âTell me, Jane. Does the fact that I kissed you bother you, or that we were interrupted by your colleague?â
âThat kiss never should have happened,â Jane said.
He gave her his most charming smile. âIt should not have happened here, but it will happen again, Jane.â He forced himself to drop his hand before he forgot his promise, slanted his mouth over hers and took what he wanted. âOnly, next time it wonât be at work. And it will be a proper kiss.â
She gulped. âProper?â
âYes,â he said with a wink. âA proper kiss from a prince.â He lifted a strand of hair from her cheek. âAnd I promise it will be one you remember.â
To my sister:
May she find her own prince one dayâ¦
Award-winning author Rita Herron wrote her first book when she was twelve, but didnât think real people grew up to be writers. Now she writes so she doesnât have to get a real job. A former kindergarten teacher and workshop leader, she traded her storytelling to kids for romance, and now she writes romantic comedies and romantic suspense. She lives in Georgia with her own romance hero and three kids. She loves to hear from readers, so please write her at P.O. Box 921225, Norcross, GA 30092-1225, or visit her website at www.ritaherron.com.
Prince Stefan LuteceâHe has come to the U.S. to make trade agreements between his small island nation, Kyros, and America, but someone wants him dead. Who can he trust?
Jane CameronâThis sexy forensics specialist knows everything about processing crime scenes, but nothing about matters of the heart.
Lieutenant Ralph OsgoodâJaneâs superior and the head of her CSI unit believes Stefan and the COIN members are in the States on a fishing expedition to improve their military efforts and knowledge about bombs. How far will he go to prove he is right?
Prince Thaddeus LuteceâStefanâs brother wants his home, the island of Kyros, to remain a resort instead of a site for oil drilling, and he wants his brother to go through with the marriage his father has arranged to Princess Daria El-Shamy. Would he hurt his brother to stop the trade agreement from going through and to ensure Stefan agrees to the marriage?
Jihad IssamâThe head of Kyrosâs tourist trade opposes oil drilling on the island, claiming it will ruin the countryâs idyllic setting and environment. Would he kill Stefan to keep his country from venturing into mining?
Prince Butrus El-ShamyâPrincess Dariaâs brother is against the arranged marriage. But what are his reasons?
Hector PerroâStefanâs chief aide and loyal friendâor is he?
Edilio MiskoâThe head of Stefanâs security team; can he be a mole?
Fahad BahirâHeâs coordinating the security teams for all the royals.
Danny HaroldâThis news reporter seems to know more than he should; where is he getting his inside information?
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
âStefan, if you would simply return to Kyros and marry Princess Daria, our problems would be solved. In exchange for the marriage, King Nazim El-Shamy has agreed to give our nation as much financial and military support as we need to fend off Saruk.â
Prince Stefan Lutece sighed as his private jet began its final descent into the Wyoming airport. âFather, you know I have other plans for Kyros.â And for himself.
And an arranged marriage was not on his agenda.
Saving Kyros from being swallowed by Saruk, the larger militant nation nearby, however, was.
But he didnât intend to succumb to his fatherâs outdated means, or force his people to be swallowed into the folds of another nation. He wanted to utilize the oil on their land which could make them financially independent. That was the prime reason heâd joined COIN, the Coalition of Island Nations in the Mediterranean, and the purpose for his trip to America now.
And as far as marriageâif he ever indulged it would be with a woman who stirred his passions, not a woman like Daria who although physically beautiful, possessed a coldness in her eyes that chilled him to the bone.
âIf this summit meeting goes as planned,â Stefan continued, âand the coalition succeeds in making the trade agreements with the U.S., Kyros will prosper and gain independence without becoming indebted to King Nazim or Saruk.â
The sound of the planeâs landing gear rumbled, the plane tipped slightly, then righted, dropping altitude. Stefan glanced out the window at the rugged Wyoming land, the white-tipped mountains, the acres of untamed prairie land, and momentarily missed the lush tropical beauty of his own country.
Kyros, with its century-old ruins and stone temples, was rich in culture and history. With tourism as its main industry, the island was picturesque, boasting plush green foliage, colorful gardens, and inviting private resorts nestled along the Mediterranean coast.