“No.”
“Hmm, well then,” Vitto lifted his arm to settle around her shoulders. “Am I safe to assume he’s the reason you’ve been distracted?”
“No.” The lie was obvious and they both began to chuckle, though the sound was humorless and sad. “Yes.”
“How serious is it?” Vitto ran his hand comfortingly over her arm.
“I ended it,” she answered. “It’s over. With Simon’s death, I can’t be involved with anyone from this planet, let alone a Var prince. I don’t want to be blind and I can’t have my judgment in this matter come into question.”
“He cares about you, Tor,” Vitto insisted. “That much is clear. And we would never question your judgment.”
“Nothing will come of it. Besides, work first, play later. You know that. And right now I have more work than I can handle. We should have a team of at least twenty scientists working on this problem, not three.”
“We’ve dealt with worse,” Vitto said softly. “We’ll deal with this.”
“So, what did he say about me?”
“I thought it was over.”
“It is.” Tori hit him lightly in the side, but didn’t lift up her head. “Now, tell me what he said.”
“It was more how he looked at you,” Vitto answered. “And he refused to leave me alone with you last night.”
Tori laughed at the very idea that something would have happened. Vitto’s chuckle joined hers.
“That’s just gross,” Tori snorted.
“Agreed,” Vitto answered. “But, very ... ah, sweet on his part.”
“No, it’s just his Neanderthal way of marking territory. Kind of like an animal peeing on a tree trunk.” Tori sat up. “I can guarantee a man like that hasn’t been sleeping alone while I was gone. When I first met him he was in the hall making out with Linzi.”
“Grant’s Linzi?” Vitto snickered.
“One and the same,” Tori admitted. She stood to get dressed, moving onto the bed so she was hidden from view. Vitto didn’t try to look, but kept his eyes on the fireplace.
“Don’t tell Grant that. He’s convinced he’s rocked that woman’s world.” Vitto chuckled again, before suppressing a yawn.
“Grant’s convinced he’s rocked every woman’s world just by being born.” Tori came off the bed and lifted her arms to the side. “I look okay? Professional?”
“Jeez, Tori,” Vitto grimaced like a kid before saying good naturedly, “I’m your brother, not your fashion consultant.”
Tori shot him a wry smile. “I knew our mother should’ve drowned you at birth. I told her you were going to be nothing but trouble.”
* * * *
Quinn stared moodily at Tori. She’d come to the banquet hall on Vitto’s arm and they stayed together, huddled in a corner, for most of the morning meal. He watched her from the head table and saw every soft smile and gentle nod she gave the man in what looked like an intimate moment.
Jealousy bright and hot burned inside him, causing him to slam his goblet down a little too hard. Kirill turned to him and frowned. “Is everything well, brother?”
“Fine,” Quinn growled. He couldn’t take it anymore. Tori was his. Wasn’t she? He looked at her, not so sure. Suddenly, his anger was replaced by a sense of loss. He stood and stalked out of the hall. He couldn’t watch the couple any longer.
* * * *
Tori watched Quinn walk out of the hall. Her eyes trailed after him long after he was gone. She wanted to follow, but held back. It was better for both of them if they didn’t interact except for work.
Vitto cleared his throat to get her attention. “Tori, are you listening to me? The tissue samples from Simon should be analyzed by tonight. Grant said he was up all night with them and thinks he has the sequencing figured out. The Var have not been ruled out, but neither have six other species in our database, not to mention the species we don’t know about on this planet. But, just in case, we need to compile a list of possible Var suspects and we need to figure out how we go about collecting the samples we need from them.”
“What are you thinking?” Tori asked, seeing how Vitto refused to meet her direct gaze.
“Well, he was the first one to find the body,” Vitto said. “It’s a logical place to start.”
“Quinn?” Tori breathed. “You think...?”
“I don’t want to think it, but I’m first and foremost a scientist and so are you.” Vitto let loose a heavy sigh. “You’re worried about your actions being questioned. Well, not testing Prince Quinn as a possible suspect is one way for that to happen. I’m just telling you to cover your ass in this.”
“I should’ve become a Galaxy Playmate like Ja ... uh, Sapphire,” Tori mumbled. “We always made fun of her, but I think she was the smart one in the family sometimes. How hard could it be to take your clothes off on stage every night? Hell, she probably makes more space credits than both of us combined.”
Vitto ignored the comment about their stripper sister. “All we need is a strand of the prince’s hair or a mouth swab, and then we can rule him out.”
“And you would like for me to get it?” Tori asked.
“You’re the most likely candidate for the job. It’s not like we can come out and ask for it without being insulting,” Vitto said. “Though, you’re the boss. If you want me to, I’ll try.”
“No,” Tori mumbled. “If you go grabbing his hair, it will be too obvious. I’ll think of something.”
“Oh, crap, the king’s leaving. Didn’t you need to talk to him about accessing his mainframe?” Vitto pointed at the door.
“Oh, yeah. Hey, I’ll find you later,” Tori waved absently, as she rushed from the banquet hall to try and stop King Kirill.
* * * *
Quinn was leaning against the edge of Kirill’s desk in the royal office when his brother entered. Kirill nodded at him, but didn’t seem surprised to find him there.
“Have the scientists told you what they’ve discovered?” Kirill asked, motioning his hand to the high backed chairs before the fireplace. To the fireplace, he gently ordered, “Fire.”
A fire lit, giving the room a rich orange glow. Quinn moved to a chair and took a seat. For a long time, he stared at the intricate designs on the rug near his boots. The patterns blurred before his eyes and he was forced to blink to focus them. When he only continued to stare, Kirill sighed and sat forward. Placing his hand on his knees, he angled his head to try and catch Quinn’s blue eyes with his black ones.
“Have the scientists told you what they’ve discovered?” he repeated.
“They’ve found some documents in the cave systems. They’re pretty old, but they think they might be able to piece them together. They didn’t tell me much, but they said they’d look into them. I think they’re more focused on Dr. Simon than anything else.” Quinn’s frown only deepened, distracted. He couldn’t think, could barely bring himself to eat. His eyes turned to the tile patterns on the wall. He felt Kirill’s gaze on him, but he couldn’t face his brother, afraid that the king would read too many of his thoughts. Letting his gaze drift to the long banners with his family crest of an upright cat, he sighed heavily. “Though, according to Dr. Grant, they think to have found the source of black moss within the caves.”
“The source?” Kirill asked. “I didn’t know there was a source to it.”
“Nor I. But, if you remember, some of the elders used to talk about hunting in the marshes. Now, the air is barely breathable. I think there might be something to their researching it.” Quinn shrugged. He really didn’t want to think about that right now, though he knew it was his duty to do just that. His mind kept wandering to Tori and Dr. Vitto. What exactly was their relationship? Friends? Lovers? One moment Quinn thought one thing, another he’d suspect something else. “Whatever it is, I doubt it’s an immediate threat.”
“Interesting.” Kirill frowned. “I always just assumed they’d hunted the area out in the old days and the black moss overgrowth was like the green--ove
rrun because there were no animals left to feed on it. Things were a lot less structured before our father’s rule. That’s Lord Myrddin’s land and he’s known for his fondness of hunting.”
Quinn grimaced. “I know. He’s not exactly the best person to try and talk with at the moment about the moss or what happened to Dr. Simon. If he knows anything about it, I doubt he’ll tell us.”
“He is one of the few left who won’t give full support of my rule,” Kirill added. “He resents that I make peace with the Draig. You don’t think he had anything to do with the earth scientist’s death, do you?”
“I’d like to think not,” Quinn answered. “We gave our word to HIA to protect the human doctors.”
“I know.” Kirill frowned, sighing heavily. “I’ve already spoke with Franklin, at my wife’s insistence, and have assured him we are helping in every way possible. It saddens me to know we failed them. I don’t want the scientists going out of the palace alone.”
“Agreed,” Quinn answered, thinking of Tori. He’d been so scared when he couldn’t find her. He never wanted to feel that way again.
“I’ve sent a dispatch requesting Lord Myrddin’s presence at the palace, but he has yet to answer.” Kirill ran his hand through his long black hair in frustration. “On one hand, he could be defying me. On the other, he could simply be away hunting.”
“The biological weapons were found in his cave. Our father barely took two steps without asking him his opinion, so it’s very likely he knew they existed. He could have much to hide.” Quinn’s look matched his brother’s.
“I’ve thought the same thing.”
“We should send Falke to invite him.” Quinn’s eyes again turned thoughtfully to the rug. “He can be very persuasive.”
“Agreed. Let’s just make sure he doesn’t bring him back bound and gagged. If our suspicions are wrong....”
“I know. Lord Myrddin is a very powerful man. We can’t discount him. Those who were loyal to our father are loyal still to Myrddin.” Quinn felt a headache start behind one of his eyes. It was a complicated mess they faced. Reluctantly, he admitted, “I don’t believe the scientists are going to be very cooperative in telling us what they’ve found out there in the marshes.”
“After what happened to their colleague, can you blame them?” Kirill slowly stood. Looking down at Quinn, he said, “You’re the ambassador. I expect you to stay close to Dr. Elliott. I want you to discover what they know.”
“I’m not sure...” Quinn pushed to his feet. His weary gaze turned to Kirill and he shook his head. “I’m not sure I can. Tori ... Dr. Elliot won’t see me.”
“Oh?”
“I ... ah ... made her....”
“Yes?”
“Rrrr, I made her my halfmate, all right.” Quinn scowled. “Only, I don’t think it worked.”
“How could it not work?” Kirill’s lip twitched, as he tried to hide his amusement.
“I don’t know. It just didn’t take.” Quinn shrugged and then threw his hand up in aggravation. “I probably didn’t do it right. I’d never tried it before. I think our father was right about women. They drive a man to distraction if you let them.”
“Ah, but it’s a wonderful madness,” Kirill chuckled.
“Speak for yourself. Ulyssa returns your love,” Quinn grumped.
“Love?” Kirill probed, his eyes rounding in surprise.
“Ah, you know what I mean. Tor ... Dr. Elliot and I are ... were lovers only. It was a slip of the tongue.” Quinn moved toward the door.
“Quinn, did Dr. Elliot know you were making her a halfmate?”
Quinn stopped and frowned. He remembered her sleepy face that last time they were together. She hadn’t exactly been one hundred percent aware of what he was doing. His mouth opened to speak, but Kirill’s laughter shouted out from behind.
“She didn’t? Sacred Cats, little brother!” Kirill’s laughter continued. “You’re more hopeless than I thought!”
* * * *
“Quinn?” Tori breathed in surprise, as she nearly stumbled into his chest. She looked up. The king’s rich laughter poured over them. She glanced behind his back to where Kirill stood. Slowly, she drew her gaze up. “I was just coming to speak to the king.”
Quinn’s face hardened, as if he would like to debate her. She narrowed her eyes in confusion. His lips tightened, his eyes hardened, as if he willed her to do something. Only, she didn’t know what that something was.
When he didn’t speak, merely stared, she asked lightly, “May I pass?”
Quinn suddenly stepped out of her way to let her by. She frowned in confusion, watching him storm down the long hall. What was his problem now? She shook her head, in no mood to deal with a moody prince. Turning her attention to Kirill, she watched him wave her inside.
“Your Majesty,” Tori bowed her head politely, refusing to look around at the stately room. A smile twitched on his mouth at her words, as if he was amused by them. “I came to speak with you about our fallen ... about Dr. Simon’s death.”
Kirill’s smile faded and he became serious. “You have my sincerest condolences and my word that we will do whatever we can to bring the killer to justice.”
“Thank you,” Tori said, doing her best to stay professional and calm. “There is actually one thing I’d like to request. We’ve ran some comprehensive scans that will determine the DNA of what or whoever attacked Dr. Simon. I would appreciate being allowed temporary security access to Siren’s DNA database.”
“You think someone from the palace did this?” Kirill asked, though he didn’t seem too surprised.
“I don’t know what to think. It’s the most logical place to start. Your mainframe should also have records of any and all wildlife on this planet. It will help us rule that out as well.”
“Done,” Kirill stated. “Siren?”
“My king?” a sultry feminine voice stated, almost as if it was pouting. Tori had heard the mainframe computer speak a few times and found it amusing. Only a planet of men would make the computer’s voice a seductive woman’s.
“Dr. Elliot is to be allowed security clearance three into your DNA databases,” Kirill said.
“New security clearance recorded, my lord,” the computer purred.
Tori couldn’t help but chuckle.
Kirill shrugged. “My brother, Jarek, thought it was funny to reprogram her ... it before he left. He placed a password on Siren’s voice actuator and we haven’t been able to change it back. We’ve all gotten used to her unique temperament.”
Tori nodded.
“Just don’t call her ugly. Reid did that once and it locked him in the weapons chamber for an hour until he said he was sorry.” Kirill chuckled softly. Tori couldn’t help but let her laugher join his.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Tori answered. She bowed her head and made a move to go.
“Oh, Doctor?”
“Yes?” She turned back around.
Kirill’s hand lifted to his head and he pulled out a strand of his long black hair. He offered it to her. “Here. Take this and test it. Know that you can rule me out of your suspicions.”
“I did not mean to imply--”
Kirill held up a hand to stop her. “You have access to everyone but the royal family and a few of the elders. It takes more than just my word to give you clearance to that information. But, if you have a need, let me know and I will do what I can to put your mind at ease about the others. All I ask is that if you do discover something about one of my people, you talk to either my brothers or me first.”
“Yes. Thank you.” Tori took the hair strand and walked out of the office. The door automatically shut behind her.
“Did you get everything you needed?”
Tori glanced over at Quinn. He looked as if he’d been waiting for her. His long frame leaned against the tile wall. Lowering his jaw, his bright blue eyes bore forward to study her.
“Quinn, I don’t know what you expect me to say,” Tori said.
“Your face is healed,” he observed. Her hand automatically lifted to touch her cheek, as she tried not to blush. “I wish to know what it is about our black moss you think to be suspicious.”
Tori blinked in surprise. Work. He wanted to talk about work. All right, she could do that. “It’s too early to tell, but I believe that it might be an ecological threat that is beginning to spread at a rapid pace. Already, we’ve discovered a mutated strand that can survive in ai ... rah!”
Quinn rushed forward. His hand reached to cup her face and he drew her instantly to his mouth, ending her words. Passionately, he ground his lips to hers, making her body tremble with the force of his kiss. She gasped for breath, allowing his tongue to slide inside her mouth. He massaged past her teeth, deepening the onslaught until she felt him all the way to her toes.
Just as abruptly as it started, the kiss ended. Quinn pulled back to look deep into her eyes. Tori was stunned and she gasped for breath. Her body was on fire for him, so much so that she’d been about to push his back to the wall and have her wicked way with him.
A slow smile curved on Quinn’s devilishly handsome lips. “I expect a full report on the black moss situation, Dr. Elliot.”
“Ah--yeah,” she breathed, knowing she sounded like a simpering fool. But his kiss had been so passionate, so claiming. He’d kissed her before, but never like that, never like he was marking his territory, conquering her completely. Her lips still tingled and she could feel his tongue in her mouth as if he was still there. “Okay.”
“Good,” he stated with a firm nod. Tori moved to leave, clutching the king’s hair strand in her fingers. “Oh, Dr. Elliot, there was one more thing.”
“Yes?”
Quinn came close to her back. His breath ticked her skin, as he whispered, “You like sleeping with me. I like sleeping with you. I see no reason why we don’t continue.”
“But, professionalism--” she tried to interject. His hand cupped firmly to her butt, stopping her from finishing the thought. His fingers curled slightly, moving indecently close to her inner thigh. Moisture pooled within her and her head became light with pleasure. What was it about this man’s nearness that sent her senses over the edge?
The Playful Prince Page 10
