“Think nothing of it,” Quinn chuckled pleasantly. “The women are free to do as they wish. We don’t own them. I believe my brother wishes for them to find husbands, so please, feel free to take them off his hands.”
“Your brother the king?” Grant asked. “The one whose wedding is tonight.”
“Actually, his...ah, wedding, as you call it, was technically yesterday. I believe they mated themselves on the side balcony.”
“You believe?” Tori asked, frowning. Mated? Did everyone just drop their pants and mate anywhere they pleased?
Quinn saw her look and laughed. “Mated as in became married, Doctor Elliot.”
Tori gasped lightly. Then, since her mouth was already open, she asked, “You don’t know where your brother was married?”
“You will find our culture isn’t so longwinded when it comes to ceremony. Once a decision is made, there is no reason to wait or put it off for later. Marriage only takes two people who wish it. They say it, it is done. Simple. Tonight is the queen’s coronation banquet. The king and queen will also be officially announcing the queen’s pregnancy. We’d love it if you’d all join us in celebrating our family’s good fortune.”
“We’d be honored,” Simon answered for them, patting down his gray hair.
Grant shot a meaningful look at Vitto and wiggled his eyebrows. Tori looked at them and sighed. The guys had been working as hard as she and they all deserved a break. Vitto turned to her with the “please, please, please” look begging in his eyes. Slowly, Tori nodded.
“We’d be honored,” Tori mimicked, forcing a smile.
“Wonderful!” Quinn exclaimed. “Now, if you would, come to the hall and dine with us. We’d love to have you—”
“No, thank you,” Tori interjected, grabbing an electronic clipboard from the top of the crate. All eyes turned to her as she inched away. “You guys go ahead. If we’re not leaving, I have some details to work out and a report to start.”
Tori turned to walk down the hall.
“Ah, Doctor Elliot,” Quinn said. “One moment, please.”
Tori stopped and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and slowly turned on her heels to face the men.
“It would be my honor to escort you tonight to the celebration,” Prince Quinn said, unashamed that every man around them heard his offer.
Tori’s cheeks stained slightly. “No, I don’t think that will be necessary. I’m sure I can find my way to the hall just fine. Thank you.”
“Actually, Doctor Elliot, this would be a date,” Prince Quinn stated, smiling. Mischief sparkled in his eyes. “You know, going someplace nice to do nice things. I believe ‘date’ is the word of your New Earth custom.”
“Oh, yeah,” Grant offered, not at all helpful. “That’s the one all right. We use it on New Earth all the time, don’t we, Doctor Elliot?”
“Actually, they use it on Old Earth, too,” Vitto added. “Both planets.”
Tori froze, mortified. Vitto and Grant stared at each other and then at Tori with wide-eyed mocking. Tori’s mouth opened, then closed, opened again. The Var prince was asking her out on a date. How in the galaxy was she going to say no without risking his anger? And what in the galaxy was he going to expect to happen on this date? A weak sound left her throat as she began to shake her head. Looking desperately to Vitto, she said, “Thank you, but I think Doctor Vitto will be escorting me tonight.”
“Not this time,” Vitto said, grinning from ear to ear and making an insolent face to her behind the prince’s back. Smirking, he said, “I already have a date. Grant’s asked me.”
Vitto nudged Grant and grinned wider so Prince Quinn couldn’t see. Grant winked back at him. Tori grimaced, turning her pleading gaze to Grant for help. She should’ve known better. He gave her a wicked grin, blew her a kiss, and slowly shook his head in denial. Almost frantically, she leaned over to find Simon. His back was turned to them, as he pretended to examine a crate. Tori bit her lip and swallowed a curse. All three of them were going to be in so much trouble when she got ahold of them later. When she was through with them, they’d be on permanent food rations and three-hour sleep shifts.
Quinn’s gaze hadn’t moved from her face. She looked directly at him, feeling at a loss for words. The smile faded from his teasing lips, but the amusement remained in his eyes.
No one spoke. Vitto motioned frantically at her to answer. Slowly, she nodded, “Very well, I would lov—like very much to be escorted by you.”
Grant and Vitto tried to hide their laughter and failed miserably. They snickered like two children. She shot them a glare of warning. Simon merely grinned at the younger doctors’ antics, staying out of it as he looked up from his crate.
“Wonderful,” Quinn exclaimed, smiling once more.
Tori’s brows rose on her forehead. She weakly nodded and turned back around. With quick steps, she hurried away before they could stop her again. As she took the corner, a round of masculine laughter burst from the group.
Quinn turned to look at the two laughing scientists and chuckled. “I guess I should thank you for helping me out.”
“If you’re going after Elliot, you need all the help you can get,” Grant said, sniffing back tears of merriment.
“Yeah, don’t thank us yet,” Vitto put forth. “She’s a handful.”
“Ah, man, do you remember Schroeder?” Grant shook his head mournfully. “He tried to ask her out on a date for like a month—”
“Oh, yeah, I think that poor man is still trying to recover his manhood,” Vitto interjected. He glanced slyly at Quinn, who didn’t seem to notice, as the prince’s eyes were looking toward where Tori had disappeared. “Man, just make sure you don’t talk about anything she might take offense to. Last scientist that she dated said he thought the ADP complex was a hoax. She publicly hung him out to dry.”
Quinn listened to the two men, wondering at the jealousy he suddenly felt at their words. It was apparent they knew Doctor Elliot fairly well. Vitto had stood protectively close to her. He couldn’t help but wonder how well they knew her. Come to think of it, he didn’t even know her first name.
“The key to Elliot is not to treat her too much like a lady. She likes to hold her own.” Grant looked to Vitto for confirmation.
“Oh, yeah, definitely.” Vitto nodded. “She hates it when men take her arm, open doors, pull out chairs. It drives her crazy. She’s a real feminist.”
“Well, thank you for the advice,” Quinn answered. He began to step away, before turning. “By the way, the ADP complex was a hoax. The man was faking the disorder.”
As Quinn walked away, Vitto and Grant stared after him in surprise. It was true. It had been a hoax, but both scientists were amazed the prince had even heard of it. When they were alone, both men began to chuckle.
“Oh man, she is going to eat him alive,” Grant snickered. “When you called her a feminist I almost wet myself. It was too funny. Imagine our old-fashioned Elliot, a feminist!”
8
Tori took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. Her heart raced erratically in her chest, thudding so loud she was sure it echoed outside her body. She looked at her reflection in the full size mirror and sighed. She’d been surprised when the guard handed her the box from Prince Quinn with the instructions he would be by to pick her up that evening. It had been a long time since she’d put on anything that wasn’t a lab coat and jumpsuit.
The gown she wore looked much like the Var style of dress. It had a soft, glimmering black material that glistened with silver when she moved. It draped beautifully, hugging her breasts and hips. The neckline scooped down, baring a fair amount of cleavage. She blushed to think that Quinn may have picked it out for that feature alone.
Cross laces worked along her sides, exposing the flesh of her waist and hips. She’d tried to wear underwear with it, but she couldn’t keep the sides of her panties from showing through, so finally she took them off. She was a little uncomfortable being so exposed. The dress had buil
t in support, so a bra wasn’t necessary.
After taking a water bath, which Tori thoroughly enjoyed, she carefully covered herself in lotion and perfume. Spending a lot of time on remote planets, she had taken a number of water baths in her lifetime and found them to be one of the ultimate pleasures.
Hair styling was another matter altogether, but she managed to pin up the sides with what little she had to work with. The heavy brown locks dried with natural waves and she let them flow down over her shoulders instead of pulling them back into a serviceable bun. With a nod, she decided she was very pleased with her appearance.
Hearing a knock on the door, she stiffened. That had to be Quinn. Her fingers shook as she moved across the suite to answer it. When she pulled the door open, she stiffened. It was Quinn, and he looked absolutely gorgeous. Her heart did little fluttering somersaults in her chest, making her instantly lightheaded. His light brown hair flowed down over his shoulders, framing his face to perfection. His bright blue eyes bore playfully into her, and she realized he just couldn’t seem to help himself. He always looked like he was up to something mischievous.
Tori began to open her mouth, but he held up a finger to silence her. Slowly, he let his eyes roam over her body, scorching her with the fire of his perusal. She couldn’t help but do the same to him. He wore the traditional clothes of his people, crossed laced shirts and pants that exposed his sides and hips. Leather boots molded over his calves. Damned, but he was too sexy for his own good and, by the smirk on his face, he knew it.
She waited breathlessly for him to say something romantic. His eyes moved back up her, as potent as a caress. His mouth opened to speak. A slow smile tried to creep onto her features.
“That dress looks sizzling on you,” Quinn stated, grinning. “But it’d look better off of you and crumpled on the bedroom floor.”
Her smile fell. Quinn boldly laughed as he stepped in. Waving his hand behind him, he motioned a group of guards forward. Their arms were laden with gifts, which they promptly set around the suite. Tori stood before him speechless.
“I looked up your New Earth dating customs since you’re insistent you want me to take you on a date before you let me into your bed.” When her mouth opened to deny him, he rushed on. She wasn’t sure what she’d say with the guards there anyway. “No, don’t worry. I have no problem playing it your way. There was quite a bit of information, but I managed to secure all the necessary items.”
Tori made a weak, baffled sound as she tried to shake her head. The guards left just as quickly as they entered. Quinn shut the door behind them. When he turned back to her, he winked.
Tori watched, speechless, as the prince crossed over to a giant block of chocolate sitting on a large silver platter. The hunk was twice the size of his head and had taken two guards to carry it. “Lithorian chocolate, the best in the galaxy.”
“Quinn—”
“Wait, I’m not done.” He motioned to a strange bird that looked like a stuffed Old Earth turkey, only with razor sharp teeth and claws. The hideous thing was mounted on a wooden plank. “We didn’t have a stuffed bear. And, since I’m not even sure what sort of beast a teddy bear is or where one would find it, I brought you a stuffed baldric instead. It will have to suffice.”
“Quinn, I—”
“Wait, there’s more.” He gave her an exasperated sigh at her interruption and motioned at about five vases overflowing with a pale white flower with blue centers and brown stems. “These are solarflowers, native but rare to this planet. Again, I didn’t have roses, so these will have to be sufficient.”
Tori didn’t even bother to speak this time when he paused. She kept her mouth closed, watching him, completely baffled.
“According to your royal king and queen tradition of...” Quinn stopped, thought a minute, and said, “...high school prom. You’re supposed to wear a gown, and I’m supposed to give you a shower.”
“A shower?” Tori asked, confused. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“Yes, a corsage, which when I looked it up, meant spray. When I looked up spray, it meant shower. You already have the gown. So, if you come with me, I will happily put a shower on you.” Quinn stepped toward her. An excited gleam entered his eyes as he tried to reach for her.
Tori shook her head and backed up. “Uh, I already had a bath, thank you. And I believe the word corsage is also just a flower you pin onto your chest or wrist.”
“Earth men pin flowers into their women? Doesn’t it hurt?” He looked horrified. “Do you find there is a problem with blood loss due to artery—?”
“No, to the clothes,” Tori quickly amended. Weakly, she said, “They pin the flowers to the clothes.”
“Ah,” Quinn sighed. “That makes more sense. You New Earth women have a thing for flowers then. I always thought they were more like weeds, but the harem women seem fond enough of them too. Very well, I will have more vases delivered before we get back tonight, and I will pin them all over your dress.”
“What’s the pitcher for?” Tori asked, almost afraid of the answer as she changed the subject. Stuffed evil turkeys, a mountain of chocolate, showers—she didn’t know how many more Earth customs she could take.
“It is wine. We don’t bottle our liquor, and I thought this was better than a barrel. Though, if you wish for the barrel, I can have one brought to you—”
“No, no, the pitcher is perfect.” Tori forced a polite smile, though what she really wanted to do was laugh. When she thought about it, though all wrong, it was sweet of him to make the effort, even if he was doing it just to get into her panties.
“Great!” Quinn grinned. “So, let’s go to this coronation and then we can come back here and have sex.”
“Wait, just because you do all this, doesn’t mean we’re going to have sex,” Tori stated, her cheeks flushed. Did this man never give up?
“Yes, I was afraid of that.” Quinn nodded and then winked. “But, you can’t blame a man for trying. Every time I’m around you, I smell your longing, and it clouds my judgment. I know it will be soon. I can wait for you to know it as well.”
“Oh, um,” Tori sighed and gave him a helpless smile. “It’s not poetry, but it’s...not even close to poetry actually.”
The playful look he shot her was utterly stunning in its simplicity. Holding out his arm, he asked, “Shall we go, my lady?”
9
The banquet hall was filled with the Var people who’d come to see their new queen. Tori was a little unsettled to be at the head table next to Prince Quinn and the royal family, where all the attention was being directed. She saw many speculative glances cast her way, and she couldn’t help but wonder what they were thinking.
Several times during the long meal, Quinn’s fingers would stray to her thigh and twice he got so bold as to dip his hand behind her back and into the cross laces of her gown. His warm fingers on her flesh nearly wrenched a scream from her lips, as a shockwave of pleasure assaulted her. When she didn’t hit him right away, a grin spread over his features and Tori was forced to wiggle away from his touch.
“So,” Tori began, looking at Quinn as the plates were taken away. Traditional Var music played in the background. It was beautiful, but she missed her Earth tunes. She was on the end of the head table, away from Quinn’s brothers, so she had no one else to talk to. “Tell me more about the houses of Var and Draig.”
“The Draig have been the enemy of the Var since before I was born. My father believed that we were too different to coexist in peace.” Quinn shrugged and leaned back in his chair to study her. “But now Kirill is working for peace.”
“You don’t want peace?” Tori asked.
“I want what is best for the Var people.”
When he spoke of his duty and his people, she saw a rare seriousness in his eyes that wasn’t there at other times. Quinn may be playful, but he was also very dedicated to his job and his position in Var society. His love for his culture and his people ran deep.
During dinner,
Quinn spoke of his people and their great history, a history the princes had lived through. The Var lived a long time and sometimes passed that long life on to their life mates, aided by the same mystical power that guided them, and also the radiation from the blue sun.
He told her much about the former King Attor’s rule. From what she already knew about him bringing the biological weapons to his own planet, Tori was kind of glad he was dead. She would hate to have met him. It was an opinion she wisely kept to herself.
Long ago, several hundred years before the princes’ birth, before Attor became king, things had been different for the Var people. It was a wild time, a time when the Var let emotions rule their heads and their hearts. They acted rashly and on pure instinct. Looking at the charming Quinn and his never-ending barrage of come-on lines, she doubted very much that things had changed as much as he’d have her believe.
For reasons completely unknown to his sons, Attor changed the ways of the Var. He was a good king, one who worked hard for his people. He encouraged emotional detachment so that if one half mate died, there could be others to take her place. It was Attor who encouraged men to have control, to drink nef, a drink that somehow calmed them sexually and gave them restraint. When she swallowed nervously at that, Quinn grinned and said, “Don’t worry. I never really liked the stuff and don’t drink it.”
Tori blushed profusely and quickly took a drink of her wine to hide her red face. Quinn chuckled in response and ran a hand lightly over her spine. She nearly fell off the chair with the jolt of pleasure it gave her.
King Attor had urged the Var men to prove their worth and dependability with emotionless detachment. He taught by example that to prove great prowess in the bedroom showed prowess in the field of battle, until strength in one meant strength in the other. Many of the elders followed the old king’s example and took many half mates though none as many as the king. Life mates were a privilege of the lower classes—tradesmen, farmers, even hunters and lower ranked soldiers, all men who could ill afford to keep many mates on a planet so barren of women to begin with.
The Playful Prince Page 5
