She scoffed before she could stop herself.
“Hey, now!” he said, offended. “Believe it or not, I spend most of my nights in the barracks with my squadron. You can check my tracer logs and see. The vast majority of those stories you hear about me in the news feeds are complete fiction. A handful of the wilder ones notwithstanding—and those I proudly own up to, and will be more than happy to tell you all about. And show you the pictures that are too risqué for prime time.” He rubbed at his eyebrow. “Anyway, so what about that dinner?”
Leaning against the wall, Ember scowled as she tried to understand this strange enigma who was talking to her for reasons she couldn’t even begin to fathom. While she wasn’t a ghastly goat of a human being, she was a far cry from Alura’s great statuesque beauty and she knew it.
At five-six, she was average height for a Kirovarian woman. And many a potential dating prospect had commented on the fact that she was a bit more muscular than she ought to be and tended to walk like she was going to war, armed for the Andarion Ring. Her only remarkable feature came from her father—a pair of sharp, penetrating green eyes. Sadly, most guys never noticed those. Except to say that the intensity of her gaze made their nuts and guts shrivel.
Though to be honest, she doubted if anyone or anything could ever intimidate Bastien. Indeed, he seemed to have an ego smelted from titanium.
“Why are you asking me out, Cabarro?”
That devilish grin warmed her a lot more than she wanted it to. There was something about this man that was way too delectable. She could easily see him charming her pants right off her. “You think I’m a spoiled asshole. I strangely find that admirable in a woman. Shows you’re a good judge of character. I like that even more.”
She laughed. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Ah c’mon,” he teased. “You’re Gyron Force … I’m Gyron Force. We both think I’m ridiculous. We got so much in common already.”
Scoffing, she shook her head at him. “We are nothing alike, Your Highness.”
“Fine, Major. Have it your way. But my sa’s about three and a half seconds from declaring war on a neighboring empire. What if this is the end of our world as we know it? What if everything you cherish perishes tomorrow? Wouldn’t you like to say that you got to date a visir, just once, before it all goes to hell?”
Damn, he was a lot more endearing than he needed to be. And it wasn’t because he had a title. He was just an affable ass. That alone would serve to get him into all kinds of trouble. Along with those incredibly handsome features and that edible physique. It was the most dangerous combination ever created and she could see herself getting into all kinds of trouble.
Every instinct she possessed told her to run as fast as she could in the opposite direction.
Then she made the mistake of looking at his sweet face.
Yeah, he was lethal.
And she was done for.
“Fine. One date. But only because of your saeir and his war.”
He winked at her. “Hey, I’ll take that yes any way I can get it. Just don’t break my heart, Major. It’s a terribly fragile thing.”
Ember snorted at the very idea of that. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Don’t. I might be spoiled with sociopathic tendencies, but I’m never insincere.” And with that, he signed off.
Ember froze as she realized that all four of her sisters were gaping at her. Worse? They’d heard every single word of her exchange with Bastien.
That sobered her humor fast. “What?”
Ashley scoffed. “What do you think you’re doing? You can’t even be contemplating a date with him. Are you out of your mind? Alura will kill you!”
“Why did you say yes to going out with that reprobate?” Brandy stood with arms akimbo.
Ember’s gaze went back to where Alura sat laughing with their parents, and an image of her in bed with Syrin went through her mind. In that moment, she knew exactly why she’d accepted his invitation.
“Simple. This is war.”
CHAPTER 1
ONE YEAR LATER
“Are you going to tell Bastien?”
Ember paused at Kindel’s question that would have ruined her appetite for the lunch they were supposed to be having had Bastien’s father not already done so an hour ago.
Her throat tightened as she blinked back tears she didn’t want her sister to see, lest she be motivated to do something that could get them both arrested. “No, definitely not, and the last thing I could ever tell him is that his father’s threatening to disinherit him.”
“Why not?”