DangerouslyHis by A.M. Griffin

liked the idea
of meeting the different females.”
    Different females? “He had a lot of them?”
    “Um…” Jess’ gaze shifted to Eva. “No, not really, he just
liked to meet different species.”
    “Maybe he was hoping to meet the right female,” she said.
“And if he met that female, he wouldn’t need to seek out anyone else.”
    “Whoa, wait. Get him out of your head,” Jess said.
    Saia didn’t think that she could.
    So far, she’d found out that he liked to travel and didn’t
have plans of settling down on one specific planet. She had also learned that
Earth males respected their females and treated them significantly different
than Drazlan males did.
    No, if she had her wish, JB would be her perfect mate.
    “What if I don’t want to stop thinking about him? What if he
and I become friends? There’s no harm in that, is there?”
    Jess sighed. “Saia, you don’t want to go down that road with
him—friend or anything else.”
    “Why not?” she asked.
    “Because it won’t end well for you—or for him,” Eva
answered.
     

Chapter Nine
     
    Saia hadn’t had the chance to return to her apartment after
her trip to Jess’ dwelling. On the way back, her mother called and requested
that she join her in the females’ common room. Some of the guests for her
engagement party had started to arrive and her mother wanted Saia to be cordial
and mingle.
    She was more than at ease talking with royals and
dignitaries from other planets. She had been trained on how to conduct herself
since she was born. She smiled and laughed when appropriate and did her very
best not to grill every person about their world, culture and travels. Her
mother said there wasn’t anything really wrong with her questions; the problem
was the manner in which Saia posed them. Fainia complained that Saia was too
forward and pressed too hard for answers. She had even described her as overly
aggressive once. Her mother simply didn’t understand that if Saia couldn’t
visit different worlds, at least she could live vicariously through those who
did.
    When she became too aggressive in her questioning, her
mother would smile and gracefully change the subject. That was Saia’s cue to
back off.
    Taraj Hazouto, a dignitary from Holis, began to explain how
twins in her species shared thoughts and feelings. Saia wanted to ask if the
feelings extended to sexual relations as well, but one scolding look from her
mother, who seemed to know what she was thinking, and Saia held her tongue.
    Her mother asked Taraj if she planned to petition to join
the ranks of the Galactic Council or remain a Holis dignitary, and as she
explained why she loved being a dignitary and had no desire to leave her
position, Saia’s com-link beeped.
    Saia looked down at her console. It was JB’s signature. “If
you will excuse me,” she said.
    Fainia waved at her. “Yes, please. Tend to your call.”
    Taraj dipped her head. “It was nice speaking with you,
Princess Saia.”
    Saia stood. “Your species interests me so. I hope my many
questions haven’t offended you?”
    “Of course not,” Taraj said, smiling. “You may ask anything
you wish.”
    “Thank you,” Saia said.
    She found a quiet, secluded area and held the com-link up to
her mouth. “This is Princess Saia Xochis.”
    “You promised to meet me.”
    Her heart skipped a beat. His voice was deep and husky with
a promise of everything her mother had ever warned her against. She flicked her
eyes in Fainia’s direction, who seemed enthralled with whatever Taraj was
saying.
    “Are you still there?”
    “I am.”
    “Well? Did you change your mind?”
    Saia glanced around the room and bit her lower lip. “I don’t
know.”
    “Meet me in the royal gardens. Alone. Go to your room and
leave out the back balcony.”
    She looked toward her guard. “But my guard won’t know I’m
leaving if I go out the back.”
    He chuckled. “I know.”
    Could she do it? If Olo found out it would mean another
beating