The Playful Prince (2 page)

Tori nodded once and tucked the folder under her arm.

“We need you to get a scientific proposal ready to present to the Var king and any other officials there might be. As I said, they aren’t a part of the intergalactic treaty. It would be best for all concerned if we got permission to check their marshes and caves first. It would severely decrease the risk to anyone poking around down there to have that permission. I’ll be blunt. If we have to do this covertly, we will, but the life risk greatly increases.”

“Namely for me,” she said.

“Yes, doctor, namely for you and any with you.”

“Is there reason to believe this is hostile territory?” she asked, keeping her voice calm, though inside she was tense with nerves.

“I honestly don’t know. If there is, they’re territorial skirmishes, isolated to the planet itself.” Franklin cleared his throat, boldly meeting her gaze. “Stay neutral and don’t take sides.”

“I still don’t understand how that makes me qualified for this,” Tori said, pulling the folder from beneath her arm. She looked at the cover stamped top secret, but didn’t open it. “I’m not trained for hostile territory and know very little about intergalactic negotiations. Wouldn’t you need someone with a political background for this?”

“It’s simple, Dr. Elliot.” Franklin did his best not to grin, but she could see the humor in his eyes.

Great, now he decides to get a sense of humor,
she thought.

“They’re a planet of men,” Franklin continued. “And you’re the youngest, most attractive, most qualified female scientist we have.”

* * * *

Advanced scientific study since she could read, a doctorate in two scientific fields by the time she was twelve and several masters in many others since that time, ten years of intense on-the-job experience, countless brain uploads, and here she was reduced to being pimped out by the HIA because she was a woman. If her Galaxy Playmate sister, ‘Sapphire’, ever found out about this, she’d never hear the end of it. It was just too humiliating for words.

“Oh, this is too good,” Tori mumbled. “They lose some stupid government weapon and I’m reduced to simpering and flirting with a bunch of savages so they can make sure they got it all back.”

Tori took a drink of wine and looked down at the contents of the “top secret” folder she’d been given.

Most of the photographs were aerial views taken from a satellite. There were a few pages of specs about the planet’s surface, some graphs of atmospheric readings, and miscellaneous notes about the weather and culture. All of it was pretty basic and made her wonder just how intelligent the HIA “intelligence”

really was.

Tori snorted, reaching down to the floor to empty the wine bottle into her glass. She was well on her way to getting drunk, but didn’t care. They weren’t arriving on Qurilixen until the next morning and she’d have plenty of time to sleep it off.

The Var were a race of shape-shifting cats. Apparently, not much was really known about them, but that they were in the process of negotiating peace with the Draig--their shape-shifting dragon neighbors. The Qurilixian in general were classified as a warrior class that had many petty territorial skirmishes that broke out every fifteen or so years between the rival kingdoms.

The best comparison anyone could make is that the men were like the barbaric warriors of medieval earth. Both races worshipped many gods and favored natural comforts to modern technological conveniences. Intelligence assumed, from the concentrated areas of cropland and cow-like animal herds to the far north and south, that they preferred to raise, grow, and cook their own food.

Tori sighed, pushing the papers away. None of the information was really helpful to her. Unless, she was to assume by barbaric society, they would be easily swayed by batting eyelashes and wiggling hips. What in the world did she know about flirting? She wasn’t ugly, but she’d never be voted Galaxy Playmate of the year like her bimbo of a sister either. When Sapphire was learning to put on makeup, she’d been building model quasars and performing scientific tests while restructuring their density.

“Medieval earth,” she mused, kicking the folder and contents off her bed with her bare foot as she lay down. Reaching over the side of the bed, she placed the wine glass on the floor. “Not exactly a flattering description--disease, ignorance, superstition, bad hygiene, missing teeth, boils, pockmarks....”

Tori continued mumbling her long list, as she closed her eyes. The mental image she had of the Qurilixian people wasn’t exactly flattering. She was used to dealing with corporate business types and other scientists, not superstitious peasants. In her mind, she decided to recap what she learned from the thin file.

The Var palace was a magnificent structure, dominating the surrounding Var city in the valley beneath it.

According to the human women who had come to live in the palace over the centuries, it reminded them of the basic structure of the medieval castles found long ago on earth, with an old Moroccan blend to the architectural design.

The Var people were skilled craftsmen and it showed. Since a Var man would live for hundreds of years, they had a lot of time to perfect their skills. Inside, the palace had fantastically hand-woven rugs for the floors and beds. The beautiful inlaid tile walls were of intricate symmetrical patterns. The tiles showcased an exceptional display of colors--blue, red, orange, gold, green. The arched doorways were carved to perfection and great detail.

But, not only was the palace beautiful, it was functional. The halls were like a maze and it was easy for those not familiar with them to get lost. The mainframe computer was engineered into every room and hall, even the center courtyard the family used for privacy. Siren, the mainframe’s programmed name, could answer questions, read life functions, open doors, prepare food--anything a busy Var prince might need. With the right level of security clearance, a person could even order Siren to locate anyone on the grounds or alert the palace guards. It was here in this lush, cushy paradise that the five Var princes grew up.

The oldest, Kirill, was now king. He was recently named ruler after the death of his father, King Attor.

Next in line was Falke, the Commander of the Guards. Reid was Commander of the Outlands and also had a twin brother named....

Tori frowned and sat up. Looking over the side of the bed, she saw the paper she was looking for and picked it up. Scanning her eyes over the sheet in the dim light, she read, “Twin brother named Jarek, personality and situation unknown.”

She dropped the paper and lay back down. The twins were the only princes with the same mother.

Jarek was in space so she didn’t have to worry about him.

“Lovely culture,” she mused, chuckling drunkenly. “Okay, Tori, focus. The more facts you know, the better prepared you are.”

Prince Quinn, the youngest of the Var brothers, was the ambassador. Ambassadors, in her experience, were usually bores--ugly, boring, tediously pompous bores.

“Hmm, Prince Quinn. Well, being as I’m a foreigner, I’ll probably have to deal with you,” Tori mumbled thoughtfully. “Let’s just hope you have some semblance of manners, shall we?”

Tori snorted, laughing to herself. She closed her eyes, really close to falling asleep. Her mind swirled with the pleasant numbness of liquor.

“Mmm, let’s just hope you know how to bathe.”

Chapter Two

Prince Quinn of the Var smiled playfully at the lovely woman next to him. Leaning his face forward, he nuzzled her cheek with his light, seductive kisses, flicking his tongue out over her skin until she shivered.

“I told you the king was in love. He’ll not take any other mistresses. I’m sorry, Linzi, but you’ll just have to look elsewhere.”

“Elsewhere, like here?” Linzi giggled. She smiled prettily, as her hand went straight for Quinn’s large erection. Impishly batting her dark eyelashes at the handsome prince, she stroked him through his clothes.

Her look was of pure invitation, making it clear that she was more than ready to meet the young prince’s desires right then and there in the palace hallway. She licked her lips and tilted her mouth up to his in offering.

Quinn chuckled. Linzi was a beautiful woman and luckily he didn’t have the same problem as his older brother Kirill. Kirill was in love with his mistress, an undercover agent for the Human Intelligence Agency.

If Kirill played his hand right, Ulyssa would soon be his queen and he would be life mated to one woman for the rest of his days--giving her the ability to live just as long as he.

Linzi stroked him harder when he didn’t immediately take her offered lips. Quinn’s look darkened, becoming devilishly mischievous in its intent as he leaned in for a kiss. His fingers lifted to cup a firm breast, causing the woman to moan. He had no such plans for life mating to one woman. He liked being carefree. He liked playing around, having fun. Marriage didn’t sound like much fun to him. Besides, what was it his father had always said? “
Women are like fruit on the vine, each piece sweeter than the
first. Why sample one, when you can sample them all?”

Quinn moaned lightly. If he played his hand right, Linzi would soon be pressed against the palace wall fulfilling his very masculine desires. He deepened his kiss, thrusting his tongue boldly past her lips.

“Excuse me, sir, could you tell me where--
Oh, good God in heaven!
”

Quinn pulled back from Linzi’s lips and whispered, “Just a moment, sweetheart. Don’t go anywhere.”

Linzi giggled. She was pressed against the wall by Quinn’s body so she couldn’t move if she wanted to.

By the look on her face, she definitely didn’t want to.

Smiling, the prince tilted back just far enough to see the bearer of the mortified voice. Quinn wasn’t too surprised to see it was a female scientist. HIA scientists were crawling all over the palace, checking to make sure everyone was all right and not contaminated.

His father, King Attor, had ordered a biological weapon from the Medical Mafia, storing it in a cave in the swamplands. Undercover HIA Agent Ulyssa Payne, Kirill’s mistress, discovered it. With the combined help of the Var and Draig royal houses, they managed to retrieve the weapon so that the HIA could take it off Qurilixen. The fact that the Draig, their ancient enemies, had banded together to help them was a great historical moment. Attor had always strove to conquer the Draig, but his last act in buying the biological weapon just might cause the two houses to find peace. It forced the Draig and Var to work together, to trust each other with their loved ones lives.

The Draig princes and their wives were now guests at the palace and had stayed to make sure the weapon really did leave. No one wanted the weapon left on the planet and they were all more than happy to see it go. If part of it going meant dealing with a bunch of scientists, so be it. It was better to get checked out, instead of not knowing until it was too late that the palace had been contaminated.

The woman scientist averted her gaze to the side, frowning in disapproval. Linzi pulled her hand off his arousal and rested it instead on his arm. Quinn stayed were he was, not moving his palm from her breast.

He had nothing to be embarrassed about. Sex was as natural to his people as breathing. Besides, the doctor had wandered into his private hall.

“Can I help you?” he asked politely, as if he’d been caught staring at a cloud in the blue-green Qurilixen sky and not pawing a disheveled woman.

He didn’t think it was possible, but the scientist’s tanned features flushed a darker shade of red. She glanced at the floor then back at the wall. Her fingers clutched at the electronic clipboard she carried.

Quinn finally let go of Linzi when he saw the woman wasn’t even tempted to glance back at them. He grinned. There was no point in continuing a show if there was no longer an audience.

“I’ll see you later, my lord,” Linzi said softly. Quinn barely paid her any notice as she went running down the hall toward the palace harem where she lived. She’d been one of King Attor’s women, though she’d never actually slept with the dead king, but was merely a forgotten member of his once massive collection. When their father died in battle against the Draig, Kirill had urged the women to find husbands and leave the palace. Many had done so happily. Those that were left were still technically looking for mates. However, until that day came they were more than happy to bide their time in the harem, flirting and sleeping with the handsome, rich princes.

The scientist didn’t readily speak as Linzi disappeared around the corner. Quinn stepped back from the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. Now that he was closer, he was afforded a better view of her.

She was by no means too slender and reedy, but neither was she too plump. The lush curves of her body called to his hands. His palms itched to touch her, to test her womanly softness. Her rounded hips, her larger breasts--breasts made to smother a man’s face in pleasure. Quinn didn’t think it was possible, but his erection lurched and became harder--painful in its size and need.

The scientist took a deep breath and struggled with her words. Finally, she stated, “I’m looking for Prince Quinn. I was told he was in this direction.”

Quinn smiled. The woman again clutched nervously at an electronic clipboard in her hands, working her fingers along the sides. Letting his voice dip, he said, “I’m Quinn.”

“You...?” She blinked in surprise, turning her dark eyes up to him. She assessed him in a cold manner that actually did nothing to hamper his arousal. If anything, he became more excited by it. “You can’t possibly be ... I mean ... you are ... a prince?”

Her words trailed off as her eyes finally traveled down to his protruding groin. A strange squeaking noise sounded in the back of her throat. Quinn grinned, sniffing the air. The sudden pouring of feminine interest emanated from her thighs and he smelled the distinct perfume of her desire, her unmistakable lust. It called to him. Before he knew what he was doing, he stepped forward and reached for her.