by Jaide Fox
They made their way back to the stables, landing softly in the center of the arena. Adrienne had found the flight invigorating and exciting. She’d also found his arms around her a great comfort, and thought she was becoming entirely too attached to Dezec for her well-being. She didn’t know if she could trust anything from him, since his attraction to her seemed to be on a purely physical level. That would do for now, but how about in the long run?
She didn’t know, and the uncertainty of what her future held was what kept her from sharing any of her true feelings. Better to keep her thoughts to herself than risk giving away too much. Men didn’t feel the same as women. They were too basic and raw—especially this one.
The walk back was tiring. She wasn’t sure why she was so tired lately, but she was sure her adrenaline had left her drained. Perhaps it was just being in an alien environment for the past few weeks that had done it to her.
Poor Ebony must be so miserable, she thought, missing her terribly.
Dezec, sensing her lagging, picked her up and carried her through the last of the city and the winding stairs in their home building. She should have been embarrassed, but as it was, she was grateful for his thoughtfulness. He had a knack for reading her that she found a little unsettling. He wasn’t much of a talker, but he made up for it in other ways.
She already knew he had plans for her when they reached their room, just by the way his eyes had gotten that heavy lidded, slumberous look in them. By now, she knew the way his mind wandered—on carnal pursuits.
She smiled as he punched the pad to gain entry to their room. He hadn’t changed the code since she’d been there. She could leave whenever she wanted to now.
***
Inside, a message had been left underneath their door. Dezec deposited her on the bed, then went to retrieve it. Adrienne watched his face go from happy to concerned. He glanced at her, rubbing his jaw, as if debating on whether to tell her what the note contained.
Adrienne scooted off the bed, looking at him, hoping it wasn’t bad news about her sister. “What is it?” she asked, feeling her stomach tie up in knots.
“The king has denied my request for you to visit your sister. He feels your connection is better severed until your loyalty has been determined.”
She planted her hands on her hips. “Excuse me? What the hell does that mean?”
He rubbed his eyes tiredly. “You must be with child and loyal to our community before you will be trusted with his concubine.”
She felt heat crawl up her face, settling behind her eyes. “That is my sister! Y’all have no right to keep us apart! How do I know she’s even okay?”
“The king would not harm her. You must trust me in this. I would not lie to you.”
He moved to hug her. She slapped his hands away, looking up at his handsome face angrily. “I don’t believe you or him. Leave me the hell alone. I don’t want you to touch me. I can’t be trusted, remember?”
Adrienne walked out of the room into the only space she could go to get away from him—the bathroom. She slammed the door behind her and turned on the water, hoping the sound of the streaming shower drowned out the sound of her crying. She wanted to kill both of them, all of them. How dare they abduct her from her home, rip her sister away, and then tell her she wasn’t trustworthy to be around her own flesh and blood? What the hell did they expect her to do? It wasn’t like there was any way out of this god-forsaken place.
Adrienne felt a horrible weight settle on her heart. She wasn’t sure she could ever forgive him for letting her feel hope, and then taking it all away.
Chapter Nine
Adrienne waited until she was sure Dezec had gone to bed before finally coming out of the bathroom. He hadn’t tried to convince her to come out and hadn’t said a word to her since. She thought about making a pallet on the floor to sleep on and then decided to hell with what this ‘king’ demanded. If she wanted to see her sister, she was going to see her sister.
Dezec was still on the bed. His soft snores told her that he was sound asleep. Adrienne took off her shoes and walked to the door panel, quickly entering the code she’d managed to garner from his comings and goings over the time she’d been there. Studying his language had helped her more than he knew.
When the door slid open without a sound, as usual, she breathed a sigh of relief. She cast a look back to make sure he still slept. Satisfied he wouldn’t notice she’d left, she walked out and allowed the door to slide shut behind her.
The hallway was dimly lit by muted lights running the length of the floor, reminding her a lot of theater lighting that guided patrons through the halls and up the stairs. No doubt it was to save energy but still allow latecomers to see as they roamed the floor.
Adrienne took the path she’d taken multiple times before, going down the stairs to the entry level of the building. At this point, she wasn’t sure where her path should take her. This might be her only chance to see Ebony, and she didn’t want to spoil it.
Keeping an eye out for anyone that might spot her, she was surprised to see the floor empty of people. She walked along the grand hall, looking at signs in their language, hoping that some character that she’d learned might jump out at her. After a few minutes of exploring, she noticed a sign that she thought might mean grand gardens. Figuring the king would save the best for himself, she decided it was her best bet.
Hoping against hope, and thinking it was worth a shot anyway, she followed the hallway, glad to have somewhere to try and go at any rate. It led her deep into the building, past more elaborate gardens. Glass doors lined the walls, opening out into a virtual maze of greenery, flowers, shrubs, and babbling fountains lit with a myriad of colors. This area was a single story, with large skylights opening the building up so that one could gaze upon the starlit sky.
“Well, I’m here. Now what?” she mumbled to herself, moving through the cobbled paths. Flowers and gardens were nice, but she really needed to find a sleeping chamber or something.
Maybe she was stupid to think it’d be this easy to find where the king slept. Or where he kept his harem of women. She was an idiot.
Sighing, she sat down on a low garden wall, picking at leaves and dropping them into the water, watching them float on the bubbles as she tried to decide what her next move would be. She’d probably be better off just going back upstairs and pretending she’d never gone anywhere.
“What are you doing here?” a whispered voice spoke behind her.
Adrienne nearly jumped out of her skin. She whipped her head around to see Ebony standing behind her in a white lacy nightgown that skimmed her manicured feet.
“Ebony!” she whispered but wanted to shout. She jumped to her feet and ran to her sister, closing her in a hug.
“I’ve been worried sick about you! How did you know I was out here?”
“I could see you through the glass. The king lets me take night walks when I can’t sleep. You know I’ve always had a hard time going to sleep at night.”
Adrienne sniffed. “Yeah, you night owl. Are you okay? Has he hurt you?”
“Of course not!” Ebony said, rolling her eyes. “I can’t stand him, but it’s not like he beats me or anything.”
“Oh. Well, has he…uh…you know. Touched you?”
Ebony snorted, hedging the truth. “A little. I think he likes it rough though. He’s used to getting his way, and I’ve been playing hard to get.”
“That’s good to know.” Adrienne didn’t want to admit how easy she’d been to get. Not all information had to be shared with her sister. She didn’t need to know that Adrienne was a big pushover and had melted into putty the first time Dezec had put hands on her.
As if reading her thoughts, Ebony gave her an accusing look. “You have. I can tell. You’ve got this glow about you. You’ve been giving it to him left and right, haven’t you?”
Adrienne sputtered, crossing her arms over her chest. �
��That’s none of your business.”
Ebony nodded. “I know you. You’ve done fallen in love, haven’t you? God, Adrienne, where’s your head?”
“You’re an idiot. Stop speculating. Have you found a way out?”
“No, and there won’t be any way out. They’ve got this whole city on lock. We ain’t goin’ home. Face facts. The best we can do is hope we’ll be happy where we’re at.”
“Yeah, well, that dickhead king wouldn’t let me see you.”
“So that’s why you snuck in here? You know, you better get back before we both get in trouble. If they find you here with me, I don’t know what they’ll do. You can come again in a few days and I’ll find you. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be just fine. I have that man wrapped around my finger.” Ebony laughed and hugged Adrienne.
Adrienne wasn’t so sure she believed her, but she hugged her back and trusted that she wouldn’t lead her astray. Feeling immensely better, she made her way up to their room.
When the door opened, she never expected to be grabbed and manacled in a wall of angry, masculine flesh the moment she stepped through.
***
“Get your hands off me,” Adrienne yelled, trying, without success, to break the grip of Dezec’s hands on her arms. She twisted and pulled, to no avail.
“You went to go see her, didn’t you? Do you know what would happen to you if the king found out you’d gone against his wishes?” He said on a growl, pulling her deeper within the room.
“I don’t care. It isn’t his right to keep me away from my family. She…she’s all I have left in the world. I couldn’t not see her again.”
“You just had to have patience, Adrienne! As smart as you are, you can be very dumb.”
“Whatever. Let’s see how you feel having your family ripped away from you.” Despicably, Adrienne felt tears threaten to spill from her eyes. She’d always thought that a woman who resorted to crying to get their way was weak and not in control of her emotions. But she’d felt incredibly emotional since the king’s high and mighty announcement. Something had been taken from her, and she wasn’t going to stand for it any longer.
“Am I a prisoner or your woman? You answer me now!” she demanded, jerking away when he lapsed in his hold of her. His face crumpled in a mask of pain. He covered his face with his hands, the angry tension gone in an instant.
Adrienne felt sorry for him, but she wasn’t about to go near him again, not without knowing his intent. He looked up at her, a broken look on his face. “At least your sister is alive. I lost my first wife and our unborn child. My mother as well. You are all I have in this world, Adrienne. I couldn’t bear to lose you to prison for daring to go against the king’s command.”
She felt her anger deflate in an instant. Slowly, she walked to him, and hugged him tight, looking up into his face that looked so sad it made her heart ache. “I’m so sorry for your loss. But you know what it’s like for me then.”
He sighed, caressing her cheek. “I do. But patience is the key in our realm. You are too headstrong for your own good. You do not think before you act. Perhaps that is why I find myself so drawn to you.” He pulled her close, tipping her head up for a soul-searing kiss that made her toes curl against the cool tile floor.
When he finally broke the kiss, allowing her to get a full breath, he looked at her, watching her face warily. “How could I ever trust you again…?” he murmured, absently brushing her hair off her forehead.
“How could I trust you?” she countered. “You keep me here in this room by myself, you never allow me to go out alone. You hardly speak to me.”
“That is to keep you safe from men who have not yet had a mate. It’s for your protection. And, forgive me, I’ve been a soldier for far too long, and have not had a woman’s company in many years. I thought loving you with my body would woo your mind and help ease you into our world. Do you not like the gifts I’ve given you?”
“I have a mind. I feel crazy here. The presents are nice, but I need more. You just want to keep me here for yourself. For your needs. You don’t know anything about what I want. How can we have anything that lasts beyond the physical?”
He looked tired. He looked away from her, as if thinking hard about something she couldn’t fathom. She wanted to believe he cared for her, but without hearing it from him, she would forever be in doubt.
“I thought my loving you in the bed was enough. It’s been a long time since I had a woman who wanted the gentler things in life.”
She frowned. “Exactly. You want me for my sex and the color of my skin. I could’ve been any one of those girls on the ship and the result would’ve been the same.”
His black brows furrowed angrily over his stormy eyes. “You believe that, don’t you! I want you for your fire, your spirit. I’ve never met anyone so infuriating as you. You make me mad with worry, you envelop my every waking thought and dream. Your skin is not what draws me to you over and over again.” He growled finally, pulling her into his arms and swiftly moving to the bed.
“Oh no you don’t. You’re not getting out of this with sex. All you do is screw me—have sex with me. That’s not love!” She shrieked and tried to escape him, but it was like a mountain crashing down on her. Suddenly he was everywhere all at once, preventing her retreat.
“It is for me,” he said, his voice rough with passion.
He crushed his mouth against hers, kissing her deeply. She nipped his tongue, warning him, but he ignored her, sparring with her mouth. She scratched his back, hoping to drive him away, but he wouldn’t be deterred. If anything, her struggles only motivated him further.
“You bastard,” she said on a moan when she felt his cock press against her moistening mound. “How dare you exploit my weakness!”
He rubbed his hands all over her, exciting her with his rough touch, his hard hands and fingers. He ripped her clothes away, leaving her naked beneath him, stripping his pants off to leave him nude against her. The touch of his smooth, hot skin made her melt inside. She felt the compass of her center ring as his cock nudged her opening.
“Your dark skin intrigues me, but it is your mind I want to capture for myself. No woman could tempt me the way you do.”
She arched her back, moaning when he pushed that huge, bulbous head within her slick channel. “It’s not enough for me,” she groaned, pulling his hair.
He pulled her hair, biting her exposed neck, groaning at the scratch of her sharp nails down his arms and shoulders. “And my baby isn’t enough?” He pushed deeper inside her, punctuating his words with the explosive motion of his hips.
“Any man can get a woman pregnant and not love her,” she said, raising her hips to meet his, thrust for thrust. Her veins singed with building heat, her center melting at the grinding pulse of his groin. Her clit throbbed with tension, so hot and achy and longing for release.
He nibbled her chin and jaw. “It’s my love you crave?” he asked, whispering in her ear, his breath warm and moist.
“Yes,” she cried, feeling her climax closing fast upon her. Her muscles tensed, clasping him as if her life depended upon the hypnotizing push pull he enacted within her.
“You have it, my love. You have the moment I looked up and saw you’d dared to fight me, your captor.”
She wanted to laugh at his declaration of love, but something twinged deep inside her heart. The look in his eyes told her he was earnest and not just speaking from lust. She shouldn’t trust him, but she realized, she always had. She’d needed him from the moment he laid claim to her. All her fighting had been against herself, not wanting to resign herself to an alien world and an alien man. They were too good together not to be joined as one.
“My love,” she whispered, cupping his jaw, feeling her love ebb and flow.
He returned her look, looking long into her eyes as he claimed her body and gave her the release of ecstasy she’d craved. Her cries drove him hard, made hi
m want to please her in every way that he could. He kissed her and she kissed him back, putting her heart into the kiss.
Dezec joined her in release, and when he collapsed on her, she enjoyed the feel of his warmth and scent surrounding her.
She allowed her breathing to return to normal before she spoke again. “Did you mean what you said? You love me?”
He rose up on an elbow, looking at her face. “Every word. I want your children, Adrienne. I’ve had chances to be with other women. It is you who I want to spend my life with. I might not always have the words to describe my feelings, but know that this is true. You are my heart. I cannot live without my heart.”
And that was all that she needed to know.
Epilogue
Only a few weeks later, they discovered that Adrienne was pregnant. Joy, happiness, and a little healthy fear filled her. She worried about carrying a child, worried if she could handle a baby that was as big as she feared his baby would be. His people were pretty huge, after all.
The doctors assured her that there was nothing to worry about any more than with any other pregnancy. Her human body would create a baby no larger than she could handle.
She chose to believe they knew what they were talking about and kept her worries to herself.
The king kept true to his word to allow her to see her sister after her loyalties were no longer in question. It seemed all he needed was to know she wouldn’t try to make off with his woman or attempt escape or some other hair-brained scheme that could get one or both of them hurt or killed.
Apparently, he knew all about her combative nature and unwillingness to give in.
Pregnancy and hormones could make a woman a little crazy, she found out. And poor Dezec had no idea what he’d gotten himself into.
They were going to need a lot of chocolate to make it through the next nine months. She just hoped for his sake he could find some for her.