Click on image to enlarge.

	Regular				Club
You Pay:	$3.00				$2.55

eBook Category: Erotica/Fantasy
eBook Description: Kira is the sensual, yet devoted Protector of the powerful Dragon Throne. By law, she must choose a Consort, or lose her kingdom. Each candidate is worse than the last until Bladen Tor arrives and sets her blood on fire. Insulting, arrogant, utterly male, he demands a private interview for the position of Consort. What he gets is something else altogether... Will Bladen be man enough to caress the dragon?

eBook Publisher: Amber Quill Press, Published: 2003
Fictionwise Release Date: August 2005

38 Reader Ratings: Great Good OK Poor

Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [331 KB], eReader (PDB) [54 KB], Palm Doc (PDB) [22 KB], Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [21 KB], Microsoft Reader (LIT) [93 KB] - PocketPC 1.0+ Compatible, Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [94 KB], hiebook (KML) [129 KB], Sony Reader (LRF) [114 KB], iSilo (PDB) [19 KB], Mobipocket (PRC) [24 KB], Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [83 KB], OEBFF Format (IMP) [35 KB]
Words: 6457
Reading time: 18-25 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format:  Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud DISABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED
ISBN: 1-59279-127-1

"Cherry Sloe has a fresh imagination, and relays her tales with mesmerizing detail."--Hilary Evans, The Romance Studio

"...One hot, short story that definitely sizzles. Bladen and Kira strike sparks off each other whether they are sparring or making love. Their love scenes are explosive and very inventive. I chuckled when Kira bound her big brawny man and had her way. The vivid descriptions and the setting for this story are wonderfully written. Author Cherry Sloe creates a fantasy tale complete with a hero and heroine to die for. She packs quite a story in a few short pages..."--Jordan Moon, Word on Romance

"Pompous little man," laughed the rich, contralto voice. "Leave, and take your entourage of fools with you. Toth, show him out."

Her Most Exalted Highness, the Royal Protector Kira, waved a slim hand swathed in silks and a muscular, grim-faced sentinel advanced toward the furious suitor and his startled sycophants. Kira settled back upon her throne and resisted the impulse to shove a dagger between Prince Salin's beady black eyes.

Prince Salin was not ready to depart.

"This is outrageous, protector." The tips of the man's elaborately curled moustache flopped as he was shoved backwards toward the bronze-wrapped doors at the rear of the audience hall. "I protest this shoddy treatment!" He slapped ineffectively at Toth's huge hands. "You and your tiny monarchy will regret the day Prince Salin was ejected from the palace like a commoner!"

He twisted away from the burly bodyguard's hands and huffed through the doorway, attendants bobbing along behind like colorful bows on a bouncing kite string.

Kira listened to his piercing complaints echoing off the stone corridors and wished she could escape to her private antechamber for a moment of peace. She anticipated there would be a roaring fire and a pitcher of frost wine waiting. Peace, quiet, solitude, and above all, no more meetings with irksome suitors.

She took a calming breath, and resolved to end the interviews with all haste. Salin was among the least repugnant of the applicants she'd had that day, and he made her skin crawl. Kira shuddered at the thought of taking him to her bed, feeling his soft hands groping her breasts, his hairy body thrusting into her own. She shuddered again.

"Badly done, Kira," observed a quiet voice from beside the delicate throne. A small, wizened woman of undeterminable age sat upright on a well-padded chair, her hands resting upon a knobby walking stick. "We need an alliance with Prince Salin's government. I fear your imprudent burst of temper has destroyed any chance we ever had of gaining their goodwill."

Kira sighed heavily. "I know, Aunt Ave," she agreed. "But I will not prostitute myself and this kingdom for the son of a minor dignitary." She shook her silk-shrouded head and felt ire rise. "Did he really think that I would choose him because"--her voice changed to mimic Salin's effete simper--"his superior, male mind could remove the weight of rule from my frail shoulders?"

She made a disgusted noise. "The Law of Consort is so foolish, so narrow-minded! Having to interview each candidate, no matter how obviously unsuitable, is absurd. What were our founders thinking?" She threw her hands wide with exasperation. "I cannot believe you ever managed to find a suitable companion."

The old lady nodded. "Your uncle was an exceptional consort indeed, but you do not have time to spend in a leisurely hunt for the perfect mate. The founders' charter is quite clear. You must choose a consort within the span of this moon or the Dragon Throne and five hundred years of peace will end.

"The Outer Kingdoms would throw their ancient differences aside and band together in a heartbeat for the chance to steal our country's riches. We cannot allow that, no matter the cost." Ave smiled sadly, a fine network of lines deepening around her bright blue eyes. "If only your sister were alive..."

"But she's not, Aunt," Kira retorted bitterly. "Now here I am, forced into an ill-fitting role and making mistakes at every turn."

"Try to hold your temper, youngling, and you'll do just fine."

"We've been sitting here all day, and I, for one, am ready to expire of boredom." Kira sat up straight. She called out to the massive guard. "Toth, I will hold no more audiences today. Tell the rest of the supplicants I am tired and wish to rest."

Heedless of the look of exasperation that flew between Aunt Ave and her chief bodyguard, Kira unfastened the heavy layers of mourning cloth that surrounded her face and head. "I cannot bear to wear this thing any longer." She peeled off the last piece and stuffed the all-enveloping veils under the throne. "There!" she pronounced with childish satisfaction. "Wearing mourning veils for more than four hours is pure torture."