by Lexi Blake
Piper didn’t understand why Rafe and Kade had made an exception for Britney in Accounting. They’d taken her to bed without their eldest brother. Maybe Tal hadn’t known about her. Or he hadn’t wanted the woman. But Piper knew that, for whatever reason, he wanted her.
Still, she couldn’t help but feel brutally manipulated.
“My ancestors built the palace to be at the center of the city. Much of this structure was redone, but the core has stood since the fifteenth century.” A satisfied look passed over his handsome face. “Bezakistan is small, but we’ve withstood invaders from the Huns to Saddam Hussein. We did it with intelligence and efficient use of our natural resources. I hope we continue to do so. I pray we bring this country into a whole new world. We’re on the precipice, Piper. We can do it. We can lead the world. Imagine it, a country utterly dependent on oil bringing about the change to green, renewable energy.”
She had to grin because he was really good at selling the pure intentions stuff. “You’ll make a fortune off the patents alone.”
He turned, his smile flashing. “Naturally. I intend to be an innovator, not a fool. There is much money to be made, and I will have it for my people.” He stopped, his expression turning somber. “Please tell me you are you coming to the banquet tonight. We are hosting it for you and your employer, you know.”
“Of course I’ll be there.” As the only representative of Black Oak currently in the country, she didn’t have much choice. With Hannah due soon, Gavin had returned to the States. “Rafe and Kade worked me over.” In fact, they wouldn’t let up. Everywhere she went, one of them was there to escort her. And to make her feel comfortable again. She looked up, and sure enough, Kade was standing at the door to the west wing of the palace. He didn’t approach, just sent her a ridiculously sweet smile that made her blood pound. Before they had played naked games on the airplane, she never would have realized what that smile meant. Now she knew he was thinking about playing around, and in the dirtiest way. But at the moment, he wouldn’t do a thing about it.
“I am sure they have tried to work you over, Piper. They would kill to work you over. I am the one holding them back. My brothers growl every time I walk in a room because they know that if it hadn’t been for me, they would already be in your bed.”
She flushed. She couldn’t get used to how they talked openly about sex, especially between more than two people. Just the day before, she’d met their mother, and the lovely British woman had sighed when she talked about her four husbands. Four. Piper couldn’t figure out where to put three men, much less four. Maybe they tag teamed, like in wrestling. “I don’t think they’re missing much by not being in my bed. I’m sure they told you that I’m not exactly experienced.”
“They told me you were beautiful when you took your pleasure. They told me you were so hot they thought the plane would go up in flames. They told me they’d never wanted a woman the way they wanted you that night.” His dark eyes held her. Of all three brothers, he was the most intense, the most magnetic.
Kade was the one who made her laugh, forced her to take everything less seriously...and made her think wicked thoughts. Rafe, with his sexy sophistication, was the one she could talk to about books and movies and all the sights she wanted to see, as well as the pleasures he yearned to give her.
And Tal? Tal was a mystery. He’d been her crush, but that man had been more down to earth. The Tal she’d known through instant messaging and computer chats had been teasing and playful and so smart, but she’d been able to argue with him. This Tal was intimidating, his features beautiful and slightly cold. And she couldn’t stop looking at him, wondering what was going on in that head of his. He was pulling her in despite her best attempts to stay aloof.
He leaned in, his face softening so that cold edge to his beauty fled, leaving only the man behind. “Piper, you do not have a romantic interest at home, do you?”
She shook her head. She had the feeling he already knew that.
His fingers brushed across her face, skimming against her skin and making her shiver. “Then why won’t you try seeing what could develop between us? Is it still me? I know you like my brothers. How can I convince you I will be good for you as well?”
Piper didn’t know what to say, so she bit her lip and said nothing.
He moved in, invading her space, but she couldn’t seem to move away. He was so close she could feel the heat of his skin. She had to force herself to breathe. It was insanity. She was a virgin. Not particularly by choice, but she’d never honestly cared enough about a man to go to bed with him. And that had been true of her fiancé, too. If she’d learned one thing since coming to Bezakistan, it was that she’d never been in love before. Being around the al Mussad brothers made her realize that because she was pretty sure she was falling head over heels for them.
“I want to kiss you, Piper. Don’t tell me no.” His eyes were right on her lips, looking down at them like he was a starving man and she was a ripe piece of fruit.
“But Kade...” His youngest brother was standing there, waiting for her. It didn’t seem right.
“Oh, my lovely Piper, you don’t understand us at all.” He never turned away, merely kept those gorgeous dark eyes on her, but he spoke to his brother, his voice rising. “Kadir? May I kiss your girl?”
That sexy laugh of Kade’s floated toward her. “Please, brother. Kiss her well. Make her ours.”
Tal leaned in, his lips brushing hers. The first touch sparked against her skin, and she opened her mouth to gasp, but he cut off the sound, his tongue surging in.
Electricity pinged through her body. Piper lost the will to worry about what anyone would think. Her hands came up, clutching Tal as he pulled her close, drawing her into his heat. She would have to thank Rafe for forcing her into heels because otherwise poor Tal would be bent in half. Even with the four and a half inch stilettos, he still bent down to take her lips. He was the tallest of the brothers, his body the broadest as if he’d been built that way to wield authority. Through the rich material of his perfectly cut suit, she could feel how firm his muscular body was. Everything feminine inside her softened, yearned to get even closer. Ached to surrender.
His hands tangled in her hair, pulling it out of the staid bun she’d fashioned this morning. He didn’t prevaricate. He didn’t play. He tugged on her hair and dominated her mouth. She could feel the hard line of his erection against her belly.
Her breasts tingled, felt heavy—burned for his touch. And she was doing that thing again, getting wet and ready. It had practically become her default state since she’d met these men. Constantly surrounded by them, every day she endured a needy ache she didn’t know quite how to combat. Every night, her solitary bed had become an exercise in broken sleep and frustration.
Tal gave her one last kiss, then released her. He took a deep breath, rubbing their foreheads together. His usually steady voice was just the slightest bit shaky. “Piper, this banquet is meaningful to my brothers and me. Thank you for agreeing to come.”
“You’re welcome,” she said automatically. Her brain was still mush after Tal’s kiss.
“And afterward…will you come with us, allow us to see if we can make you happy? My brothers and I don’t enter into relationships lightly, but we all want very much to be with you. I assure you, we will treat you like a queen.”
She was on the precipice of something. Was it heaven or complete disaster? No clue. But could she live the rest of her life not knowing which it would have been? She’d always played it safe. She’d done the right thing and waited for something special.
If this wasn’t special, she had no idea what the word meant. She realized this meant giving herself utterly to these three men, and she would never have imagined that she would want or care for all of them. But sometimes, she supposed, life took strange turns.
“Yes.”
A slow smile crossed his lips, and he brushed his nose against hers. “I will do everything in my power to ensure you will not reg
ret this. Now go and prepare for the banquet. I will look forward to this evening.”
She took a step back and nearly fell on her backside, her heels wobbling beneath her. Tal caught her in his arms, pulling her back up and steadying her on her feet.
“Thanks,” she said breathlessly.
“Pandora is back, I see.” He smiled. “Yes, I know all about that. I think it’s an apt nickname. You are certainly shaking up my world.” He seemed satisfied that she wouldn’t trip, and Kade now stood beside her, offering his arm. Tal graciously gave her up to his brother.
Kade took advantage. “Thank god, we’re back to kissing.” He thrust an arm around her waist and planted a perfect kiss on her cheek. “I’ve missed kissing you, cuddling you. And now I have to take you to Rafe. Maybe I won’t tell him we’re off the leash just yet.”
Tal stopped at the door, turning to her. “And Piper, whatever happens, know that I will always take care of you.”
* * * *
Rafe watched as Piper and Alea disappeared with the spa attendant. He rather wished he could go with her, watch as she was pampered and turned into the queen he knew she could be.
She’d said yes. Oh, she didn’t know exactly all she was saying yes to, but such was the way of captive brides in Bezakistan. And weren’t most relationships a bit like that anyway? When one started a relationship, there was no sure way of telling where it would go. Only this time, he knew damn well it would lead to marriage, and he knew he could make Piper happy. He would do everything in his power to make her so.
He turned and walked out of the lush spa. It catered to Bezakistan’s elite and the wealthy tourists who visited. He nodded to the security team who had followed discretely behind him as he’d led Piper and his cousin to the spa. Three stayed behind and one peeled off to follow Rafe as he walked down the street.
Normally they all trailed him, but he wasn’t about to leave Piper unprotected. Talib had been insistent on her security protocols. There was no way to miss how worried Tal was about Piper’s welfare. His brother was a bit paranoid, anyway. It was understandable. After what Tal had endured, Rafe was surprised he went out at all.
“I see you are determined to take care of your last-chance girl,” a distinctly sarcastic voice said.
Rafe sighed. He wanted to go and make his preparations for the upcoming night. He didn’t want to deal with Khalil.
“Cousin,” he acknowledged and tried to move on.
Khalil stepped out of the shop he’d been in and moved in front of Rafe. “Can’t I offer my felicitations on your engagement?”
It was always a dance with Khalil. There was always some hidden meaning to his words. Rafe had begun to wonder if his cousin’s words didn’t often hide daggers as well. “We are not engaged.”
“I am not naïve, cousin. The girl might be, but we both know this banquet isn’t simply to celebrate a business relationship or to welcome her. I suspect some very quiet, sacred words will be exchanged during the event, will they not? Are you trying to hide her and your coming handfasting from the press?”
Of course they wanted to keep the press out of this as much as possible. Piper needed to be eased into her new role. Hell, they had to figure out a way to explain her new role, but they were all terrified she would run. Rafe’s conscience plagued him. It wasn’t a question of whether she would she feel betrayed, but simply how much. But it wasn’t as if they intended to hurt her. Indeed, they would ask her to marry them…just later, after a few weeks of getting to know each other intimately. If the press wasn’t involved, then Piper might not have to know she’d been more married than not all along.
“She is simply a guest of the sheikh, important because she is helping him with the Clean Energy Project, which could be a great boon for the whole nation.”
Khalil’s dark eyes narrowed. “And none of you are sleeping with the girl?”
Not yet they weren’t. He could answer that question with complete truth. His aching cock was proof of how much he wasn’t sleeping with Piper. “Though I admit she is quite lovely, we are not sleeping with her. You know as well as I do that we must find a bride, and look we shall. We are quite aware that our time is running out.”
It was best to acknowledge the facts. If Khalil believed he was dodging, the man would get crafty.
A predatory grin crossed Khalil’s face. He was almost too thin, and his eyes were marked with dark circles, making him look older than his forty-five years. “Yes, and the parliament also knows the clock is ticking down. Perhaps you would not have this trouble if you would open discussions to change our barbaric laws.”
And the minute they did, radical religious groups would be all over it, attempting to rip out all language that made Bezakistan a secular country with a free market economy. Certain lobbyists would also love to challenge the way wealth was distributed, taking from the mere citizens and putting even more into their own already rich-beyond-compare pockets.
And Khalil would attempt to do what his father couldn’t. Take back power and place it in his own tyrannical hands.
“Too late now, so we shall muddle through.” Now it was time for a bit of deception. “Kade is going to talk to the Dutch ambassador about a possible meeting with their princess. We have a bit of time left. And we are not hideous trolls. We can always buy a bride if need be.”
Khalil’s shoulders moved in a lazy shrug. “You probably can, and I can see Talib doing that. He’s a ruthless bastard. I’m certain he has a checklist and would simply order one off the internet if he could. Kadir just wants a pretty place to put his dick on a regular basis. But you, my cousin, you are the difficult one. You are the one who, what is the phrase? Yes, you are the one who thinks with your heart, not your head. Not so smart but true. You think I don’t see the way you look at that fluffy piece of American ass?”
Before he could think, he had his cousin’s shirt wadded in his hands, hauling him forward. “You don’t ever speak of her that way. You will mind your manners around her or we will have a problem, you and I.”
Khalil’s voice was pure menace. “Yes, I can see she is just an important guest for her knowledge of energy and economics. You would never be so foolish as to marry someone for anything but political reasons, and an American would be a terrible idea. You have certainly thought this through.”
Rafe let him go. Damn, he’d made a terrible mistake. He’d lost his cool and given away something important. He took a step back, his mind racing, trying to find a way out of the trap Khalil had baited him into. “I won’t have any woman treated with disrespect, especially one who is our guest. I confess, I like Piper very much. We discussed her as a potential bride, if you must know. But Talib will never marry a commoner. So I am thinking of making Piper my mistress. If the others are going to force me into a marriage I don’t want, then I will find love where I can. I will pretend to be in love with our bride, but my mistress will always have my heart.”
“If you say so, Rafiq.” Khalil smiled smugly. “I will look forward to this evening. And I will be watching.”
Chapter Seven
Piper looked down over the banquet space. The grand hall had been completely transformed from cool and elegant to a rich, decadent space. The lights were shining, shimmering. The room was beyond splendid. The smell of spice filled the air, reminding Piper that she’d skipped lunch. The food had been brought to her, a sumptuous feast laid out for her pleasure. As she’d thought the words, she’d realized they could apply to her as well. Later this evening, she would be laid out for the al Mussad brothers, and she’d worried she was a little too sumptuous for them.
Her hands shook. She’d spent a whole afternoon preparing, ostensibly for the banquet, but she knew what the whole spa experience had really been about. She hadn’t needed a Brazilian wax to sit with dignitaries and talk economics.
“Are you all right?” Alea appeared at her side, wearing a long flowing dress in a midnight blue color. The draping of the dress perfectly suited her petite figure. Sh
e was a beauty with golden skin and deep brown eyes. Her rich chocolate-colored hair was chicly cut in a long bob that brushed the tops of her shoulders. She was so unlike the other women Piper had met. Alea was kind but deeply aloof. Now that lovely face frowned at Piper. “I can get you out of here. You don’t have to stay.”
Piper’s heart sank a little. Alea had been like this all afternoon, offering Piper transportation out of the country every time she made mention of her home or a little thing that was different between the two countries. Alea seemed genuinely fond of her cousins, but Piper couldn’t overlook the fact that the girl seemed determined to whisk her away from them. “I chose to be here, you know. This is what I want.”
Alea’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”
Piper didn’t want to play all the social games others seemed to adore. She just liked things laid out. “I chose to come to Bezakistan, and I’ll be staying for a bit. I don’t know why you don’t like me, but it shouldn’t be because you think I’m some sort of social climber. Tal and I share a passion for our project, and I’d like to get to know Rafe and Kade a bit more, too.” She felt her face flame and hurried to finish, hoping Alea didn’t notice. “I promise I’ll be good to them.”
Alea glanced down at the ballroom where at least a hundred people mingled. “I know what they have planned tonight with you. They don’t deserve you.” While Piper was busy sucking in a shocked breath, Alea turned, her hard beauty softening for the first time. “Piper, I apologize if I made you think I don’t like you. The last few years have been hard on my manners. I’ve become isolated and cynical. I like being around you very much, and I wouldn’t want to see you hurt.”