Scorched

Chapter Thirty-Eight

It was time to go home.

Rachel hadn’t heard a word from Adriane in three days. At first she’d been relieved, believing that he was coming to terms with the futility of their situation. Not quite, she found out. He’d been off on business — some complication with his brother that she knew nothing about.

So it was more time with no progress, and she’d given up hoping for any. Loneliness was consuming her and she wanted to be with her parents and the rest of her family. She had to accept that it just wasn’t going to work out, no matter how much she wanted it to.

Clutching her cell phone in her hand, she hesitated. Should she dial her brother and have him send a jet for her? She had no doubt that if she left, she wouldn’t come back, that she and Adriane would never come to an agreement. And she’d never get to know her children’s father.

Is that what she wanted? Could she accept that?

Did she have a choice?

For a short time, she’d thought that maybe there was a spark between them — something more than just a friendship. A slight shade of pink stole across her cheeks at her foolishness in feeling that way.

Though she fought to admit it, she was finding that it would be so much better if they could be…more.

Wouldn’t it be ideal if the two of them could fall in love? Indeed, but love didn’t work that way. She couldn’t just flip a switch for the two of them to simultaneously fall into a lovers’ trance without end. If only things were so easy.

Rachel’s silent torment was interrupted by an urgent knock. As she rose and approached her bedroom door, her heart picked up speed, and she wanted to kick her own ass for hoping it was Adriane on the other side. When she discovered Nico instead, she couldn’t help but feel let down.

With that raw emotion evident on her face, he offered her a sympathetic smile, which only underlined how pathetic she’d become.

“Good morning, Ms. Palazzo. The king would like to invite you to a ball tonight,” Nico said, and he held out an invitation bordered in dark blue and engraved with gold letters.

“Tonight?” she asked, glancing over at the clock and noting it was already eleven in the morning. This was late notice. And why should she accept when he’d been such an assuming ass of late? Plus, she’d already decided to go home. That was the right choice — she knew that.

“Yes. He apologizes for the delay in asking you, but there were back-to-back meetings he couldn’t step out of, and he wasn’t sure he would be able to attend the event until just a little while ago,” Nico explained.

Rachel hesitated for a moment, automatically ready to refuse because of such an inconsiderate last-minute invite on top of everything else. But what would saying no accomplish? Nothing. Maybe this was the last inning of the game and she could gain something — anything from him. Didn’t she owe this much to herself?

She wanted to bridge the gap between the two of them, not increase the miles that currently separated them. She’d never know whether she made the right decision if she didn’t give this her best effort.

“Tell him I would be pleased to meet him,” Rachel said, giving Nico a big smile.

He let out a relieved breath, and she smiled even wider.

“That is wonderful. I’ll send someone over right away to assist you in choosing your gown,” he said, efficient as ever.

Rachel normally would have rejected such assistance, being perfectly capable of dressing herself. However, she was going to an event she knew nothing about, and she didn’t want to be under- or overdressed, so she nodded her acceptance, and Nico turned to leave.

“Nico,” she called out, and he respectfully turned back toward her.

“Yes, madam?”

“Am I a fool for hoping for more?”

Rachel was surprised by her question to this man, one who hadn’t been overly friendly with her. But if anyone knew Adriane, it was Nico, as he’d been his assistant for many years. She knew he wouldn’t betray his king, but maybe he would give her just a touch of honesty.

“I would never take you for a fool, Ms. Palazzo,” he said before a slight smiled split his lips. “You are adapting quite well,” he added.

It wasn’t an answer, but for some reason his response made her feel better.

“The car will pick you up at seven,” he said with a slight bow, then left her.

The next few hours were a blur of activity as she bathed, dressed with some assistance, and did her hair and makeup, taking her time in getting ready, anticipation flowing through her.

Nervous tension filled her stomach as she made her final preparations for what felt like a defining moment in her relationship with Adriane.

If he still showed no interest in her as more than a body, and when in the public eye he was cold and distant, nothing more than a king speaking to a peasant, another obligation in a long line of obligations, then she was throwing the game and walking away.

She would contact him once the twins were born.

But if… This was a frightening thought. What ifs always were. But still, maybe the two of them could really see each other for the first time; maybe they could take a step in the right direction and be more than the parents of these two babies.

Looking in the mirror, Rachel almost didn’t recognize herself. The gown did a spectacular job of accentuating her curves, while hiding the slight bump on her stomach, focusing the attention all on her and not the babies she carried.

Her hair was left to flow down her back, strands whispering around her face and framing her expertly done-up eyes. Even her lips screamed seduction, painted blood red and glossy as they were, imitating the flare of color they took on when in the throes of passion.

This evening should be a tell-all for what she needed to know.

For, after all her going to and fro in confusion and anguish, she had decided on a bold action. She was going to make love with him. Then, when morning hit, she would have her answers. She hoped, at least, that they lasted till morning. If he walked away from her when he was finished, she didn’t think she could bear it.

Trying to calm her nerves, Rachel stepped from her room at ten minutes to liftoff, and began the long walk to the front of the palace. This was it. She was giving her all, and she prayed that Adriane was willing to accept her offer.

There was no sign of the king when she stepped into the palace foyer, and Rachel’s nerves became even more frayed. Had he changed his mind after she’d spent the entire afternoon preparing for this night?

The thought was too much to bear.

“Ms. Palazzo, King Adriane’s meeting ran over,” Nico said, “and he has asked me to escort you to the ball, to ensure your safe arrival. Please, this way.” He held out his hand, smiling at her and offering a bow of respect.

“I’m sure I can get there on my own,” she said, knowing Nico wouldn’t enjoy spending his time in her presence.

“A lady as beautiful as you cannot be out alone. You would never arrive, as suitors would be stopping you each step of the way,” he said, taking her hand and pulling it through his arm.

“You are quite the charmer, aren’t you, Nico?” she said, loving the softening he was showing toward her. Maybe he didn’t think she was the stupid American he had originally thought her to be. No, he’d never treated her with disrespect, but it had been obvious from day one that he didn’t find her suitable to stand alongside his king. Maybe, just maybe, his opinion was changing. It was odd that she cared, though.

“How can I resist a man who bestows such lavish flattery on me?” she said, laughing as he led her through the massive doors and down the steps to a waiting car.

Nico assisted her inside, then joined her, reaching for a bottle of chilled cider and pouring her a glass. The cool liquid sliding down her throat helped ease a bit of the tension in her stomach.

She and Nico chatted on the extended ride to the Fiorito mansion, and as they drew near, Rachel felt her nerves jump. The closer they approached, the more nervous she became.

What if this night was a failure and she ended up feeling like an idiot?

Then, she would go on with her life. It wasn’t the end-all, and she was too strong to wallow in pity.

“The ball is being held by a longtime friend of the royal family. It is to honor the fallen soldiers of our land, and is quite a big event each year. It would be a disgrace if some member of the royal family did not attend, which is why the king was so upset when he didn’t think he’d be able to make it. By bringing you here, he is announcing to the country that you are a very important part of his life,” Nico said as the car arrived in front of a stately residence.

It was impressive in its old-world charm, made from stone like that used at the castle, and from exquisite marble.

The driveway was lined with a canopy of lush trees, and it wound around a fountain showcasing two cupids dancing within its waters’ mist. Though Rachel had grown up with more money than most, she still found it all a little intimidating.

This was different from what she knew. It was a world of ancient bloodlines, of authority and prestige — a world that wasn’t hers.

Rachel cast off the thoughts as she accepted Nico’s hand and climbed the steps with him. Soon, she’d see Adriane, soon she’d know whether she was giving their relationship a chance, or running away.

Either way, she’d be out of the quandary she’d been in since the day he’d told her she’d be his wife.

As they walked inside the large ballroom, Rachel clung tightly to Nico’s arm and looked around with insecure doe eyes, wondering where Adriane was.

The crowd parted, and suddenly he was there, throwing his head back and laughing at something his companion must have said. The king looked so carefree for a moment that she was rendered motionless.

As if he could sense her, he turned his head, and their gazes locked. Without a word to the man he’d been conversing with, Adriane moved swiftly through the crowd, his eyes never breaking contact with hers, not for even the briefest of seconds.

An unsatisfied ache flared within the recesses of her womanhood as he reached her side, his gaze drifting down the feminine lines of her body. She felt as if he’d touched her, for his look was so intense as his eyes drank in her revealing but elegant golden gown.

When his gaze returned to her eyes, his expression was unreadable, and Rachel wondered if she’d just made an idiot of herself. She suddenly wanted to turn around and flee.

“My deepest apologizes for not accompanying you on your ride here. I only just arrived,” he said as he held out his arm.

Did she take it and swiftly move forward on her mission, or did she bolt the way she so wanted to do?

She took his arm.

“Nico has been a fine escort. Thank you, Nico,” she said, impulsively leaning over and kissing the man’s cheek. Much to her amazement, the king’s always confident adviser blushed deeply as he looked down and cleared his throat.

“The pleasure of escorting you here was all mine,” he murmured before looking back up and smiling.

“Thank you for bringing her safely, Nico. You may take the rest of the night off,” Adriane said.

Rachel wanted to grab the man and prevent his departure, suddenly feeling safer in his presence. But the moment the words left Adriane’s mouth, Nico obediently turned and left her alone with the man who wanted to marry her.

They were silent as Adriane led her to the center of the room, where couples were floating around the floor in a traditional Viennese waltz. Without a word, he pulled her into his arms as the music enveloped them. Rachel melted against his chest; they spun slowly in a circle.

“I don’t know if I can last this entire event. The way you look in that dress has taken my breath away. I want nothing more right now than to take you back to the palace, carry you to my room and slowly peel the fabric away from your flushed skin and reveal your curves in all their glory. I want to bury myself inside you, and then, when it’s all over, I want to begin again, and pleasure you all through the night.”

Rachel couldn’t say a word as she looked at the raw hunger on his face, in his eyes, and in the tenseness of his mouth, and felt his arousal pressing insistently against her stomach.

After several heartbeats, she nodded her head.

For a moment, he did nothing, as if he didn’t know what she’d just said to him with her silent gesture. When she nodded again, the breath he’d been holding exploded from his lungs; his feet stopped moving, and he bent down and claimed her sweet mouth.

Rachel didn’t care that they weren’t alone. She clung on tightly and accepted his passionate kiss. Finally, tonight she would get to feel the pleasure of lying in his arms again.

The ball couldn’t end soon enough.