Spy's Honor

“Good,” said Janto. “That’s settled, then. You met my brother, did you not? Kal-Torres.”

“Your brother. I figured that was him. He looks so much like you, though not as handsome, of course.”

“You don’t think he’s handsomer than me?”

“Gods, no. Also, he’s too forward.”

Janto chuckled. “That’s his way. Usually it works for him.”

Rhianne leaned back so she could see his face and pushed away a lock of hair that had fallen over his eyes. “I know it’s easy for me to say, but ignore your brother’s empty words. You did the right thing in offering the Riorcans asylum, and you’ll just have to be compassionate with Kal. Think how it must be for him, always in the great man’s shadow.”

He blinked. “Did you just call me a great man?”

“You’re the greatest man I’ve ever known.”

Janto’s eyes glistened.

“I want you to know,” she added, “that if Kal-Torres ever picks a fight with you again, I’m slapping him silly.”

“Now I want him to fight with me, just so I can see that.” He kissed her, slow and languorously, reacquainting himself with every inch of her mouth.

“Alligator,” she breathed. “I missed you.”

“You decided I’m the Janto you knew from the garden after all?”

“Janto and Jan-Torres were the same man all along. I just didn’t believe it until you proved it to me.”

He brushed the hair out of her face so he could look her in the eye. “And do you think you might love this Jan-Torres enough to marry him?”

“I don’t think I could bear it if I didn’t,” said Rhianne. “I thought of you far away on Mosar, all by yourself, or maybe even courting some Inyan princess, and the thought horrified me! You’re my alligator. I’m going with you to Mosar, and if you try to tell me otherwise, I shall be stowing away on your ship.”

Janto broke into a grin. “We can’t have stowaways, so we’d better make it official.”

“I do have one condition,” said Rhianne. “We take Morgan with us and bring him into our royal service. He’s unhappy here and needs a new beginning.”

Janto grunted his displeasure. “I don’t like that Morgan fellow.”

“Two conditions,” said Rhianne. “You get over being jealous of Morgan.”

“Do I get another kiss if I agree to these conditions?”

“Absolutely.”

“It’s a deal,” said Janto.

Rhianne seized his mouth with her own, not giving a kiss but taking one. He was her delicious Mosari islander, and she’d been away from him for a long time, and they had until dawn. If Jan-Torres thought he was getting any sleep tonight, he was mistaken.

When they separated, he said, “What’s Lucien going to say?”

“Since I’m going of my own accord, he won’t interfere. I’ll tell him.”

“Not now, I hope.” He nuzzled her neck.

“Tomorrow,” she breathed.

“I have a confession to make,” said Janto.

Her eyebrows rose. “What?”

“I’m a poor traveler. I get seasick.”

“If you’re going to get sick tomorrow, we’ll have to get our fill of each other now.” She sought his lips again.

Janto rose from the seat, lifting her with him, and laid her on the marble table. He leaned over her, framed her face in his hands, and kissed her deeply.

“Janto,” she murmured into his mouth, “this table is marble.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

The kiss was lovely. The cold, hard surface beneath her, less so. She pinched him to get his attention. “Do you have any idea how hard marble is?”

“I know something harder,” he growled. He straightened, lifted her off the table, and set her on her feet. “All right. Let’s go inside and do this properly. Now, if you please.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Her laughter, born of pure happiness, floated up like bubbles in a champagne glass. She tripped toward the entryway with Janto at her heels.

Praise for Assassin’s Gambit

“A strong debut launching an Ancient Rome–inspired romantic fantasy series. . . . The main characters have excellent chemistry, meshing right from the start. In addition to the richly imagined world and a delightfully entertaining tale of magic and intrigue, Raby also delivers an understated yet versatile magic system and a convincing, sensitive portrayal of Vitalia’s efforts to reclaim her life from post-traumatic stress.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Raby’s debut heralds the arrival of a terrific new fantasy romance voice joining the genre. Assassin’s Gambit is a multifaceted tale of the sacrifices demanded in the battle over an empire. The hero and heroine of this story are on opposite ends of the spectrum, but are smart enough to see the benefit in collaboration. Raby ably demonstrates that she has a gift for storytelling and readers will absolutely look forward to the next installment of the Hearts and Thrones Series!”

—Romantic Times (4 stars)

“Impressive . . . the best debut book/author this year . . . a wonderful epic fantasy romance.”

—The Book Pushers

“Shades of From Russia with Love . . . damn good. Yes, it is a romance. A very good one. The characters are memorable and I found myself lost in the world. You can’t ask for more than that.”

—Hoover’s Corner

“A thrilling story.”

—A Little Bookish

“A great read. It was wonderful to see two intelligent individuals continue to value and treat each other with respect. . . . I am looking forward to the next in the series.”

—Dear Author . . .

“A great setting and protagonists worth rooting for. I will definitely be waiting for Hearts and Thrones #2.”

—All About Romance