Hadaen [The Marujan Brothers Series] Book One (19 page)

"Go do it now before he leaves. I hear
His Lordship hates these social gatherings."

Halise nodded. "I daresay, it would
have looked extremely bad if he hadn't shown up at all. But my
cousin hates balls. Especially being introduced--"

"If you don't do it, I'll talk how
you've been kissing Noble Marage in the gardens!" she
hissed.

The girl spun around immediately,
almost spilling her wine, and her eyes wide with shock. Blush burnt
a deep crimson over her neck and cheeks.

"You wouldn't. You promised you
wouldn't tell."

Sienna raised a brow at her. "Don't be
so sure. Now go make that damn introduction. There's only so long
that a girl can wait..."

Halise released a gasp and then spun
away, making her way past the many noblemen and women and across
the room towards her cousin.

She saw Halise whispering something in
her cousin's ear and he started to frown, shaking his head slowly.
Then the girl rest a hand on his shoulder, her expression truly
forlorn and his gaze shot up immediately to clash with
Sienna's.

Turning around immediately, she
grasped a glass of wine from a serving tray, her heart hammering in
her chest. The silly girl had actually done it. Ha! The power she
had over so many but one too less.

"Pleasure to meet your
acquaintance."

The deep silky voice came rushing over
her, Sienna had almost melted at his feet. She turned around ever
so slowly, her brows raised as if she was surprised.

"My lord. What a
surprise--"

"Don't play innocent with me." He
fully faced her, blocking the view of anyone who might be able to
read his lips. "I know who you are. Noble Rally's eldest
daughter."

Her lips curved into a sly smile. "I
see you've done your research, my lord." She was flirting with him
and she loved it.

He looked down at her,
eyeing her with an intense stare. "Hardly," he replied dryly.
"Gossip has its way of reaching even the most
uninterested
of ears."

She paled immediately, her pupils
shaking. "Surely, my lord, you cannot mean to im-imply that I'm
some common strumpet."

He shrugged. "Of course not.
Implications are quite unnecessary when you know the truth." He
stepped nearer and she cowered. "But since you've given me reason
to believe it all just now with that act you've pulled with my
cousin, I suggest you don't tarry with lifting those lovely skirts
of yours."

Sienna gasped—she didn't know why.
Perhaps she should have been ecstatic that she was getting what she
wanted but she'd had no idea His Lordship was so
very...forward.

"My-my lord," she sputtered, eyeing
around them to see if anyone was listening in on their
conversation. "You must not--"

"Meet me by the gardens at
midnight--"

"
Midnight
?" Such a time was sure to
scandalize her family’s good name.

"--and do not keep me waiting." He
then flashed her a devilish grin. "I shall give you whatever it is
you are...craving for."

And he walked away, leaving her
sweating like a hog beneath her dress and gripping her glass as if
her life was depending on it.

Sienna moved through the bushes,
frowning when she didn't see any sign of Hadaen. She was sure she
had just seen him go that way--

"Following me again, are
you?"

She pivoted so quickly she almost
tripped over her own feet. "My-my lord..."

Hadaen stared down at her. "What do
you want this time?"

You. Pounding deep inside
me like a sex-craved lunatic!
Sienna
gulped. "Just enjoying the night."

Hadaen didn't so much as blink. "You
were always a terrible liar."

Sienna returned his gaze and shrugged.
"You're right. I followed you here. Only because I was concerned.
You looked very upset."

"Save your concern for someone else,"
he said in a pained groan and moved around her, leaning against a
tree.

"It's her, isn't it?"

She noticed how he
stiffened at her words, turning to face her with dread in his eyes.
"Do not speak of Amelia
.
Ever
."

"That's kind of hard to do if she's
my...student."

"Not anymore." And he closed the
distance between them. "Her training lessons with you are
officially done."

Sienna smiled before she even thought
of doing so. "My lord, you insult me."

"I don't trust you around her. Not
now. Not ever."

She looked up at him and drank down
the rest of her beverage, wiping her mouth with the back of her
hand.

"Do you trust me around you
then?"

Hadaen's teeth clenched hard. "I can
read your thoughts as if they were written on your forehead,
Sienna. Do not try me."

"Well, then. I suppose I know
rejection when I feel it." She then reached a hand to his shoulder,
feeling every muscle in his body going suddenly rigid. "But the
things we could...do together. To each other."

"
Remove your hand
. I don't hit women.
Do not make a liar out of me."

The woman shrunk back immediately.
"Surely you do not expect me to just forget what had happened
between us!"

"Yes. And do it now. Before I do it
for you."

"B-but, my lord. I gave you my all and
now you treat me as I don't mean a thing to you? What kind
of--"

"Stay away from me, Sienna." He gave
her a dark glare that made her want to run screaming for help.
"That's your final warning."

And he walked away.

Sienna flung the mug down and stomped
her foot hard into the thick mud.

"Damn you!" she shrieked and wiped
away a tear quickly. She stood there for a good two minutes,
seething.

Tsk tsk
tsk
. The mocking sound came from behind
her. Sienna faced her recent stalker and scowled.

"I knew something was up with you,"
Esyth murmured, arms crossed. "I just couldn't figure it
out."

"Mind your own fucking
business."

Esyth stepped closer to
her, her eyes glowing deep green. "In case you haven't noticed, I
am Amelia's Protector. She is my responsibility and therefore
anything that pertains to her
is
my fucking business."

"
Right
. What Hadaen and I
have--"

"
Had
."

"--is too valuable to give up. And I
won't."

"Listen to me." Esyth stepped up to
the woman, her lips curled into a sneer. "I don't like you. Lord
Hadaen clearly doesn't like you either. Are you that shallow you
didn't notice? Pushing yourself on him--which I'm very sure he will
always resist--is toying with Amelia's intended. And I won't allow
it."

Sienna moved closer. "What are you
going to do about it?"

"Anything I might have to."

Esyth eyed her one more time and then
headed back in the direction of the tents.

If Sienna thought she was going to
mess with fate...

then she had another thing
coming.

Chapter
Fourteen

T
he following morning, before most of the villagers were up or
anyone else was out to cause him any delay, Gideon headed into
Esyth's tent without even announcing his arrival. He immediately
caught the fresh scent of soap and the loveliest naked back he had
ever seen. Something snapped within him and his cock squirmed in
his pants.

"You're up awfully early," he said
after shaking clear the cobwebs in his head.

Her harsh gasp split the air as Esyth
reached for a robe and yanked it on.

"G-Gideon... What are you doing
here?"

His gaze travelled lazily over, her
long golden hair damp, those sharp emerald eyes seductively
captivating.

"You've been scurrying around this
damn village like a madwoman lately and I thought it was my duty to
come and inform you that I won't allow you putting off these
feelings any longer."

Esyth flinched and almost stumbled
across the floor. She cleared her throat. "I-I don't know what
you're talking about."

"The hell you don't!" Gideon marched
over to her and grabbed her by the arm. "My patience has been worn
thin, Esyth."

She literally shook in his hands, her
mouth moving but no words coming out. Gideon chuckled inwardly,
thoroughly enjoying how much she squirmed.

"We cannot be..." She shook her
head.

"And what brought you to that stupid
conclusion?" he laughed. "Surely you don't think I'm here out of
mild curiosity. I'm a grown man, woman. I know when I see something
that I seriously want." He looked her over again and inhaled
deeply.

"You must truly be a fool then!" she
almost shrieked, her eyes wide. "You can't possibly be thinking
clearly."

Gideon gave her a bored look and
sighed dreadfully. "Come here, Esyth." He ushered her to a table
and pulled out a chair for her. "Sit down and allow me to explain
things to you 'cause I think you're the one who hasn't been getting
things clearly." Gideon eyed her as if she was some dimwitted
child. "Now...listen to me carefully. I...want you. It's as simple
as that. And after we finish this business with Deorci, I plan to
take you--yes, you--back to my palace and ravish you
endlessly."

Esyth turned her face away. "You don't
mean that. And you shouldn't. You're a third of the Marujan
dynasty. I'm just a-a...Protector."

"The Protector to my eldest brother's
intended; the true wife of the Marujan ruler!" Gideon almost shook
the life out of her. "If that isn't one of the greatest jobs right
now to have, then I don't know what is."

Esyth stood and walked to the far
corner of the tent, further away from him. She knew the attraction
that sparked between them but she also knew the danger of it.
Gideon Maruj was no doubt a gorgeous man, she'd noticed that much
since the very first night he and His Lordship had come bustling
into her apartment. His warm gray eyes and easy-going smile were
the first of his attributes she had noticed about him.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she could
feel the warmth of her energy flowing through her veins. She
refused to open her eyes for she knew only too well that her hair
was currently glowing bright green. It always did whenever Gideon
was near her and she still was trying to figure out why. She could
not indulge in this man's advances. Especially now when they were
but time away from having to face Deorci. She didn't know what the
future held but she knew that the intense longing she felt for him
was no short of driving her crazy. Of course, she wanted
him.

Would it hurt to indulge this once and
never again?

Esyth opened her eyes and looked at
him, the desire whirling in his own, crackling like lightning
around him.

"I do want you," she whispered. "Damn!
Isn't it obvious?" Esyth pointed to her glowing hair.
"But—"

"There are no buts in desire, Esyth.
It's either you want me or you don't."

"I do. It's just that--" Gideon sighed
and had such an odd look on his face, she had to stop talking and
just stare at him. His expression was truly one to make one stop
whatever they were doing and feel like an idiot. Heck, she almost
believed that she was an idiot. "What?"

"I don't know, Esyth. I just don't
think that you understand the level of the condition I am going
through right now." He sighed again and shook his head. "I might
fucking die by the end of the day if you don't stop talking and
kiss me right now."

"What...you...I don't..." Everything
she could think of saying came stuttering out in phrases. This man
surely had an effect on her.

"Okay. I might have to take things in
my own hands." Gideon widened his legs, the bulge of his erection
evident. He then pulled her into his lap and turned her to face
him. "Kiss me."

"I don't think we should do
this."

"Fine." And he slanted his mouth over
hers, kissing her gently and teasing her to submit to him. Her
fingers tensed on his shoulders for a while before she melted like
butter in his arms. Gideon chuckled against her mouth and slid the
tip of his tongue inside her mouth, licking the insides of her
lips. Esyth moaned, holding on tighter and kissed him back, sucking
hard on his firm seductive lips.

God, he tasted
good!

"Wait, wait wait.." she pulled away
and sucked in a breath as if she had just emerged from
underwater.

Gideon leaned in and kissed her again.
"I just need one more--"

"I have a q-question." Esyth yanked
her mouth from beneath his once more.

"God, woman!" he groaned as if he was
in physical pain. Or perhaps he was. Gideon glanced at his
erection. "You can't give a man a taste then expect
to--"