Page 41 of Some Like It Deadly
“There’s always a but.” He leaned forward, elbows on the table and played with her hand between his. “You couldn’t upset the political balance or curry disfavor?”
“Exactly. So how does one tell a prince to stuff his camels up his ass politely?” She waggled her brows and Richard’s grin grew.
“Very carefully.”
“Well, that’s one theory.” She’d been polite. It hadn’t worked. “You see, I had been gracious in declining every single gift. We’d sent them all back. I couldn’t accept them and I’d always gotten someone from the public relations office to give me a very well-worded, cordial no, but they were all nos. Seriously I think this guy was just messing with me because he could. So, I asked my C.O. for a pass to go off base for thirty-six hours.”
“Why?” He was completely hooked on the story and, despite his constant caresses, she enjoyed his reactions too much to leave him hanging.
“Because I needed to give the army as much plausible deniability in my choices as I could. My C.O. approved it, but I had to take one of the MPs with me—Messer, he was a good guy. He played it cool and off we went to have lunch with a prince.”
“Okay, now I’m intrigued. How the hell is going to lunch with that camel salesman going to send a message?” The protectiveness in his voice and grip turned fierce.
Rubbing her thumb against his fingers, she shushed him. “Shh, it’s all right. I’m a big girl. I could handle it.”
“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. No means no in any language.” Hmm, probably a very good thing Richard hadn’t been in her life during that particular episode. She rather suspected he’d have made an international incident. When she said as much he nodded firmly. “Damn straight. And I have a grand duke in my corner, he’d have helped.”
“Well do you want to hear the rest of the story or would you like to get angrier on my behalf?” She lifted his hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles. “You’re very sexy when you’re angry.”
The quiet fury in his gaze drained away and the want returned. “Finish, I’ll behave.”
“Hopefully not for long.” His eyes flared at her tease, so she grinned and continued. “Lunch turned out to be a huge formal affair with a dozen of his closest relatives and, of course, Messer and me. We went through all the motions and then went for a long walk and Messer—acting as my ‘brother’—informed the prince that his pursuit had earned a measure of interest from my ‘family,’ but unfortunately, we had rules and traditions that had to be observed.”
Richard’s attention remained riveted on her. “I think we’re getting to the crazy part.”
“Uh huh.” She laughed. “The prince said he would happily meet any ritual my brother wanted to put him through to prove his great and undying love for me. Messer told him that in order for the family to feel comfortable accepting his pledge, he’d have to beat me in a hand-to-hand fight.”
“What?” Richard stared.
“That was exactly what the prince said. He was shocked, I tell you, shocked, that combat was what was required. Now I had to stay quiet through all of this, demure and restrained and not laugh my butt off at his facial expressions. Messer told him that we came from a long line of warriors—technically true since he was my army brother. Anyway—” she pressed on before Richard could interrupt, “—the prince was outraged, but Messer gave him a helpless look and said if the prince didn’t think he could handle a mere woman in a very straightforward fight, he could hardly be expected to protect and care for me in a manner that would be expected.”
“Oh my God, he played him.” Richard looked torn between horror and amusement. Covering his mouth with one hand, he stared at her. “And what did this paragon do?”
“He argued for a little while, but finally conceded that, yes, he wanted me enough that he was willing to beat me to have me.”
“Please tell me you kicked his ass?”
“All over the floor. We kept the fight very private—Messer with me and one of the prince’s bodyguards with him. The bodyguard was ordered to stay out of it and so was Messer. After he was done puking in the corner, the prince offered me his most sincere apologies, but he’d changed his mind and dropped his pursuit.” Merriment danced through her. “We never heard another word—no censure, no political fallout. Achmed didn’t want anyone to know.”
“…that a gorgeous, talented woman kicked his ass.” Richard laughed, his open joy delighting her more than recounting thestory. “You’re right, that’s one of the craziest things I’ve ever heard and damn if I’m not proud of you.”
Pleasure speared her at the words.
“Of course, I’m not going to fight you physically to win.”
“No?” She challenged, brows raised.
“No.” It was his turn to lift her hand to his lips. “What I will do is begin here at your hand and kiss each finger and then glide my tongue up the soft side of your arm to the crook of your elbow. I want to explore every inch of your skin. If you’re still in the game at that point, I’ll ease your shirt up, just enough to let my hand rest against your abdomen while I nuzzle the curve of your neck and then your jaw and finally tempt that gorgeous mouth of yours—” his voice dropped and her breath hitched, her humor melting into a pool of molten heat, “—with the slowest of caresses, I’ll ease a hand around your breast…”
She shoved the chair back and stood. “You win.”
The triumph in his smile took her breath away. “But I’ve only just gotten started.”
Chapter 11
Richard
“Started?” The word shuddered out of her. She moistened her lips and the glossy sheen invited him closer. From the moment she had come out onto the deck she’d been delighting him—first with her teasing play running her fingers up his arm and then with her blatant invitation about the need for calories. Dinner, though, dinner had been an utter pleasure. She’d dug into the food and ate it with a gusto that he could appreciate, not an ounce of trying to eat only the salad and ignoring the rest.
