Page 29 of Mercenary Princess

“No.”

He tensed, and she swore he looked more than a little taken aback. She wondered if he’d ever heard that particular word.

“I have to be back well before light.”

A muscle in his jaw jerked. “Fine.”

She inched back, still struggling for breath. When his entire body drew taut, she let him stew, a test to see if he would try to stop her. She turned less gracefully than she’d hoped with how unsteady he made her. She felt him moving toward her as if her mind was tuned to his every move, and when he finally stopped, she felt her lips curve upward. After reaching the door, she pulled it open, knowing he wasn’t far behind, but he hadn’t tried to stop her.

Jen was instantly visible. Her guard had codes for everything, insisting Sophia know practically a different language for absolutely any occasion. At the moment, Sophia was incredibly grateful for that bit of overkill, because they couldn’t speak freely with the guards behind Jen, and Viktor not far from her. She placed her hand on the door jamb, level with her head, so Jen could easily see it. She gave two taps of her thumb then one sweeping move while stating, “We will be staying the night. Wake me before daybreak.”

Jen assessed her closely before nodding.

Her guard put on a professional show, but Sophia knew she’d be interrogated later. “Yes, Your Royal Highness.”

Jen turned, and Viktor’s guard stepped back. The brutish Russian towering over Jen had tattoos on his neck and a nose that had been broken at least once in the past. “Alright, Ivan,” Jen said, “I know you have cards. Go get ’em.”

Sophia smiled slightly as she clicked the door shut before turning her back to it. Poor Ivan, she thought. Then she was caught by the sight of the man she’d just agreed to spend the night with.

Viktor stalked toward her with a look on his face that promised all her fantasies were about to come true. In his palm was the blocking device, and she sucked in a breath. She truly hoped his bedroom was through this room because she’d already shut the outer door on Jen and Ivan. Walking past them now would be incredibly uncomfortable.

Maybe they didn’t need a bed. She was all for the couch at this point. It was close, after all.

---