A quick sweep honed in on…
Oh yeah. Now that’ll brighten your day. She was exquisite. Dressed in a tight, and he meant t-i-g-h-t, burgundy leather Armstitch suit that was trimmed with some kind of military designation, her lush curves made his mouth water. Her dark hair was scraped back from her exotic face and coiled into a stern bun at the nape of her neck. It was hard for a woman to look good in a hairstyle so severe, but she wore it well and that made him wonder how much better she’d look naked, with that hair falling loose around her shoulders.
Her skin was a deep tawny color and so smooth it made him ache for a taste of it. But it was her lips that called out to him. A perfect bow, they begged to be swollen from his kisses. Yeah, he could just imagine the sensation of her nails on his flesh, digging in deep, her head thrown back as he—
Darling’s voice in his ear was sharp with his reprimand. “Put it in your pants, Cai. She’s off limits.”
Like hell.
“Seriously, Caillen,” Maris inserted. “Down, boy. She’s Qillaq.”
He grimaced in distaste. Ah damn. That wasn’t right. Qills were the worst sort of man-hating, ass-kicking I-have-a-chip-on-my-shoulder women ever bred. From what he’d heard, they’d been normal until about two hundred years ago when a war had depleted a large portion of their population and virtually all of their men. The women who survived had basically bombed their enemies into oblivion and then taken enough of the enemy men as slaves to repopulate their planet. The next generation had purposefully bred men and women so fierce that they’d never again be defeated by another army. In fact, martial arts and law were the backbone of every part of their civilization.
They’d also pulled into themselves and rarely ventured into other planets’ politics. While they did have some men in government, it was rare. Their males were reserved to be soldiers and kept breeders.
Yeah well, I wouldn’t mind being kept by that for a night or two.
Yet he knew better. As delectable as she was, he hated women who felt the need to order him around. Too many years of living with three oer sisters who vacillated from being his mom to his wardens had left him with a bad taste in his mouth where those kind of women were concerned. He wasn’t threatened by strong women. He preferred them. But he didn’t want them trying to run his life or tie his shoes either. As long as they kept their determination aimed at others, he was fine. When they decided he needed help cutting his food…
He wanted blood.
Damn shame. ’Cause that woman there was a fine piece of ass he wouldn’t mind spending a few hours with.
But he wasn’t dumb enough to chase after something he knew would only make him crazy. He’d also traveled that road one time too many. So instead, he offered a smile to the elderly cougar who was eyeing him like the last steak in her kennel.
Help me…
Desideria felt a shadow fall over her. Blinking, she focused on her mother’s angry stare.
“Are we waiting on you now? Did I miss the memo designating you as queen?”
Heat stung her face as she realized that she’d stopped completely to stare at the handsome man in the corner. I can’t believe I’m so stupid.
Yet he was compelling and irresistible. As was evidenced by the senator running her hand down his chest while he tried to talk to her.
“Forgive me, My Queen. I thought I saw something.”
“You appeared to be daydreaming to me, Desideria. Did I make a mistake by promoting you?”
Those words drove all the desire right out of her and hit her like a blast of ice water. “No, ma’am.”
Her mother’s glower intensified. “Then you’d best pay attention or you’ll find yourself headed home on the next shuttle.”
In shame. That would make her sisters and aunt deliriously happy.
Desideria wanted to crawl into a hole as she saw the snide smirks from the other Guard members. To them this just confirmed that she didn’t belong here.
And for what? A nameless man? Yes he was sexy and hot, but he wasn’t worth her career or her reputation. No man was.
She wanted to die of embarrassment. No matter what, she couldn’t let herself be distracted again. She couldn’t afford to. Falling in behind her mother, she followed them out of the room, determined not to pay any more attention to anyone, male or female.
Not even if they were on fire and running around calling themselves the devil.
Yet she couldn’t resist a quick glance back before she left. At the same time she looked at him, he looked at her and their gazes locked tight.
One corner of his mouth quirked up into the most alluring and yet strangely taunting smile she’d ever seen. It was like he had a secret and he was inviting her to hear it. And damned if she didn’t want to go over to him and ask what it was.
I’ve lost my mind.