Royal Recruit - Susan Grant Page 0,44

wanted to give flowers to their queen. “Every woman likes flowers,” he’d explained.

Their pinched expressions didn’t make him feel too confident about that statement, but he’d give them to her anyway.

Deep down, he wanted to make a good impression on Keira, no matter how aggravated he was at the entire situation. He was here now, and he’d make the best of it. It was his nature to do so.

The door chimed again. “Enter,” he called out. He heard nothing, no greeting. A moment later he smelled perfume.

A woman had slipped through the door. Palace staff, Jared decided, because the eunuch “manning” the door had allowed her to enter.

“Greetings, Prince Jared.” Like an exotic dancer, she spun and rotated her hips as she came closer. She was beautiful, perfection, and he felt the definite signs of attraction. Or was it her perfume, musky, exotic?

He stared, completely taken off guard by her presence and his reaction to her. “Who are you?” he asked lamely.

“I am your dreams, your desires…” She let a scarf brush across his open mouth as she glided past. “And your lover,” she breathed in his ear.

Lover? “Hey, I don’t think—”

She twirled around to face him. Then she stepped back and opened the scarves. She was nude—well, sort of. She wore body jewelry—nipple rings and a gemstone in her navel. Her skin glowed with a light sheen, and her scent nearly did him in as she came back a second time, smiling a knowing little grin.

She slid her fingers around his wrist and pulled him away from the mirror. “Use me,” she whispered. “Use me hard and now. Use me any way you like.”

He couldn’t believe it. Another incredibly sexy woman throwing herself at him. Twice in as many weeks. Had he been in his twenties and single, he’d have said bring ’em on. But ever since he’d tied the knot, it seemed he’d been given the green light to getting laid by every woman except the one he was supposed to be having sex with. Fate had played a cruel joke on him in more ways than one.

He pulled his hand from her grip. “Thanks but no thanks.”

“Not even one little taste?” She brushed long fingers over her pink nipples, squeezing her full breasts and lifting them as if offering succulent fruit fresh off the vine.

Blinking, he swallowed, ridding his mind of the analogy as he tried not to stare. “Who sent you here?”

“My heart brought me to you.”

Sure it did. Who thought he’d be open to this kind of entertainment? Was it the staff? The government—Rissallen, Fair Cirrus, or the others? It was an insult if they thought he, as a representative of Earth, had morals so nonexistent he’d be interested in fucking a palace hoochie on what was basically his wedding night. “Cover up. It’s time for you to go.”

“I will come back another time, Your Highness. I am yours. Tonight and for always.”

“No, you won’t—and no, you aren’t.” He took her by the elbow and urged her toward the door. He opened the door and placed the woman outside. “I appreciate your interest, miss, but I’m married to your queen. On my world, Earth, sex outside marriage isn’t cool. From what I understand, it isn’t here, either. Go, and don’t come back.”

He turned to the wide-eyed eunuch at the door. “Did you know anything about this?”

The young man shook his head. “No, sir.”

Jared returned to the mirror to make sure his suit wasn’t suspiciously wrinkled. It wasn’t, but he was coated in the woman’s perfume.

The door chime rang again. Now what? “Unless it’s my escort to the queen’s quarters, send them away.”

“Yes, sir.” The eunuch allowed a man to enter.

The newest arrival wore the pale blue robes of a eunuch, but the man couldn’t have been more different from the others Jared had seen so far. He entered the room, eyes downcast, but he was older than the others, who weren’t much more than teens. Strange too was that he had the faint shadow of a beard and musculature not so different from any normal male. Immediately, Jared had his suspicions.

He thought of the ambush and the prime minister’s dismissive reaction to his opinion and put himself on alert. Was this a security breach? A terrorist disguised as a eunuch? He had yet to see the weapons he’d brought along from home, most of them gifts. Yet, the attendant had let Geisha Girl waltz in only minutes earlier. That was a dumb move—a mistake. She’d