Secured Mail by Kate Pearce Read Free Book Online

don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he doesn’t seem to need much help from us to satisfy her. In fact, he doesn’t need us at all when he is here.” He glanced up at Sven. “Don’t you want your own woman?”
    Sven splashed water on his face and grimaced as he slapped on some aftershave.
    “It’s been many years since I’ve lived with a female, I’m not sure.”
    Harlan sighed. “I would like a wife. Seeing the king so happy with the queen makes me yearn for things I have never had.”
    “Then go out and find someone. You have permission.”
    Harlan finished his braiding and sat cross-legged on the carpet. “I’m waiting for her to find me.”
    “You seem very certain.”
    “I am. She is close now. She will be here soon. All I have to do is wait.” Harlan’s serene conviction made Sven uneasy. His friend had an uncanny ability to read the future. Harlan continued to talk, his thoughtful gaze fixed on Sven.
    “It might be possible for you to gain release from your vows.” He smiled at Sven’s unconvinced expression. “We would have to ask Thorlan to consult the law and see what the proper procedure is.” He stood up. “This woman. Is she worth losing your position of trust with the king?”
    Sven threw his towel to the ground and strode to the window, his back to Harlan.
    “All I know is that when I’m with her, I want to possess her, not date her as the queen suggested.”
    “Despite your doubts you wish to make her your wife?”
    “How can I feel like this when I’ve only known her for a few weeks? Perhaps the queen is right and I am so desperate to have sex again that I’ve gone mad for the first woman I’ve seen.”
    “Ms. Cooper is hardly the first woman you’ve seen. There are hundreds of available females here on Earth.”
    Sven turned to stare at his friend with dawning respect. “That is true and she is the only one who interests me.”
    Before he could continue, the door to the queen’s bedroom opened and Douglass emerged carrying her son in her arms. Sven hurried across to take the boy, wrinkling his nose at the sour smell.
    “I’ll change him for you, My Queen. Harlan, attend the queen’s bath.”
    Harlan bowed to the queen, his smile as tranquil as ever. Sven tensed as the outer door to the Royal suite burst open to reveal a smiling King Marcus and Bron.
    “Marcus, you are back early!”
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    Secured Mail
    The queen squealed and ran straight into the king’s arms, which locked around her.
    Oblivious to the other men, he picked her up and kissed her with an intensity that demanded privacy.
    Eventually, the king caught Sven’s gaze. “Can you take care of my son for a little while?”
    Sven winked at the baby as his parent’s disappeared into the bedroom without a backward glance. “You’ll get used to them doing that. After five days apart, the king is probably desperate to spill his seed.”
    Bron laughed. His blond hair gleamed in the light as he ran his fingers through it.
    He was the youngest of the queen’s three servers. He looked as if he’d just woken up from a refreshing nap rather than spent the day traveling with an irritable king.
    “Aye, that’s the truth. He’s been a bear for the last two days. I was glad to return.”
    He hugged Harlan and came across to smile down at the babe. He wrinkled his nose at the smell.
    “How is our young prince? Still keeping everyone awake at night?”
    Sven snorted. “You’ve only been gone a few days, nothing has changed.”
    Harlan cleared his throat. “Apart from the fact that Sven has found himself a woman.”
    Bron stopped smiling at the baby to stare at Sven.
    “You have a woman?”
    “I do not. Harlan is trying to be amusing and failing as usual.”
    Bron continued to stare at him. “And what does the queen think about that? You have always been her favorite.”
    Abruptly, Sven passed the baby to Bron. “I have to attend a security meeting about the perimeter wall. You and Harlan will have to look after