“Time for me to leave.”
“ I wish you didn’t have
to.” She followed him to the space between the shelves and flitted
between them with no difficultly. He fit, just not easily. But he
was used to speed in a situation like this and managed to kiss her
goodbye before he exited through the panel.
He heard his mother enter the closet.
“Helena, what are you doing in here?”
“ Do you think we can store
the…” he didn’t hear what she said but guessed it was lab
equipment.
They discussed that notion and Vlad
concluded that he was probably safe to finish the work he needed to
do in this tunnel. The sooner he closed off these passages, the
safer the two precious women behind him would be. Their safety
seemed more important to him than that of their prince. It
shouldn’t have been, but somehow it was.
The thing was, Prince Aleksi wasn’t
without resources. He had served in the military just like all of
the other men in Rurikstan. So he possessed skills and could take
care of himself.
Helena and his mother didn’t have the
advantage of military training. Neither knew how to conduct herself
in a combat situation. Therefore, in his mind, their safety came
first.
***
“ This concludes our
meeting?” Tia’s eyes rounded in surprise.
“ Yes. I do have a
scheduled meeting with the general who is overhauling our military.
Unfortunately,” Aleksi caressed a finger over her cheekbone, across
her nose, and down to her lips. “I can’t miss this
meeting.”
“ I’d pout, but I do have
samples I need to collect and other work as well.” Her lips pulled
down. “If I don’t go, someone else will take my
samples.”
“ That’s bad?”
She smiled at him. “No, but they
shouldn’t have to. I’m perfectly capable, just easily distracted by
a certain prince.” Because she didn’t have a choice, Tia leaned
forward and kissed him again.
“ I’m really happy you’re
easily distracted.”
“ You would be.” She kissed
his nose before wiggling off his lap. “So, Mr. Prince, do you
approve my budget for next year or do I still have to convince
you?”
His smile nearly melted her socks.
“You’re going to need to convince me.” His eyes narrowed. “I should
warn you, Dr. Morrison, it’s going to take a lot more effort on
your part.” Then he leaned back in his chair, looking smug and
utterly satisfied. And so masculine her femme fatale side
purred.
“ I’m relieved you’ve
warned me, Your Majesty,” and her eyes flitted to majestic parts of
him. The problem was, there were lots of them and she only had two
eyes.
He laughed, and surged out of the
chair to catch her. Tia, tart that she was, didn’t protest in the
least. Aleksi tugged her close. She snuggled in, so happy she was a
little afraid this was all a glorious dream and it would disappear
come the early morning light.
“ You’ve been warned, now
you can work harder to convince me why you need so much money.” He
sounded tough, but she was confident she’d get every last penny she
asked for.
To reward him, she kissed him again
before reluctantly heading for the door. “I’ll review my
strategy.”
His eyes half-masted. “You do
that.”
With a last smile and not-so-hidden
promise, Tia blew him a kiss before she headed back to the
lab.
It was a good thing she arrived when
she did because she found both Maria and Helena about to embark on
their sample taking. “You two planned to collect my samples, didn’t
you?”
Maria’s eyebrow rose. “You were busy
wringing budget money out of our prince.”
“ Exactly.” Helena cocked
her head. “It’s not like you don’t have a huge task ahead of you.”
Her eyes narrowed speculatively. “Did you get the money we
need?”
“ Not yet,” Tia hedged. Her
grin was probably cheesy cheek. “He claims I have a lot of work to
do to convince him.”
“ That’s what they do.”
Maria smoothed her already perfect top. “String you along, never
quite giving you an answer.”
“
“ I wish you didn’t have
to.” She followed him to the space between the shelves and flitted
between them with no difficultly. He fit, just not easily. But he
was used to speed in a situation like this and managed to kiss her
goodbye before he exited through the panel.
He heard his mother enter the closet.
“Helena, what are you doing in here?”
“ Do you think we can store
the…” he didn’t hear what she said but guessed it was lab
equipment.
They discussed that notion and Vlad
concluded that he was probably safe to finish the work he needed to
do in this tunnel. The sooner he closed off these passages, the
safer the two precious women behind him would be. Their safety
seemed more important to him than that of their prince. It
shouldn’t have been, but somehow it was.
The thing was, Prince Aleksi wasn’t
without resources. He had served in the military just like all of
the other men in Rurikstan. So he possessed skills and could take
care of himself.
Helena and his mother didn’t have the
advantage of military training. Neither knew how to conduct herself
in a combat situation. Therefore, in his mind, their safety came
first.
***
“ This concludes our
meeting?” Tia’s eyes rounded in surprise.
“ Yes. I do have a
scheduled meeting with the general who is overhauling our military.
Unfortunately,” Aleksi caressed a finger over her cheekbone, across
her nose, and down to her lips. “I can’t miss this
meeting.”
“ I’d pout, but I do have
samples I need to collect and other work as well.” Her lips pulled
down. “If I don’t go, someone else will take my
samples.”
“ That’s bad?”
She smiled at him. “No, but they
shouldn’t have to. I’m perfectly capable, just easily distracted by
a certain prince.” Because she didn’t have a choice, Tia leaned
forward and kissed him again.
“ I’m really happy you’re
easily distracted.”
“ You would be.” She kissed
his nose before wiggling off his lap. “So, Mr. Prince, do you
approve my budget for next year or do I still have to convince
you?”
His smile nearly melted her socks.
“You’re going to need to convince me.” His eyes narrowed. “I should
warn you, Dr. Morrison, it’s going to take a lot more effort on
your part.” Then he leaned back in his chair, looking smug and
utterly satisfied. And so masculine her femme fatale side
purred.
“ I’m relieved you’ve
warned me, Your Majesty,” and her eyes flitted to majestic parts of
him. The problem was, there were lots of them and she only had two
eyes.
He laughed, and surged out of the
chair to catch her. Tia, tart that she was, didn’t protest in the
least. Aleksi tugged her close. She snuggled in, so happy she was a
little afraid this was all a glorious dream and it would disappear
come the early morning light.
“ You’ve been warned, now
you can work harder to convince me why you need so much money.” He
sounded tough, but she was confident she’d get every last penny she
asked for.
To reward him, she kissed him again
before reluctantly heading for the door. “I’ll review my
strategy.”
His eyes half-masted. “You do
that.”
With a last smile and not-so-hidden
promise, Tia blew him a kiss before she headed back to the
lab.
It was a good thing she arrived when
she did because she found both Maria and Helena about to embark on
their sample taking. “You two planned to collect my samples, didn’t
you?”
Maria’s eyebrow rose. “You were busy
wringing budget money out of our prince.”
“ Exactly.” Helena cocked
her head. “It’s not like you don’t have a huge task ahead of you.”
Her eyes narrowed speculatively. “Did you get the money we
need?”
“ Not yet,” Tia hedged. Her
grin was probably cheesy cheek. “He claims I have a lot of work to
do to convince him.”
“ That’s what they do.”
Maria smoothed her already perfect top. “String you along, never
quite giving you an answer.”
“
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