Cal blinked.
"Were you fucking?" he asked boldly.
I glanced down and found a short glass of amber liquid in his hand. Liquid confidence, apparently. More like liquid dickheadedness.
"Of course not," Ben answered for us both. "I brought her into Blackhaven with me while I found the musicians."
He pointed to the musicians in question, and Cal's blue eyes followed.
Ben raised a brow and grabbed Cal's drink, taking a few sips. "Why? You're not jealous, are you?"
Cal's eyes narrowed. "You know I don't like to lie."
"I thought you wanted us to be together?" Ben continued, glancing at me as he handed the drink back to his brother.
"I do," Cal agreed, finishing the glass off. "And now that we're all here, let's just enjoy the party."
Ben stared, his analytical brain piecing things together that I couldn't quite figure out. "I'll leave her with you, if you don't mind. You know the nobility from around here better than I do. I'm sure she'll need introductions."
Cal nodded slowly.
Ben took my hand, kissing my wrist with his warm, supple lips. "I'll see you again soon."
My breathing shallowed, and I found it hard to focus. I wanted nothing more than for his lips to continue up my arm and onto my neck, drawing pleasure out of every caress. Another wave of heat washed over me, and I had to resist the urge to fan myself.
Dear gods, I needed another drink.
As if reading my mind, Cal linked our arms and led me over to the in-house bar. I hadn't overseen this room's decor, and it showed. The tones were natural, neutral, and brown. Manly. Even the general scent of the room was spicy like man. It was damn near as intoxicating as the wine in my veins.
"What'll it be, Your Highness?" the bartender asked as he dried a mug with a towel.
"Something exotic," he decided, shooting me a wink. "Perhaps something peach flavored. And strong."
The bartender smiled and nodded. When he returned, he was carrying two tall glasses full of an orangish pink liquid. It looked like a sunrise. A peach slice was wedged into the rim of the glass, complete with a little leaf on the stem.
I grinned and rolled my eyes. "Cute, Cal. Real cute."
He smiled deviously. "What? A little peach for our little Peach. Sounded good to me."
I took a sip, and my mouth watered. The sweet fruit mostly counteracted the sharp tang of the alcohol, enabling me to take an even bigger gulp.
"This is fantastic," I told him, the glass never leaving my lips. "You need this peachy goodness in your mouth, like, right now."
He started at me intently, seductively, darkly. "Yes, I believe I do."
Then he took a drink, and I was left imagining his lips on mine, the sweetness swirling between our tongues as we tasted and explored each other's mouths.
Gods, what the fuck was wrong with me? If it wasn't my magic, then it was my own horny thoughts taking over every last brain cell in my body. I couldn't seem to go a full day without fantasizing about at least one of them, and more likely, all four of them.
Cal led me over to a group of nobles in the middle of the room. Three men and three women.
"Alexis, these are my cousins—Talia, Veronica, and Indina. And their husbands—Maxwell, Paris, and Efron."
I smiled politely and wiggled my fingers. "Hello. Nice to meet you all."
The first woman, Talia, grinned and eyed me up from head to toe. "Nice to meet you, Alexis." Then she turned to Cal. "I thought you were engaged to the fae princess?"
"I am, or at least, I will be shortly, assuming Bria and her parents accept my invitation to come to Nightshade. Alexis and I are not together. I'm actually trying to set her up with Ben."
Veronica, the second woman, smiled wide. "That tall, tan, perfectly chiseled hunk of man. He always was the best-looking brother. I kinda wish we weren't related."
Cal cocked his head. "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that."
"Which part?"
"The part where you said Ben was the best looking, obviously."
She laughed airily. "Not bothered by the I wish we weren't related part, eh?"
He shrugged. "We've seen worse in our history, haven't we?"
"He's got a point," Talia added.
The second husband puffed out his chest and crossed his arms. "What am I, chopped liver?"
"Of course not, darling,” Veronica cooed. “You're the father of my children, the lord of my heart."
"Yeah, right."
The playful gleam in his eye told me they were only teasing. I had a feeling their relationship was actually quite solid.
The third cousin, Indina, stared quietly, never saying a word, and her husband, Efron, was just as silent. I supposed not every couple was a pair of social butterflies flitting about from flower to flower, chatting with everyone.
I glanced around the room, wondering where Cal would lead me next, when I locked eyes with Dan. He was standing amongst a small group of gentlemen who were talking animatedly. If their gestures were anything to go by, I'd assume they were discussing some sort of hunting. Dan shot me a wink, amping up the heat of my body by another few notches.
I quickly turned away and scanned the rest of the room. Ben was nowhere in sight. But Rob was sitting in a corner keeping to himself. Every once in a while, a random person would wander over to him and attempt to make small talk, but he seemed to shut each one down rather quickly.
For some reason, I wanted to try my luck.
"Excuse me, everyone," I said, smiling brightly. "I'll be right back."
Cal shot me a curious glance but never protested my departure. He either trusted me to make my own decisions, or he cared too much about keeping up with appearances to boss me around. Either way, I was pleased about it.
I wandered closer to Rob and watched as he rolled his stormy gray eyes and crossed his thick, tatted arms. It made me grin like an idiot. He was trying so hard to hate me that his actions were almost over the top.
"Hey, Rob," I said, sipping at my drink and sidling up next to him.
"Hey, Jewels."
"Enjoying the party?" I asked.
"Oh yes. Social interactions are my favorite."
"I can tell."
He quirked a brow at me. "Is it so obvious that even you picked up on it."
This time I was the one to roll my eyes. "You're not exactly subtle, dickhead."
He chuckled. "I suppose not."
"Why do you hate people so much?"
He shrugged. “People are assholes.”
I nodded. I couldn’t deny it. I’d been alone for most of my life because of assholes who couldn’t see my worth past my dirty clothes. But still, I usually tried to see the good in people, at least, until proven otherwise.
Another person approached us, and Rob visibly tensed, flexing his muscles as if he were ready for an attack.
“Hey, Spirit Prince,” the guy called, a wobble in his step and a slur on his tongue. “Where’d you find your new fling, huh? The morgue?”
Rob pursed his lips into an almost smirk and simply stared the man down.
“No? Maybe somewhere out in the astro-space planes?”
Rob closed his eyes and smiled. “Go away, Jimmy, you’re drunk.”
“Why don’t you go away, Robby? You’re a freak.”
What the fuck? I was suddenly so pissed on his behalf I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. “Hey, Jimmy, where’s your date?”
His cheeks flushed, and I assumed I’d guessed correctly: he didn’t have one.
“Oh, that’s right. Everyone on this plane and the astral plane turned you down. I’d tell you to check the morgue, but even zombies and spirits have standards. Sorry.”
Rob chuckled as Jimmy stuck his dumbass nose in the air and sauntered off.
“I’d tell you I fucking love you right now, but I wouldn’t want you to get the wrong impression.”
I laughed too. “Don’t worry. Your feelings for me—or lack thereof—are crystal clear.�
��
His smile dimmed a bit, but he chuckled again.
“Maybe we could be friends, though?” I asked with a grin. “You're kind of stuck with me from now on anyway. We may as well make this mildly enjoyable."
He sniffed, and his lips curled at the corners. "How do you propose we initiate this awkward friendship?"
"We can start by spending a little alone time together, getting to know one another without the curious glances and whispering lips of a nosy crowd."
"Alone time," he mused, never making eye contact with me. "That sounds like a terrible idea."
Okay, fine, it kind of did. But I had ulterior motives. Aside from genuinely wanting to get to know him better, I also had the king to appease. And I needed alone time with each of the guys in order to protect my mom.
"Oh, it won't be that bad," I argued. "As long as we make sure I never need to use my magic, we'll be fine."
"Right."
"You want to take a walk tomorrow?"
"Not really."
"Since that wasn’t a flat-out denial, I’m going to take it as a yes." I smiled. "Meet me at the back of the castle in the morning?"
"Ha!" He held up his glass—amber, like Cal’s. "More like in the afternoon."
I grinned. "Planning on being hung over, huh?"
"I usually am."
"Fine. Meet me after lunch?"
"I'll see about showing up." He nodded toward the crowd and sipped at his drink. "Dan's coming to steal you away."
I followed his gaze, and sure enough, Dan was parting the crowd like a sea, sailing a direct course straight toward us.
Perfect. I needed to set up another date anyway.
He wrapped his arm around my lower back and grinned at Rob. "You don't mind if I steal our girl away, do you? No? Good."
I lifted my glass to avoid hitting anyone as he pulled me through the crowd. When we reached the side of the room the musicians were stationed at, Dan took my drink and sat it down, then talked to the band about... well, music, I suppose.
I crossed my arms as I stood there, like an idiot, waiting.
It didn't take him long to return to me, wrapping his hands around my hips and kissing my neck.
I pulled back, not because I didn't want it, but because I was surprised.
"What happened to—"
"Shh," he said, pressing his pointer finger into my lips. "Let's not talk. Let's just dance."
Billy, the fifth man I'd all but begged Ben to hire, started shaking the rockas, which appeared to be nothing more than a palm-sized nutshell with hard dried beans inside, in a soft but catchy rhythm. If I hadn't been standing so close, I might not have heard it. From what I could hear, though, those musicians had been wrong about him; Billy actually could keep a beat.
Then the guy with the hide-covered barrels joined in, adding another layer of percussion that, for some reason, made my hips want to sway. A third man joined, creating a deep and alluring sound from his tall, bottle-neck barrel. A handful of strings lined the neck, which he stroked with a straight, whittled stick. Then a fourth guy added his instrument to the mix. He, too, had a stick to play his instrument's strings, but he didn't use it. Instead, he plucked them with his fingers, adding a beautiful sound to the tune that I hadn't been expecting.
And finally, the lead musician joined the song, sending a hauntingly beautiful, high-pitched sound into the air. It made me think of Rob—of ghosts, spirits, angels, and any other ethereal beings too perfect for this world.
With the underlying beat, though, the tune was anything but holy. It was dark and seductive. It compelled me to dance, to roll my hips and sway, to press into Dan's hot body and feel him move against me. It was like sex through clothing. His hands slid lower, cupping the edge of my ass and pulling me in closer. My hands roved higher, over the hardened planes of his chest, up the back of his neck, and into his sandy brown hair. I could feel his desire, white hot and barely contained, sizzling just underneath his skin, and it was utterly inebriating.
Some people joined us in dancing, some simply stared with wide eyes and mouths. I had a feeling we were being a bit too forward, a lot too showing, but the alcohol in my bloodstream assured me it didn’t matter. All I cared about was the sensation of his skin on my skin, his mouth on my neck, his hands on my ass.
I wanted to wrap my legs around his hips and stare deep into his pale green eyes, watching them go dark with desire as he shoved me hard against the cold stone wall. I wanted his fingers back on my clit, finishing what he started on the journey here, and most of all, I wanted his rock-hard dick driving inside of me.
Fuck his commitment issues, his haunting history with another woman, and his emotional unavailability. I wanted him, at least physically, no matter what the consequences were.
That simple fact must’ve become apparent to just about everybody in the room. Especially Cal, who showed up out of nowhere, pried us apart, and practically dragged me out into the hallway.
“What the fuck, Cal?” I protested, surprised to hear a slight slur in my speech.
He said nothing until we entered a small sitting room, and he shut and locked the door behind us. When he turned on me, his anger was like flames burning in his pretty blue eyes.
“He is not ready for you,” Cal nearly shouted. “You would chew him up and spit out his bones.”
My brows furrowed indignantly. “I would not! I get that he has issues. I get that he won’t ever commit to me and that I can’t choose him in the end. That doesn’t mean I can’t fuck him senseless for a single night.”
“Why him?” Cal shouted, pacing around the room. “Why not Ben? Fuck, even Rob is a better choice at this point.”
"I don't know!" I shouted right back. "Maybe because he's the only one who acts interested in me sexually whatsoever? The only one who tempts and teases me. The only one who seems to even remotely care about my physical needs."
Cal stopped pacing and turned away from me, the muscles in his back and shoulders tightening. "You want someone to tempt you, Peach?"
The sudden darkness in his tone had heat pooling in my core. I didn't know what to say, what to think or feel. So, I just stood there with wide eyes and my lips slightly parted.
He spun around and stalked closer to me, causing me to backpedal. A moment later, I was backed up into a wall and his arms were framing my face.
"You want someone to tease you?"
He slid his lips up my neck, not quite kissing, but tickling my skin with his heated breath, giving me goose bumps.
Fuck yes, I did.
I moaned, and my head fell back into the wall, exposing more of my neck.
Cal ran his thumb along my throat and collarbone, watching my body as it reacted to his touch. But then something happened. The heat in his eyes dimmed to a smolder and he backed away.
"You want someone to meet your physical needs, Peach? Then pick Ben."
I growled, frustrated at getting cockblocked yet again. "Fine, dickhead, send him in. I'm ready."
"Gods, you're horny tonight."
"Yeah, well, maybe if my super-hot suitors would take a break from being perfect gentlemen all the time, I could get the horniness fucked out of me, and we wouldn't have to deal with it."
He shook his head. "Every time you use your magic, it's going to be a fucking sex party."
"Okay, fine!" I threw my arms in the air, and this time I was the one pacing around the room. "I'm always going to be horny. Every man's worst nightmare, I'm sure."
"A nightmare for every man who's not the one you choose," he muttered.
I spun around, but he was perfectly composed, standing tall with both arms tucked behind his back.
"You don't even want me to pick you! You’re going to marry Princess Bria."
His composure broke once more, and he grabbed my shoulders, shaking me slightly. "Yes. I'm going to marry Bria, but I'm going to regret it every minute for the rest of my life."
I pushed his chest, but he didn't even budge. "Then why do i
t?"
"Because I don't have a choice! For fuck's sake, Peach, can't you see that? If I break this union, then our kingdoms go to war and our people die. I want you to choose me more than you know, I truly do, but I can't let you."
I turned away as a tear burned down my cheek. "I don't even want to pick you anyway."
Finally, he let my shoulders go, and he backed away.
"That's a lie."
I pursed my lips, but my chin quivered as the urge to sob overwhelmed me. Why did he have to know everything? To take my guarded words and grind them into dust? Of course, I wanted to choose him—I wanted to choose them all.
"I hate you."
"Lie."
"Gods damn it, Cal! Why do you have to make this so difficult for me?"
For the briefest of moments, pain washed over me, flooding me with sadness and regret. Not my pain, though. Cal's. How I knew, I couldn't say. I just... felt it. But just as quickly as it had come, it left.
His features slackened into a careful blankness before he turned and unlocked the door. "I'm not, Peach. I'm making it easier. Your choices are down to two: Ben and Rob. Pick one."
Then he walked out, leaving me alone in the dark in a twisted mess of emotions.
Chapter 19
“Holy shit, you showed up.”
I was genuinely surprised.
Rob stood under the shade of a leafy oak tree, with bright eyes and mussed up hair, looking way too hot for a person who was supposed to be hungover.
Me? I was pretty sure I looked like death warmed over. I'd stayed up far too fucking late last night crying, thinking, worrying, and scribbling out my very first letter to the king. I put in as much detail as I could muster about my date with Ben—excluding the Asher stuff and anything else that might get him in trouble; I'd learned my lesson the hard way on my very first day at the palace. Then I’d scrawled out a letter to Gemma. I knew I couldn’t go into too much detail in case King Zacharias intercepted it, but I still missed her like crazy and needed to touch base.
To top it all off, my freaking tutors arrived that morning, and instead of resting and recuperating from their week-long journey, they decided to dive right in on lessons. Meaning, I'd already suffered through hours of etiquette and history. Fuck me.
Taken by Storm (Storms of Blackwood Book 1) Page 18