The night before the Festival of the Night Lord on Istanis, Josie Hawkings has been assigned to discover the torrid, behind-the-scenes happenings. Covertly watching a bevy of beautiful, naked women, she's kidnapped for sex by the Night Lord himself, and risks endangering her life if he finds out the stinging truth about her.

Lucien de Alvarez, Lord of Istanis, won't allow his heart and body to be captured by any woman. Yet, when he sets eyes on Josie, he changes his mind and opens up the path to a dark, haunting secret that might destroy them both. Sometimes, the reward is greater than the risk . . .

Excerpt

The preparations for the Festival of the Night Lord were beginning. Hidden from view behind an imposing stone pillar, Josie Hawkings observed several women getting themselves ready for the celebration. She shivered in the cool air so prevalent on the planet of Istanis. The sunlight barely filtered through the high windows set in the stone walls of the village meeting house—which was more like an old castle, Josie thought uneasily.

Even though she was clothed in a form-fitting tunic that merely skimmed the top of her thighs and felt like a ballet dancer’s tutu, she felt overdressed. The women, all in their early twenties, were nude, painting each other’s toenails and drawing sensual patterns on their backs. The following day, as the sun settled behind the Mountain of the Elks, they would vie for the Night Lord’s attention. The one most pleasing to his critical eye would spend the night with him. Josie knew from overhearing the gossip between the pretty women that they wanted the lord to not only spend the night with them but also to make one of them his wife. Then they would leave behind the poverty and misery of the village and rest in comfort and luxury. The Festival of the Night Lord occurred only once every three years and, so far, none of the women had been chosen as the lord’s bride.

Josie drew a deep breath and watched as dispassionately as she could. The women were fresh-skinned, blushingly pretty and eager for the lord to explore their scented bodies.

Knowing she was Istanian, The Daily Galaxian’s editor on Earth had sent her out on this assignment, saying there was always something more than met the eye, and he wanted the full scoop behind what really went on during the Festival of the Night Lord.

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