Scorched - Book Four - The Surrender Series (18 page)

Chapter Thirty-Four

“Sir, I think
the king has had a…um…a breakdown.”

Nico sent a withering stare at the servant as he waited for the man to go on. “Do not forget you are speaking about your king,” Nico warned him.

“Well, it’s just that the king is in the throne room…” the man started.

“And?” Nico asked, though he wondered what Adriane might be doing there.

“Um, it’s just that he’s in there pacing and talking to himself. No one but the cleaning staff has been in there in months. No ceremonies, no reason for him to be in there.”

“The king can be in any part of his palace he chooses to be in. I had best not hear of you spreading rumors,” Nico said before dismissing the servant.

Nico walked down the palace hallways to check on his king. What in the world was going on now?

* * * * *

Adriane paced his throne room — alone — by choice.

He’d growled at everyone when he’d been in his offices to get out and then he’d wandered the palace, finding himself in front of the ornate doors leading to the grand throne room. Walking inside, he’d looked at the cold room with its high-backed thrones, gold decorative walls and little else. This was a place for ceremonies, the place his wife would be crowned queen. That thought had stirred his blood.
If
she became queen. He’d remained in the room ever since, for almost two hours, while he came up with the details of how he was going to get Rachel into his bed.

He wasn’t going to beg — he’d done enough of that. He was going to seduce, though so far that had failed as well. Maybe he was going insane; he just didn’t know anymore. Damn. Their time in Florida wasn’t this complicated. It wasn’t complicated at all. He’d asked her to dinner, planned on a night of hot sex, and had gotten a week instead. Now, he was pacing like a madman in a place of formal ceremonies and talking to himself.

Adriane laughed aloud, the sound echoing off the walls.

That’s it. He was losing it — really losing it. It was a good thing his staff couldn’t see him right now.

Why couldn’t his time with Rachel be just as easy as it had been back in Florida?

He didn’t think he was asking for too much.

Finally finished with sulking on his own, he grabbed some of the fresh-cut flowers that were in a vase on a nearby table and made his way from the room.

He knew how to seduce; he just hadn’t been putting in enough effort. A good king knew such things. Seduction was the essence of diplomacy, after all.

As he made his journey to her room, no nerves assailed him, no doubts of his victory this time.

Granted, his desire to have her like him as a person puzzled him. To have her love him, too? He wasn’t going there. He didn’t need her affection; her compliance was enough — well, that and her lying beneath him. He wasn’t going to be married without reaping the benefits of hot sex, and with Rachel, the sex was always hot. He couldn’t remember another lover turning him on anywhere near as much.

Just the thought of her sweet ass cupped in his strong hands while he plunged into her heat had him instantly hard and ready to throw her across the bed.

Tonight was going to be good.

As he reached her door, he raised his hand, knowing she wasn’t going to admit him easily. But part of her appeal was that he enjoyed chasing her so much. He hoped she didn’t lose that appeal once he finally captured her, but he suspected that wouldn’t happen.

Still, he enjoyed her fiery temper and the lashing from her tongue, at least on occasion. It would definitely make for an interesting life.

Once he threw the full arsenal of his charm her way, he’d win her over with no problems. He pasted an arrogant yet seductive smile across his lips when he knocked. After several moments, when there was no answer, he knocked again, his smile faltering just the slightest bit.

He didn’t expect her to be so rude as to ignore him entirely.

“My little wildcat, I’m not leaving until we speak this evening,” he said, his voice low and sexy.

Still no answer.

“I won’t leave, Rachel. I can wait at your door all night long. I can last until morning and then some. You should know that well, since I did a lot more than just stand outside and serenade you during that week in Florida,” he said loudly. “Yes, I made you come over and over and over…” He knew he’d get some sort of reaction. Hell, he
hoped
she came to the door in a stormy, fiery mood.

Dangerous, of course. He’d have a hell of a time restraining himself, and not shocking the servants by simply pushing her against the solid wood of her door and thrusting inside her. Her temper really fueled his lust.

“I plan on proving my abilities later by stripping off your clothes, spreading your thighs and—”

Before he could finish the sentence, the door was thrown open and a furious Rachel stood before him, sporting an appealingly short silk robe, hair that was mussed, and a scowl on her lips.

She must have been in bed, and he’d gladly escort her back to it.

Rachel looked up and down the hallway to see if anyone else was out there.

“What in the hell are you doing, Adriane? I don’t need your staff to hear this sort of talk and think I’m a complete tramp,” she hissed, blocking the entrance into her room.

Adriane had to fight back a giant grin. He’d gotten her to open the door. That was the first part of the battle. Now, he just needed to charm her into letting him through, and they could come together and then sleep until morning. He needed both release and a good night’s rest, and he was sure she wanted and needed the same.

“I needed you to open the door. It seemed my knock wasn’t doing it,” he said easily, leaning against the doorjamb, making her take a step back. She still didn’t let go of the door, however; nor did she invite him inside.

But he wasn’t worried. He had her right where he wanted her.

“Maybe I wasn’t answering because I was in bed and didn’t want to talk to you tonight,” Rachel said tightly. “We can talk tomorrow,
in the morning
.” She tried to push the door closed.

Adriane easily blocked her move.

“I think tonight is better. I’ve missed you, Rachel. Why don’t you invite me inside, so we can talk privately and then…um…rest?” he asked, careful with his choice of words.

“Rest? Really, Adriane? That’s the best you can come up with? I don’t think so. But knowing you, you probably spent hours working up this brilliant attempt at seduction. Am I right?”

“You wound me, Rachel.”

“Don’t tempt me,” she said, deliberately taking his words literally. “We will wait until tomorrow, when you haven’t had so much wine, and
then
we will talk. I could have left your charming little country, but I chose to stay to get to know you. If you are going to give me these cheesy pickup lines and try tempting me with your…charm—” Rachel broke off for a second to chortle at the idea, “—then you will simply annoy me and I’ll hop on the first flight out of Corythia. I’m trying here — for the sake of my children — but don’t push me beyond what I will tolerate.” Rachel spoke with a sweet smile, but also with steel in her voice.

Adriane was taken aback by the fire in his little minx.

Damn, he wanted her even more now.

Still, his plans for seduction were going right down the drain, and that hadn’t entered into his plans as he’d paced for hours. He wouldn’t force her. No, that wasn’t his style. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t willing to do a bit of cajoling.

Looking down, he noticed her bright red toenails, sparkles included. Never before had he been turned on by toenails, but tonight was yet another exception in a long line of them brought on by Rachel Palazzo.

Everything about her, it seemed, got his blood racing and his manhood pulsing.

Yep, permanent damage. He now expected it.

“Why not just invite me in? We’ll have a drink by the fire. I can rub your feet,” he said. He suddenly wanted to do nothing but that. No, that was something else he’d never had a desire to do before. Damn!

Her expression softened as she considered his words. Ha! He’d found a weakness in her armor. Who would have known?

Adriane smiled with renewed confidence as he held up the flowers he’d so thoughtfully picked up for her. Of course she’d let him in, and then he’d get her in bed easily.

His arousal pulsed at the thought.

“I’ll take a rain check on the foot rub,” she said as she pointedly looked at the flowers but said nothing.

But he sensed reluctance in her voice and eyes.

“Come on, Rachel. You were wearing heels all day today. A good foot rub is just what you need,” he said, slinking forward another inch.

He really wanted to get his hands on her delicate feet. He wasn’t sure whether it was more for her or for him. No, that wasn’t true. It was certainly more for him.

“Go away, Adriane, before I change my mind about our talk tomorrow. I need to sleep,” she said, pushing at the door again.

Double damn!

“You are contradicting yourself, Rachel,” he said, some of his charm fading as he stared at her. She confused him and he didn’t know how to deal with it. “I am only trying to know you more, which is what you say that you want, yet you keep pushing me away. What do I need to do to get you to talk with me? I even brought you flowers,” he added as if he wanted a pat on the back.

“Oh, how sweet! You so thoughtfully grabbed some flowers from a vase that your staff picked and brought in,” she said with unmistakable sarcasm.

“I was thinking of you when I grabbed them,” he defended.

“Think bigger,” she said.

“I’m trying here. Do you want a small island, diamonds, gold? What else can I do so we can…talk?”

She hesitated before speaking. “I don’t want material things, Adriane. Don’t be so dense. You only want me lying beneath your body again. At least I know how much you’re willing to sacrifice to get what you want,” she said, her eyes narrowing.

“If you want to be on top, I’m fine with that, too,” he said, thinking it was a good compromise.

And that’s where he lost the battle.

“Move now!”

Adriane took a step back at the fury in her voice.

Then the door slammed in his face, barely missing his nose with the violence of her thrust. She was quite strong in her anger.

Adriane stood there for several moments, trying to decide whether or not to barge through the door and teach her a lesson on how to speak to a king, how to speak to her future husband.

But he was trying to win a war, not every battle. Maybe he had approached this all wrong. As he turned away, he noticed the flowers still clutched in his hands. With a sigh, he laid them in front of her door and turned away.

Tomorrow was a new day. He’d have to come up with a better battle plan if he wanted to take her to his bed. One way or the other, it would happen soon. It was either that, or… There really wasn’t another option. He just had to get her into his bed.

Rachel would learn that he never, ever gave up! Not once in his life had he given up on something he’d decided to go after. If it was something he wanted in the first place, it was worth fighting for.

Still, this was by far the hardest he’d fought for something — or someone, he should say. Never before had he needed to chase a woman. And he didn’t appreciate having to do it now. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He was quite enjoying himself, even if he was also frustrated and dealing with a permanent erection.

Rachel was his. She just needed to realize that.

Tomorrow she would be his — body and soul, in his bed.

Poor fellow. It never crossed his mind that this wasn’t the first time he’d made this vow. When would tomorrow actually come?

Chapter Thirty-Five

Another day, another
squabble. Rachel had a raging headache the next morning, and Adriane was in a less than perfect mood. She’d ended up storming from the room and slamming the door of her suite in his face…again.

When was this going to get easier?

Maybe she should just leave with her parents.

Today was their last day in Corythia and she was almost in tears. Maybe leaving would actually help the situation between her and Adriane. But she didn’t expect him to be thrilled about it, and if she and Adriane entered into a full-scale battle, her protective parents would join in. She definitely didn’t want them to get caught in the cross fire.

Lying down on the couch, she held a cold compress to her forehead and waited for the Tylenol to kick in. Someday soon, this pregnancy had to become more manageable.

A slight smile crossed her lips as she lifted her shirt and rubbed along her belly. The bump was more noticeable now. Not enough that you could see it when she had her clothes on, but when she looked in the mirror and turned to one side, she could see the signs of life growing within her.

All her fears about the pregnancy and impending motherhood had gone away, and now she just felt excitement when she thought of holding her twin babies. OK, OK, that wasn’t entirely true. She did feel
some
fear. How was she going to handle two of them at one time? She’d just have to figure it out after they were born.

Her head was beginning to clear, and she was starting to feel a little more human when a hand landed on her arm, making her sit up too quickly. She felt nausea fly straight to her throat as she let out a squeak of fright.

“It’s all right, darling, it’s just me,” came the sweet voice of her mother.

Her heart pounding, she opened her eyes and turned her head. “You scared me to death, Mom,” she gasped, then laughed when she realized how stupid it was to be afraid. The palace was literally surrounded by guards. The chances of someone getting in there to hurt her were slim to none.

She looked around, found her compress on the floor, picked it up, then lay back down and put it back it on her forehead.

“I’m sorry. Your father and I are leaving soon, and I just wanted to make sure you were OK before we left. But you’re not, darling. You’re obviously not well. You can come with us, you know,” her mom said for the hundredth time.

Rachel understood her mother’s unhappiness at leaving without her daughter. But the king wasn’t likely to do anything rash a second time. Though he still didn’t want his “baby mama” to go, Rachel didn’t see him risking a major diplomatic incident to keep her there, and now, with the cell phone her brother had given her, she had communication beyond the palace walls.

When it came time for her to leave, she would do so, whether he was ready for her departure or not.

“Besides having this killer headache, I’m fine, Mama. I promise,” she added when her mother looked at her skeptically.

“You realize I’ve always been able to tell when you’re fibbing to me, right?”

“Yes, Mom. None of us has ever been able to get anything past you. It’s always been quite inconvenient,” Rachel said with a fond smile.

“A good mother knows her children, knows everything about them, the good and the bad. A great mother loves them regardless. I love you and your sister and brother and would do anything for each of you — including supporting you even when I think you are making a wrong choice. I am not saying that I think you’re making a bad choice right now; I just think you need to take care of yourself, or let your parents take care of you. No matter how old you get, Rachel, you will always be my baby.”

“Oh, Mom, I love you so much.” Rachel sat up and wrapped her slender arms around her mom’s neck, with tears beginning to stream from her eyes. “Dang hormones,” she grumbled.

“I love you too, sweetheart, and I’m so sorry that you’re going through such a terrible amount of pain right now. If I could take it away, I would,” she said, tenderly rubbing the length of Rachel’s back in comfort, the way she’d always done since Rachel could remember.

“I’m just so confused,” she admitted.

“Then tell me about it. Let’s see if we can figure things out together,” Rosabella said.

Rachel hesitated for only a moment longer before sitting back and clutching the blanket beside her to her chest. This was her mom, the woman she’d always told everything to. Of course she was the one who would give her the best advice.

“I know Ari filled you in, but I don’t know exactly what she told you, so I guess I’ll give you my version of the events. You’ve probably been told that I had a weeklong affair with Adriane in Florida,” she began, feeling bad when her mom winced. Though she’d heard it already, no mother liked to be told about her daughter having an illicit affair with a man she didn’t know.

“I’m sorry, darling. I know you’re an adult now, but it’s still something hard for a mother to hear, especially when I’ve heard it twice,” she said with a chuckle.

“Yeah, I know. The thought of my children growing up and behaving the way I did fills my heart with terror,” Rachel admitted.

“You followed your heart and you’ve always been responsible. I’m not faulting you for that. I just wish you’d been more careful this time. Adriane could have turned out to be a serial killer,” Rosabella admonished her.

“Worse! He turned out to be a flipping king!” Rachel countered.

“We will have to disagree on which of the two is worse,” Rosabella said with another laugh.

“Everything was great with Adriane. I only knew him as Ian at the time. We laughed, talked, and, well…had fun. Then, it was just something carefree and exciting. Now, I realize how irresponsible I was,” she said, not quite willing to tell her mom that she’d had the best sex of her life. Not to mention the only sex of her life, but who was counting? Anyway, Rosabella seemed grateful for her discretion.

As Rachel repeated her story, her mother sat there patting her leg, listening without interruption. Though Rachel hadn’t been listening to anyone recently, she was eager to hear her mother’s advice.

“Have you decided if you want to stay with him?” Rosabella asked when her daughter finished her tale. “It is to Adriane’s credit, I hope you know, that he wants to marry you. Many a royal man wouldn’t be so principled.”

“I am honored by his offer, Mom, but no. I’m not going to marry him. I learned from watching you and dad that a marriage can only be about love, and anything less would be settling. I deserve better than that. I do, however, want to know him. I want to be able to tell my children good things about him, and I hope we can be friends for their sake. I think the reason I want to know him so much is because I feel that after we leave, that will be it, that he’ll move on, get married to a proper woman, and the kids will never see him again. At least if I’ve spent time with him, then I will be able to share with them who their father is. When I read them fairy tales, I can tell them that their father is a real live king. I would have been excited to know I was a princess when I was a little girl.”

“I’m so very proud of you, Rachel. The choices you’re making aren’t easy ones, and the way you are already putting your children ahead of anything else shows me that you are more than ready to become a mother. A lot of young women think being a mom is all glory and nothing messy. Many teens think they will have this child who will love them always. The reality is that children are difficult. They are demanding and it’s all about them — always. We make sacrifices as a mother, and those sacrifices are well worth it, because then when our children grow into fine young men and women, we get to sit down with them and share their life. I wouldn’t change a thing about being a mother — well, I might change those sleepless nights.”

“Thanks, Mom. Sometimes it scares me to do this alone,” Rachel admitted.

“You will never be alone; you have your family. Plus, you never know. Maybe Adriane is the one — maybe you will fall hopelessly in love,” she said with a twinkle in her eyes.

“I will never fall in love with that man. He is too pompous and he thinks he’s always right. He would drive me insane!” she cried, narrowing her eyes at just the thought.

Rosabella chortled as she looked at her daughter. “That’s what I said about your father. He stormed into Italy like he owned the country. I wanted nothing to do with him. But look at us now. Married for almost forty years, and I love him now more than ever before.”

“That’s because you and Dad are perfect together,” Rachel said, only hoping she could someday have a marriage even half as beautiful as her parents had.

“We weren’t in the beginning, darling. I kept turning him down flat when he asked me out.
Not interested
, I kept saying. It took some time, but he was so persistent that eventually I agreed to a date, thinking he would grow bored after I spoke in a monotone and refused any of his advances. I was wrong. He stirred my blood that night, just as he does now,” her mom said with a dreamy smile.

“Ugh, mom. I don’t even want to think about dad stirring your blood,” Rachel said with a fake gag, but her cheeks turned pink at the thought.

“I’m not in the grave yet, Rachel. I still have feelings.”

“OK, you can still have feelings. I just can’t hear about them. That’s my
dad
you’re talking about,” she said with a grin.

“I will miss you so much, cara. I want you to come home soon, OK?” Rosabella leaned over and embraced Rachel with the magical comfort of a mother’s love.

“I will miss you too, Mama. I promise I won’t be gone much longer. I can’t give birth to these babies without you by my side.”

“I want you to be strong and stand on your own two feet. I raised you that way, but I do want to be there. Some events are just too important for a mom not to be a part of them with her own baby,” Rosabella said.

“I agree. You raised me well, Mama, but I will always still need you.”

Rosabella held her for several long moments, and then it was time for her daughter to walk her out. Saying goodbye to her mom and dad together was going to be even harder, and Rachel took several long breaths before she met them at the front entrance to the palace.

“You are both welcome here at any time,” Adriane said as he joined them there.

“Thank you, Adriane. We appreciate the invitation,” Martin said as he shook Adriane’s hand.

“It was my pleasure to have you both,” Adriane said as he turned toward Rosabella and lifted her hand, kissing the back of it before smiling. “Your daughter certainly received her beauty from you.”

Oh, the man was smooth.

Rosabella giggled and a slight blush entered her cheeks as she moved in front of Rachel.

“I love you. Call me the minute you need anything. Or just call to tell me about your day. I look forward to your coming back home,” Rosabella said, and Rachel noticed Adriane’s body tense as if afraid she would just run away with them right now.

Tempting.

But no. She was committed.

“I will miss you, baby girl,” Martin said as he pulled Rachel gently into his arms.

“I will miss you, too, Daddy,” she said, leaning into his embrace and allowing a few tears to escape, though she’d promised herself she wouldn’t cry. It wasn’t as if she were losing her parents forever. But they’d just be so far away.

“I will take good care of her and our babies,” Adriane assured them as he walked up and put his arm around Rachel as soon as Martin released her.

Rachel stood there with Adriane and watched the two walk from the palace and get into the awaiting car that would take them to the helipad.

“I won’t make you feel trapped ever again,” Adriane said as he turned her and looked into her eyes.

Rachel wiped her tears away as she looked at him with suspicion. What was he doing now?

“It was wrong of me. I’m truly sorry, cara. You have free rein to speak to all of your family. I can admit when I’ve done wrong,” he said with a rueful grin.

“I may need to record this,” she said, her heart clattering just a bit too much at the gentle way he was speaking to her. She was a bit too vulnerable right now.

“How about joining me for lunch?”

“Yes.”

Rachel didn’t hesitate. The thought of going to her room and being alone at this moment was unbearable. It was time to let down her guard and really try to know this man, try to tear down some of the walls that both of them had in place.

“Thank you,” he said so quietly, she almost missed it.

It seemed he was feeling the same way as she was. When he took her hand into his, she didn’t pull away, just followed him deeper into the palace.