Acting Out Page 5

  Korian’s eyes softened and his smile was genuine when he replied, “You have no need to thank me, Jessica. Not only was it my pleasure to provide you the means to make you happy, it is also my duty to ensure you have everything you need or want. Allow me to also put your mind at ease about the credits spent today. The amount was so little that my secretary chastised me for being stingy with my guest. I only wish that you had felt free to spend more. Perhaps I can take you to visit the global market in the city of U’Tira before you leave. It is only two hours away by hover craft, and their market is easily three times the size of this one.”

  Jessica reached out to run her finger over the fur of the animal now lightly snoozing against the king’s neck. She felt unaccountably shy at the king’s offer, but she agreed readily. “I would like that very much if you have the time to spare, Korian.”

  His gaze snapped up to spear her to the spot and his voice was low and full of heat when he replied, “I will make the time for you, Jessica.”

  Jessica’s cheeks burned and she dropped her gaze, ostensibly to resume petting her sleeping companion. “I should put her to bed,” she murmured, changing the subject. “She’s had a long day.”

  Jess slid her hands beneath the warm bundle of fur and tried not to shiver with reaction at the spark of awareness that flooded her system when she grazed Korian’s throat. He closed his eyes and tipped his head back to give her more room, and she had the wild desire to lean down and lick the column of his throat to see if she could feel his pulse against her tongue. Instead, she bundled the bimbop against her breasts and carried it over to a crate and nestled the creature inside the warm, cushioned bed she had prepared inside it.

  She stalled on returning to the temptation of the man sitting on her bed and fussed over the sleeping companion until she could no longer find an excuse to stay away. Instead, she began to pull her purchases out and show them to Korian, placing distance and false cheer between them, and even modeled some of the headscarves for his enjoyment. She almost showed him the dagger hair pin, but she held back with the thought that she wanted to surprise him with it. Korian was good company, keeping the tone of their conversation light, and only a brief flash of scorn crossed his face when Jessica thoughtlessly dropped Zandar’s name, but it disappeared as quickly as it came as the king politely inquired after the warrior’s good health.

  Before she knew it, an hour and a half had passed while they chatted and laughed, and Jessica filled him on her exciting day and what she enjoyed most. Korian was warm and polite, his smiles and laughter genuine, and Jessica only caught his eyes lingering on her body a few times before he looked elsewhere.

  Korian stood from the bed and announced, “I fear I have kept you too late, Jessica. Tomorrow is an important day for us both, and you need your sleep. I will send Enahara to you tomorrow to help you dress, and my secretary will meet with you in the morning to go over the agenda for the gala. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.”

  Jessica drifted closer to him. She was loathe to see him go so soon, and she craved more of this man who had dropped his guard and allowed her to see his true self. That spark of devilment inside her prompted her to speak without thinking. “Am I allowed to contact you for any other reason than questions or concerns? What if I just want to say hello, or ask you about your day?”

  Korian’s eyes heated and he slowly moved closer to where she was standing until she had to crane her head back to meet his eyes. “I would like that very much, and I would hope that you feel free to call on me at any time and for any reason. As I said earlier, I will always make time for you, Jessica.”

  He ran his knuckles down the curve of her cheek, and her body shivered at his touch. She longed to twine her hands behind his neck and pull him down to her lips, but he reluctantly dropped his hand and took a step back. “Until tomorrow, my thalia,” he murmured, his lips quirked with a deprecating smile.

  She watched as he turned and walked out the doorway without another backward glance. As the door panel slid closed behind him, she shivered with a sudden chill. She rubbed the goosebumps on her arms and pulled back the covers on her bed. She was unaccountably sad all of a sudden, and exhaustion seemed to pull her down until she was snuggled beneath the warm covers. It was a long time before she stopped shivering, but even longer until her eyes closed.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  The following evening, Korian watched with narrowed eyes as Jessica laughed, flirted, and chatted easily with the crush of nobles who surrounded her at the after-party, but his wrath was not directed at them. His ire was reserved for the tall warrior who stood at her side, his hand proprietarily lodged at the base of her spine as they strolled from group to group of excited nobles.

  The evening was off to a resounding success. More than half of the gathered upper class had not yet seen the Earth transmission of Jessica’s movie, but gossip surrounding it had spread quickly and even more delegates, politicians, and nobles had showed than he expected. The anticipation for the viewing was high, and you couldn’t even hear a pin drop as the transmission had begun. Korian had not expected to get so involved in the tale himself, but he found that he could not tear his eyes away from the unfolding action. The alien scenery and technology depicted in the movie was distracting at first, but as soon as Jessica, playing the role of a young and inexperienced new detective, appeared on the screen, he was hopelessly hooked.

  He became so engrossed in the tale that he found himself growing tense during the fight scenes and his hands balling into fists until a voice hissed in his ear, “Relax, King Korian. I was the one actually doing those stunts, not Jessica. It only looks like her because of camera tricks and editing.” Korian released his tight grip and nodded his understanding to Mahoney, who was sitting on his left. His relaxed enjoyment changed once again when a steamy love scene between Jessica and another detective began to play out on the screen. He thought his jaw would break with the stress of clenching his teeth when the handsome male human proceeded to undress his thalia and kiss along her bare shoulders while she writhed and moaned beneath him. A loud crack echoed through the room, causing all eyes to turn to him curiously, and he waved an apology with a tight-lipped smile. Looking down at the armrest, he was chagrined to see that he had crushed the structure with his grip and it was hanging loosely down to the floor. Mahoney just rolled her eyes at him and whispered that it wasn’t real and that Jessica actually despised the actor who played that roll. Slightly mollified, he leaned back in his seat and resolved to behave himself for the rest of the show.

  When the transmission ended, there was a roar of approval from the crowd of T’Kalans who had thoroughly enjoyed the climactic scene where Jessica’s character shot and killed the crazed killer who had been stalking her. When the lights had come back on and Korian took the stage, he addressed his people and thanked them for attending the special event. He then went on to explain that he had arranged a surprise for them and introduced Jessica MacGregor to the crowd. When the lovely, redheaded human walked on the stage and waved, there were surprised gasps, shouted exclamations, and general pandemonium as the nobles and delegates stood to their feet to better glimpse the intriguing alien. Jessica accepted all the adoration and attention in stride, and took a few moments to thank them for their warm welcome and shower effusive praise on their planet and people. When one bold noble shouted out that he recognized her from the ceremony after the attack on The Ax’Sandre, she only smiled and nodded and heaped more compliments on the warriors and crew of the ship while downplaying any role she played in the aftermath.

  The party had been in full swing for well over an hour, and Jessica had not been able to take more than a step without being mobbed by the excited nobles. Before Korian could reach her side to rescue her, however, Zandar Nic’Omar had appeared at her elbow and deftly created a wide berth around the starlet in order to give her some space. The tall warrior had smiled and chatted before introducing his sister and her lifemate, a high-
ranking delegate from a nearby city, to the human and Korian watched as he led her from group to group while acting as her escort.

  “If your eyes could throw daggers, then I would be afraid for Lieutenant Nic’Omar’s life,” a deep voice drawled in his ear.

  Korian turned his head to see Mikael and Mahoney standing behind him, and he reluctantly turned away from the sight of Jessica tossing her long, wavy red locks behind her as she laughed at something Zandar whispered in her ear. “I wish the warrior no ill,” Korian countered, his voice as stiff as his posture. “He has been a good friend and a comfort to Jessica in the past few days.”

  Mahoney snorted into her glass of wine and Mikael shot her a quelling look. The half-Japanese beauty just grinned before turning her hard stare on the king. “Is that what they’re calling it on T’Kala? Comfort?” When Korian’s forced smile faded, she glanced up at her lifemate and arched an eyebrow. “Mikael, maybe we should leave the party early. I would love to go back to our home and have you comfort me. All… night… long,” she purred, her blunt-tipped nails trailing over her husband’s bulging bicep.

  Mikael snatched her hand and tucked it through his elbow as he surreptitiously adjusted himself much to her amusement. “It is not well done of you to tease our king, Katsuko. He has enough on his mind without your insinuations and innuendos,” he grumbled. “Speaking of which,” he addressed the stony-faced young king, “I have heard back from five of our scouts so far. One of them found incriminating evidence in the home of Rox’Ana Ful’Tera in the form of transmitted communications to many other nobles. It appears that the situation is worse than we feared.”

  Korian rubbed his temples and sighed. “Of course it is. What did the communications reveal?”

  Mahoney’s nose curled with her disgust. “Basically, she is stirring the other nobles up and calling for an uprising against you. Since her plot to have you marry her daughter has failed, she has moved on to planning to ruin your image in the press and turning your people against you. Unfortunately, her plan includes blaming you and the other warriors for the attack on The Ax’Sandre, and using your inexperience and lack of availability to the provinces to incite distrust and rebellion. She plans to insert herself as the elected official through her contacts in the Great Alliance by promising the population they will be safe through protection from our allies instead of relying on an outdated and ‘barbaric’ caste of warriors,” she sneered, her scorn for the noble clear in her voice.

  Korian’s eyebrows furrowed in thought. Looking to the Captain of his fleet, he asked, “What do you recommend our course of action to be, Warrior?”

  Mikael ran a hand over his buzzed short hair and replied, “We continue on with the plan. From what I am seeing here tonight, Jessica’s presence will be in high demand, and Rox’Ana will want to be as close to the center of the attention she generates as possible. As the king, if you appeal to the noblewoman to take the Earthling celebrity under her wing and squire her about society, it will keep her too busy to further her plans. During the interim, you and I can reach out to rulers of the Great Alliance and procure their assistance in securing our airspace.”

  Korian nodded his head thoughtfully, but before he could add his own thoughts, Mahoney interjected. “You know, there is a much simpler and easier solution to this problem, Korian,” she announced, dispatching with his title and smirking.

  The king eyed her cautiously, unsure how to take this bold, fierce human female. “I am all attention, Lt. Cmdr. Mahoney.”

  Her dark brown, exotically-slanted eyes pinned him to the spot. “You could take Rox’Ana’s daughter as a lifemate. With her own daughter married to the Warrior King, you would turn your biggest detractor into your most loyal defender. She would not dare to do anything to undermine the warrior class for fear that her daughter would lose power and her grandchildren would not inherit the throne.”

  Korian couldn’t stop his gaze from seeking out Jessica once more while he pondered the truth of Mahoney’s words. She was beautiful in her dress of pure emerald green and her hair glowed like embers under the lights of the entertainment facility. His heart squeezed in his chest and he longed to storm across room and sweep her away from the adulation of the crowds and the lusty gaze of her warrior escort. Never in his life had he felt such an overwhelming desire to possess someone else, body and mind and soul, as he did when Jessica MacGregor popped into his life with her happy smile, eyes the color of a summer sea, and hair of flame. Even when she snarled and poked her small finger into his chest, he was enchanted with her. Absently, he rubbed his chest over his heart as he finally pulled his gaze back to Mahoney.

  His eyes met hers and they hardened to chips of lavender ice. “Only cowards and fools choose the easy way, Mahoney. If the end of the warrior class is nigh, then we will end it as we have lived it: with a fight. And this is one battle that I mean to win.”

  Mahoney’s eyes sparkled with pride and she clasped her fist to her heart. “I was hoping you would say that, my king. It will be my honor to stand with you and among the warriors of T’Kala. May the stars guide us to victory.”

  Mikael executed his own salute and Korian returned it with crisp precision. As the newly-mated couple made their way toward the buffet tables, Korian couldn’t help but feel like he had just passed some unknown test via the shrewd human woman. He shook his head with bemusement, and turned once more to seek out the night’s shining star.

  CHAPTER NINE

  “Jessica MacGregor, may I introduce you to Rox’Ana Ful’Tera and her daughter, Par’Nisis?” Zandar asked, gaining her attention from a fawning nobleman. “Rox’Ana is one of our most powerful and influential nobles and is the king’s delegate from the capital city of P’Hartha.”

  Jessica studied the two women shrewdly while they exchanged pleasantries. Rox’Ana was pure T’Kalan female in all her glory. She was a full head taller than herself, with sparkling bronzed skin, shiny black hair threaded with gray pulled up in an elaborate up do, and sharp cheekbones lending her an aristocratic air. Her daughter was an almost carbon copy of her beautiful mother, but with the kiss of youth adding vitality and sparkle, and they both shared startlingly pale pink irises. Jessica felt her broad smile falter at the vision of loveliness that was Par’Nisis, and ruthlessly squashed the spark of jealousy that flared to life in her breast at the thought that this female could have been wed to Korian.

  “Miss MacGregor, I am very pleased to make your acquaintance,” the noblewoman greeted her, her voice deep and husky like whiskey over ice. “What a shock and pleasant surprise for our king to treat us to your presence. I cannot believe I failed to recognize you during the ceremony, but then, I never dreamed that our king would be capable of breaking the rules of the Great Alliance in order to bring you here.”

  Jessica smiled sweetly while internally seething at her passive-aggressive praise of their king. She forced herself to laugh lightly and replied airily, “Oh, it was no trouble, actually, once I got past the initial shock. In fact, I was flattered and quite eager to meet the T’Kalan citizens that are such big fans of my work.”

  Par’Nisis simpered and interjected into the conversation. “I am very eager to learn more about your charming little planet, Jessica. Tell me, is it true that your people still travel in conveyances with wheels?” She laughed as if she couldn’t possibly believe such a thing.

  Jessica’s eyes narrowed, but she nodded agreeably. “Yes, most of our transportation is still dependent upon wheels, but we do have conveyances that fly through the air, as well.”

  Zandar, perhaps sensing her discomfort, changed the subject. “Jessica has been learning about our own culture since her arrival. Just yesterday, I escorted her to the marketplace so she could observe our wares. She even returned back to the compound with a bimbop youngling.”

  Rox’Ana’s eyebrows climbed up her forehead. “You mean to say that the king did not escort you himself? I find myself surprised that he entrusted your safety to another warrior, especially i
f he claimed you under Captive Law. Have you even seen much of our young king since your arrival?”

  Jessica traded loaded glances with Zandar. “As I’m sure you know, the king has been very busy with the fallout from the attack on our ship. His hospitality has been flawless, though, and my every need has been attended to whether by his staff or his warriors.”

  Her lips quirked nastily and her daughter barely stifled a snort. “Yes, I am sure he has been quite accommodating with his efforts. However, should you deign to do me the honor of hosting you for the next month, I would be happy to introduce you to the more…civilized aspects of T’Kalan society. You will find that the noble class and delegates from our cities have much more to offer other than blood, sweat, and fighting.”

  She ignored Zandar’s clenched fist at the small of her back and smiled for all she was worth. “That sounds wonderful, Rox’Ana. I am honored to be your guest and would be thrilled to find out more about your fascinating noble class. Please send me a transmission with dates and times and I will inform the king that I will be off his hands while you take over the burden of my visit.”

  With a smug look of triumph, Rox’Ana and her vapid daughter sailed away into the crowd. Zandar steered her away from several other nobles headed her way and managed to secure a table in the corner where they could speak with relative privacy.

  “More civilized, my ass,” he growled. “Believe me, her sharp tongue has spilled more blood than all our warrior blades put together.”

  Jessica took a much needed draught from her glass of wine and patted his arm comfortingly. “Back on Earth, women like her are a dime a dozen.” At Zandar’s puzzled look, she clarified, “They are everywhere, especially in Hollywood. Don’t worry about her. I’ve got her number, and I know just how to play her.”

  Zandar leaned in closer to her and whispered conspiratorially, “I have no doubts about your skills, Jessica. Your warriors have faith in you. If anyone can take down the Vlarnek of P’Hartha, it will be you.”