Destined for Two (17 page)

Two seconds later Rhia felt wandering hands skim up the insides of her legs, massaging the tense muscles and sending shards of heat down her back. Keenas surfaced directly in front of her, his chest brushing against her extended and sensitive nipples. He smiled at her, his lips full and wet, his teeth perfectly straight. Water droplets clung to his long lashes, making them sparkle in the sunlight. She smiled back, so hot for him again she felt as though every part of her was on fire.

He brushed his thumb across her lip, and then trailed the backs of his fingers down her neck, his gaze intense, stormy. “Come swim with me, sweet,” he whispered, then took her hand, pulling her farther into the water.

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“Well, how do I look?”

Jorel turned toward the top of the stairs and stared speechless at Rhianna. She looked beautiful. Her hair cascaded around her shoulders in soft curls, and the purple pants clung to her hips, outlining them perfectly. Her top tied in a bow just under her breasts, leaving her flat stomach exposed. Long sleeves covered her arms to flare out at the wrist. A black choker circled her neck; in the middle sat a large amethyst stone that matched her outfit.

“Damn,” Jorel whispered as he watched her walk down the stairs, Her hand brushed along the banister as she made her way toward him. The soft sway of her hips held him mesmerized as he imagined himself encased between her firm thighs.

“I won’t be able to have any fun at all tonight. I’ll be spending all my time trying not to fuck you senseless.”

“Is that all you think about?” she asked, a slight grin tugging at her lips.

“When you’re dressed like that, it’s all I can think about.” With a cute laugh, she stopped at the bottom step and brushed his hair behind his shoulder. “There’s more to a relationship than sex, you know.”

“Is there?” he asked and reached up to span his hands around her waist. Her flesh felt warm and soft beneath his fingers. “Like what?”

“Romance,” she offered, trying to pull herself from his grasp, but not hard enough to break free. “Communication and talking.”

“I think we talk,” he purred, tugging her toward him so that their noses almost touched.

“Telling me how much you want to fuck me doesn’t count,” she whispered, making him laugh.

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“What the hell is going on here?” Keenas growled playfully from the other side of the entrance hall.

Jorel glanced at him from the corner of his eye, but kept his hold on Rhianna. He couldn’t stop touching her, couldn’t stop tasting her sweet lips. She was like an addiction.

The more he had her, the more he wanted her. “Rhianna and I were just discussing how we don’t talk enough.”

“Don’t talk enough?” Keenas snorted. “The woman talks my ear off as it is.”

“I do not,” she snapped.

Keenas and Jorel both laughed. Delight filled Jorel at her spunk, her high spirits.

Growing up, he’d always been concerned Rhianna would turn out like all the other royals of his world. Proper, conservative, meek. But Rhianna was none of those things. She was fun and he loved it. He loved her. Everything about her -- every curve, every temper flare, every snarly remark.

She was, in a word -- adorable. He wouldn’t change a thing about her upbringing. Not a thing about what Devlin had taught her. He’d made her what she was today.

“Nice outfit, sweet,” Keenas purred as he stepped around her, eyeing her from every angle.

“Just don’t tell me how much it makes you want to fuck me and we’re good.” Scrunching her face, she adjusted the back of her slacks. “My ass is still sore from earlier.” Jorel couldn’t hold his laughter in. Never in his life had he met a woman who would come out and say something like that so candidly. “I promise to be more gentle next time,” he said, his chest still shaking with chuckles.

“Next time is my turn,” Keenas said as he took Rhianna’s hand and led her toward the front door and the small hovercraft waiting outside to take them to the street party. “And I’m afraid I make no promises.” Lifting her hand, Keenas kissed the backs of her fingers. “You drive me too crazy to make promises I might not be able to keep.”

“Wow,” she drawled, rolling her eyes. “You don’t beat around the bush, do you?” Her gaze narrowed, but Jorel didn’t miss the humor shining in the depth of her icy eyes. “Stay away from my ass.”

“You say that now,” Keenas said with a chuckle, surprising Jorel with how relaxed he seemed.

He hadn’t seen his brother smile this much in years. He carried so much on his shoulders, it amazed him he could even smile at all sometimes. This trip had been a great idea. Both for their relationship, as well as getting his brother to loosen up and let go of some of his stress.

Jorel never had trouble with stress. It rolled off his back like water. Keenas took things much more seriously. Rhianna’s brash, unorthodox personality would be good for him. She would be good for both of them. Holding out his hand, he held onto Rhianna’s as she

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climbed over the edge of the hovercraft, settling on the seat between him and Keenas. He leaned forward, inhaling her sweet flowery scent and smiled.

“You look beautiful, little one,” he whispered. “You’ll put them all to shame.” She turned to glance at him, a look of surprise creasing her brow. A slight blush moved up her cheeks, giving her already sun-kissed flesh a deeper sheen. “Thank you,” she whispered. “You look good, as well.”

Lifting her hand, he placed a soft kiss in the palm of her hand. Her fingers trembled slightly and he held them tight, stilling them within his grasp. He wanted her to be comfortable with them. No matter what, she should know they would never hurt her, humiliate her, or make her do anything she didn’t want to do. From this day on, she was their life and he would do whatever it took to make her realize that.

* * * * *

Morganic studied the glass vial full of green liquid -- the answer to all his problems. It was poison, a slow poison that would be impossible to trace. They would never know for sure who did it and then his daughter would take her rightful place as queen. They would have no choice but to marry Liza. He’d see to it. If they wanted peace, they would marry his daughter. And he knew for a fact Keenas wanted peace above all else. His daughter walked into the room and came to a stop just inside the door. Lately, he’d noticed a change in his daughter. Slowly, her attitude had become bolder, more snappish.

With slightly trembling fingers, she brushed her hair over her shoulder and glared at him.

The glare surprised him. She was such a meek creature; she never glared.

Her trembling hand moved to rest on her waist. Her slacks were loose, hanging from her slim hips and he tried to remember if she’d lost weight. For the life of him, he couldn’t.

“You called for me?” She sighed.

“You need to eat more, Liza. Keenas doesn’t like skinny women.”

“Keenas is already married, Father. How skinny I am makes no difference.”

“It makes all the difference,” he snapped angrily. He needed to get her in hand now.

“You will not roll your eyes at me, girl. You will do as I say, when I say.”

“Yes, Father,” she sighed and glanced toward the floor.

That was more like his daughter. Sitting back in his seat, he twirled the vial between his fingers. “When Rhianna returns, you and I will invite her for tea.” She jerked her head up, her wide gaze staring at him in accusation. “Invite her for tea?”

“She is your cousin, Liza. You should get to know her.”

“Fine.”

A muscle in the side of her cheek jerked. Something was up with his daughter; he’d bet his life on it. “How are your lessons going?”

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“My lessons?” she sneered. “You mean my sex instruction?”

“Yes,” he answered, staring her directly in the eye.

“They are going quite well. I’m still a virgin but my ass is sufficiently stretched and my jaw adequately trained. I can suck a cock with the best of them. Is that what you wanted to know?”

Standing, he stalked over to her and slapped her cheek. She gasped, but didn’t look him in the eye. She kept her gaze over his shoulder. Anger flared in her eyes for a split second before disappearing behind a wall of indifference. So, there was life in his daughter after all.

“Don’t talk to me like that, Liza. What I do, I do for your own good. I suggest you remember that. Now get out of my sight.”

She swallowed and turned to leave the room, her head high. He couldn’t let her know what he was going to do. Poisoning Rhianna should be easy. Blaming it on the resistance…now that might take a little thought.

* * * * *

Rhia strolled down the street, admiring all the festive decorations and food covering the tables. Everything you could ever imagine was there and she looked forward to sampling it all. She always did. Last year she must have gained ten pounds from all the food she ate. Hundreds of people milled around them in various costumes in mostly jewel tones. A few nodded; others smiled. They were treated no differently than anyone else. For tonight, she, Keenas, and Jorel were normal, everyday people. No royal fanfare, no duties, no security, and she loved it.

Her gaze roamed thoughtfully over Keenas’s broad back and shoulders. His firm hips looked amazing in his black leather pants. The white shirt he wore showed off his deep tan and dark eyes to perfection. Jorel looked pretty damn good too, and part of her swelled with pride that she could actually claim them as hers.

Reaching up, she smoothed her hand down Keenas’s back as he leaned over the table to sample a ball of buttered caramel. He smiled at her over his shoulder then turned to face her, holding the ball before her lips. She took a bite, enjoying the sweet buttery taste. Keenas popped the remaining caramel into his mouth and she couldn’t stop staring at his lips as he chewed.

Music blared from the speakers hanging around them and she jumped, startled by the suddenly loud noise. Keenas appeared unaffected and shocked her by sauntering toward her, his hips swaying enticingly to the music. She grinned, intrigued with how he moved his body to the music.

Stepping close to him, she matched his rhythm, and then laughed aloud as he placed his hands at her waist and tugged her against him. Their hips rubbed together to the music,

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their eyes locked and staring at one another as though the crowd around them had disappeared. And, to her, they had.

“I didn’t know you could dance,” she said with a grin as her fingers reached out to tug gently at his shirt.

His lips spread into a soft sensual smile that lit up his eyes and made them spark with fire. “There’re lots of things you don’t know about me, sweet. That’s why we’re here.”

“Can I join in this party?” Jorel purred and moved in behind her, his crotch rubbing enticingly against her hip.

“Can you dance too, Jorel?” she asked, having the time of her life. She felt so relaxed for the first time in days.

“Oh, yeah, baby. I can dance,” he whispered, his hands moving her hips in a rhythm that matched his.

Rhia laughed and squirmed from between them. Walking backward, she crooked her finger and slowly made her way to the center of the street and the crowd of people dancing to the music.

“Show me what you’ve got,” she said.

Both men followed her to the street, their bodies moving with hers to the fast, pulsing rhythm. She loved dancing, always had, and loved that Jorel and Keenas seemed to share her enthusiasm. They laughed and danced right along with her, their adventurous spirit shining in their gazes. She was falling hard and fast. She knew and couldn’t stop it -- wasn’t sure she wanted to.

The music slowed, changing to a sultrier tune as Jorel pulled her body close to his. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart, but the proximity of his body kept it beating wildly.

“The two of you take this one,” Keenas said, then gripped her chin to turn her face toward his. “Enjoy the dance, sweet. The next one’s mine.” His lips touched hers softly, and then he strolled away toward the bar. She watched as he ordered three drinks and moved to sit at a small table nestled beneath some shrubbery.

“He’s just going to sit there and wait for us?” she asked, turning her gaze back toward Jorel.

“He’ll be fine. There will be lots of times that you will have time alone with each of us.

Keenas may leave for a few days to handle his royal duties. There may be days that I leave to handle estate business.”

“So what exactly are your and Keenas’s duties? Who does what?” One arm slid around her waist, holding her close; the other held her hand against his chest. His heart beat a gentle thump against the backs of her fingers and it put her at ease for some reason. This close to him, she could smell his scent all around her, embedding itself into her.

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“Keenas is, of course, the official king since he’s the oldest.”

“By what?” Rhia asked with a snort. “Two seconds?” Jorel laughed. “More like two minutes.” He shrugged and brushed his lips across her forehead, warming her flesh. “But I don’t mind. We make the big decisions together. I handle the estate stuff, investments, that sort of thing.”

“I see.”

“What else would you like to know?” he asked, his full, kissable lips quirking in amusement.

“I want to know everything. What were you like as children?”

“Hellions.”

Rhia laughed, trying to imagine Keenas and Jorel as children.

“Me especially.”

“I’ve heard that twins are like that -- one wilder than the other. Did you go to college?”

“Oh yes. On Rhinari. Only the best for the king’s children.”

“I was taught on Veenori. Devlin offered to send me to Rhinari, but I didn’t want to go.” She shrugged. “So he hired people to tutor me.”

“So,” he drawled, hugging her close. “You’re a homeschooled wench.” She smiled and he brushed his nose across the tip of hers. “You surprise me, Rhianna.” Her heart skipped a beat as she watched the black of his eyes deepen and spark with love. “Surprise you how?”

“I always imagined you as a proper, conservative woman. A woman raised to please her husbands, serve them. I always imagined you would be beautiful, but boring. You’re as far from boring as you can get. I love how you’ve turned out. How strong you are, how feisty.

You are everything I didn’t even know I wanted.” She didn’t have a clue what to say. It shocked her that he would actually prefer her this way. That he would actually want someone not raised as a royal. It had been one of her biggest fears that they would want to change her, make her something she wasn’t.

“I don’t believe it, Keenas,” Jorel said with a chuckle as he stepped away from her and put her hand in Keenas’s. “She’s speechless.”

“Really,” Keenas drawled, studying her intently.

She stared in surprise at Keenas, who now held her in his arms. She hadn’t seen or heard him approach, but suddenly found herself dancing in his confident embrace.

“What are we doing?” she whispered, still not quite sure what to say.

Keenas grinned. “We’re dancing. I see you’ve gotten your tongue back. What did Jorel say to shock you so much?”

She shook her head, glancing around to see where Jorel went. She finally found him at the table Keenas had been sitting at, his hand lifting a drink to his lips. Other couples swayed

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around them, the music soft and slow, sensual. Keenas’s hand splayed at the small of her back, his fingers gently flexing against her skin, and heat flared deep in her stomach. Jorel made her feel weak, breathless. But Keenas, he made her hot and wild. Together they could make her mindless with pleasure, and her nipples beaded beneath the material of her top as she remembered the lake and what they’d done to her there.

“Talk to me, sweet,” Keenas whispered. “I don’t want you to ever be afraid to tell me what you’re thinking. What you’re feeling.”

“I guess I’m just surprised. I was worried that you and Jorel would try to change me.”

“Change you?” he gasped, his eyebrows rising in surprise. “Rhianna, I couldn’t imagine my life with you any other way. I’ll admit, in the beginning I was worried how you would handle this life. I knew nothing about you, about how you were educated or raised. But you’ve turned out beautifully. You’re intelligent, feisty, strong. You weren’t raised royal, so you have an insight to the other side that neither Jorel nor I have. You will be an asset to us, both in business and in life.” His lips moved close to hers as his hold tightened. “I don’t want to change one iota about you, sweet. Nothing.”

His kiss was soft as butterfly wings, so gentle and tender it made her chest tighten, and sadness gripped her when it ended without being deepened. Laying his forehead against hers, he moved them slowly to the music. His heart beat against her hand and she closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his hard body molding to hers, the overwhelming relief at their acceptance of her. The wind ruffled his hair, blowing it around her fingers and she combed them through his tresses, smoothing the long locks back out.

“I’m glad you brought me here,” she whispered.

“So am I, sweet,” he answered, his voice soft as a caress.

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