An Infamous Beauty. A Daring Warrior. . .

For five years, Sapphire has been the King of Sari’s most treasured concubine.Independent at last, she refuses to put herself in anyone’s control again. Butnow another’s meddling has led her into the path of proud, arrogant Wulfric,Crown Prince of the rival kingdom of D’Ashier…a man who is dangerous to herin every way.

And A Seduction That Could Destroy Them Both

The daughter of Wulfric’s fiercest opponent, Sapphire is a prized warrior in herown right and highly skilled in the sensual arts—in short, Wulfric’s perfectmatch. A lasting union is unthinkable, but the bargain they strike—to spendone night together, and then part—proves impossible in the face of a desirepowerful enough to bring two countries to the brink of war, and two hearts tothe point of surrender…

ZEBRA BOOKS are published byKensington Publishing Corp.119 West 40

StreetNew York, NY 10018Copyright © 2009 Sylvia DayAll Rights Reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced in any form or by any meanswithout the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.Zebra and the Z logo Reg. U.S. Pat & TM Off.ISBN-13: 978-1-4201-0090-7ISBN-10: 1-4201-0090-4

EXCERPT

Prologue

D’Ashier, the Borderlands

““II

s he dead, Your Highness?”Closing the bio-scanner, Wulfric, Crown Prince of D’Ashier, rose from hislow crouch and stared down at the corpse at his feet. Desert sand swirledaround the body, eager to bury it. “Unfortunately, yes.”He lifted his gaze and scanned the berms around them. “At the nextcheck-in, make the report. No need to call this in early and risk the signalbeing detected.” They were too close to Sari to chance discovery. The Sarian king wasalways on the lookout for any provocation to go to war, hence the borderpatrols that never ceased.Once every two months Wulf accompanied a platoon of D’Ashier soldierson their rounds. His presence wasn’t required, but for him it was a necessary task. A good ruler lived the trials experienced by his people. He saw the worldthrough their eyes, from their level, not from so high above that he lost touchwith their needs.“Was he coming or going, Your Highness?”He glanced at the young lieutenant next to him. “I can’t determine. It’s sohot today I can’t even tell how long he’s been dead.” The bio-suit Wulf wore