Click on image to enlarge.

	Regular				Club
You Pay:	$5.50				$4.68

eBook Category: Erotica/Science Fiction
eBook Description: To play? Prince Quinn, royal Ambassador, isn't looking for a serious relationship. In fact, he's never even considered it. Hopping from lover to lover, he's content to enjoy himself, never taking anything but his work seriously. However, when Dr. Tori Elliot is sent to the palace to test for biological weapons, he can't seem to stay away from her. Or not to play? Tori Elliot has just finished her last assignment and is on her way to a much needed vacation. But when the Human Intelligence Agency stops her ship and demands she heads up a team on some remote planet, she knows it in her best interest not to refuse. Ever serious, she knows she's there to do a job and no matter what, she's going to act like a professional. Meeting Prince Quinn, his body pressed against another woman in the palace halls, she knows he's not the man for her. Too bad he's the Ambassador and too sexy for his own good. Fighting her desire, Tori must try to do he job while not succumbing to the playful Var prince. Rating: Contains graphic sexual content, adult language, and violence.

eBook Publisher: New Concepts Publishing, Published: 2005
Fictionwise Release Date: January 2006

This eBook is part of the following series:

• Michelle M. Pillow's Lords of the Var Series

467 Reader Ratings: Great Good OK Poor

Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [1.0 MB], eReader (PDB) [212 KB], Palm Doc (PDB) [203 KB], Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [180 KB], Microsoft Reader (LIT) [174 KB] - PocketPC 1.0+ Compatible, Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [224 KB], hiebook (KML) [489 KB], Sony Reader (LRF) [267 KB], iSilo (PDB) [167 KB], Mobipocket (PRC) [209 KB], Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [245 KB], OEBFF Format (IMP) [262 KB]
Words: 63277
Reading time: 180-253 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format:  Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED
ISBN: 1-58608-540-9

Tori Elliot, the very dignified scientist, opened her mouth. Her heart beat furiously in her chest, thumping so hard it echoed in her ears. For a moment, no sound left her as she kept her eyes focused straight ahead. There was a dramatic pause and all around her was dead silence. Suddenly, the twentieth century earth music picked up and her naked body jerked into movement. She belted out the tune into her mouth sanitizer turned microphone with her mirror as audience. After a few bars, she dropped the mouth sanitizer and danced and sang around her metal cabin. Her arms flung through the air, wild and carefree, as she slowly got dressed.

The spaceship she was on belonged to the Exploratory Science Commission. The ESC hired out staff and freelance scientists to large corporations, mostly contracting ecological work with mining companies and wealthy environmentalist groups. The ship had been traveling through deep space for weeks, just now reaching the outer edge of the Y quadrant.

Tori didn't really care where they were. Her last job, testing mineral compounds fourteen thousand feet below the ice surface of Sintaz, had been a great success. With the bonus the drilling company had given her, she'd made enough space credits to support herself in high style for at least a couple years. She was going to take that money and have a month long spa treatment on Quazer while she figured out her next move.

The material of the black, skintight jumpsuit stretched as she pushed her arms into it. The outfit molded to her body, covering her arms and legs completely. Even though she didn't technically work for ESC, but was a freelancer, she was expected to dress in uniform when contracted through them. They all came with a transmitter sewn into the v-neckline, so the company could find them if anyone went missing. There was always a certain amount of risk in what she did, but the scientific rewards were well worth it. Besides, she never took unnecessary chances.

"Dr. Elliot."

"Ah! Crap!" Tori jumped. The earth music was automatically turned off as the voice invaded her privacy. Turning to the round cabin mirror, she quickly smoothed down her wild hair and threw it over her shoulders. She stood, watching the shiny surface. It glimmered slightly, fading into a view screen. Her reflection was replaced by the ship's senior ESC advisor, Dr. Fontaine.

"Good Morning, Dr. Fontaine," Tori answered, keeping a rigidly professional expression. Her heart skittered around in her chest from being frightened in the middle of her impromptu dance number. That was the last thing she wanted her colleagues seeing.

"Is everything all right, Dr. Elliot?" Fontaine asked. He was an older man with graying black hair. He wore the black jumpsuit of the company covered by a white lab coat. Tori hadn't had much contact with him on Sintaz, as he stayed up on the surface while she went below ground with her crew. "You look flushed."

"I was logging in my fitness hours early." Tori dutifully answered. Okay, so it was a stretch of the truth, but she had worked up a sweat. Besides, she really hated logging in fitness hours.

"Ah, quite right," Fontaine answered, easily dismissing his question. "Listen, we have a minor situation. The Human Intelligence Agency is coming aboard to commandeer our ship. They've asked that all personnel records be turned over to them immediately and we have complied. They have assured us that this should only delay travel for a few days at most."

"What does the HIA want with a bunch of scientists?" Tori asked, mildly concerned. "Do they suspect something on board?"

"I don't have all the details, doctor, but they seemed most insistent that it's an intergalactic emergency. They've requested you to head up the team."

"Wait, what team?" Tori demanded. Damn it! She was on vacation as of last assignment's completion. She wasn't ready to take another job so soon. Besides, she hadn't signed a contract with ESC. They couldn't force her to do anything! Keeping her voice level, she said, "I'm not personnel. Why were my private records handed over? As of the completion of my last mission, I'm technically a civilian passenger."

"Sorry, doctor, they had an intergalactic warrant. We had no choice but to give them the qualifications of all onboard scientists." Fontaine's expression gave nothing away, but she didn't expect it to.

If the HIA wanted her to head up a team, she knew she'd have to head up the team. They might pay her, but she wasn't happy about being forced to do a job. Technically, she'd be given a 'choice', but if she refused they could make the rest of her career a nightmare. When they were done with her, she'd be lucky to get work teaching school children scientific categorizing on some remote planet.

Well, Fontaine said it was only a few days delay so it shouldn't be that bad. They probably had a liquid ore tanker ship crash in an isolated area or some other type of ecological disaster. Why else would they need her? Her specialties were alien biology and geology. Remaining professionally calm, she stated, "Very well, Dr. Fontaine. Please inform me when they arrive. I'd like to be briefed on my new assignment as soon as possible so I can prepare."

"Thank you, doctor," Fontaine said. "Your willingness is noted and appreciated."

"Doctor," Tori said, nodding. The mirror blipped and she was once more alone with her reflection. Under her breath, she hissed, "Willingness my ass!"

What did the HIA want with her? She didn't feel like working. She needed a break--a long, relaxing vacation in a place that didn't have artic temperatures all year round.

Tori sighed, her good humor dampened by the turn of events. The music started again where it'd left off, but she was no longer in the mood. Irritated, she called, "Music off. Bed."

The music turned off and a narrow bed slid out of the metal wall of the cabin. She threw herself down on the stiff mattress with a thud. Groaning heavily, she stared at the metal ceiling in dejection.

With a grumble, she turned her back on the room, facing the metal wall. "So much for my time off."