Destined for Two (9 page)

Look at the mess they’d just made of things as it was -- seducing her in the carriage in front of everyone. This impatience wasn’t like him. He’d never been so desperate to have someone that he couldn’t wait to get to the castle.

Her mouth flew open on a strangled cry and Jorel watched her face as the release swept through her. “That’s it, little one. Let me see you come. Come for Keenas.” His fingers pinched at her nipple, making her cry out as her body trembled beneath his hands.

“Good girl,” he cooed in her ear as Keenas moved back to the seat, readjusted her skirt, and leaned down to gently kiss her lips.

“Such a good girl,” Keenas whispered.

Rhianna was the most beautiful thing Jorel had ever seen when she let go. Her face was flushed pink, her eyes closed with long lashes caressing her smooth cheeks. Her hair, now disheveled and free of the clasp, hung around her shoulders in a mass of curls. They would have to help her fix it back. No doubt she would be mortified to have to face the castle staff looking like a well-loved woman.

She would have to get used to it. They planned on keeping her that way. Jorel began to understand why Keenas had lost his control and fucked her earlier. He’d been close to doing it himself. He had no doubt in his mind she was perfect for them.

Keenas still nibbled along her neck and Rhianna’s soft sighs sent blood pounding through Jorel’s ears. Leaning down, Jorel kissed at the other side of her neck, whispering sweet, soothing words in her ear and inhaling her soft, flowery scent.

“Rest, Rhianna. We’ll be home soon and later we’ll take you to even better heights.” 56

Rhianna stepped down from the carriage, holding tightly to Keenas’s hand for support.

Inside she trembled with both mortification and nervousness. She still hadn’t been able to look the guards in the eyes after what had happened earlier. Jorel and Keenas moved about as though nothing had happened, while she felt like a horny tramp.

Now she was being brought before the castle staff. Over a hundred people filed out in two lines, one on either side of them, as they headed toward the main doors, a set of huge, wooden doors with the family crest burned onto the front. It was the same crest their necklaces formed. With a frown, she reached up to touch her charm, and then glanced around at the smiling faces staring at her as she walked between Keenas and Jorel.

She had no idea what to say or do. How did royalty act? Did they smile, bow? Her gaze flicked to Jorel and watched as he bowed his head slightly in hello, his lips relaxed into their usual soft smile. Keenas did the same, although his face was sterner and more regal.

“They’re happy to see you, Rhianna. Can you not at least spare them a slight smile?” Keenas whispered in her ear and she jerked. They must think she’s such a bitch.

“I’m sorry,” she gasped, and began to send the staff small, hesitant smiles of hello. The women beamed and the men bowed, their eyes lighting with a happy spark. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, Keenas,” she murmured as she took the outstretched hand of a man who could only be the lead servant.

“It’s quite all right, Your Grace,” the older man said with a friendly smile. Her face heated in embarrassment as she realized he’d heard her. “You’ll fit in here in no time at all. I have no doubt.”

He bowed, touching his forehead to her fingers. She felt an instant kinship with him she didn’t understand and returned his smile of welcome. He was older with graying hair and friendly black eyes rimmed in gray.

57

“Thank you,” she whispered and he beamed back at her.

“Rhianna, this is Simi, our lead servant. If you need anything at all and Jorel and I are not around, you tell this man. He will see that you get it.”

“I am at your service, my lady,” he said with a smile, then turned to Keenas. “Count Marcone has sent a message, my lord. He and Devlin Armande are within a few hours of the designated meeting place.”

“Thank you, Simi,” Keenas said with a nod.

Jorel leaned in close to whisper. “See, little one. Your family is almost here. This time tomorrow, you’ll be reunited and find out we speak the truth.” She nodded and turned to give the staff one final smile and a wave of her hand. She felt so out of her element, so out of place.

“Come inside, Rhianna,” Keenas said as he took her hand and pulled her behind him.

His fingers were warm as they surrounded her shaky ones and that small bit of comfort made her heart skip. “Let us show you your home.”

Her gaze wandered around the massive entryway, glancing over the tile floors, massive tapestries, and in the center, a huge solarium filled with plants and fountains. Its roof was made of glass, allowing sunshine to spill down, spreading its light and warmth to the plants below. Running her hand along the iron railing that surrounded the sunken solarium, she drew in a deep breath of amazement.

“This is beautiful,” she breathed, then turned a circle, taking in the huge staircase that ascended to the floor above. Another iron railing ran the perimeter of the upper floor, matching the one below. “How big is this place?”

“It has thirty bedrooms, a formal dining room that seats forty, an informal one for family, a ballroom big enough to hold half the country, and of course, seventy-four fireplaces.”

She rounded on Keenas with a frown of astonishment. “You heat this thing with fireplaces?”

Keenas laughed. “No, sweet. We’re not quite that archaic.” He shrugged. “They are more for looks or ambience.”

“I see,” she said, then returned to her study of the entry hall. “I’ll get lost in this place.” Jorel chuckled and moved behind her to squeeze at her shoulders. His touch burned through the material of her dress and she resisted the urge to lean into him. “I can assure you, little one. You won’t get lost. I doubt we’ll let you out of our sight long enough for that to happen.”

Rhianna snorted, making Simi cough, and then cover his mouth to hide the grin. A slightly relieved smile tugged at her lips. At least Simi had a sense of humor.

58

“Ah, there they are,” Simi said, then waved his hands toward the two young women barreling down the stairs. They practically ran to stop before Rhia and bowed deeply, their cheeks red from exertion.

“We’re so sorry, my lady,” one of them spoke softly, her voice just a little shaky. “We tried to hurry, but…”

“My lady,” Simi said as he stepped forward. “These are your maids, Leena and Nicky.

They were readying your room and unpacking the clothes the kings sent.”

“Clothes?” Rhia asked, her brow drawing into a frown. “What clothes?”

“Your clothes were not appropriate for here, Rhianna, so we took the liberty of getting you new ones,” Jorel offered, with a shrug. “I think you’ll like them, but if you don’t, feel free to buy whatever you do like.”

She could only stare at him, her mind a jumbled mess of confusion and fatigue. Jorel nodded to the maids and she gasped, turning back to the two young women who watched her expectantly.

“Thank you,” she said after a moment’s pause, and smiled slightly. She didn’t want her maids to be afraid of her and was relieved to see them return her smile with beaming grins of their own.

“There you are,” someone yelled from atop the stairs and she turned to see two men and another young woman staring down at them.

The woman looked to be close to her own age with blonde hair she’d pulled to the side and allowed to hang over one shoulder in a mass of ringlet curls. Her deep green dress flared at the knees and trailed about a foot behind her along the floor. Her fair skin reminded Rhia of a china doll and she wondered if the girl was just as fragile. She certainly looked it.

The two men beside her couldn’t be more opposite. One had long black hair similar to the kings’, but not as thick. He stood as tall, but was much thinner, his bulk nowhere near that of Keenas or Jorel. The other man was also tall, but his hair was dark blond, with streaks of reddish gold. His eyes held a hint of coldness that made her shiver.

“Karn,” Keenas drawled, snarling his nose slightly and Rhia wondered at his reaction.

Both Keenas and Jorel moved closer to her, flanking her on either side.

“Rhianna,” Jorel began as the three people began to make their way down the stairs.

“The one with the dark hair and the ill manners to yell at us from the upper balcony is our cousin Baron Karn. The other man is your father’s cousin, Morganic, and his daughter, Liza. I believe I told you about her on the way here,” he added softly in her ear.

She knew instantly he was referring to the woman they would’ve married if she hadn’t been found. He was right. The fragile woman probably wouldn’t be able to handle both him and Keenas. She wouldn’t even look at them as she walked forward.

“My God,” Morganic said as he studied her with narrowed eyes that made her shiver in distrust. “She looks just like her. Has she been tested?”

59

“Not yet, but personally I don’t see a need to,” Keenas replied, his voice dark and threatening.

“I do,” Rhia replied softly, giving him a pointed look he understood, if the nod of his head was any indication.

“Then we should do it quickly, before the staff has an opportunity to get attached.” Morganic spoke the word “staff” as though it were dirty, and the way he snarled up his nose made Rhia want to smack him.

“The man who raised her has requested he be present, as well,” Keenas said. “We will wait for him.”

“He has?” Rhia asked in surprise.

“Who is this man that he can make such demands?” Morganic snapped.

Keenas growled under his breath. The tension between him and Morganic was thick enough to cut with a knife.

“He is my brother,” Rhia snapped, and didn’t miss Jorel’s soft snicker of laughter beside her. Keenas put his hand at the small of her back.

“Brother?” Morganic barked. “You have no brother, child.”

“He is the man who raised her, Morganic. She thinks of him as her brother. He will arrive tomorrow with Count Marcone of Tilarus,” Jorel replied, his voice soft despite the tensing of his body. “You’ve waited this long, you can wait one more day. Now if you’ll excuse us, we would like to get Rhianna settled.” They ushered Rhianna toward the stairs, but as they went, she inwardly shuddered at Morganic’s menacing threat.

“Don’t get too comfortable, Rhianna. You may look like her, but that doesn’t mean you’re the princess,” Morganic said.

Keenas stopped and turned to face Morganic with a murderous scowl. Jorel grabbed his arm and tugged him back. “Stop it, Keenas. He’ll be proven wrong tomorrow. Let the test speak for you.”

Tension and anger coiled through his body as he stared down at Morganic. Rhianna stepped forward as well, although not really sure why. Despite the fact he was standing up for her, there was still so much confusion in her mind where these two were concerned.

“Keenas, please,” she whispered, and gently touched his forearm with her hand.

For a moment, he just stared down at her hand as if shocked she’d actually touched him. His gaze met hers, so full of the same confusion she felt. She couldn’t seem to turn away as he lifted her fingers to his lips, kissing the backs of them. A small tremor ran up her arm, but she didn’t pull away. For some reason she knew it would look bad if she did, so instead, she smiled at him and the answering flame of desire in his gaze sent her heart racing.

60

“I’m really tired. Could you please show me my room?” she asked, not really lying.

She’d hardly slept at all since they’d taken her almost three days ago.

“Of course, sweet,” he answered, and turned to scowl at Morganic. “Keep him entertained, Karn.” After a second’s hesitation, Keenas glanced around. “Where’s your slave?”

Karn swallowed nervously before speaking. “She had an accident, my lord.”

“An accident,” Keenas repeated, as though he didn’t believe him.

“An accident, my ass,” Jorel murmured in her ear.

“Yes, my lord. She fell from a horse.”

Karn kept his gaze on Keenas as though daring him to call him a liar. Eventually, Keenas nodded, but his jaw worked in anger. “You should keep a better eye on her, Karn.

She seems to have an awful lot of…accidents.”

“Yes, my lord, but you know how girls are. They’re incredibly clumsy.”

“Mmmm,” Keenas growled, then turned to usher Rhia up the stairs to the second floor.

“You should do something about him, Keenas. He abuses that girl way too much,” Jorel snarled.

“I agree, but what can I do? She is his slave and as such he has the right to treat her however he wishes.”

“That’s crazy,” Rhianna snapped as she gripped her skirt with her fingers, holding it up so she wouldn’t trip. “You can’t let him keep abusing her. You’re the king. Do something.”

“Rhianna, it’s not that simple, sweet.”

“Put the skirt down just a little, Rhianna,” Jorel whispered in her ear.

She dropped it some, letting the bottom of the hem rest on the top of her shoe. “Like this? And why isn’t it that simple?”

“Perfect,” Jorel said with a grin. “See, you’re learning.”

“You are practically archaic,” she said sharply. “I can’t show my calves? And you? You would allow a family member to abuse a slave?”

Keenas sighed. “Let’s not discuss this now, Rhianna, and of course you may show your calves, but only to us.”

Goose bumps danced along her flesh and she frowned. “You can’t be serious.”

“Of course we’re not,” Jorel said with a chuckle. “Don’t let Keenas rile you. Long dresses are for special occasions, but when in them you must follow certain rules. One is not lifting the skirt high enough to see your calf.”

“So I can wear pants?” she asked in relief as they topped the stairs and turned to the right to head down a long, wide corridor. Colorful rugs covered the cold tile, silencing her footsteps.

61

“Of course you can, sweet.” Keenas frowned, then shook his head. “Just not what you were wearing when we found you.”

“What was wrong with what I was wearing?” she asked indignantly.

“It was entirely too sexy,” Jorel murmured, making Rhia snicker.

“Exactly,” Keenas agreed. “Seeing you in an outfit like that, we’re liable to take you wherever we happen to be at the moment.”

“Oh, please.” Rhia sighed and rolled her eyes. “Don’t you have any more control than that?”

Keenas stopped before a set of white double doors with gold handles. His sultry grin made her heart skip a beat. God, he was so damn sexy. Both of them were and she wanted to scream in frustration the second she felt juices pool between her thighs.

“I think I’ve already proven I have no control at all when it comes to you, Rhianna.” Good point, Rhia thought.