This novel was originally released as the four part series: The Prince of Asteria, The Palace of Asteria, The Princess of Asteria and The Fall of Asteria.
His Lover
UN translator Lucy Snow sneaks into an embassy party and meets Prince Jagor, heir to the throne of the fabulously rich kingdom of Asteria. Their initial steamy kiss isn't enough for the prince: he offers her a job as his personal aide and in the glamorous hotels and casinos of Monaco, they engage in a secret love affair.
His Slave
But in Asteria, women are 'owned' by their men, both in and out of the bedroom. Loving Jagor will mean accepting his collar...and his every command.
His Princess
Lucy must overcome the queen, the media and the will of the Asterian people if she's to be accepted as Jagor's bride. And when the royal family is plunged into danger, Lucy must become stronger than she ever dreamed...
An extract:
We stood there for a second, just looking at each other. I had time to notice things now, like how strong his hands looked. Or the way his pecs curved under his tailored white shirt. Or how the dark shadow of his stubble shone black in the warm light from the bedside lamps: again, I found myself thinking of an animal. If I kissed him, it would brush against me: would it be scratchy? It looked almost soft.
Why was I thinking about kissing him?
It occurred to me that we were both in a very dangerous situation here. Alone in a room with a closed door and the lights romantically low. If anyone should come in, it was going to take a lot of explaining to convince them it was innocent.
Is it innocent? I asked myself. What the hell is going on here?
"I should go," I said.
He just stared at me, the way a cat will stare at a mouse. My heart was thumping so hard in my chest, I was sure he must be able to hear it.
"I really think I should go." I tried to say it firmly, but my voice quavered. It wasn't fear: or if it was fear, it wasn't him I was scared of.
He gave me another one of those looks. Then he took a step towards me.
All I had to do was walk to the door and leave. Why was that so hard? But my legs felt like concrete. He took another step towards me, and now he was close enough that I could smell his aftershave. It was like nothing else I'd ever smelled: not like one of the scents you buy at a store, all alcohol and chemical scent. This was like open spaces and cold, hard rock and the wind: if the outdoors had a smell, this was it.
"I really think...." I trailed off.
He put one huge hand beneath my chin and used the edge of it, very gently, to tilt my face up to his.
"Don't think," he said softly. I didn't realize until afterwards that he'd said it in Asterian, because as soon as he'd said it, he was kissing me.
His lips were warm on mine, sending a jolt of heat rocketing down through my chest, blossoming in the very core of me. He was bending down slightly to reach me, and I suddenly became aware that I was stretching up to meet him, my lips flowering open. I was kissing him back.
His breath was hot against me as he parted his lips, his tongue greedily seeking mine. His hands were in my hair, stroking through the soft strands, his palms warm against my temples. Little shocks of pleasure were darting down through my body from everywhere he touched me, seeking my groin. He was starting something inside me, something primal and out of control, so strong it scared me.
He broke the kiss and leaned back from me. "Tell me you want me to stop," he told me. He said it in English, so there was no danger of me misunderstanding.
