Page 16 of Promoted To His Princess

Despite the crown, he was just a man and men were all the same. If you didn’t present yourself as a target, then you couldn’t become one.

‘I don’t understand. Why me?’ Perhaps if she knew what it was about her that had caught his interest then she could guard against it the next time.

‘I told you why.’ He took a step back from her and inclined his head towards the door. ‘Out.’

It was a command and one she should obey, yet Calista didn’t move. She needed to know the answer so she could shore up her vulnerabilities, defend herself.

‘No,’ she said flatly. ‘Answer me.’

The beautiful lines on his face hardened, the light gleaming on his black hair and his tawny skin. He suddenly looked every inch the powerful prince, a commander of armies.

And you just commanded him.

Her gut lurched. She’d forgotten herself and her position. She’d let him get to her, with his male beauty and the glimpses he’d given her of another man. The man behind the prince. A sincere man who, far from not caring about anything, clearly loved his brother.

And she’d been addressing the man, not the prince. Not her superior officer.

That had been a mistake.

See what happens when you forget yourself?

If she had any sense, she should apologise and do as she was told—leave the room.

‘Excuse me?’ The prince’s voice was cold. ‘Surely I didn’t just hear you issue me with a demand?’

She knew she should turn around and walk away. But her feet wouldn’t move. There was something inside her, a weakness, a flaw. Some part of her that wanted more of his attention, his light, gentle touch. That was hungry for softness and pleasure, and to feel beautiful. To feel cared for.

She knew she couldn’t give in to it. Yet she couldn’t stop herself.

Calista drew herself up, her heart hammering. ‘It wasn’t a demand. It was a question.’

‘It did not sound like one.’

It was useless to fight this. She couldn’t do it. And besides, it was just a question. She didn’t have to let the answer mean anything.

‘I only wanted to know why it was...me you wanted.’

His stare focused on her like a beam of concentrated sunlight, burning hot. ‘Why do you want to know that?’

She couldn’t tell him. Couldn’t reveal her own weakness, her flaw, the terrible need inside her that she’d thought she’d overcome but clearly hadn’t.

So maybe you just need to give in to it.

The thought was searing, like a brand pressed against her skin, freezing her in place, making her conscious of that nagging pulse between her thighs and how sensitised her skin was. Of the space that separated them. Of him and the work of art that was his body, all hard, chiselled muscle and male power. Scars marred his skin. She hadn’t noticed them before, but she could see them now. Long slashes on his chest that must have come from a knife and the tell-tale round circles of bullet wounds on his taut stomach. There were other scars, too, from weapons or injuries she didn’t know, but they all told a story. He wasn’t some pampered prince, kept safe and in luxury. His body was that of a warrior and he had the warrior’s scars to prove it.

Desire gripped her hard. Did it really matter why he wanted her? Perhaps it only mattered that he did. That right here, right now, she wanted him, too. And after all, she’d denied herself so many things in order to get where she was right now. Had sacrificed many pleasures in favour of hard discipline. Hadn’t allowed herself anything that would compromise her dedication or make her weak—touch, closeness, warmth, the pleasure of feeling different, of feeling special.

In the army you weren’t special. You weren’t different. In the army you were the same as everyone else, a cog in the machine, and she liked that. She hadn’t wanted to be different or special, because by being a woman she already stood out.

You want to be a woman tonight, though.

She took a breath, a tremble shaking her. Yes, maybe she did. And maybe if she was, maybe if she took what she wanted tonight, this terrible need inside would go away.

‘Why do I want to know?’ Her voice sounded strange even to her own ears. ‘Because I’m just a guard and you’re a prince. What could a prince possibly see in me?’

He stood very still, the gold flecks in his eyes glittering like stars in the darkness of the night. ‘I meant what I said. You burn like the sun, Calista. And right now, I’m not looking at you as a prince, because I don’t see a guard. I’m a man and I see a woman.’

She didn’t need to see his expression to know he was deadly serious. It was obvious in every word he said.

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