Kane, Samantha - Brothers In Arms 06 (18 page)

She bit her lip, not sure what to say but terribly pleased at the compliment. Palu touched her lip and she immediately let it go.

92

Love in Exile

“Many Polynesian women have
tatau
around their mouth,” Palu told her.

“Oh yes, I read about that.” Alecia made a face. “I do not think I would like that.”

Palu laughed. “Their lips are inked black, and surrounded by designs.” He tapped the middle of her chin. “And they often have a design here, which looks like an exotic beard of some sort.”

Alecia laughed. “How odd! And the men find this attractive?”

Palu nodded. “Very. Only the wealthiest women from the best families have the
tatau
.”

Nat was shaking his head. “Do not even think of coloring those beautiful red lips with black,” he warned teasingly. “I shall have to restrain you until the urge passes.”

Palu didn’t laugh. Very seriously he said, “I would not like to see even one inch of your glorious skin with
tatau
, Lee.” He ran the back of his fingers down the front of her neck and along her collarbone. She shivered at the soft touch. “You are beautiful,” Palu said reverently. “Pale, porcelain, this skin is magnificent.” He ran his knuckle over her nipple and it peaked, turning bright pink. “I love the rosy flush that rises under it when you are excited.” He looked up at her with dark, fathomless eyes. “I love your skin. I want to cover it with mine, kiss it, worship it.” He pulled her down to him with a hand on her shoulder and he kissed the white curve of her breast. “No, do not mar it, Lee.

Not ever.”

She ran her hand through his rough curls. “I won’t, Palu,” she promised quietly. It was an easy promise to make. Where on earth would she get a
tatau
in England? Feeling mischievous she added, “Not where you can see it, anyway.”

Palu pulled back and she sat up again. He seemed to have lost his teasing mood, and she was sorry to see it go. She looked at Nat and his face told her he’d noticed it, too. He bent his arm and flexed his muscle. “What about me?” he joked. “Shall I get one just like yours, Palu?”

Alecia’s breath caught at the image, and she answered before Palu could. “Yes,” she said breathlessly. “Oh, yes, Natty, just like Palu’s. Both of you with marvelous
tatau
on your beautiful, broad shoulders.” She shivered. “How utterly delicious that would be.”

Palu wore a knowing smirk. “I do believe she likes the idea, Nat,” he said with amusement. Then he looked at Nat and traced a finger over Nat’s shoulder and down his arm. Nat shivered and Alecia saw the hair on his arm rise. “I think I would like it as well,” Palu said roughly. “I want to trace them with my tongue, as you do.”

Nat looked at him in alarm. “I’m not getting
tatau
on my cock no matter what the two of you desire.”

Palu laughed loudly and Alecia grinned. Whatever had momentarily bothered him was forgotten. “No, I do not want anyone else handling that. Only Alecia and myself.”

He mock glared at Nat. “That goes for your tight little white arse, too.”

Alecia’s heart was racing. What did he mean? Was he staying? Did he want a long-term affair?

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Samantha Kane

It was Nat’s turn to become serious. “Never again, Palu. No one else ever again.”

When he leaned down to kiss Palu, Palu pulled Alecia down as well, and the three sealed Nat’s promise with a hungry kiss.

When the knock came at the door Alecia pulled away with a gasp, but Nat was slower to break Palu’s hold on him. He didn’t comprehend that it was actually someone at the door and not the pounding of his heart at the promises they seemed to be making.

“Nat,” Palu whispered, nibbling on his ear. “There is someone at the door.”

“What is it?” Nat finally called out in a jagged voice.

“Mr. Colby is here to see you, sir,” Soames said through the door.

What? Nat sat up and shook the fog of desire from his head. “Mr. Colby? What does he want?”

“He didn’t say, sir. Just that it was urgent and he appears quite agitated.”

“Mother,” Alecia gasped, scrambling from the bed. She spun in a circle, clearly searching for clothes, unable to focus in her worry. Nat quickly climbed after her and Palu followed.

“Alecia,” Palu said, stopping her with a hand on her arm. She fell into his embrace and he held her tight while Nat grabbed his pants and shoved his feet into them.

“Tell him we’ll be right there,” Nat called through the door. Soames answered in the affirmative. Once Nat had his pants on he grabbed Alecia’s undergarments from the chair where she had discarded them and thrust them at Palu. “Help me.”

Between the two of them they got her into her dress. She rushed over to her dressing table and grabbed a brush while Nat pulled on a shirt. He stopped when he saw Palu just standing there. “Why aren’t you dressing?” he snapped. “We’ve got to hurry.”

Palu looked shocked. “Nat, I cannot come downstairs with you. What will he think?”

“Oh!” Alecia cried out. She spun around, her brush clutched to her chest. Tears traced down her cheeks. “Oh, Palu, please!” She bit her lip and breathed deeply through her nose, and seemed to settle down a bit. “I understand if you do not wish him to know you are here,” she continued in a small voice. “But please don’t leave. I need you.”

Nat’s heart felt as if it were in a vise. This is what he’d dreaded, these choices. Palu couldn’t be there for Alecia, and Alecia couldn’t have him when she needed him by her side. Was this love? Was this what they wanted?

“He’s coming,” Nat said grimly. He grabbed Palu’s pants from the floor and threw them at him. Palu caught them to his chest with a heated look. “Get dressed and meet us downstairs.” When Palu hesitated, Nat added, “The journey begins here.” Would Palu remember those words he’d told them just a week ago?

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Love in Exile

Alecia collapsed on the small bench before her table with a sob. Palu’s lips thinned, but he never broke his eye contact with Nat. Finally he nodded. Nat nodded back, a silent agreement made, and went to Alecia.

“Father!” Alecia cried as she rushed into the room. She hadn’t been able to wait for Palu to dress. He’d promised to come, and she had to believe him. Nat was right behind her.

Her father came up out of his seat. He held the chair arms tightly, and his face was flushed an angry red.

“Is it Mother?” Alecia asked, desperate for news. “What has happened?”

“You will never be allowed to see your mother again,” he told her sharply.

Alecia stopped so suddenly she nearly fell over. “What?” she whispered.

“What are you talking about?” Nat demanded angrily. “What have you done?”

“What have I done?” her father rasped. “More to the point is what you have done.”

He took a step toward her and she could see he was literally shaking with rage. “Lord Hardington came to see me today to warn me that news of your affair with that savage Anderson is spreading throughout the city.”

“What?” Alecia whispered. So soon? Hardington must have seen them in the park today. He must have followed them. What were they going to do?

“No one can prove a bloody thing,” Nat growled. “And even if they could it makes no difference. Alecia and I are married. What we do in the privacy of our bedroom is no one’s business but our own.”

Her father hadn’t stopped glaring at her and didn’t even spare a glance at Nat.

“You have ruined me,” he yelled at her. “I gave you everything you ever desired, I bought a damned nobleman’s son for you, and this is how you repay me?” He advanced and Alecia retreated until her back was to the wall. “You have embarrassed your mother and me for the last time. You will not be welcome in our home. We will cut you on the street. We will treat you like the whore you are. Do you understand?”

Alecia was trembling, she couldn’t help it. She’d never seen her father so angry. He meant it. He meant every word.

“You bloody bastard,” Nat shouted, yanking her father away from her. “You come charging in here at this time of night, scaring Alecia out of her wits, to threaten her?

Over something that is none of your affair?”

Her father turned on Nat with a snarl. “And you, a Gentleman of the Back Door you are,” he accused harshly. “I married her to a sodomite and this is my reward. You dragged her to hell right by your side, and her mother and me right with you.”

Alecia gasped and her mouth dropped open at her father’s ugly words. She saw him draw back his fist and she hollered out a warning, “Nat!”

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Samantha Kane

Suddenly Palu rushed into the room and he threw out a hand, catching her father’s fist in his palm. “Restrain yourself, Mr. Colby,” he bit out. He turned to her. “Alecia, close the door.”

“Let go of me, you bastard,” her father yelled as Alecia slammed the drawing room door closed on the stunned faces of Soames and the footman. She supposed she’d have to get new help tomorrow after this.

Alecia leaned against the door as Palu shoved Mr. Colby away. “Unless you want me to bodily remove you from this house and throw you into the street,” Palu said calmly, “you will lower your voice and your fists. Do you understand?”

“Do it,” Nat snarled. “He deserves the gutter.”

Mr. Colby marched several steps away from Nat then turned and pointed a shaking finger at him. “You will never see another penny, do you hear me? Not even pence from me.”

Nat took a threatening step forward. “That is Alecia’s money. It was her mother’s, and now it’s hers. If she’d let me I’d have you in court over it.”

“Ha!” Mr. Colby laughed viciously. “At least she’s not as stupid as you obviously are,” he sneered. “She knows that to do that would mean exposing your tawdry offences, and place your life in jeopardy.”

Palu’s heart stopped and he couldn’t catch his breath. Colby wouldn’t expose Nat to prosecution as a sodomite, would he?

“You wouldn’t,” Alecia cried out. “Father, please!”

“You don’t need the money now,” he told her. He pointed at Palu. “Not now that you have him.”

“What are you talking about?” Nat asked him sharply. “The money is ours.”

“It is not yours,” Mr. Colby bit out. “And I shall see you never get it. Your bloody savage can take care of you now.”

Palu saw the incomprehension on their faces. Not many knew. How had Colby found out?

“Good God,” Mr. Colby said in disbelief. “Are you both that ignorant? And here I thought it was for the money. But it’s not, is it? It’s just some new perversion you’ve dreamed up between you.”

“Palu is not a perversion,” Alecia said heatedly. “He is a man. And we love him.”

Palu’s heart lurched at her declaration. In the midst of all this she still claimed him. She had no idea of where it might lead, but she did it anyway.

Mr. Colby put his hands over his ears and gave a cry of despair. “Don’t say such wicked things to me! ‘We love him’, as if it wasn’t unnatural and disgusting.”

“Palu,” Nat said slowly but distinctly, “what is he talking about?”

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Love in Exile

“I believe he is referring to the three of us together,” Palu replied, evading Nat’s real question.

“That is my daughter you are talking about,” Colby ground out. “
My daughter
.”

“Something you only seem to remember when it suits you,” Palu answered

bitingly.

“It is not unnatural—” Alecia began but Nat cut her off.

“Stop,” he commanded. He had his hands up, and both Alecia and her father stopped talking. Alecia bit her lip hard, and Palu wanted to tell her not to hurt herself.

Nat turned to him. “Exactly how is our ‘bloody savage’ going to take care of us?”

Palu sighed and walked over and took a seat on the sofa. “Your ‘bloody savage’ has an income of nearly fifteen thousand pounds a year,” he told Nat.

Alecia gaped at him and then stumbled over and fell into the high backed chair near the window. “Fifteen thousand?” she whispered in disbelief.

Nat heaved an angry sigh and ran his hands through his hair roughly, leaving it standing on end. “And when were you going to tell us this?” he demanded.

“Why? Does it matter?” Palu had been afraid of this. He deliberately lived beneath his means and hid his wealth. He hated the way people changed toward him when they found out about it.

“Where does it come from?” Alecia asked in consternation. She was frowning again. “Where on earth did you get that sort of sum?”

“My father brought back a literal treasure trove of one-of-a-kind curiosities from his expeditions forty years ago. He sold them for a fortune. He bought property and invested it. He also wrote several books, all of which are still sought today.”

At his explanation Alecia looked dumbfounded and Nat angry and despondent.

Mr. Colby laughed nastily. “Did you hope to buy them? Well, I’ve made it easier for you, Anderson. They have nothing now, thanks to you. I’m sure they’ll be open to an offer.”

Yes, that was what he’d been afraid of. One of the many things. But he realized he wasn’t worried about that anymore. He knew them better now. He knew they weren’t like that.

“Get out,” Nat said, his voice low and angry. He walked over and pulled the door open with restrained violence. “Get out, Colby, and don’t come back. We don’t need your money.”

Colby laughed harder. “No, you don’t, do you? You have his now.” He pointed at Palu. “Perhaps you’re not as big a fool as I took you for, Digby. You sought out richer territory, didn’t you?”

“I cannot believe you are my father,” Alecia said slowly. She stood and shook out her skirts, staring at him with calm dignity. “All my life you have bullied those around you, including me. I am through with it and with you. I do not need you or your money. My husband has asked you to leave. I ask that you not come back. Ever.”

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Samantha Kane

Colby snorted and waved a hand dismissively at her. “Do not worry. I will never be seen here again. I have worked too hard to get where I am to let your promiscuity and perversion ruin all that I have achieved.” He walked over to the door, glaring at Nat who still stood holding the door open. “You both have been an embarrassment to me for years. My efforts to curtail your lewd and outrageous behavior have failed. Do not apply to me when you reap your just rewards.” He went through the door and turned to say something else, but with a look of supreme satisfaction Nat slammed the door in his face. Colby bellowed for his hat and gloves and a minute later they heard the front door slam.