Zarya saw red. Before she even realized what she was doing, she lunged at the woman.
Maris caught her with one arm and pushed her back.
“Oh,” Cretia said, raking her with a smug sneer. “She’s your bodyguard. I get it now. Makes sense, since she has more testosterone than both of you combined.” She drifted off.
Zarya glared at him as he finally released her. “You should have let me rip her hair out by the dyed roots.”
Maris tsked at her. “Oh please. The last thing you want to do is get her acidic blood on your beautiful dress. Think of the poor designer who’d curse you for the affront to his hard work.”
“Yes, but the dry cleaner would thank me.” She made an obscene noise at the direction the woman had vanished in. “I can’t believe how rude she was.”
“That was exceedingly mild, thanks to her infantile intelligence. And look at it this way, they’re all going insane with curiosity. Not to mention, jealousy. None of them can figure out why we
both
walked in as his royal escorts, wearing official Caronese court garb.”
He had a point. It was actually illegal for anyone other than a member of the governor’s immediate family to wear the royal colors together unless it was a national holiday or they had a special dispensation from the governor.
By having them in his colors and entering with them, Darling had made a very public statement about his feelings where she and Maris were concerned.
Maris jerked his chin toward the dance floor. “Let’s really get under their skin and rub their noses in it, shall we?”
Laughing, she set her glass down, then took his proffered arm and allowed him to lead her toward the other dancers.
Once they reached the floor, he swept her into his arms and masterfully guided her through the elaborate steps.
Bored beyond human endurance, Darling glanced away as he tried not to roll his eyes at the ancient gerent in front of him who was droning on and on about the good old days under the reign of Darling’s grandfather.
As he glanced around the room, his gaze was drawn to a bright flash of maroon—a color only one woman had permission to wear tonight.
The moment he focused on Maris and Zarya as they danced together and laughed, his blood began racing. If anyone other than Maris dared to hold her like that and make her appear so deliriously happy, they’d be searching the dance floor for their body parts.
As it was, Darling was captivated by her beauty and vitality as they swirled together. Strange how, in all these years, he’d never known that she could dance. Never mind, do it so well.
He went instantly hard.
Desperate to be the one who added the color to her cheeks and make her laugh like that, he excused himself, then headed to the dance floor. In the back of his mind, he was well aware of the gossipmongers who watched and ruthlessly shredded his every movement. As governor, he wasn’t supposed to dance at all. It was considered beneath his position.
However, he was a different breed than his predecessors. Tradition had a place in the world.
But it wasn’t here tonight.
Maris pulled her to a stop as he saw Darling’s approach. With an extremely formal bow, he surrendered her to Darling’s custody.
Her face lighting with a smile that set fire to every part of him, Zarya took his hand and allowed him to pick up where Maris had stopped. “I didn’t think you were allowed to do this.”
“Fuck them,” Darling said nonchalantly. “What good is being governor if I can’t dance with the most beautiful woman here?”
Zarya’s blood raced as he dipped her low. The strength of his arm supporting her made her think of other times when he’d held her in private. Something that made her even more breathless than the quick dance.
His lips were so close to hers that it was all she could do not to kiss them. He straightened her, then twirled her around, and brought her back against the front of his hard body. Her head reeled from the sensation of all that power surrounding her as they moved in perfect synchronicity. With each step, she could feel how much he desired her as her hip brushed against his groin. It left her even more breathless and weak.
She turned to face him. “You keep doing that, my lord, and we’re going to really scandalize them.”
The grin on his face made her heart soar. “I’m game if you are.”
The music quickened.
Darling spun her around again, faster and faster. Never had she danced like this. She could feel the muscles in his arms bulging as he gracefully guided her around the room. The wonderful scent of him made her senses reel.
Everything and everyone faded except him. It was as if only the two of them existed. She was completely captivated by the heated look on his handsome face, and the warmth of his touch.
When the music finally stopped, he supported her entire weight with only one arm. His hair disheveled, he had beads of sweat falling from his temples. Bent in an arc, she stared up at him as he cupped her face with his left hand. His breathing was as ragged as hers. In that moment, she was desperate to taste him. This time, she couldn’t resist those lips that held the tiniest hint of a smile.
Sinking her hand into his soft, red hair, she pulled his mouth to hers so that she could kiss him.
Darling’s head spun as Zarya explored his mouth with a hunger
that left him even harder than their dancing had. Oh yeah, this was what he needed…
It wasn’t until he heard an off-key note that he remembered they weren’t alone.
In fact, they were the center of everyone’s attention. He gave her one last second before he pulled back and regretfully returned her weight to her feet.
Zarya went completely still as she straightened and became aware of all the mocking gazes fixed on them. Heat scorched her cheeks.
I look like the biggest slut of all time…
In public.
Why didn’t the universe provide rotating black holes on planets that could swallow people whole when they needed them to?
“Don’t let their bitter viciousness steal your happiness,” Darling whispered in her ear before he placed a tender kiss on her cheek. Tucking her hand into the crook of his arm, he led her toward his throne.
Arms akimbo, Maris gave them both an angry, condemning stare while he tapped his foot against the stone floor. “You
never
danced with me like that.”
Zarya scowled as she tried to understand why Maris was so upset at her. “We only had the one dance.”
“He’s not talking to you, love,” Darling said in her ear.
Oh…
She laughed at Maris’s exasperation.
“Governor?”
Darling turned toward the gerent leader who was trying to keep the venom out of his sneer and failing miserably. Honestly, someone should have told him that it was never a good idea to provoke a man who possessed the skills to gut you.
He answered the leader with only a brow raised in warning to let the man know he needed to pick another tone.
The gerent leader paled a degree before he spoke. “It’s time to start our meeting.”
There now… much better attitude.
Until the leader’s gaze slid to Zarya in a way that said he thought she was on the level of something that needed to be flushed out an airlock. And that set fire to Darling’s temper.
Don’t punch him
… It took everything Darling had not to. But it wouldn’t go well for him to show off his temper right now. It would be the biggest mistake he could make.
You say one word to her and I swear, politics or not, you’re on the floor, asshole.
The leader must have sensed that he was dancing with the devil. He cleared his throat and changed to a more respectful demeanor. “That is if you don’t mind, Majesty.”
Taking a deep breath, Darling gave him a curt nod. “Gather them, then. I’ll be there shortly.”
As soon as the gerent was gone, Maris wagged his eyebrows at Darling. “Train them right from the start.”
“Working on it.” Darling turned to face Zarya. Even though she appeared every bit the lady, there was a light in her eyes that showed him just how vulnerable and uncomfortable she was here. He hated leaving her, but he had no choice. “I’ll be back as soon as I can, I promise. Caillen, Nyk, Kiara, and Desideria should be here any minute to help keep you two entertained and out of trouble.”
As if on cue, and dressed in Caronese guard uniforms, Hauk, Chayden, and Fain walked through the doors and headed straight to Darling. Something that caused the delegates and their escorts to start gossiping all over again since it was obvious the two
hulking mountains weren’t human and therefore definitely
not
Caronese soldiers.
Thank the gods they’d finally arrived, now he wouldn’t be so worried about Zarya and Maris and could focus on his task of dealing with pompous assholes who hated him.
As soon as the entire group reached them, Hauk gave Darling an arch stare. “Damn boy, there’s nothing to be
that
nervous over.”
Darling was completely baffled by his comment. “Excuse me?”
“You’re sweating like you ran a marathon.”
Amused by that, Darling shrugged. “I’m sure Zarya will fill you in. Right now I have to meet—”
“You’re not going in without us,” Hauk insisted.
Darling opened his mouth to argue, then caught himself.
While Hauk busted on him as if he were Darling’s older brother, he, like the rest of the Sentella High Command, was extremely protective of him. There was no way the Andarion would allow Darling into an arena with that many enemies and not be there to pull him out if things went bad.
No amount of argument would sway the Andarion. Hauk was even more stubborn than Drake and Zarya combined.
Then, Ryn gave him that big-brother-knows-best stare that didn’t help his temperament in the least. “Chay is coming to the meeting, too, as the Qillaq ambassador. And we’re”—he indicated Drake and himself—“going in with you. Let the bastards know up front that for the first time in decades the Cruels are united. They’re not going to be able to use one of us against the other. Ever.”
Those words meant a lot to Darling, especially since his brothers were dressed in royal colors. And he knew exactly how much Ryn hated being in the middle of politics.
Not to mention, Ryn had a most valid point. If the gerents saw their solidarity, it would help squelch the idea that they might be able to use Drake to overthrow Darling.
“Okay. Let’s do it.” Darling paused long enough to kiss Zarya’s hand. “I’ll return as soon as I can.”
“Good luck.”
He inclined his head to her before he performed a military turn and went to the conference room with his brothers and friends two steps behind him.
Zarya didn’t know why, but it hurt to be left behind. She wanted desperately to follow and make sure that Darling was all right.
A stupid thought really, given who he was and the soldiers with him. They could definitely handle anything thrown at them.
Still…
A small furor erupted at the doors.
Afraid of what that might signify, she stood on her tiptoes to see over everyone’s heads. Something she didn’t have to do long. Two seconds later, literally, Nykyrian and Kiara entered with Caillen, Desideria, and Syn right behind them.
The gathered nobility exploded into a chatter of excited whispers.
“What’s the Andarion heir doing here?”
“Isn’t that the Exeterian prince?”
“That’s Desideria Denarii, the Qill princess.”
“Oh my God! That’s Kiara Biardi, the dancer!”
“Yeah, and she’s here with her father, the Gouran president. I saw him a few minutes ago in the washroom!”
Dozens of such comments circled around her. Comments that came to an abrupt halt when all the people they were talking about joined her and Maris.
Kiara grabbed her into a tight hug. “Sorry we’re late.” Stepping back, she patted her stomach. “For the record, when you get pregnant, you don’t just get morning sickness in the morning, and it doesn’t always stop after the first trimester… Oh the lies they tell us.”
Zarya smiled at her, grateful for her warm friendliness. “Well, for someone who’s been sick, you look stunningly gorgeous.”
Kiara returned her smile. “Thank you.”
“Where’s Darling?” Nykyrian asked, scanning the crowd around them.
Maris sighed. “The meeting started right before you got here.”
“Oh goody,” Caillen said in a tone that dripped sarcasm. “We arrived just in time for the boredom. So glad we rushed to get here. Yeah, us!”
Desideria glared up at her husband. “Caillen, cut the sarcasm.”
“Can’t help it. It’s the primary service I offer to everyone not wearing my wedding ring.” He flashed a wicked grin at his wife who rolled her eyes in response.
Syn sniffed like he was crying. “Awww, Kip,” he said to Nykyrian with an exaggerated pout, “our little baby’s all grown up and being political… We did such a good job with him. I’m so proud.”
Nykyrian scowled at him. “What the hell’s wrong with you?”