Chapter 1
“Get me a bottle of bourbon,” the tall, dark man snapped to the woman fiddling with flowers as he burst into the previously soothing salon. The man leaned his hands against the back of the sofa, his arms spread wide and his head bowed low.
Jalayla spun around, shocked by the command and her eyebrows snapped up. How dare he speak to her like that! She looked behind her, realizing that he’d thought she was a servant because she’d been adjusting the floral arrangement, but it didn’t matter. He shouldn’t speak to servants like that either!
“Say please,” she snapped right back, squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin defiantly.
With her sharp words, that muscular back tensed and his head came partway up. Not fully though. It was as if he might be tossing her response around in his head, thinking about her words, repeating them in his mind as if he couldn’t believe she’d actually said them. To him.
Unconcerned, Jalayla crossed her arms over her stomach and glared, ignoring the creeping sensation of anxiousness that was coming over her.
But as the man stood up, his true height and brawn were revealed and she had to suppress her uneasiness. This was no regular man to be put in his place for an arrogant attitude. No, this man was of a completely different breed, she thought as she took in his broad shoulders and muscle packed arms that strained the tailored material of his shirt. She still couldn’t see his face because he was turned away from her, but this man’s body was enormous!
She shrank back slightly, but then realized what she was doing and stopped that action, refusing to let this man see her fear.
Then he swung around!
Goodness, he was gorgeous! All that black hair, cropped short but she could see how thick it was. His jaw already had a shadow of darkness to it even though he’d probably shaved only hours ago. And oh, he was tall!
And looking taller since he was walking towards her!
Jalayla refused to back down or back away. She absolutely would not allow this horrible, rude man to intimidate her! He’d been wrong to snap an order like that! She was right to point that out.
Those dark, almost black eyes traveled up and down her figure, stopping on her defiant features. “You’re trembling. Good,” he snapped. “Because you will be gone from here within the hour.” He continued to walk closer, his eyes never leaving hers and he had to admit, he was impressed with her bravado. “Your employment here is at an end.”
Jalayla’s chin went up another notch, her soft, brown eyes glaring right back at him. “You’re an idiot, sir. First of all, you don’t have the authority to throw me out of the Fortress of the Guards, sir. This fortress was built on the land of four countries, all four of which control and manage this place. You do not have final authority to kick anyone out of the fortress. Secondly, if I’m to be thrown out of this fortress, it would be worth it to know that I won’t ever have to deal with arrogant, conceited, rude and impolite jerks again!”
With that, she stepped around the enormous, terrifying man and headed for the doors. She would not stay in a room with this oaf another moment.
Tasir watched the woman with gleaming dark hair walk away from him, stunned by the surge of lust that hit him. And for a servant? Impossible! He never dallied with the help!
But she didn’t hold herself like a servant. The woman daring to walk away from him was proud and confident. Damn, even the way she walked was making his body harden with desire for her. Or maybe it was just his need to eradicate impertinence in all forms.
Before she could step out of his reach, he grabbed her arm and spun her back around to face him. “Who are you?” he demanded. “I want a name!”
She had the audacity to try to jerk her arm out of his grip, but now that he was touching
“Get me a bottle of bourbon,” the tall, dark man snapped to the woman fiddling with flowers as he burst into the previously soothing salon. The man leaned his hands against the back of the sofa, his arms spread wide and his head bowed low.
Jalayla spun around, shocked by the command and her eyebrows snapped up. How dare he speak to her like that! She looked behind her, realizing that he’d thought she was a servant because she’d been adjusting the floral arrangement, but it didn’t matter. He shouldn’t speak to servants like that either!
“Say please,” she snapped right back, squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin defiantly.
With her sharp words, that muscular back tensed and his head came partway up. Not fully though. It was as if he might be tossing her response around in his head, thinking about her words, repeating them in his mind as if he couldn’t believe she’d actually said them. To him.
Unconcerned, Jalayla crossed her arms over her stomach and glared, ignoring the creeping sensation of anxiousness that was coming over her.
But as the man stood up, his true height and brawn were revealed and she had to suppress her uneasiness. This was no regular man to be put in his place for an arrogant attitude. No, this man was of a completely different breed, she thought as she took in his broad shoulders and muscle packed arms that strained the tailored material of his shirt. She still couldn’t see his face because he was turned away from her, but this man’s body was enormous!
She shrank back slightly, but then realized what she was doing and stopped that action, refusing to let this man see her fear.
Then he swung around!
Goodness, he was gorgeous! All that black hair, cropped short but she could see how thick it was. His jaw already had a shadow of darkness to it even though he’d probably shaved only hours ago. And oh, he was tall!
And looking taller since he was walking towards her!
Jalayla refused to back down or back away. She absolutely would not allow this horrible, rude man to intimidate her! He’d been wrong to snap an order like that! She was right to point that out.
Those dark, almost black eyes traveled up and down her figure, stopping on her defiant features. “You’re trembling. Good,” he snapped. “Because you will be gone from here within the hour.” He continued to walk closer, his eyes never leaving hers and he had to admit, he was impressed with her bravado. “Your employment here is at an end.”
Jalayla’s chin went up another notch, her soft, brown eyes glaring right back at him. “You’re an idiot, sir. First of all, you don’t have the authority to throw me out of the Fortress of the Guards, sir. This fortress was built on the land of four countries, all four of which control and manage this place. You do not have final authority to kick anyone out of the fortress. Secondly, if I’m to be thrown out of this fortress, it would be worth it to know that I won’t ever have to deal with arrogant, conceited, rude and impolite jerks again!”
With that, she stepped around the enormous, terrifying man and headed for the doors. She would not stay in a room with this oaf another moment.
Tasir watched the woman with gleaming dark hair walk away from him, stunned by the surge of lust that hit him. And for a servant? Impossible! He never dallied with the help!
But she didn’t hold herself like a servant. The woman daring to walk away from him was proud and confident. Damn, even the way she walked was making his body harden with desire for her. Or maybe it was just his need to eradicate impertinence in all forms.
Before she could step out of his reach, he grabbed her arm and spun her back around to face him. “Who are you?” he demanded. “I want a name!”
She had the audacity to try to jerk her arm out of his grip, but now that he was touching
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