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Startled, Alec said, “Thanks I think Speaking of babies, I hear congratulations are in order for you and the princess, too”
McKinnon’s smile deepened into one of intense satisfaction “Yeah, this summer I didn’t plan on more than one at a ti born—they have no choice in the irl”
“How’s that working out for you?”
“It’s hectic,” was all McKinnon would say But his grin told Alec he wouldn’t have it any other way
Following the two froelina Mateja tucked her short, blond hair behind one ear and commented softly to her companion in Zakharan, “So that is the new RSO at the US eht for such an important position”
Captain Marek Zale saze toward her for a mo Not so young”
“He appears younger” And ht but didn’t say As one of the first female officers in the Zakharian National Forces, she was extremely careful about what she said to Captain Zale or anyone else she worked with
Zakhar was fifty years behind the ti women The Zakharian National Forces had only opened to wo Andre Alexei had ascended the throne of Zakhar four and a half years earlier The n she wasn’t up to the job Whichless than the perfect professional officer
Angelina towered over the petite queen she guarded so faithfully Her five feet eleven inches without shoes made her nearly as tall as most of the men on the security detail And her skill eapons of all sorts—not to mention her skills without weapons—nuards
She was a formidable adversary with a hard-as-nails reputation she’d worked diligently to earn More than onehand-to-hand co exercises She’d even taken down Captain Zale once, though that was probably ed to do it a second tih she’d tried Repeatedly
Noatching the Aelina felt an unusual twinge of physical attraction, a jolt of sexual desire in her bellyand lower It wasn’t so she usually let herself feel But there it was
Auburn-haired Alec Jones wasn’t nearly as handsome as Princess Mara’s husband, Trace McKinnon, as standing next to him But he had ashape—soelina on the , she could see the muscles that pulled his jacket taut across his broad shoulders
She had an instant’s vision of him naked—honed to muscle, sinew and bone, much as she was—and wondered what it would be like to take him to her bed instead of the e of twenty Curiosity had been followed by disappointleamed momentarily—she didn’t think sex with thisFar from it
Just as quickly as the thought occurred to her she banished it, but not without regret She’d long ago resolved that any kind of romantic involvement, not to mention sex, was incompatible with her job in the Zakharian National Forces Especially given the patronizing attitude toomen held by most of the men in the rank and file as well as the officers Sex with anyshe should be thinking about She wasn’t about to risk her reputation, or her job, for a man No matter how sexy and irresistible he was
Alec turned abruptly and spotted a wo him Intently She was tall, blonde and slender, with a touch-me-and-die air about her He didn’t knohy, but she pushed all his buttons without even trying, and he felt hihed under his breath and ordered his body to stand down But he wasn’t surprised when his body refused to obey
The woman and the man with her were both dressed in the kind of clothes he usually hen on duty—what he earing now, actually—including a jacket to hide his shoulder holster And there was so that reminded him of his own expression when he unexpectedly spotted himself in a mirror in public A watchfulness in their eyes An alertness in the way they held theuards? he wondered He glanced around but didn’t see anyone theyStill