Compromising Kessen (The Vandenbrook #1)(52)
Author: Rachel Van Dyken

Kessen took a minute to pretend to ponder the idea, when what she wanted to do was scream like a little girl. Her obsession with these books was well on its way to being a little much.

“Deal.” She reached out her hand to grab his, but stopped when she heard a faint yelling in the background.

Both she and Christian turned to see Duncan and Nick on the other side of the door with paintball guns in their arms and at least four layers of clothing on.

Duncan put his gun down and lifted up a sign that said “WAR.”

Then Nick nodded his head and did a little “I’m watching you” gesture, while he held up another sign that said “Run and hide … here we come.”

Kessen didn’t need to be told twice; she quickly pushed Christian down and made a run for the front of the house, where she figured the door would still be unlocked. Christian yelled at her as she ran around the corner. The last thing she heard was the sound of paintball guns going off and him screaming expletives into the night sky.

She made it to the front door and was accurate in her assumption. It was open. She ran up the stairs and locked her bedroom door, then looked out her window. Pinned to the ground with paintball stains covering his designer jeans was Christian. He had a sign on his back that read, “Ransom.”

Kessen laughed and yelled down to Nick and Duncan, who were at the moment dancing around the fire as if they were wild Indians.

“What will it take for you to let him go?” she yelled as loudly as she could.

Duncan looked up first. “Payment, princess. Payment.”

Interesting turn of events. “What type of payment?”

Duncan looked stumped; he punched Nick in the shoulder. They talked in hushed tones for a few minutes before Nick yelled up at her, “We will give you Christian if you promise not to speak to him until the wedding.”

She shook her head. “Impossible. That’s not even nice, and honestly it’s more than four days away!”

Nick looked guiltily to the ground, and Duncan began whistling.

“Isn’t it?” Kessen yelled. “Boys!” This time they cringed when her voice reached their ears.

Nick cleared his throat. “It’s been moved.”

Kessen put her hands over her eyes. “Please tell me you’re referring to something other than my wedding.”

She thought she heard Christian moan.

Duncan began untying Christian slowly; he used the time to explain the situation. “We were having it on Sunday, because Christian’s sister was going to be here, but she can’t make it. So now Lady Newberry has decided to move the wedding to Friday night.”

Kessen felt ill. “But it’s Tuesday night!”

By now Christian was untied but a little too sore to move from his current position. “Whasdmoes if da.”

“What did he say?” she yelled.

Duncan interpreted, “He said, ‘What’s one or two more days?’”

The man had a point. Either way they were getting married, but she wasn’t ready. Not at all. That meant Friday she would be married. That was two less days to get to know Christian or make him fall in love with her, or at least somehow get him to admit it.

But then again, she wasn’t admitting it, either.

Now she was back where she started. Both of them were stubborn idiots, and neither willing to take the giant leap love asked of them.

“I refuse your demand of silence!” she cried.

Nick gave Duncan a little signal. Duncan began wrapping the rope around Christian.

“Ugh, fine!” Kessen yelled. “How about a compromise? I won’t speak to him the day before or the day of the wedding?”

Nick and Duncan whispered, and then shook hands.

“Done!” they yelled in unison up to her.

“Good! Now let Christian go. He’s had a rough day, what with that badger nearly killing him.”

Christian moaned again as Duncan and Nick shot him questioning glances.

At least now Kessen had an excuse to stay in her bedroom and sleep rather than stay up all night with Christian. That would have been a terrible idea, and he knew it.

As she drifted off to sleep, a smile plastered itself across her face as she thought about what Nick and Duncan would say when Christian explained to them he ran from a woodland creature.

****

Kessen breathed in the morning air as she rose from her bed. Her curtains were still drawn, and she wasn’t at all surprised when she looked out her window and saw Duncan, Nick, and Christian lying in sleeping bags by a smoking fire.

A camp out, of course.

It was most likely a dare for Christian to be a real man and sleep with the woodland creatures rather than let his fiancée scare them off with rocks. It must have worked, because they all looked as peaceful as could be.

An odd warming sensation bubbled in her chest when she looked at Christian’s perfect face. She had never watched him sleep before, not that she was one to do that to anyone, since it was creepy and all, but still she couldn’t help but stare at him.

He had the face of what she imagined a fallen angel would look like. His skin was perfectly stretched across strong cheekbones and a commanding nose. His eyes, although closed, boasted long eyelashes. Not that she would see it from her window, but she knew they were long, and silently wondered to herself what they would feel like brushing up against her cheek.

His lips were another story. They were too sensual for their own good and simply didn’t belong on a man. It wasn’t at all fair. They were plump and deliciously shaped.

A snore broke her concentration as she looked at Nick who, mouth wide open, was making ungodly breathing sounds. With the spell of her silent appreciation of Christian’s body gone, she moved on to the bathroom and got ready for the day.

****

Christian hadn’t seen Kessen all day; the reason could have been she was hiding from him after shamelessly handing his head to the paintball gods on a silver platter.

It was around three in the afternoon before they finally crossed paths.

“Where have you been?” he accused, not understanding the sudden urgency of why he needed to know her whereabouts.

“Reading.” Kessen shrugged, then walked on past.

Was she avoiding him? Playing hard to get?

“Thanks for last night,” he said leadingly, hoping she would take the bait and at least try to engage in conversation with him.

She quickly turned on her heel to face him. “Last night?”

Oh, so she was going to play innocent. Fine.

“Yes, last night.” He crossed his arms. “Should I refresh your memory?”