Scorched - Book Four - The Surrender Series (12 page)

Chapter Twenty-Two

“If sex could
be bottled, labeled and sold, Shane’s picture would be the image on the glass.” Lia was watching him emerge from the ocean and fling back his head, his dark strands gleaming as the droplets of cool ocean water soared toward the sky.

That was just the beginning. With his shorts hanging low on his hips, showing that appealing line of hair disappearing beneath the dark blue fabric, and water trickling to areas her fingers had stroked before — hell, more than her fingers — she was quickly becoming a puddle of lust.

He had to be doing it on purpose.

Damn the man.

“You just took the words from my mouth,” Ari said as she fanned her face, though when Lia looked over at her in surprise, she had to smile because Ari’s eyes were nowhere near Shane. They were glued to Rafe, who was currently riding a wave on a surfboard.

“Yuck. Quit drooling over my brother,” Lia teased.

“Not gonna happen,” Ari said with a grin as she managed to tug her gaze back to her friend. “This place is pure heaven. No wonder you’re in no hurry to leave, Rachel.”

“I didn’t say that,” Rachel replied. “I just said that I’m going to get to know Adriane. It’s the responsible thing to do.” Her gaze took in the king of Corythia as he ran down the beach and dived smoothly into the water, his back muscles flexing. “But the view isn’t half bad,” she admitted with a frustrated sigh.

“Why don’t you just get it over with and screw his brains out?” Lia asked with a giggle before she picked up her coconut cocktail and leaned back, taking a long sip.

“Because that’s not what this is about,” Rachel said, though she didn’t even sound convincing to herself.

The last few days, Adriane had upped the ante, so to speak. He’d been charming, and sweet, and his mother was amazing. Rachel was very grateful her family had arrived. Her resolve was wavering, and nothing good could come from her joining Adriane in his giant bed. A lot of pleasure — but nothing good.

That didn’t even make sense to her, so she decided not to analyze it.

The women were all silent as their eyes once again strayed to their men, whether they claimed them or not.

Lia hadn’t said a word to Shane since he’d arrived a few hours before. She could see the stress behind his eyes, but before she’d worked up the courage to ask him about it, he’d given her a cocky smile, leaned down and kissed her hard, then run off.

Now, he was prancing in front of her on the beach, half naked, and he didn’t seem to have a care in the world. She must have imagined the haunted look. The man obviously didn’t have a soul, so what could possibly be haunting him, anyway?

The guards, ever present wherever King Adriane might be, were a bit of a distraction, and they had to be overheated in their full gear, but Lia brushed it off. She was sitting at the beach on a wonderful day and she wasn’t going to let anything ruin this.

Lia didn’t know how long the silence among the three females stretched on, but she was rudely interrupted by a soft towel smacking her in the face.

“What the hell?” she muttered as she grabbed the white towel and turned to see who’d been so rude.

“I just thought you’d want to wipe the drool from your face. You’re overheating like a dog in some serious need of water. Do you want us to carry you out to the water to cool you down?” Rachel asked with a laugh.

“I was
not
drooling!” Lia said, but she couldn’t help but join in the laughter. Maybe she had been salivating just a little. Once you’d slept with a man as appealing as Shane, it was impossible not to picture lying beneath him when he was bouncing around in front of her with nothing on but a pair of low-riding shorts.

Was it terrible of her to wish for a sneaker wave to pull those shorts right off him?

Maybe. But she didn’t even care. His ass was solid and fine, and she wouldn’t mind another glimpse. Maybe she should just give in to what her body wanted and have one more hot night with him.

No!

If she didn’t have feelings for the man, then that might have been possible, but as it was, she felt far too much for her sexy ex and she still hadn’t come up with any answers. Sleeping with him before she did would just break her heart all the more when he ended up leaving her again. If she decided she could handle that kind of fallout, then they’d stay in bed for a week together.

Maybe she should come to the decision that she could handle it.

“It’s just very humid here,” Lia finally said, knowing the two girls weren’t going to believe her for a minute.

“That’s OK, Lia. Your brother gets me all hot and bothered to the point that I can’t even breathe when he looks like he does now. I can’t believe we’re going to be married in just a few more days,” she said, her eyes following Rafe as he fell from the board, splashing into the water.

“Seriously, I know you’re in love and all, but it’s a bit disturbing to hear my brother talked about that way,” Rachel said, grimacing. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mind him being looked at like a sex object. I mean, how many guys do the same with our gender? It’s just being forced to picture
my own brother
as a sex object that I object to. I don’t want to hear about him and sex in the same sentence. I’ve avoided all magazine articles about him for that very reason.”

“Mmm, your king is a close second,” Ari said as she looked over to where Rafe and Adriane were paddling out side by side.

They weren’t smiling.

Both men were still at odds, but it had to get better eventually. Neither of them would cry uncle, so it was a macho-man contest now to see who could ride the biggest wave for the longest amount of time.

“I hope they both face-plant,” Rachel muttered as the men lifted up on their boards and began riding the wave toward the beach.

“Me too,” Lia said just for the heck of it.

“You two are terrible,” Ari said, but her eyes never strayed from Rafe.

“You’re just sickeningly in love,” Rachel grumbled.

“You could be too, Rachel. That man’s eyes stray to you about every five seconds, which is why he just belly-flopped. It’s kind of amusing, actually. Look at the guards. They don’t like this one bit. They keep edging closer and closer to the water,” Ari said with a giggle.

Just then a wave came up and soaked one of the guard’s pristine black shoes and the bottom of his trousers, making the man jump back. Ari was impressed that his face never showed his discomfort. As he stood there, he had to be miserable with the heat and now soaked oxfords. He should have just taken them off, but she knew he wouldn’t.

“So you’re not even considering going for it with the king?” Ari asked. “Come on. You were practically panting like a dog in heat when you talked about your weeklong affair. The man wants to marry you. Why not just give it a chance?”

“No. It would never work out. We’re too different. Besides, if I married him, I’d be queen. It’s not something I’ve really processed, but I do know that I don’t even have my own life figured out, let alone know how to rule a country.”

“It’s probably not that bad. Don’t you just wave a lot for the cameras? How hard could it be?” Ari asked.

“From what I’ve learned, there’s a lot more than smiling and cutting ribbons,” Rachel replied. “You’re on charity boards, and you help organize fundraisers. People come to you and expect answers. I wouldn’t know what to say or what to do. What if I did something that ended up leaving the people of Corythia scandalized forever? What if I embarrassed my children as they got older?” When Ari and Lia laughed, Rachel said, “OK, I’ll most likely do that anyway, but I hope not on camera in front of the entire world. Anyway, no. I can’t marry him. Besides, I won’t marry for anything less than love. I’ve always felt that way.”

“Isn’t it possible that you will fall in love?” Lia asked, her eyes drooping a little as she spoke the words.

“Yes. I could fall in love, could give my heart to this man. That’s the biggest problem of all. He has told me he won’t fall in love. It’s about duty and honor and the heir to the throne. None of it’s about me,” Rachel replied. Her voice was thick with melancholy.

“Aww, Rachel. He’d be a fool not to fall in love with you,” Ari said, and she wrapped her arm around her friend’s shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

“Well, you are agreeing to stay here and get to know him. That says something,” Lia reminded her.

“Yes, that says that I want to know the father of my children. I don’t want to tell them that I had a seven-day affair and then never saw him again. We have great parents, Lia. I think Adriane and I can be great parents, too. We just have to get past the bickering. He’s agreed to quit talking about marriage, at least for now, but he seems to slip a little too often.”

“I can’t imagine that he’s a man who’s easily swayed. Maybe he’s just trying to appease you for now. We could always sneak you out of here at a moment’s notice. All you have to do is ask,” said Lia.

“I know. You have no idea how much I appreciate that,” Rachel replied. “I love you both so much.”

“Well, Mom will be here in a couple of days and I dare the king to tell
her
no. If you want to leave, nothing in this universe will stop her from bringing you home,” Lia said.

“True. I may just have to keep her here until I’m ready to go. She’s quite protective,” Rachel said. She felt better just sitting there with her sister and friend and knowing her mom would be there soon. There was so much she needed to talk to all of them about.

“Yes, but be prepared for the lecture of a lifetime for not telling her about the pregnancy sooner. She was devastated to find out secondhand that you were carrying her first grandchild,” Lia warned.

“I feel so bad about that — like a terrible daughter. I should have trusted Mom.”

“She is pretty excited about it, even if she had hoped you’d be married to a wonderful man and settled down first. When she finds out you’re having twins, she’s going to be over the moon. I want to be there when you tell her. It’s taken every ounce of control I have not to spill the beans over the phone,” Lia said.

“Thanks for waiting, sis. I want to see her reaction. I do have to admit that I was grateful to miss the initial reaction, though. She must have turned white as a ghost.”

“That about describes it,” Ari said.

“I am really sorry about the wedding, Ari.”

“You have apologized ten thousand times now for something that was beyond your control. Please stop, because you’re making me feel bad about it. Everything worked out perfectly anyway. Now, I get to marry in a royal cathedral, just like a princess,” Ari said.

“Everything happens for a reason. This will be the best wedding day ever,” Rachel promised.

“I have no doubt about it.”

Just then, all three men stepped from the water, walking up the beach together.

All conversation stopped as the girls watched the show almost in slow motion: water dripping down toned stomachs, hair practically sparkling in the hot sun, and strides, long and muscled, as the men made their way on the sand.

It was a calendar photo shoot come to life, and it was one hell of a picture. The three girls stared, their breathing becoming a bit more shallow as the oxygen seemed to be sucked from the air.

“Do you ladies mind sharing?” Rafe asked as they reached them.

Ari forgot to speak as she looked at Rafe, relaxed, tanned and sexy as hell.
Oh, this man is about to declare to the world and God that he’s mine forever
, she thought, dancing with glee inside.

“Of course not,” she replied, wanting nothing more than for him to join her on her chaise longue. She could forget there was anyone else on the beach as long as she was looking into the rich purple-blue eyes of her lover.

“You look good enough to eat,” Rafe said as he sat down at her feet, lifting her legs up and placing them in his lap.

“I was thinking the same thing about you,” she said, leaning forward for a kiss. She just couldn’t resist tasting his mouth.

“Why don’t I take you back to the palace so we can get cleaned up?” he asked, and her stomach clenched.

“Yes, I really should get out of this sun,” she agreed, leaping from the chair and bounding forward with Rafe right on her heels.

“Go for a walk with me, Lia,” Shane suggested while he grabbed a crystal glass full of ice-cold water from a table and guzzled it before sitting down on her chair.

“I’m fine right here,” she told him, knowing that if she went anywhere with him, talking would be the last thing on her mind.

“Yes, you are,” he replied with a deep rumble in his voice as he scanned her from head to toe, making her feel as if she’d just been thoroughly loved without the happy ending.

“Shane…” she began, still not knowing what she was going to say.

“These two need to be alone,” Adriane said as he held out a hand to Rachel.

Lia was horrified when her sister took his offered fingers and then walked away without another word to Lia.

Then it was just the two of them — she and Shane, all alone — because the guards followed Adriane, and this was his private beach.

“Alone at last and we didn’t even have to go anywhere,” Shane said as he leaned forward.

“I don’t want to do this, Shane,” Lia said, holding out her hand.

“Oh, yes, you do, baby. Just as much as I do,” he countered.

Closing the small distance between them, he kissed her the way she’d been imagining him doing all day.

Her will went from strong to gone in a heartbeat as his tongue slipped across her closed mouth.

What was one more mistake?
she thought as she caved in to her body’s demands.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“I have never
wanted so badly to pound someone into a bloody pulp!”

Ari walked beside Rafe as they strolled down the beach, watching as the sun slowly lowered, and its beautiful rays cast colors on the calm ocean water. She smiled as he ranted about Adriane and what a terrible man he was.

“He just thinks he can do whatever he wants — take her away and not suffer any consequences from it!”

Now it was time for her to speak. She’d been waiting. “And you have never done anything like that?” Her voice was quiet as she waited for her words to sink in.

“I wouldn’t…” he began to say as he stopped and turned toward her. She simply raised an eyebrow in response.

“Why are you with me?” he asked as he saw his past actions in a new and thoroughly unpleasant light which left him amazed to see her still standing before him.

“Is that an honest question? Do you want the real answer?”

He looked at her, his mind spinning while the muscles in his jaw tensed in apprehension of what she might say.

“Yes,” he finally said, taking her hand and leading her to a small hill looking over the picturesque beach.

“I’m with you because you saw the errors of your ways. I’m with you because before you, I was merely going through the motions of life, doing what I was supposed to be doing, being the perfect daughter, the honor student, the person I thought everyone wanted me to be. And then I met you.” She stopped for a minute. “You certainly weren’t part of what I was supposed to be doing. You terrified me, Rafe. You were a monster in my eyes.”

Rafe winced as she spoke, until she lifted her hand and caressed his cheek.

“I was afraid of you, but not for long. Then, something changed. I was angry that you were forcing me into the situation you did, but the bottom line is that I wouldn’t have stayed had I not also felt some excitement about it. Yes, I was mad, and, yes, there were times I wanted to throttle you, but you also made me feel things I never imagined feeling. You may have been a barbarian in your methods, but — I am almost ashamed to admit this — you stirred excitement in me that I had never felt before.”

“The entire time?” he asked, as if completely awed.

“Yes,” she admitted. “When you pushed me to do those things in the bedroom, I thought I would be filled with terror and maybe even disgust, but I was aroused. When you tied me to that toy, that circular apparatus, my entire body was turned on. I was afraid of you for all of two seconds. I’ve been turned on by you since the moment we met. Yes, you were a very sexy monster. I didn’t want to be only your plaything, only someone you thought you owned; I wanted your love, too. But the way you make me feel has never changed. I feel desired, and sexy, and the sex …well, it’s out of this world.” Ari’s face flushed.

“Out of this world, huh?” he asked, his eyes darkening as the sun sank, and its tangerine hue started to evaporate into the gentle wind.

“Oh, Rafe, the sex is indescribable!” she said as his hand trailed up her leg and slid beneath the hem of her shorts, making her breath rush from her mouth.

“So my sweet little Ari likes a bit of excitement in the bedroom?” he pushed.

“Oh, yes,” she gasped as his fingers reached the edge of her panties. Thank goodness for loose shorts. Ari leaned back to give him easier access.

“I have been so afraid of chasing you away that I’ve been a complete gentleman for the last few weeks. I figured that was what you wanted.”

“I love the man you are, Rafe. I can’t wait to be your wife. I do like my control-freak lover, too, though,” she said shyly. Would he think less of her for admitting this?

“Oh, Ari. You have made me one very, very a happy man,” he said as he removed his hand, making her whimper in frustration before he grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her onto his lap.

“Then show me how happy you are,” she demanded, grabbing his head and pulling him closer so she could taste the sweetness of his lips.

“Are you trying to take control, my darling Ari?” he asked as he grabbed her arms and tugged them behind her back, holding them together with one hand.

“Would I try to do that?” she asked, pushing her hips against his, glorying at the friction as her tingling core met his arousal.

“I think you might. What should I do about that?”

The excitement in his voice made her blood heat as it all rushed to one very sensitive area of her body. This was a game she’d missed playing with him — it was a game she could play well. A game of who would be in charge. It was also a game they both got to win.

“What do you think you can do about it?” she mocked him, leaning back, exulting in the power she felt flowing through his grip as he held her tightly.

“You’re about to find out,” he growled before reaching his other hand up and tugging on her loose hair, pulling her face toward his.

His lips grazed her mouth, his tongue tracing the edges of her lips, but he didn’t connect their mouths fully. He tugged again, making her head fall back as he kissed her jaw, then he ran his lips down the sensitive column of her throat until he met her shoulder, where his teeth nipped her skin just enough to leave the slightest sting.

Before she could say anything, his tongue swept out, soothing the area and making her forget to admonish him. She tried to lift her hands to his shoulders, but his hold on her arms didn’t allow it.

She tried to pull away, but to no avail. Instead, her struggles made her core rub vigorously against the solid proof of his desire.

He drew back, his eyes dark and molten in the shadows cast by the last moments of light before night quickly stole over the land.

Releasing her wrists, he shifted her off his lap, then stood up, helping her to her feet, and pulled her to his side. He gave her a seductive smile before grabbing her by the waist and throwing her over his shoulder — showing her he was still the one in control.

Shocked, Ari grabbed his back as he headed up a trail, his movements making her body bounce. “What are you doing?”

“For what I have planned for you, we need total privacy,” he said, not pausing in his stride as they neared the palace.

“And I can’t walk?” she asked as they entered the palace grounds and passed a guard. Ari was more than a little mortified at being seen like this by Adriane’s men.

“No. You are my captive,” he said as his hand caressed her bare thigh.

“Good evening.”

Ari turned her head as they passed another guard protecting the back door of the palace.

“Evening,” Rafe replied as he walked past the man. Ari refused to look. Why wasn’t anyone asking whether everything was OK? This seemed a bit off.

The two wound their way through the palace. When they arrived at their suite, Rafe strode through the door and didn’t quit moving until he reached their “sleeping” quarters. There he released her with a slight bounce onto their massive bed.

“Rafe, that was a bit awkward,” she scolded him, crossing her arms and sending quite a glare his way.

His eyes were on fire; he stepped forward without saying a word. His excitement ignited her own desire, though she wasn’t going to admit that to him — not after he’d hauled her though the palace like a caveman, and done it in front of witnesses.

“Good,” he finally said, and he grabbed the bottom of her shirt and quickly pulled it from her.

“I don’t think I’m in the mood anymore,” she told him, her slightly breathy statement undercutting her words.

“Liar,” he said as he unclasped her bra, freeing her heavy breasts, her hardened nipples proof that he was right.

Still, she had to make a point, didn’t she? He’d embarrassed her.

She scooted away, and he grinned as he pulled his shirt off, then stripped off his pants and briefs, freeing his manhood, which stood proud and ready. Her core was in meltdown mode, more than ready for his penetration.

“I think I will make you go unsatisfied,” she gasped, and made an effort to retreat as he dropped to the bed and began prowling after her.

“Not going to happen, Ari,” he warned, grabbing her legs and pulling her toward him, his body covering hers, his erection pressing against her shorts, causing a moan to escape her throat.

Yeah, he was right. There was no way she would be able to resist him.

Moving quickly, he slid to the side of the bed and stripped the last barrier of her clothing away before once more covering her body with his.

“I can’t believe how much I always want you,” he said. She knew how he felt.

His lips finally captured hers in a kiss worth receiving, his mouth thoroughly devouring her as his tongue plunged inside, sweeping across the contours of her mouth.

More.

She needed… wanted…had to have…more.

She grabbed him, holding his head securely against her as he seized her mouth, owned it.

Sliding his arousal against her slick folds, but not entering her, Rafe tormented her, making her burn hotter and hotter as his hand slid down her side, grabbed her leg and pulled it up, his hips rocking against hers, his hand clasping her bare behind.

Rafe released her mouth and Ari grumbled. Then he moved away from her, and Ari cried out.
No!
She needed him inside her.

Before she could give voice to her complaints, he rose from the bed and grabbed her feet, pulling her toward him.

Without a word, he lifted her so she was standing flush against him, and his hands circled around her waist before he bent and began sucking on her neck. OK, this was almost as good as the kiss.

His hands caressed her back as his mouth trailed across her shoulder, then moved to the top of her breasts.

“Oh, Rafe, more,” she cried out.

His tongue swept across her breasts, circled her nipples and wet the peaks before quickly retreating. It was too fast. She wanted more attention bestowed on her sensitive nipples, not just a quick flicking of his tongue.

Before she could complain, he turned her in his arms, his chest pressing against her back as he placed his hands on her stomach and began raising them upward until his palms cupped her breasts, his fingers grabbing the nipples and pinching them in the most pleasurable ways.

Ari groaned and pushed her backside against his arousal, loving the way he felt in the soft cushion of her derrière.

Rafe suddenly brought his hand around to her back and pushed her forward, making her fall against the bed with her buttocks in the air; his hands moved quickly to grip her hips. Spreading her legs wide open with his knees, he had Ari completely exposed to him.

“Rafe?” she asked, her voice unsure.

“Trust me,” he said as the thick head of his arousal rubbed down the line of her cheeks before sliding into her wet core.

Her excitement reached a peak as he sheathed himself deep inside her, his arousal stretching her swollen folds.

With a hard thrust, he sank fully inside, his hips pressed against the curve of her backside, his hands gripping her flesh, holding her firmly in place.

“Oh, my, Ari, you feel so damn good,” he growled as he pulled backward before slamming forward hard, hitting her rounded behind with a slap of his hips, making her pleasure build quickly and her core begin to pulse.

He pulled back again, and thrust forward so forcefully that her chest slid along the bed, but his hands held her hips tightly in place as he rocked her rhythmically.

Ari soon felt herself fall over the edge of pleasure, and it didn’t take him long to join her. Rafe groaned as his body shook, his hands tightening on her as he convulsed inside her heat.

When his body relaxed, he released his hold on her, and Ari had no doubt his passion would leave its mark on her flesh. That thought only made her excitement and passion begin to build again.

Only with Rafe had she ever felt so possessed. He could do it anytime he wanted. She hoped he would.

“I lose control with you, Ari. I’ve never experienced that with any other woman,” Rafe said as she turned and looked at him. She couldn’t tell if he was apologizing or just stating a fact.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said, lifting her hand to caress his cheek.

“Mmm,” he said, a slight grin lifting the corner of his mouth.

Without warning, he swept her up into his arms as he moved toward their bathroom, not stopping until he reached the shower.

With a turn of the knob, he started the strong jet and stepped inside with her, gently setting her down and facing her toward the water, where the spray began flowing over her still-sensitive skin.

When he moved her so the spray hit her nipples, she cried out and tried to move. Rafe held her in place, and Ari’s body began to shake.

“We have all night, baby,” he whispered in her ear before his hand moved down her stomach and he found her swollen womanhood.

All night turned out to last until the sun began rising in the sky. Ari fell asleep a very satisfied woman, with Rafe wrapped around her.

Mmm, she would be extremely happy to have her controlling lover at night, and her sweet fiancé during the day. It was the best of both worlds. Of all possible worlds.

If it could last forever, that wouldn’t be long enough.