That sounded like his brother. When diplomacy failed, kill them all and let the gods sort it out. ’Course his wasn’t much better. In fact, the only thing that really separated their philosophies was that Ryn wanted guns while Darling preferred high explosives. “Where’s Ryn now?”

“Downstairs meeting with a group of social delegates.”

Well, that iced his raging hormones. Damn…

Darling groaned out loud. “That’s like asking a predator to guard prey.” And he was the idiot who’d appointed Ryn to the position.

What was I thinking?

Basically that he had no one else he could trust.

Cursing himself for that particular piece of brilliance, he sat up and ignored the pain that burned through him.

Zarya scowled. “What are you doing?”

“Going to save my empire while I still have one.”

She scooted off the bed to stop him. “You can’t. Syn needs to—”

“Zarya,” he said firmly, interrupting her. “Please. I can’t fight everyone at once.”

Growling her own frustration at him, she held her hands up in surrender. “Fine. What do you need me to do?”

“Help me dress.”

Zarya paused at his suggestion. The last thing he needed to do was walk into a room full of people who wanted him dead. People who were itching for a chance to assault him, verbally and physically.

A wicked smile curled her lips as an idea struck her on how to keep him out of harm’s way for a little longer.

She walked up to him and wrapped her arm around his neck, then pulled his head down so that she could nibble his lips while she gently scooted her right hand into his pants to fondle him. Her smile widened as she realized he was already hard and wet.

Pulling back, she whispered seductively, “Dress or undress you, my lord?”

Darling’s head swam as fire ran through his veins. Her fingers felt so good on him that it was hard to stay focused on duty. Especially when she dipped her hand down to cup and finger him.

Yeah, he’d much rather stay here with her.

Something that wasn’t helped as she sank down to her knees in front of him and opened his pants.

You stop her now and I’ll kill you.

But he had an empire to run. His id could wait.

No, I can’t.

Yes, it could.

His legs went weak as she took him into her mouth and unmitigated pleasure tore through his entire being. For a full minute, he reeled from it.

The voices outside grew louder, reminding him of the job that awaited him.

Fuck the empire and everyone in it…

Yeah, that would be an intensely bad idea.

He really hated that stupid notion of the “empire comes first” his father had drilled into him as he forced himself to step back from her. The sight of her licking her lips in an open invitation was enough to kill him.

Stamping down the fire in his blood, he narrowed his eyes at her. “You are devious. Don’t think I’m not on to you.”