Read Online Royal Hearts by Ruth Ann Nordin - Free Book Online

cars.”
    When she didn’t continue, Ann laughed. “Does
he like anything else?”
    “I’m sure he does. It’s just that all Carson
told me is that he’s big into those two things.” Lisa seemed
hesitant to say more but then flipped her dark hair over her
shoulder. “Okay. I’ll tell you something, but you have to swear not
to tell Carson I told you.”
    “I swear. What is it?”
    “William saw a picture of you and thought you
were cute.”
    Ann’s face flushed with pleasure. “Really? He
said I was cute?”
    “And he asked to meet you. But you have to
swear not to tell him that I told you he asked to meet you. He
wants you to think that I’m trying to get you two together.”
    “If all secrets were this good, I’d say we
need more of them.”
    Lisa giggled, and the doorbell rang. She
cleared her throat, forcing aside more laughter. “It’s show
time.”
    Ann stood up and got ready to meet William.
She’d met Carson before, and since he was a blond, her gaze went to
the boy next to him. William had dark brown hair and dark brown
eyes, a slender build, and was considerably taller than her. He
seemed more rugged than the guys she was usually attracted to, but
knowing that he thought she was good looking made her attracted to
him right away. At the very least, it showed he had great
taste.
    After Lisa made the introductions, she asked,
“So, what do you guys want to do?”
    A moment of silence passed between the four
before Ann asked, “Anybody like tacos?”
    “They’re my favorite,” William replied.
    “Carson?” Lisa asked.
    “Sure. Why not? We can all go in my car.”
    Ann’s heart skipped a beat. That meant she
would have to sit next to William in the backseat.
    Lisa and Carson headed on out of the house,
and William stopped and faced Ann. “Your name, Ann Kerwin… It
sounds like a name meant for a queen.”
    She stared at him, not sure what to make of
the ridiculous comment. She waited for him to tell her he was only
joking, but he only smiled at her, as if he gave her the highest
compliment a boy could give a girl. And who knew? Maybe this was
something he told every girl he met.
    Since he seemed to expect her to say
something, she offered a smile and thanked him. His smile widened,
so she guessed she gave him the response he wanted. He gestured for
her to head out the door first, so she did. At least he had good
manners.
    His pick up line, if that’s what it was,
needed some work, but maybe he was nervous and didn’t know what to
say. She’d had moments when she said something stupid. She needed
to give him more leeway. Girls weren’t the only ones who had
trouble coming up with things to say when they were attracted to
someone. Feeling better, she went to the car.
     
    ***
     
    Present day
    Paff ’s sleeping quarters
    Alpha Head I
    Planet: Pale
     
    By the time Paff woke up, a full day had
passed. He woke up feeling refreshed, but he quickly recalled the
impending war, which only brought back all the stress and worries
that had been subdued during sleep.
    Halima, his wife, came into the room. “I
thought I heard you stirring. I brought you something to eat.”
    She set a tray full of white apples and
oranges before him. “You need to keep your strength up.”
    Despite the grim situation, seeing her
beautiful face brought him some joy. “Thank you,” he replied with a
smile. “Has anything happened while I was sleeping?”
    “No. I have no messages to give you.”
    He fought back the urge to groan. He didn’t
like the sound of this. Queen Ann was in trouble. He knew it. The
fact that Hathor hadn’t made contact with him either only
emphasized the perilous situation they were in.
    He glanced at the clock by his bed.
Twenty-four more hours. If he didn’t hear from them by then, he’d
send out a search party.
    “What can I do for you?” Halima asked,
sitting beside him.
    He pulled her to him and held her, burying
his face in her neck. She was his strength. If it hadn’t been