He arched a brow at the two million credits’ worth of rocks sewn onto the governor’s jacket and adorning the man’s corpulent hand—wouldn’t those help his country’s finances just a bit?
And he knew exactly what those stones were worth. Appraising them even at a distance was a talent he’d acquired from a friend of his who was a pirate and jewel thief. After spending years around Chayden and his pirate friends, he could price a stone faster and more accurately than most experienced appraisers.
How bored am I that I’m trying to guess carat weight visually?
Shoot me.
The governor finished his plea, then left the senior officials to decide his fate. Unfortunately, the leader of those senior officials was his father, which meant Caillen was stuck in this room until hell froze over.
I feel my life ticking away… C’mon, assassin. Please strike.
Boggi cleared his throat. “Next are the Qillaqs who are here to inform the council of their intentions toward the Trimutians.”
Well at least he’d have his hot babe Guard to stare at for this one. That should help a little even if she’d snapped his head off earlier. So much for his promise to get her into his bed. She’d effectively nipped his erection.
At least for the moment. There was still dinner and if he played his cards right…
Dessert.
Yeah, he could just imagine her spoon-feeding him what he needed most to turn this shitty day around. And if what he suspected about her was right, she’d chisel a smile on his face not even the League could remove.
His father sighed as an apprehensive tremor ran through the room. It was so thick, it was tangible.
Leaning toward his father so that he could whisper, Caillen frowned. “What’s up?”
A tic worked in his father’s jaw. “It’s the way the Qillaqs negotiate. It’s embarrassing, really.”
He’d opened his mouth to ask him to elaborate when the door opened to show the Qillaq delegation. For one split second, all the blood drained from his brain to one part of his anatomy as the queen and her Guard entered in outfits so skimpy they didn’t really cover anything.
Oh yeah, he could see straight to the business end of the queen’s body, and her breasts were only covered by a thin gauze that highlighted the fact she’d rouged her nipples to make them more prominent through the material. He knew many places in the universe where going out like that in public would get you arrested.
Or laid.
His tongue thick, he looked past the queen to the woman he’d spoken to earlier in the hallway.
With her hair now braided down her back, she was dressed more sedately in a burgundy halter top and tight pants. Still, that top plunged deep between her breasts making him wish she’d dressed more like her queen.
Yeah, gimme a bite of that… He’d say that if the other officials had dressed like this it would have kept him awake, but honestly their bodies were best covered. No need in making everyone sick.
These on the other hand made him wish he was a Qill.
Slap my ass and call me yours. She could lock him to her bed and keep him there as long as she wanted.
Baby, what is your name? He wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight until he knew it.
He wouldn’t be able to focus on anything until he knew her scent.
The men in the room shifted uncomfortably while the women curled their lips in distaste. Yeah, jealousy was a bitch.
Never one to let anything interfere with his decorum, Boggi cleared his throat. “Queen Sarra, please state your case to the council.”
She came forward to sit on the chair with a seductive gait that was probably causing the older members to wheeze. When she sat, it was with an open posture that made him want to laugh—poor queen had no idea that he was used to negotiating with women a lot hotter, sexier and more naked than she was at present. If she wanted his mind numb, she should have sent in her little Guard woman dressed like that to speak for her.
He doubted he’d be able to even remember his own name if Ms. Cutie back there were naked. He caught Darling’s amused smirk from the other side of the room. There was a challenge in that stare and it was one Caillen planned to meet.
The queen cleared her throat. “Members of the council, I have a dire matter to discuss. The Trimutians are on our borders and are mercilessly pressing into our territory. We have issued restraints and they ignore them. Our next step is to declare war. I’m here today, per League orders, to let all of you know our intentions.”
His father scowled. “Why have you waited to tell us this? You should have sought counsel to help police the Trimutians.”
“We are a private nation. Proud. We don’t seek help when we can deal with the matter on our own.”
What that…?