by Lexi Blake
Shaking her head at the magnificence of it all, she washed up, glancing out the little window. The night was dark , but the moon shone like an enormous pearl, its incandescence illuminating the world. She put her head against the double paned window. She couldn’t go back to where she used to be. Really, she didn’t want to. She simply wasn’t sure which choice moved her forward.
She was changing, becoming someone she liked very much—a woman who seized adventure by getting on a plane and changing her life at the spur of the moment. Now, she wanted to be someone who knew what it meant to be loved.
Piper groaned. It wouldn’t be love with whichever of the al Mussad brothers she chose as her first lover; she knew that. But they could share affection and pleasure. She’d had so little of either in her life. Why not?
She sighed, wondering just what she’d say.
Hey, guys, I’m a virgin. Didn’t do it for religious reasons or because my hymen is terribly important to me. Just kind of got busy. I didn’t put it into my day planner, so whoops. Who wants to help me get rid of my V card?
Yep. That was sexy. Not.
Johnny’s words came back to her like an old voicemail she kept forgetting to erase. You’re just not hot, Piper. You’ll make someone a good wife someday, but I just don’t want to fuck you. I should want to fuck my wife, right? You need to find someone with lower standards.
If that jerk hadn’t wanted to sleep with her, was she seriously fooling herself that either of the two ungodly gorgeous men out there would want to? Maybe they were just being playful. And polite. She didn’t understand their customs. Maybe their behavior was the norm in Bezakistan.
With a sigh, Piper exited the bathroom. Her curiosity got the best of her, and she peeked in the bedroom. She stopped in her tracks. That was a bedroom?
An enormous bed dominated the spacious room. Lush and gorgeously draped with silk and satin in shades of taupe, cream, and soft blue, this place was something straight out of a romantic movie. That bed wasn’t meant for a peaceful night’s slumber. It was meant for feats of athleticism. And maybe with more than two people.
She shook her head. Sex had definitely overtaken her brain.
Piper stepped out of her shoes, reveling in the plush carpet beneath her feet. Someone had laid a pretty white negligee across the champagne-colored duvet. The garment was her size. A silky eye mask sat on the nightstand, along with a small bag of her toiletries. Tooth brush, toothpaste, a moisturizer that hadn’t been bought at the drugstore on clearance. She touched the beautifully constructed bottle. Designer. No doubt, the product was the top of the line.
The al Mussads knew how to take care of their charge. They would know how to take care of a woman, too. She just had to choose one and enjoy.
“Do you like it? Kade picked it out for you. He might not care about your office attire, but he certainly likes selecting lingerie.” Rafe stood in the doorway, leaning his strong body against the portal. He’d loosened his tie and a bit of sun-kissed throat peeked through. His midnight black hair was slightly messy, making him look less like a prince and more like an everyday man. Almost approachable, even. She longed to touch his hair to see if it was as soft and lush as it looked. Rafe kept his hair ruthlessly short and under control, so she appreciated this look at the moment. Kade’s was longer, brushing his earlobes, but always looked soft.
She was alone with Rafe. He had kissed her first. Maybe…
Her heart rate tripled as she met his stare. “It’s beautiful. In fact, everything you’ve bought for me is. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
He stepped forward, invading her space. “Do not concern yourself with repayment. Would you wish to insult me? I enjoy giving you nice things.”
“Thank you,” she said softly. “I want you to know I appreciate them.”
“I am glad.” Rafe smiled faintly. “Piper, Kade and I would like to talk to you.”
She didn’t want to talk just now. He stood so close. The last thing she wanted was another kindly lecture on what to expect in Bezakistan. And though she loved the fact that Rafe could talk about books and culture with her, she didn’t want an intellectual discussion. She rose up on her toes, her lips meeting his for a long moment. Gosh, his lips were sinfully soft.
“Piper?” He pulled back slightly, his expression somewhere between concerned and confused.
She moved forward, her body softening against his. Without the heels, she felt so tiny against his tall, muscular frame. She had to stay on her toes to position her lips beneath his. “Rafe, I want you.”
“Oh, Piper…” A shudder went through his body. “Those are such sweet words, habibti.”
No, he was sweet. She nuzzled his neck, loving the way he smelled so spicy, exotic, and masculine. His skin was warm, and she wondered what it would be like to sleep against him, his body cradling hers. A deep longing went through her. One night. It was all she would have with him, but she would know how it felt to be held and wanted.
She caressed her way down to his waist, trying to pull his crisp white dress shirt from the waistband of his designer trousers so she could touch more skin.
“Piper,” his voice was soft, but firm. “Wait, habibti. You must stop.”
She kissed his jaw, trying to reach his lips. He stepped back, his hands warding her off rather than pulling her in.
Shock slapped her suddenly. She was making an idiot of herself.
Piper took an awkward step back, tripping over her own feet and landing on her backside. Humiliation swept through her, stinging her veins. She felt a hot flush race up her face.
“Habibti, let me help you.” Rafe reached down to assist her, a graceful god taking pity on the mortal.
Piper shook her head, scooting further away, unwilling to look at him. “I’m fine. I’m really sorry. That was wrong of me.”
It had been stupid. So dumb. Tears threatened. Of course he didn’t want her. Johnny had told her that she wasn’t sexy. She simply hadn’t listened. Instead, she’d wanted. Craved. Taken his sweet kiss earlier to mean something more. She needed to be realistic. Wealthy, smart, royal… A man like Rafe would only look at her with charity in his eyes.
She needed to get him out of here, or better yet, she needed to go. She didn’t belong in this room.
“What happened?” Kade walked in and bent to her, completing the perfect picture of horror. “Piper, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
She put her hands up, holding the men at bay, still refusing to meet their gazes. “I’m fine. I’m just going to grab my things and find a smaller room to bed down.”
She would do that. Grab her things, rather than all the gorgeous trappings the brothers had bought for her. The romantic bed and lacy nightie had danced through her head, creating the mirage that she was beautiful and Rafe might want her. But she wasn’t beautiful. Sexy high heels didn’t make her a sexy girl, just a walking disaster waiting to happen. When she got to her new place, she would find the Bezakistani equivalent of a mall and buy some sensible shoes. Flats. Shoes that didn’t make her believe she’d become some femme fatale.
“This is your room. I made it ready for you. And I didn’t just tell the servants what to do. I picked everything out. You do not like it?” Still on one knee, Kade held out his hand to her.
“It’s beautiful.” She hauled herself up, pulling up on the bed, but the silky duvet slid and just as she got to her knees, she slid right back down and into Kade’s waiting arms. Darn it.
“I’m fine,” she snapped. “You can put me down.”
Kade didn’t. He stood, rising to his feet without the aid of anything to balance him and never once tipping her over. He simply stood, cradling her in his arms. “I think not, Pandora. I think I might carry you around, lest you destroy the plane.”
He teased her with a sexy little grin, but it didn’t matter. Perhaps they found her amusing, charming in a quirky, offbeat way. Somehow that made her humiliation worse. Tears pooled in her eyes. “Please put me down.”
>
“Damn it, Kade, you should not have said that to her.” Rafe rolled his eyes at his brother.
Kade’s arms tightened around her as he sank to the bed. “I meant nothing bad. What the hell happened? Why are you crying, Piper? If Rafe said something unkind, I can beat him.”
“I should like to see you try,” Rafe grumbled.
Maybe when they started arguing again, she could slip out and find a place to hide. “It’s fine. I’m just tired.”
“Piper kissed me.” Rafe’s words became soft, his shoulders relaxing as he looked down at her. “I was trying to explain the situation when she fell.”
Kade’s face went blank, and he set her down next to him on the bed. “That is twice you have kissed Rafe.”
Shame swept over her. “I’m sorry. I know I didn’t have any right to do it. I apologize and hope it doesn’t make you think less of me. I’m not usually aggressive.” They might just ship her right back to the States the minute they landed. She wondered if she still had a job at Black Oak Oil. Once Gavin heard how she’d behaved with his friends, not even her relationship with Hannah would save her.
“Do you not want to kiss me? Is it only Rafe you want?” Kade’s handsome face twisted with worry as he asked the question.
“What?” She sat up straight, her eyes widening with confusion.
Rafe sat beside her, his weight making the bed dip. She had to scoot or she would have fallen into him. “Piper, I was looking for the words to tell you that I could not kiss you again without Kade. We had a horrible argument about it earlier. He threatened retribution if I took you by myself. He is very good at revenge.” His hand came out, tracing a line down her arm. Everywhere he touched caused a shiver of sensuality. “I was not rejecting you, habibti. Never that. I simply intended to invite my brother to join us.”
Her breath caught. Both of them? That was insane. She’d barely been kissed before and now she was going to lose her virginity to two gorgeous men? That just didn’t happen. Unless they were making fun of her. Yeah, that definitely did happen. And it stung.
“Very funny, guys.” She struggled to her feet. “I’ll just go to the other bedroom. Good night.”
When she got to Bezakistan, she could hang out with Tal and crunch her numbers. No more trying to break out of her shell and be a new woman. Lesson learned—painfully.
“You’re not going anywhere.” Kade gripped her arm and pulled her back to the bed, his face darkening. “Piper, I must know. If you have no interest in me, then tell me now. This cannot work if you do not allow me to try and win you over.”
“What can’t work?” She was brutally confused, especially when some unnamed emotion seemed to pass between the brothers.
Rafe sighed, his whole body rigid, as he rose and paced the floor. “You must understand the way relationships work in our family. It is traditional in wealthy Bezakistani families that brothers share.”
Share? “A house? I can see where that makes financial sense.”
Kade’s lips curved up in the sexiest grin. “Yes. We share a house. But more.”
Though his smile suggested otherwise, he couldn’t possibly mean what she suspected. “You share cars?”
Rafe’s nose wrinkled up. “I would never let him near any of my cars. He is a slob.”
Kade shrugged. “I don’t want your cars. You have old man taste.”
“My Bentley is top of the line,” Rafe argued.
“Boring.” Kade made snoring sounds.
If she didn’t stop them they would argue over who had the best car. “Are you telling me that you share girlfriends?”
They both directed their gazes to her once more, eyes sharp and focused, like two gorgeous predators who’d just been offered a tasty meal.
“Yes, habibti. And we are looking for a woman to share. We have not found one who satisfies us.”
Piper huffed, her brain making connections. Lord, she could be so naïve. “So when Britney in Accounting said you took her out for a double dip, she wasn’t talking about an ice cream cone.”
They both flushed.
“She was a lovely girl, but a mere fling,” Rafe said quickly with a dismissive wave.
“I have no idea who you’re talking about,” Kade said over his brother.
She doubted that. “Red hair, double D breasts?”
He shook his head. “I can only think of you.”
Yep, he was the charmer. “Right. So…what exactly are you two saying? I don’t understand how all this works.”
Kade sighed and moved closer. “Piper, I’ve had a lot of women. I tried to bring them pleasure, but I was never tempted to develop our time together into anything more than a pleasurable romp. You’re different.”
She shook her head, refusing to go there with him. “I might be naïve, but I’m not dumb. You’re a billionaire. You’re royalty. I’m from a West Texas town that often smells like the backside of a horse. You don’t have to promise me anything. I’m interested in physical relations, too.”
That was as delicately as she could put it.
“You want to fuck?” Kade asked. He didn’t seem to have a delicate bone in his body.
She flushed. She’d rarely heard that word uttered before she’d come to Dallas. “I find you both attractive.”
“I do not know about fucking, habibti.” Rafe’s hands went to his dress shirt, pulling off his tie and unbuttoning his cuffs before he pulled the garment off. “But we can play a bit. We can please you. And we can certainly sleep beside you.”
Kade’s head came down on her shoulder. “Please, Piper. If you don’t, I must sleep on the couch. I lost at cards with Rafe last night, so he gets the other bedroom. Think about my poor back. I’m practically an old man.”
He was barely thirty. And she was struggling to take her eyes off Rafe’s bare chest. They grew men awfully muscular in Bezakistan. Rafe’s torso was more than worthy of Hollywood idol status. Every inch of the man was cut and defined. Broad shoulders tapered to a tight chest and lean waist. His skin was bronzed and perfect.
“Kiss her, Kade. She enjoys kissing.”
Before she could take another breath, Kade tucked a finger under her chin, turned her head toward him, and he took her lips. Rafe’s kiss had been soft, intimate, and toe-curling, but Kade’s blasted her instantly with wicked sensuality. He went deep, seductive, alternately teasing and dominating.
For Piper, kissing had always been awkward. She’d never known what to do with herself. She’d tried moving this way or that, but always felt a bit inept. Not with either of these men. Even now, Kadir didn’t give her a chance to feel graceless. He took control. His hands sank into her hair and overwhelmed her. She didn’t fight the feeling, sinking into the lovely abyss with a sigh.
His tongue traced the seam of her lips, demanding entrance. She acquiesced, wanting to please him. She’d never really liked the feeling before, but Kade was far past anything she’d experienced. His tongue slid along hers, a decadent treat. She relaxed in his arms, drugged by the heady sensation.
“Touch him, habibti.” Rafe moved in behind her on the bed, pressing his front to her back. His arms slid along hers, lighting up her skin where they touched. “He has been waiting for your touch. I know this because I have been waiting, too.”
Kade kissed her cheek, his face cuddled against hers. “Touch me. I want to feel your hands everywhere.”
It was like she’d suddenly been given the keys to the playground after being locked out all her life. Kade pulled his shirt off, proving he was every bit as glorious as his brother. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his chest before kissing her again.
Their mouths mated as she let her fingers explore the hard ridges of his torso. Two hands cupped her hips. Rafe. He wasn’t waiting for a turn, and she suddenly realized there would be nothing civilized about this. Her single previous experience had been an almost intellectually-driven decision by Piper and the boy she’d dated in high school to make out because that was what teenagers di
d. It had been a disaster of gangly arms and legs, and they’d very politely decided to not take it any further.
She couldn’t even think now. This had nothing to do with her intellect and everything to do with her body and, yes, her heart. She was crazy about these men. Rafe was smart and kind, and she loved talking to him. Kade was sweetly sexy while staunchly protective, always looking for any possible source of distress. She could see that now. That explained why he’d been so upset about the movers. He didn’t like to see a woman hurt.
No, she couldn’t keep them. They belonged with someone glamorous who would fit in their world. But she could have tonight.
Kade released her, and Rafe immediately moved in, turning her head toward him and taking her mouth in a voluptuous kiss. His tongue surged inside, playing against hers. A delicious thrill went through her as an ache started low, in between her legs. She sighed. This was longing, this deep desire that made her female parts swell and throb.
“You don’t need this many clothes.” Kade’s hands worked the buttons of the blouse Rafe had insisted accentuated her hourglass figure. In seconds, the blouse drifted off her body, the feel of cotton replaced by strong warm hands on her flesh.
Before she knew what was happening, her bra dropped away as well.
Cool air caressed her skin briefly, and the enormity of this night crashed over her. She was half naked in a bed with two men. Two gorgeous men. She wasn’t in their league, not even close. She probably needed to stop this and exercise some sanity.
As she opened her mouth to talk, Kade leaned over and licked her nipple. Instead of spouting reason, the only sound out of her mouth was a breathy gasp. Fire shot through her veins, sizzling her very skin as she looked down at his jet black hair and his mouth on her breast. He bit the nipple, a playful little nip, before his tongue soothed the tiny erotic pain. Piper had never once imagined that her breasts were so deeply connected to her other female parts, but every tug of his mouth sent a rush of heat to her womb.
“He likes breasts.” Rafe’s voice was a warm seduction in her ear. His hands slid to the fastening on her skirt, flicking it open. The sound of her zipper sliding down made her shiver. “I like them, too, but this is what I wish to see.”