Scorched (Surrender #4)(67)
Author: Melody Anne

“When do you want to leave?” Now that the euphoria of her wedding and honeymoon were over, the worry for Rachel came crashing to the forefront of everything. It was obvious that Rachel cared about Adriane, but maybe the king wasn’t capable of caring for Rachel in the same way.

Of course Ari would respect whatever decision Rachel made, but she had a feeling her sister-in-law needed her, needed all of them. If Adriane did reject her, it was going to hurt. Ari knew how much it hurt not to have the love of the man you were giving your heart to.

“Tonight?” Rafe said as he looked her way.

“Let me pack a bag.”

Family came first. Of course they would go to Rachel. There was no question where Ari’s priorities lay.

“What about Lia? Have you heard anything from her since she and Shane took off?”

“Nothing more than the email telling me they eloped. Shane has some explaining to do,” Rafe said, his eyes narrowing.

“It seems that eloping is the thing of the hour. My mother and Marco eloped, too.”

“That’s wonderful, Ari. We will send them a wedding gift,” Rafe said, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes. The call from his mother must have really shaken him up. She squeezed his arm as she tried to distract him.

“Mom did love my car…” she said with a teasing grin.

“Done.”

“I was kidding, Rafe. She will beat you over the head with a cast-iron skillet if you buy her something so extravagant,” she said. She should have known better than to make that kind of joke around her husband.

“Then I’d better get a helmet.”

Ari knew she wouldn’t be able to talk him out of it. Secretly, she was pleased with his generosity, but she didn’t want him thinking he had to do things like that. Still, her mom had given up a lot to raise Ari, and Ari could hardly deny her such a wonderful gift.

“You know, you should give Lia a break. She loves Shane and he loves her.”

The two of them were moving to the stairs as they spoke. Getting to Rachel was important, but they didn’t think that she was in danger, just that she needed them to be there with her.

“I have no issue with them marrying. But my mother is crushed that she wasn’t there. She would have liked to help Lia plan the wedding and to see her walk down the aisle.”

“Some women don’t want a fuss made,” she told him as they entered their bedroom.

“When you have a family as big as ours, that just isn’t an option,” he said.

“You’ll forgive her because you love her and Shane.” She leaned up on her tiptoes to nuzzle his neck.

“How can I stay irritated when you keep touching me?” he asked, finally softening just the tiniest bit as he wrapped his arms around her.

“You can’t. That’s the plan,” Ari told him. She reluctantly pulled back, loving that she’d been able to pull him from his dark mood.

“Thank you, Ari.”

“For what?” she asked as she reluctantly let him go and moved toward her closet.

“For knowing exactly what to say to take my stress away. You are good for me in so many ways.”

She turned and faced him. “I’m a better person for having you in my life. Now, you call the jet and have your staff ready it, and I’ll gather our clothes.”

Rafe smiled and grabbed his phone. They had a long night ahead of them, and he wasn’t about to waste it.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

ADRIANE STORMED INTO the palace, heading straight for his study with a scowl on his face. How dare she!

He’d been more than accommodating. He taken time out of his day for Rachel, much to the distress of his council during a time that his brother was making a bid for power. He had shown her his country, taking her deep into the heart of the island, showing her the farms, the small factories, the people. He’d showered her with gifts, attention, and anything else her heart desired.

Why did she have to be so contradictory? Why couldn’t she just accept that this was her life now, this was the way it needed to be?

Because she was a woman — irrational.

Adriane was glad his mother wasn’t around, and very grateful he hadn’t said his thoughts aloud. If his mother overheard him now, she’d wither him with a single look.

Rachel was in no way being abused, so what was wrong with her that she couldn’t just accept they were to wed?

He would raise his children!

Through with his chaotic thoughts, Adriane decided to douse his foul mood with a few shots of whiskey. Walking to the nearest liquor cabinet, he poured himself a generous amount and moved over to the couch.

This would all be so much easier if he could keep his feelings separate from the situation. But he couldn’t seem to do that; he couldn’t stop thinking of her, day and night.

The past few nights had been spectacular. Sex was certainly not something they had any trouble with. Quite the opposite, in fact.

All Rachel had to do was enter a room and his body hardened and his heart rate accelerated. Even after their passionate encounters, several times a day over the last few days, he hadn’t had enough — not nearly enough.

Even with anger wreaking havoc inside him, he was still hard for her, still wanted to haul her off to bed and ravish her again and again. Perhaps it would be easier for him to tie her up in the bedroom, the only place he seemed to have any control over her.

Would their children suffer if he continued to insist on this marriage? Was she really that unhappy with him? He’d thought he was being good to her, but maybe she still believed him a monster.

How could she make love to him night after night if she despised him?

Even as the thought flitted through Adriane’s mind, he knew he had used women before. He’d lain with many — a long line of nameless faces — just to have his needs met.

Walking away from those nameless faces hadn’t been difficult to do, not even a little.

So was that what she was doing? Was she scratching her itch, so to speak?

The thought made his chest feel hollow. But why should he care? If it made her stay, he didn’t need to have her be in love with him. Love could end in hate; it could end in bitterness and divorce. Wouldn’t it be even harder for him if he got to spend every day with his children for a few years only to have them taken away when she decided she’d had enough?

No, it was wiser to not involve love.

He felt confident in his conclusions.

But as he stood there, he felt somehow empty at such a thought. Gazing out the window, he realized it was too late for him. He didn’t know if this was love, but he did feel something for her. It wasn’t just friendship, and it wasn’t just great sex.