She looked defensive and upset, something he didn't like.

"Don't… Let's not end this date badly, Tyr. I've had so much fun tonight-"

"And we can have even more fun," he insisted, moving to stand before her on the sidewalk. He looked at her hungrily as she rubbed her temples.

"It's late. I'm tired. And I'm not going to sleep with you," she said forcefully.

"I don't understand."

"You sleep with everyone you take out. What makes me so special? Hell, you could go back to that club and pick up half the female population without trying if I'm being generous with the estimate. Why must you be with me to consider this night a success?" While the man was pondering this, she fished her keys out of the bottom of her purse and backed away towards her door.

"So 'no sex' is one of your rules? And it's strictly because I've slept with other women?"

"Yes, I refuse to have sex with you. But it's not because you've been with other women - though that makes it easier. It's because I don't know you. And you don't know me. And I refuse to start the process of getting to know you by giving away my most precious gift."

"That's awfully old-fashioned," he said in deadpan.

"If it's too old-fashioned, there are plenty of women out there who disagree." The two stared at each other until she turned abruptly on her heel and strode towards her door. "Goodbye, Tyr. Thank you for a wonderful night." She was valiantly holding back her tears as she pulled open her old oak door before a strong hand pushed her front door closed, the heat of his muscular body temptation itself.

"Wait! Does it have to be 'goodbye', little one?" She turned to him wearily.

"The choice is yours. But I will not sleep with you tonight."

"If you had a couple of beers in you-"

"Then it's a good thing I haven't been drinking tonight, isn't it? I need to be able to respect myself in the morning, something I wouldn't be able to do if I let you talk me out of my virginity tonight. You are a formidable opponent, Mr. Anasazi. But I'm just as stubborn and four o'clock comes early. I need to turn in for the night. Alone." The male looked floored. Hadn't he ever been told 'no' before? Judging by the looks of him, he hadn't. With a self-deprecating shrug, she pulled open her door, walking around it to get into her apartment.

"What, no kiss?"

"Does that really seem appropriate at this point? I will not sleep with you, Mr. Anasazi." He ignored this with a shake of his head and braced the door with his broad shoulders.

"Tyr, love. It's Tyr for my girlfriend." Once again their eyes met and held as he reached for her hand. Bringing it to his plush lips, he kissed her sensitive palm tenderly before backing away. "I'm going to enjoy testing your resolve in this matter," he whispered happily.

"You'll find my resolve ironclad," she smiled with a raised eyebrow.

"We shall see, my lady. Goodnight. Dream of me…" He grinned teasingly, turning to head for his car.

Alandra watched out the window by the door until he pulled away before heading for her apartment on the top floor. She was beaming; she'd stood up for herself tonight. And so what if her underwear were drenched from that last kiss to her palm? She'd successfully held on to her virtue! The exhausted woman finished her trek up to the seventh floor - the elevator shut down at nine every night to save power. The walk was good for clearing her head and cooling her blood. By the time she got to her apartment, she was ready to sleep. She went through her nightly rituals quickly, showering the club's smoky atmosphere from her skin before slipping into yet another pair of silk pajamas and sliding into the smooth satin covers. She was out like a light almost before her head touched the pillow.

… …

Tyr walked back to the car in stunned disbelief. He'd heard the virginity gambit before, many times. But he'd never failed to get around it. But not tonight. Tonight he'd run into the iron will of Alandra Shaveed and lost.

And he couldn't be more delighted.

Finally! Finally, a woman who wouldn't bend to his every whim! Someone who would argue with him and stand by him and could hold her own against him!

"You still look way too happy for a man who is not getting any. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you were enjoying being told 'no'."

"I just enjoy dealing with a woman who knows her own mind." The bodyguards looked at each other skeptically

"Masochist," they declared as one before breaking into raucous laughter.

"Come on, man! She wouldn't even kiss you! That says-"

"It says that she didn't trust herself around me! It's a good sign of just how attracted to me she is." Omar only continued to laugh at his supposed failure, pulling into the flow of traffic. But Hazma was studying him in a way that made him uncomfortable.

"You're really serious about this girl, aren't you?" he finally declared. Tyr looked away and nodded shortly. "Huh."

"Think about all that I know about her. All that I have yet to discover about her! She's fun and happily adjusted. She's brave and not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. She's an excellent negotiator and multilingual to boot. She's stubborn and sexy and wonderfully hard-headed… Allah himself couldn't have picked a better match for me!"

"Slow down, my prince. Isn't this only the third time you've met her? And your first date? That in-depth background check your father requested has not come back yet." At the prince's defensive look, Hazma raised his hands in surrender. "King Barbarossa insists on it for anyone you take a second look at. Most times it doesn't matter; you're off to the next pretty young thing before the report is done being compiled. But judging from your reaction tonight, we probably should have requested the background check a month ago when you first met her. You know that your father doesn't like surprises."

"Alandra is nothing if not full of surprises," Tyr said tiredly. He had an idea for the next phase of courting his lady. But to do it successfully, he needed to be up at a decent hour. "Let's head back to the hotel. I need sleep." The men exchanged shocked looks.

"You don't want to head back to the club to find a partner for the night?" Omar asked in shock.

"No," the man yawned. "I want to look into flowers for my lady tomorrow. I can't wait to see the look on her face…" he nodded off, warmed by the memory of Alandra's soft curves pressed up against his side. She'd been so adorable snuggled against him, those soft snores in his ears. He couldn't even fault her for the drool on his sleeve. She was perfect. And perfect for him. Now, how to express that in flower form without being too obvious or trite…