Secured Mail

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Secured Mail

ISBN 9781419917318

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Secured Mail Copyright © 2008 Kate Pearce

Edited by Briana St. James.

Cover art by Syneca.

Electronic book Publication July 2008

With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

SECURED MAIL

Kate Pearce

To the Hot Writer Babes and all the readers who wanted to know what happened to Sven.

Trademark Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: NFL: National Football League

Oakland Raiders: The Oakland Raiders AO Football Inc.

San Francisco 49ers: San Francisco Forty Niners Ltd Super Bowl: National Football League

Secured Mail

“Please don’t kill me!”

Sven Magnusson scowled at the red-faced man he held by the throat, a foot off the ground. Yet another reporter who had risked his life scaling the eight-foot high walls that surrounded the Royal Valhalla residence in the Earth city of San Francisco.

“You are trespassing, scum.”

He emphasized each word with a gradual tightening of his fingers around the man’s neck. The reporter made a squeaking sound and his high color headed toward an interesting shade of purple.

“Magnusson, put him down.”

Sven sighed as an all-too-familiar female voice spoke behind him.

“He is trespassing. He is endangering my king and queen.”

“He’s a reporter. The only thing he’s likely to shoot is an out of focus picture of the queen picking daisies in the yard.” She nudged his arm. “Put him down.”

Sven clenched his teeth and gradually relaxed his grip. Ms. Cooper was right as usual. She insisted he called her that. Not Miss, not Ma’am or my lady, but Ms., whatever that meant. He couldn’t risk killing a citizen of Earth. It would only result in the kind of publicity he was trying to avoid. With a grunt, he lowered the guy to the ground.

The reporter sagged against the wall, one hand struggling to unbutton his collar.

“I’ll sue, you bastard. “

Sven took a step forward and found his path blocked by Ms. Cooper. She placed a hand on his chest and tried to push him back. If he hadn’t been so angry he might’ve laughed. She was six inches shorter than him and probably half his weight. One flex of his biceps and he could push past her and have her on her back within a second.

Her short nails, which were planted on his chest, were painted pink. Sven inhaled the scent of her perfume, some Earth flower he didn’t know the name of, and imagined her flat on her back while he knelt between her thighs thrusting his cock into her warm, wet, willing…

“Magnusson?”

He stopped licking his lips and looked down into her suspicious gray eyes. Six weeks ago, Ms. Cooper had joined the elite squad guarding the Valhalla Embassy and Sven still hadn’t gotten over it. Half the time he wanted to kiss her just to stop her telling him what to do. The other half, he just wanted to kiss her.

5

Kate Pearce

He rubbed his jaw and considered the angry little man in front of him. “He may leave quietly or I will call the police. Which do you think he would prefer?”

The reporter struggled to clear his throat as he directed his gaze at Ms. Cooper.

“I’ll leave, but don’t be surprised to hear from my lawyer.” He pointed at Sven.

“That guy is a fucking menace.”

Before she could stop him again, Sven growled low in his throat and came around Ms. Cooper. “Get out, scum, or you will not have the ability to call anyone because I will have ripped out your vocal chords.”

Sven smiled as the man headed off down the driveway toward the main security post. He would have to walk half a mile just to get back to the gate and his reception there wouldn’t be pleasant. There was obviously another weak spot in the perimeter.

Keeping the compound secure was as difficult as stopping sand running through his fingers. Sven glanced up at the leaden skies. If the man was really unlucky he’d also get caught in one of the San Francisco summer storms.

“Do you have to be so brutal?”

He turned to his companion who was regarding him with unfriendly eyes.

“If it means I keep my king and queen safe, then yes.”

“But what happens if he calls a lawyer and sues you?”

Sven shrugged. “He would never live to testify.”

Her lips tightened and Sven fought a smile. She was almost as easy to tease as his queen, Douglass, who also came from Earth. For some reason, Earth women didn’t seem keen on men showing off their physical strength. Apparently, it was no longer considered civilized.

Sven continued to study Ms. Cooper. Her dark blue pants suit and gray turtleneck sweater covered her from the neck down to the top of her chunky black heeled boots.

He had no idea what shape she was under all the layers of clothes she wore but it didn’t stop him imagining. Despite the heels, she still only came up to his shoulder. Her skin was pale and slightly freckled. He smiled as a faint ray of sunlight escaped the gathering clouds and deepened the hint of gold in her brown hair.

“Magnusson, you’re doing it again.”

“What?”

“Staring at me in an unprofessional manner.”

He dropped his gaze to her indignant face. “On my planet, appreciating a beautiful woman is not considered a crime. Why should I not look? I’m not touching you.”

He took a step closer and she raised her chin to stare into his eyes. “Back off, buddy.

I’m not beautiful and secondly, I’m at work.”

He shrugged and started to walk back toward the palace. She hurried to catch up with him, her high heels crunching through the gravel.

6

Secured Mail

“Hey, I’m still talking to you!” As he went to key in the door code, she grabbed his arm.

He stared pointedly at her hand on his arm. “But you make it impossible for me to answer you.”

She frowned, wrinkling the delicate freckles on her nose. “What the hell does that mean?”

Sven sighed. “If I say you are wrong and that I think you are beautiful, you will immediately report me to your superiors for…” he clicked his fingers, “what is it you call it? Ah, yes, sexual harassment. My queen warned us that the ways of our Planet Valhalla will not always be acceptable here on Earth.”

Her mouth opened and she shook her head. “I wouldn’t do that.”

He grinned. “Well then, I think you are beautiful.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at the toe of her boot. “Okay, thank you.”

Sven studied her closely. “Why is it so difficult for you to accept a compliment? Are all the men on this planet blind?”

“It’s not that.” She shrugged and tried a smile. “It’s taken me a long time to be accepted by my male colleagues as just one of the guys. I’m always suspicious if anyone seems to be sucking up to me.”

“I am sucking up to you?” Sven closed the outer door and reset the code. “In truth, my lady, there are parts of you I would love to suck.”

Her smile disappeared and she stepped away from him as if he were diseased.

“You are such a jerk. There you go again, making inappropriate remarks. What is it with you and the other Valhalla guys?”

Sven scowled at her. “You may say what you want about me, but I am proud of my planet and of my fellow bodyguards.”

She met his glare head on. “You’re right, I apologize.” He went to speak but she held up her hand. “Not for saying you are a jerk, because you are one, but for including your friends.”

He inclined his head. “I accept your apology on behalf of my companions, but I do not accept that I am a jerk. I have heard the queen use that expression to the king and I don’t believe it is a compliment.”

She started to walk away, her shoulder-length brown hair swaying as she turned to look back at him. ““You’re right. It’s not. Now if you have any more problems with reporters, come and talk to me before you get physical. I’m supposed to be the liaison between Valhalla security and Earth’s Planetary Protection team.”

He laughed. “And what would you have done in my place? Talked him back over the wall?”

She stopped walking. Sven braced himself as she stalked back toward him and poked him in the chest.

7

Kate Pearce

“
You
are a conceited ass. I’m fully trained in both martial arts and negotiating techniques. You know that. As the head of Valhalla security, you were one of the people who approved my integration into the security team.”

He shrugged. “I simply agreed to my king and queen’s proposal.”

A flash of hurt in her eyes made him wish he could take the words back but she was already turning away.

“I will see you this evening at the security meeting.”

Sven waited until she disappeared through the doorway into the main hall. He usually enjoyed sparring with her but today he felt that somehow he had erred. She’d seemed vulnerable and that made him feel unworthy. Did gaining the respect of her fellow officers mean that she had to deny everything that was female inside her? It seemed a hard way to live, denying who you were at your core. Perhaps he should talk to his queen and find out if all Earth women felt this way.

An alarm beeped on his wristband. He straightened with a smile and headed back up the stairs to the little prince’s nursery. The king’s apartment occupied the whole of the second floor. It was his turn to amuse the babe until he was fed.

Thea slammed all the doors on the way back to her office in the lower level of the security center. Sven Magnusson was the biggest asshole she had ever met. He seemed to think she was just some amusing little girl playing at having a job. She made herself some coffee and retrieved the day-old pastry she’d hidden in her desk drawer. Of course, like all the Earth team, she’d been briefed about the differences in Valhallan culture; their reverence for the few women on their planet who could bear children and their commitment to providing these women with sexual pleasure.