Royal Recruit - Susan Grant Page 0,15

vehemently than ever. Jared, on the other hand, hoped the guy lived long enough to give a hint as to the identity of the woman who’d appeared on-screen in his ship. Unfortunately, what little they were able to get out of the REEF left them no closer to finding out than they had been before. You’d think people would remember a gorgeous, half-naked, crazy woman wielding deadly weapons, but no.

The REEF’s craft had been trucked under guard to the same location in Nevada for safekeeping. A bummer, because Jared would have liked to see her one last time. Maybe then he’d be able to stop thinking about her.

Okay, the alien babe was smokin’ hot, but why was she still stuck in his head? He disagreed with Evie that it was chemistry, but it was definitely something.

Jared followed Jana and Cavin from the room. They looked grim. Jana stared at the phone in her hand, then into Jared’s questioning eyes. Her voice was barely audible. “Jared, I’m telling you what’s going on because you’ve been involved from the beginning, but don’t tell anyone else.”

“No one,” Cavin warned.

Jared answered with a curt nod. “It’s them, isn’t it? They’re back.”

“Yes.” Jana nodded, her mouth tight. “I thought we’d have more time.”

Cavin squeezed her shoulder with affection. Jana gazed at him with an expression that seemed almost too poignant and too private for Jared to view. “They delivered a message to the International Space Station an hour ago.”

“Holy shit.” Jared imagined what chaos had erupted on the space station. The astronauts must have pissed in their pants. “Why the space station?”

“Our phantom battle fleet was off-line,” Cavin smirk looked pained. “That was the only place they could reach. We have to return to Washington.”

Jana startled her big brother by throwing herself into his arms. He held her close, his hand on her soft blond hair. Take care of her, he told Cavin with his eyes.

Cavin nodded solemnly. All too soon he’d taken Jana and hurried with their suitcases out the front door. A helicopter floated down to the ground in a cloud of spring blossoms and dust as the couple sprinted to the chopper. Numb, Jared watched them lift off, watched until they’d disappeared into the clear blue sky.

A message…The aliens had come with a message. What kind of message?

Did it matter? It had to be better than showing up with a bunch of big ships with big guns. Surely this was a good sign. Holding that thought close, he returned to the house to explain away Jana and Cavin’s sudden departure to Evie.

Keira strode across her private chambers with a portable viewer held in front of her face. A miniature image of the prime minister informed her, “We could not find Earth’s flagship.”

“It was the message not delivered?” A confusing mix of relief and sharp disappointment swept through her.

“On the contrary. We communicated with a small, manned satellite-type object. An archaic vehicle. Clearly, they are in possession of a level of stealth technology we do not have, to hide their entire space force like that. It makes them an even more valuable ally.”

“I do not expect to hear from you again until the deal is ready to be sealed.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty.”

Only then she would speak to the Earth prince once more, where they would agree to the treaty joining their worlds. She rolled up the thin screen and slipped it back in the pocket of her robes. “Taye, gather the precious oils and ready the massage table.” Her workout had not quite eliminated the trembling deep in her belly. Perhaps a long, relaxing massage would.

Keira threw off her robes as she glided across the room. Tibor stood at attention, his sword at the ready. A flutter of silk landed on his polished boots as she breezed by. The cool air washed over her naked body. Her breasts bounced freely as she glanced over her shoulder. Tibor’s expression hadn’t changed. She knew she looked alluring, but he was not even remotely interested. She was amazed that such a large, well-muscled man was a eunuch, but perhaps his male parts hadn’t been removed until he was well past puberty. When they were removed in boyhood, the result was a very feminine man, like Taye and the others who served her. No intact males were allowed in her presence, save the leaders, and they were always under close watch by her guards, namely Tibor.

Pregnancy wasn’t the reason—there were ways to prevent that. They don’t