Scorched

Chapter Twenty-Four

Would you please accompany me on a date tonight?

Adriane.

Rachel looked at the note with suspicion. What was this new game? Was he actually attempting to court her? That made no sense. Was he asking because now there were witnesses around and he was afraid that one wrong move would send her away from the island on the next available boat or chopper?

Did it matter?

No. Not really. She was determined to get to know this man as much as she could for the sake of her unborn children. If it took going out on a date with him to accomplish her goals, then that is what she needed to do.

“Tell the king I would be pleased to accompany him,” she told the servant who was standing by awkwardly while awaiting Rachel’s response.

The girl beamed a smile her way before telling Rachel the time to be ready and then giving a small curtsy and scuttling away to inform her king that his message had received a positive response.

Rachel supposed she’d been a little harsh with the palace staff, but what else should they expect when she was held against her will? Of course she would be testy.

Upon finishing her bath a couple of hours later, Rachel stepped into her room, then stopped at the sight before her. Hanging on a rack that must have been brought in while she’d been soaking in the deep tub was an incredible red gown.

Walking to it, she smiled as her hand ran along the silky fabric, which was dotted with shining crystals. The skirt was full, and the dress looked like a perfect fit.

Since she’d been brought here without anything formal of her own, she hadn’t even thought about what she would wear, but Adriane had apparently taken care of that matter.

She could be bratty and refuse to wear the lovely gown, but deep down she wanted to put it on, so she relented. Carefully taking the gown off the hanger, she slipped on a pair of her fancy undergarments, then stepped into the dress, sliding the side zipper up before turning to look in the mirror.

It was stunning, and it made her feel like...royalty, actually.

The gown’s top dipped low in front, hugging her chest and waist before flaring at her hips, hiding the small bump that was forming on her lower stomach and accenting her femininity and sex appeal. She stepped into the crystal-covered heels with delicate straps that completed the outfit.

She was starting to really look forward to her night out.

“This is not a date — just a night to get to know Adriane better,” she said aloud to her reflection in the mirror.

She would have to remind herself of that often if she hoped to keep her heart untouched. It would be too easy to be swept off her feet in her condition. Stupid hormones.

After applying a fresh coat of lip gloss, Rachel was ready when she heard a knock on her door. She turned just in time to see Adriane step through her doorway, and it took a moment for her to catch her breath.

Standing before her in a hand-tailored tuxedo and holding a single rose in his hand, Adriane was drop-dead gorgeous. It didn’t hurt that he was looking at her with unalloyed pleasure.

She’d have to fight to remember that they would never be more than friends.

“You are exquisite,” he whispered as he approached, the rose dangling in his fingers.

“Thank you, Adriane. You look very debonair,” she replied, the intensity of his expression making her cast her eyes shyly downward.

“But something is missing,” he said, and her head snapped back up.

As she looked quizzingly at him, he pulled a small box from his pocket, making Rachel take a step back. He hadn’t spoken of marriage all week. She really hoped he wasn’t about to start again — especially with a ring. It would kill her chances of going out tonight, and she was very much looking forward to it.

When she didn’t make a move to take the box, Adriane opened it and held it out. Inside were a breathtaking pair of ruby and diamond earrings, the gems sparkling in the light of the room as he moved the box toward her.

“These will match your gown to perfection,” he said as he took her hand tenderly and turned it palm up, placing the small box in the center before releasing her fingers.

Rachel clutched the box carefully, afraid of dropping it. Never before had she received such a lovely gift. Yes, she’d received her share of amazing presents, but never such an expensive — and beautiful — piece of jewelry.

“I can’t take these, Adriane,” she said. It wouldn’t be right, even if she really did want to wear them.

“Of course you can,” he countered as he slowly turned her around, leading her to the large mirror of her vanity.

He reached into the box, which she was still holding in her hand, pulled out one of the earrings and handed it to her. “Put them on. I want to see how they look.”

She should refuse again, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. She removed the simple gold hoops from her ears and replaced them with the earrings he’d just presented her with.

Adriane was right: they matched the dress as if they had been made just for it. Indeed, they probably had. Turning her head, she couldn’t stop her smile as the light sparked off the jewels decorating her small ears and danced in the mirror.

“They are stunning, and I’ll wear them tonight, but I won’t keep them.” She thought that was a fitting compromise, the right thing to do.

“I told you, they are yours. This will complete the outfit,” he said as he placed his hands around her neck. Then she felt the cool touch of metal at her throat as he closed a clasp. Looking in the mirror, she was awed by the matching necklace he’d just put on her.

“Oh, Ian,” she gasped, reverting to the name she’d called him during their brief affair. “This is simply beautiful. We can argue later about it,” she said as her fingers ran along the jewels in the necklace.

The set had to have cost a fortune. This wasn’t a gift you gave to a friend, and since she didn’t plan to be anything more than that with him, she couldn’t rightfully keep it. But, hey, she’d feel like a superstar tonight.

“My lady,” he said as he held out his arm. Slipping her arm into his was easy as he led her from the room and straight out of the palace, where a limo awaited them.

Climbing inside, Rachel accepted a glass of sparkling water, then sat back and waited for their night to begin. She had to remind herself again that this was just a night out with a friend when his leg brushed against hers, sending shivers down her spine.

If she hadn’t slept with him before, she wouldn’t know what she was missing now. Of course, if she hadn’t slept with him before, she wouldn’t be here now. The only reason he was entertaining her was because she carried his children. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have anything to do with her. She was just a girl from the States, not someone worthy of being his queen. It would do her well to remember that.

But still, they spent a pleasant evening at a nice restaurant, then watched the opening night of a new musical, one with exquisite costumes and sublime vocal talent, and a full orchestra. The music was touching on many levels, and though she couldn’t understand the words, she could fully understand the mood they were conveying. The cast was thrilled when Adriane went backstage and congratulated them on an enjoyable show.

What a pleasure it was for Rachel to see firsthand how much his people adored him. The performers treated him with absolute hero worship, and their manner toward her was very flattering, as well. They must figure that anyone worthy of sharing the company of their king was someone they wanted to know.

If only they knew how wrong they were.

Still, she didn’t feel out of place. Adriane kept her at his side, included her in the conversations, and made her feel special. She wished he weren’t quite so good at that. This was the charming man she’d fallen fast for in Florida, the man who had made her laugh during the day, and cry out in pleasure during the night.

This was the man she’d had a hard time walking away from.

She just hoped it wasn’t so difficult this time, because she knew they weren’t right for each other.

He was a king, for goodness sake, not just an average man she could marry and spend the rest of her life with. Even if she wanted to marry him, it would never be just the two of them. He would always be owned by his people, and so would she. That wasn’t a responsibility she wanted.

Did that make her a bad person?

Maybe. But it wasn’t something she cared to analyze too closely.

One thing she was discovering about Adriane, however, was that he was made to be a king. He was confident with his title, the people loved him, and he would rule this country fairly. She felt pride in knowing him — even if it was for a short time.

“That was pretty fascinating to watch,” Rachel said as they walked from backstage, making their way from the theater.

“Yes, it was an entertaining performance,” he agreed.

“No. That’s not what I meant. You are good with your people, Adriane. It’s obvious that you care about them.”

Adriane stopped and turned to face her. “I do love my people, Rachel. This kingdom has done well through the years when others have faltered. The reason it’s done so well is, quite honestly, because of the people. They work hard even in the worst of times. They are dedicated to Corythia, and they are good to my family. There isn’t anything in my power I won’t do for them.”

“Then they are very lucky to have you,” she said, meaning it.

“And I them.”

Together they resumed their walk, the doors opening to a virtual mob scene out front. “I’m sorry, Rachel. Word must have leaked out that we were here.” He pulled her closer and his guards and a group of police moved in, blocking the people from overwhelming them.

“They’re just excited to see you,” she said, in a bit of awe as cameras flashed and people called out to their king, asking who Rachel was and whether Adriane could answer questions.

He smiled at the people, spoke a few words in French to tell the crowd he’d like to escort his companion home, and then moved forward, toward the limo.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rachel noticed a commotion, and she turned her head in time to see a small child being knocked to the ground. The people around him were so focused on the king that they didn’t notice that the boy was about to get trampled.

Before she was able to pull from Adriane’s grasp and rush over to the child, Adriane let her go and took a few quick steps, surging into the crowd, much to the dismay of his guards. He scooped up the boy, who couldn’t have been more than six or seven years old, and pulled him from the crowd, then returned to Rachel.

The boy had bruised his cheek in the fall, and there was a tear on his face as he leaned his head against Adriane’s shoulder.

“Oh, sweetie, you must have been so scared,” Rachel said, extending her hand and gently running her finger down his cheek. When he looked back at her blankly, she realized he would have no idea what she was saying.

“Mon Roi,” he whispered as he raised his eyes and looked worshipfully at Adriane.

“What did he say?” Rachel asked, continuing to smile at the boy’s little face.

“My king,” Adriane replied, then spoke to the boy. “Où est ta mère?” Where is your mother?

“Elle est dans la foule. Nous sommes venus ici aujourd’hui pour voir notre roi, mais il y a tellement de gens ici que je me suis perdu,” he answered in a frightened voice.

“What did he say?” Rachel again asked, determined to start learning French. Otherwise, her children would learn and then talk behind her back. That wasn’t going to happen.

“He is here with his mother. The two of them got separated as the crowd grew,” Adriane told her.

The guard approached with the boy’s mother, and Adriane started to hand him over when the boy clutched his neck and said, “Je vous aime, Sire.” I love you, Sire.

Rachel had picked up enough of the language to know those words. Her eyes welled up with tears as Adriane whispered in the boy’s ear, something that made him laugh in delight while he went back to his mother.

The woman bowed to Adriane before the guards escorted both her and her son to safety. Adriane waved one last time to the crowd and then helped Rachel into the car.

As she sat across from him on the quiet ride back to the palace, looking at him in a new light, Rachel was filled with a sense of fear.

Whether she wanted to fall in love with this man or not, she might have no choice. The more she learned about him, the harder it would be to keep her heart guarded.

She’d seen both the good side and the bad side of Adriane. The good was starting to outweigh the bad — outweigh it in a huge way.

Rachel was in trouble.

Her heart might indeed get shattered as she continued on this quest to know the man who had fathered her children.

Still, it was a quest she had to continue, no matter the consequences. She owed that much to her unborn babies.