Book excerpt: The royal wedding of the year . . . might just be a fairy tale . . . Keeping their secret puts his dream job in jeopardy, but revealing it will destroy the woman who is inching her way into his heart. Princess Tahira grew up not worrying about being pushed into an arranged marriage, but after her mother’s near-death illness, King Rajeemh orders his only daughter to choose a husband within forty days or have one chosen for her. With the deadline hanging over her head, Tahira escapes with her cousins on a cruise for one last taste of freedom, but the vacation turns into a horrifying experience they never could have predicted. Trident Security operative Darius Knight has been working undercover for several months, infiltrating a human trafficking cartel. Just when he’s almost prepared to take them down, a new shipment arrives, along with a major complication. If he saves the woman whom he’s guarded in the past, his cover will be blown. But if he doesn’t, she’ll suffer a fate worse than death. When the rescue doesn’t go according to plan, Darius makes a rash decision that will affect both their lives. How far will he go to protect her? **The Trident Security and its spinoff series contain passionate romance, nail-biting suspense, and happily-ever-afters. . . . . ***Trigger warning: Forty Days & One Knight contains a fade to black sexual assault.