Read Cassandra Pierce - Diamonds in the Sand [The Aquans 2] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Special Edition) for Free Online Page B

little wild yourself now and then.”
    “Oh, I’m not judging you. I think every woman should have a stable of men to indulge her. The trouble is that they’re so fickle. Like pets you have to entertain constantly. The moment they get bored, they run away. Trust me.”
    Thankfully, her remark suggested a new avenue for the conversation. Maura suspected Cyra would be all too interested in talking about herself for a while. “Daq mentioned you’d had some disappointing experiences in that area.”
    “You don’t have to speak in code. Yes, everything you’ve heard is true. My five lovers all left me at once. Still, I’ve decided to take it in stride. They’ll tire of their new playmate soon enough. Then they’ll want me back…but I’ll have moved on. That will be the best revenge. Don’t you agree?”
    “Seems like a healthy attitude,” Maura agreed. So all five of Cyra’s men had found another woman to replace her? Was that kind of arrangement more common than she’d suspected? “Daq will be glad to know you’ve moved on. He mentioned he was sort of worried about you.”
    “Did he?” Cyra rolled her eyes. “Typical older brother. Do you have one?”
    “Three, in fact. We’re not very close. I’d kind of like it if they took some interest in my well-being.”
    “You wouldn’t say that if you had one as bossy as Daq. He’d be happy for me to stay around here and live according to his advice, but the truth is, I’d rather see the world and make my own mistakes along the way. That’s what life is all about, don’t you think? He doesn’t understand.”
    “Have you traveled much?” Maura asked.
    “Yes. In the past year alone, I’ve visited Australia, the Caymans, even the Bermuda Triangle. Trust me, that place is nowhere near as exciting as it’s made out to be. Not a glimpse of an alien craft, a sea monster, or anything remotely exotic. I wasn’t sure whether I should be disappointed or relieved.”
    Briefly Maura’s mind flashed on the exciting new discovery Septimus had told her about. Was it something along the lines of what Cyra was suggesting? She decided to put some more effort into cracking that computer password.
    At the same time, she realized how little she knew about Daq, aside from the fact that his sister drifted outside the usual behavioral currents, to say the least. Having him out of the room gave her the perfect opportunity to find out more.
    “Do your parents live nearby?” she asked.
    “No. They were swept away in a tropical storm many years ago. No one knows what became of them.”
    Maura recoiled in horror. “I’m so sorry. I–I had no idea.”
    She was even more shocked when Cyra shrugged without a trace of emotion. “It’s a risk on any island. The tropics can be wonderful, but deadly storms are common. Daq and I were teenagers at the time. Ejan’s mother lives right up the coast, so she let us stay with her. Eventually I took off on my own and Daq started hanging around here. Your friend Septimus had to go back to the States now and then to teach his classes and whatnot, so he let my brother take care of the house for him. Ejan moved in, too. The other guys showed up later.”
    Maura nodded. She could understand Septimus stepping in as a father figure for Daq, and maybe the others as well. He’d sort of done the same for her, knowing she wasn’t close to her own family. He would have been eager to help Cyra and her brother after they had been orphaned in such a tragic way. How ironic it would be if Septimus had met the a similar fate. Was Daq simply in denial?
    “Speaking of Septimus,” she ventured, “do you know him well?”
    “I’ve met him, of course. Can’t say I ever spent a lot of time with him.”
    “You do know he’s missing? I don’t suppose you have any idea where he might be.”
    “Of course I don’t.” Cyra’s gaze drifted to the beach outside, and she began to fidget as though she were eager to get back to it. Maura opened the