Page 2 of Promoted To His Princess

A small, electric jolt coursed down Calista’s spine. She shouldn’t have been listening to the conversation and was irritated that she was even conscious of it. Then again, the prince didn’t seem to care about the members of his staff, be they civilian or military, listening in on his conversations.

Even private conversations with his soon-to-be fiancée.

King Adonis had ordered his brother to marry to safeguard the succession of the Nikolaides royal line, and, though it was well-known that Prince Xerxes wasn’t entirely happy about it, an announcement had been made that the prince would be formally engaged to one of the princesses of one of Europe’s more progressive countries and that an engagement party would be given.

Hence, presumably, the fitting of dresses. Which his fiancée-to-be would now not be attending.

Calista didn’t know why that strange little jolt had hit her at the mention of his engagement party. The marriage would certainly be good for the prince. People would be less inclined to gossip about his past if he married and settled down.

‘No, and that’s not my problem either,’ Xerxes snapped, and he must have disconnected the call because he tossed the phone down onto one of the low couches that were scattered around the room. He didn’t like living in the palace for some reason, preferring his luxuriously appointed lakeside villa instead, with its couches of butter-soft white leather, and thick pale carpet, white walls and glass and steel furniture.

It was all very clean and modern, unlike the ancient stones of the palace.

Calista shifted minutely on her feet. She’d be dismissed for the night soon with any luck, which meant she could go back to the barracks and...

Her thoughts came to a dead stop, the weight of another person’s gaze settling on her.

His.

Instantly she snapped to attention, her chin coming up, her shoulders straightening.

He’d turned around and was gazing at her, a distinctly speculative look on his impossibly handsome face.

He had that knack of looking at a person and making them feel as if they were the centre of the universe. As if he sawthem.

Calista didn’t like it. She was just one of his guards; she wasn’t special. She didn’t stand out and she didn’t want to. And besides, she was a firm believer in royalty maintaining their distance, so the prince’s laid-back attitude was another thing she disapproved of.

Though there was nothing laid-back about him now.

Deep in his dark eyes, gold flecks gleamed like coins at the bottom of a night-shadowed sea, making her heartbeat accelerate. Then his beautiful mouth quirked, as if he found her amusing in some way, sending a burst of irritation through her; she didn’t appreciate being laughed at.

She didn’t let it show, though she did click her heels together rather more ostentatiously than she would have normally. ‘Highness,’ she said crisply.

He smiled and lifted a hand, crooking a finger. ‘Come here, soldier.’

Calista had been following orders and taking commands her entire life, including many from the prince himself. So obeying this one shouldn’t have made her think twice. Yet, she hesitated for a split-second. His smile was arrogant and that crooked finger annoyed her, plus his bare chest was still irritatingly on show, and he didn’t comport himself the way a prince should.

All of which shouldn’t have any impact on her ability to obey orders, yet somehow did. Which was wrong. She shouldn’t let her personal opinion of him affect her behaviour as a soldier and especially not compromise her emotional control. And most especially not if she wanted a promotion to the king’s guard.

Shoving away her irritation and hoping he hadn’t noticed her hesitation, Calista stepped forward from her post by the door. ‘Your Highness.’

‘Closer,’ the prince murmured. ‘I’m not going to bite, I promise.’ The gold in his eyes gleamed brighter. ‘Well, at least not very hard.’

Even though she hadn’t been working for the prince long, she’d learned that the gleam of gold in his eyes, and the slightly edged, amused tone in his beautiful voice, was usually a sign that he was in a temper. And that it was wise not to disobey him when he was in this mood.

Still, the comment made more irritation prickle over Calista’s skin and she couldn’t think why. It was very strange.

‘Highness,’ she repeated, and took another step, coming smartly to attention once again and giving him a steely-eyed stare.

He stared back a second, then let out an annoyed-sounding breath and strolled up to her. ‘When I said closer, I meant closer.’ His smoky gold gaze looked down into hers. ‘Like so. Are we clear?’

For a second Calista’s brain blanked. All she could think about was that he was, indeed,veryclose. Mere inches away. That distracting bare chest, broad and powerful, all smooth olive skin and sharply cut muscle, was right in front of her. Close enough for her to feel his heat, catch his scent, spicy and warm, reminding her of pine forests and sun-drenched earth.

Are you insane? You’re his guard. You’re not supposed to notice anything but threats.

The royal guard was largely ceremonial these days, but still. She took her job seriously. She should not be getting distracted by a bare chest, and especially nothisbare chest. He was Commander of the Armies, a superior officer. She shouldn’t even be noticing it.

‘Yes, Highness,’ she said crisply, with any luck masking the thick note in her voice.

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