“Jessica, we will do everything we can to help you, but we want you to be prepared in the event that you are unable to find a way home.” Baen leant forward in his seat and took her hand in his. It looked so small and delicate in his large scarred one. She felt a zing shoot through her body at his gentle touch.
“I understand. I think I have already resigned myself to the fact that I might be stuck here. It was a risk I took when I went through the veil. I’m not sure what I’ll do, if I can’t get home.” Jessica was confused. Confused about her future and confused about the feelings she was having for these two men. Two men she barely knew.
“No matter what happens, little one, Carr and I will always look after you. You saved my sister’s life, and that is a debt I cannot repay.” Baen lifted her hand to his lips and placed a small kiss on her fingers. His lips were soft as he placed them against her skin. She felt it all the way down to her pussy. It throbbed for attention. She wanted those soft lips on her delicate folds.
Jessica shook off the sensual thought and looked at Baen. He was smiling down at her like he knew exactly what she was thinking. She felt herself go red and looked away, straight into the eyes of Carr. He stood behind Baen’s chair, with his hands resting on Baen’s shoulders. God, they were both so good looking and if she had the strength she would invite them both into her bed.
Well, that wasn’t true. She would want to, but she would never have the courage to be so bold with men as tempting as these two.
“Thank you, that means a lot to me. I was given this magic to help people. Your sister wasn’t at fault. I don’t know why she was poisoned or by who, but I think she was used to hurt you. Maybe she was an easier target, I don’t know.” Jessica was embarrassed by her outburst. She looked away from the men and hoped they didn’t take offence to a woman who had an opinion.
“You are very insightful, little one,” Baen told her. She let out a gush of breath in relief. “Whomever it was, is a coward. I hate to admit that ruling a kingdom brings with it many enemies. Some more despicable than others, it would seem.”
“If whoever did this finds out you helped Elvinia, your life could well be in danger too,” Carr added. “You will need to be protected, every bit as much as she does.”
Jessica felt chills go up her spine at his words. She didn’t want to get involved in a war that had nothing to do with her. It was like on Star Trek, the Prime Directive and all that. It dictates that there can be no interference with the internal development of other planets. Jessica felt it applied here—don’t get involved with the internal struggle that doesn’t involve your realm. Yet by rescuing Elvinia, she already had.
“There is only one way that I can protect you and make sure that no one, not even the citizens of Marak, can cause you harm. You will be my wife.” Baen stood after his massive declaration and looked down at Jessica. She stared back at him with her mouth flapping open and closed, but no words came out.
“I will make the preparations at once, Your Majesty,” Carr said, then rushed from the room.
Did he really just say that they were getting married? What happened to helping her get home? And how on Earth, or Marak in this case, did getting married protect her?
“Hang on, wait a minute. I don’t understand. How is getting married going to keep me safe?” she asked. She was confused and she felt helpless being so drained of energy. She wanted to argue, but couldn’t even sit up in bed.
“There are people out there, even amongst my nobles, that would do anything to advance their situation. If they discover that you are from another realm they might try and use that to their advantage. As my wife you will be queen and no one will be able to touch you. They would have to get through Carr and myself first.”
“Queen!”
Well shit.
Jessica knew that by marrying the king she would be a queen, but she hadn’t really thought of it like that until he had said it. What did she know about being a Queen? She knew very little about Marak and its people.
Marrying Baen was a crazy idea. She had to find a way home. She needed to rest and gain her strength back. Then she had to get out of here. She wasn’t going to wander around Marak alone, not with all the enemies that were about, but she did need to actively search for a gateway home.
Queen. That was the craziest thing anyone had ever said to her and she worked in a magic shop. It was filled with crazy people and their weird stories. The things people chose to tell her were amazing. Some were so silly that she had to leave the room so she didn’t insult them by laughing in their faces. Her customers took their magic very seriously, even if she thought they were ridiculous. She always listened though. They were her bread and butter and so she tried to treat them all with respect.
Jessica lay there long after Baen and Carr had left. She was still tired, but her brain wouldn’t shut down. They had dropped their bombshell and then left and now all she could think about were Baen and Carr.
If she married Baen, then she would always be watching Carr and wanting him too. She was attracted to both the men and didn’t want to pick one over the other. Jessica knew that Baen hadn’t really chosen her. He was just marrying her for safety or some such nonsense, but that didn’t mean she could just turn off her attraction to Carr.
What was she talking about? She couldn’t marry, but the thought wouldn’t leave her alone. And then one thing led to another and she was thinking about them naked again. How she would love to see their muscles ripple as they climbed onto the bed toward her, their long cocks hard and pointing at her, ready to make wild love to her.
She would take Baen’s long black hair and run it between her fingers, just to see if it was as soft as it looked. It would fall over her like a veil when he leant down to kiss her. Oh, she would gasp when Carr parted her thighs and looked at her most feminine part. God, she had lost the plot and it was all because of two huge scarred men and an uncontrollable attraction to them, which would bring her nothing but heartache.
No, she needed to focus and set her mind to finding a way home, back to her shop and her cat. It might be a mundane and somewhat boring life, but it was hers.
Chapter Six
Jessica was still in shock four days later. Baen had declared that they would marry and she hadn’t seen him or Carr since. She had spent most of the time sleeping, but they still should have come at least once. Elvinia had visited often and kept her informed of her brother’s arrangements.
She was feeling stronger now and able to sit up in bed and take small walks around the room. She still tired easily and slept a lot, but was well on the way to recovery. She was getting cabin fever though. She hated to be so indisposed and was going to use what little strength she had to get out of this room and talk to the king.
She had to change his mind. Marrying her was impossible. She tried to understand his reasoning, but she didn’t. She needed to find a way home. How would he explain that to his people, when the queen just up and left one day?
Queen, she still couldn’t wrap her mind around that. He wanted to make her the queen of a kingdom she knew nothing about, all because she had saved his sister life and he felt he owed her a debt. Well, he would just have to find another way to repay it and another way to protect her. She wasn’t going to tie herself to someone she barely knew. She wouldn’t marry for anything less than love. No matter how hot she thought him or how badly she wanted to get him between the sheets.
She needed to tell him before things got out of hand. He had already called together the nobles to make his intention of marriage known. Elvinia had said that she had never seen her brother so determined on a course of action. She had a battle ahead of her if she was going to get him to back down.
Jessica slowly got out of bed and removed her nightgown. She slipped the chemise over her head and then put on the outer gown. The gown fell all the way to the floor and was a deep ruby red with a white front panel. She tied up the red ties on the front and slipped the rope belt around her waist and adj
usted it to sit on her hip. The sleeves on the gown were large, the ends dangling almost to the floor.
She would have to get used to wearing such an unusual dress. She felt like a little girl in a fairytale. The material was velvet and so smooth under her hands. It must have cost a fortune, but Elvinia had given it to her with no qualms. She slipped on the matching red slippers and she was exhausted.
Jessica had second thoughts about leaving the room, and almost got back into bed. She could always wait one more day or two. No, she had to put an end to this now before she ended up walking down the aisle. She made her way to the large wooden door and slowly turned the iron handle.
It creaked open and she stuck her head out. She felt like a thief, sneaking around like she was. She gave herself a mental slap on the cheek and exited the room. Jessica had no idea where she was going as she walked down the long corridor. There was no one around to ask, so she just kept walking.
Jessica came to a long winding staircase and looked down. Grabbing on to the wall for support, she slowly started her descent. When she got to the bottom, she saw another long corridor. God, this was going to take forever. She had to take three breaks to rest on the staircase alone. The damned castle was huge. She kept going, poking her head in and out of rooms looking for someone, anyone who could tell her where to go to find the King.
She had just about made it to the end of the corridor when she stopped in front of two wide doors. She could hear voices on the other side, but was unable to tell what they were saying. Jessica felt scared to walk through the door and ask for help, but she didn’t know if she could go on much further. She either had to get someone to take her to the king or get them to take her back to her room. Either way she needed help.
Mustering all her courage, she turned the knob and walked into the room. Jessica stopped in her tracks the moment she entered. It was some sort of long meeting room. It had a large table in the center and a fireplace at the end. Men, now all looking at her, took up all the chairs. Baen stood at the head of the table, with Carr seated to his right.
“What are you doing out of bed, little one?” Baen’s voice boomed through the room and he didn’t sound happy. He turned back to address the men. “We will discuss this further later.”
Carr stood and followed Baen as he approached her. He didn’t slow as he scooped her up in his arms and walked from the room.
“You should be resting. You aren’t strong enough yet. You were swaying on your feet.”
“What made you leave your chamber, baby?” Carr asked. “If you needed something, you should have had one of the servants fetch us.”
“I can’t stay in bed anymore. I’m going crazy. I need to speak to you.” She wrapped her arms around Baen’s neck and held on. She was so far off the ground, he was so damned tall. Jessica hadn’t been carried around like this since she was a little girl. She wasn’t sure whether she liked it or not. She wasn’t one to rely on others when she was capable of doing things herself, but it felt really good to be in his arms.
“You still should have sent for us. As your intended husband, it is my responsibility to see to your well-being and happiness.” Jessica looked up at Baen as he spoke. She was lost in the depth of his amazing gray eyes. She knew she was supposed to be protesting his claim on her, but when he looked at her with those startling eyes, she lost all train of thought.
Jessica expected Baen to take her back to her chamber, but when he entered another room, she was surprised. It was another chamber and Jessica suspected it was his. Twice the size of the room she had been given, it had the biggest bed she had even seen. The four-poster bed took up only a small amount of space in the large room, but would easily fit five people lying side by side comfortably. It was adorned with a deep emerald-green spread with gold trimming.
The rest of the room was furnished just as opulently. Two large wooden wardrobes with elegant carvings lined the wall next to the bed. A fireplace on the opposite wall to the bed had a chaise lounge in front. There was a large desk in the corner and a huge fur rug in the middle of the room. Once again tapestries depicting war scenes hung from the wall, and the widows were covered with long flowing curtains that matched the bedspread.
He walked further into the room and placed her down on the chaise by the fire. She was instantly warmed from the heat. When he stood back, Jessica tried to sit up, but one shake of his head had her freezing.
“We will accommodate you, Jessica, and let you have your talk. But you will do it lying down and resting.” Baen’s deep voice sent shivers down her spine and made her pussy weep and throb for attention. How did he do that? He was ordering her around and she was getting turned on.
“What was it you wanted to say, baby?” Carr asked. He dragged over a chair and motioned for Baen to sit down before getting one for himself. Even though they were sitting down, they still towered over her. She scooted up a little on the lounge, but it was no use. She still felt small and had to look up at them.
“It’s about this whole marriage thing. I still don’t think it’s the best course of action. It would be silly for you to marry me and then for me to go home, and you’re left alone again. How would you explain it to people?”
“You let me and Carr worry about that, little one. You just have to get well enough to walk down the aisle. We will take care of everything else. Besides, it is a possibility that you will be unable to go home.”
“That’s another thing. When are you going to take me to see Diarmad?”
“We will take you to see him this afternoon. As long as you rest.” Baen leant forward and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Jessica felt the touch all through her body and she lost her train of thought again. The men sure did know how to distract her. She opened her mouth to reprimand him, but he was too quick. Wrapping a hand around the back of her neck, he lifted her slightly and placed his lips over hers.
His lips were soft, but his kiss firm. When she gasped in surprise, he took advantage to thrust his tongue into her mouth. The longer he kissed her the more she relaxed and soon she was kissing him back and tangling her tongue with his. She moaned into his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer.
Jessica felt the kiss all the way to her toes. Her nipples hardened and her pussy gushed once more. Her body was priming itself for lovemaking and Jessica was more than willing to go along for the ride.
Baen placed his free hand on her waist, before moving it slowly up her body to cup her breast. His hand was big and engulfed her breast in his entire palm. When he pinched her nipple, she almost shot off the chaise. She moaned loudly again and sucked hard on his tongue.
When Baen finally lifted his head, she sunk back into the soft cushions of the chaise lounge. Baen’s eyes were dazed and passion-filled as he looked down at her and she knew hers would be the same. Boy, did the man know how to kiss.
“That was something else, my love. Out of the way and let me have a turn.” Carr’s voice broke them both out of their kiss-induced spell. Jessica looked up at Carr as he took Baen’s spot in front of her. Did he really mean to kiss her too?
The answer was obvious as Carr scooped Jessica up in his arms and slammed his mouth down on hers. His kiss was every bit as demanding as Baen’s. But where Baen stroked and suckled, Carr dueled and nipped. He paid a lot of attention to her bottom lip, sucking it into his mouth and biting it.
Jessica felt his kiss every bit as much as Baen’s and, though different, it was just as seductive and powerful. Carr pulled her closer in his arms and Jessica clung back, moaning and withering. They needed to stop this now or Jessica was going to rip off all their clothes and have her way with them.
Carr broke the kiss and gently let Jessica fall back onto the chaise. He smiled down at her and her heart lurched. She looked away, unsure of how they both could affect her so much. She had lost all reasonable thought when they had kissed her. It was frightening and exciting at the same time.
“I…err…I…” Jessica didn�
�t know what to say. Both men had just kissed her senseless and she had loved every minute of it. Wait a minute. They had both just kissed her. Why would Carr be kissing her when she was supposed to be engaged to Baen?
“You just kissed me! And you just let him. Oh God. I’m so confused.” Jessica sat up on the chaise lounge and glared at the men.
“Calm down, baby, and I’ll explain.” Carr sat forward and took both of her hands in his larger ones. “Baen and I have been together for quite a few years now and I love him very much.”
“Oh, so this will be a marriage of convenience? That still doesn’t explain why you kissed me.”
Baen smirked at her from where he sat next to Carr, but didn’t say anything.
“Stop interrupting, woman. We have been waiting for the right lady to come along. A woman who will complete us. Baby, Baen and I think that you are that lady.”
“I’m sorry. Did I just hear you right? You both want to be with me?” Jessica was shocked. Not about both of them wanting to share a woman, but that they wanted to share her.
“Yes, little one. You will be married to both of us and we will be married to each other,” Baen added. “Marrying Carr is something I should have done many years ago.”
“You don’t need to marry me to marry Carr though, do you? I still don’t see—”
“Baby, we aren’t going to marry you as some sort of intrigue. We want to marry you because we are attracted to you. We admire your bravery and your spirit. Both Baen and I think with you at our side we could lead a very complete and happy life.”
Jessica felt tears well in her eyes. Nobody had ever said anything so sweet to her before. They were chipping away at her defenses and she so badly wanted to say yes, but she needed to go home. She had a life back in Notting Hill, albeit not a very full one, but it was hers and she needed to get back to it.
The Magic of You [Mystical Realms 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 6