“I’m right here. You can speak to me,” she said, a bit ashamed when the doctor flinched slightly, but still royally annoyed to be spoken about as if she weren’t in the room.
“I apologize, Ms. Palazzo. ” He bowed and scooted back.
“What does the fainting mean?” Adriane asked.
The doctor turned his attention back to Rachel and perused his notes to form the best answer to the question.
Adriane looked on at the scene. His physician wouldn’t argue with his king, no matter what, but also he had to treat his patient with respect. No, only Rachel would argue with him — in fact, continually fight him, Adriane thought — and she wasn’t afraid to push or defy him each step of the way. This might be one of the reasons he couldn’t seem to stop thinking about her.
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What did that say about him?
“I think the fainting was just low iron, Rachel. You need to try to eat more whenever you are feeling well enough to take in food. You also need to rest more. The swelling in your feet demonstrates, of course, that your body is holding water. There is nothing damaging or life-threatening to you or to the baby right now, but your blood pressure is slightly high. Remember that you’re carrying another life within you now, and some mothers have it easier than others. You have to give your body time to adjust. Other than that, you should be fine,” Dr. Ricord assured her.
“Thank you. I’m sorry for snapping,” she said. Damn him for being so kind to her!
“I understand,” he said with a pat on her hand. Then he packed up his tools and left her alone in the room.
“Take me back to the resort now!” she demanded.
Adriane smiled at her, and she was surprised he was suddenly so accommodating. When he walked to the door and held it open, she followed him.
They got into the car and Nico began driving. All the upheaval and tension of the last hour and a half got to Rachel and she leaned her head back, telling herself she would close her eyes for only a moment.
Soon, she’d be back at the resort and the wedding could start. She didn’t think they would begin without her. She thought for a minute of calling them and letting them know she was on her way, but she didn’t even have her purse, let alone her cell phone.
Rachel involuntarily fell asleep against the seat. It was a huge mistake, she would later find.
* * * * *
As they arrived at his jet, Adriane thanked the heavens for Rachel’s slumber. When she woke up, she wasn’t going to be happy with him, but at least he didn’t have to deal yet with the fight that was sure to come. Being careful not to wake her, he lifted her into his arms and climbed aboard, letting his staff know not to make a sound.
He took his seat, still holding her cradled in his arms. If they could just get into the air…
“Sir, we’ve been cleared for takeoff,” his pilot’s voice came over the speaker, making Adriane tense. The one person he’d forgot to tell not to make a sound. Rachel stirred, but didn’t open her eyes.
As the jet lifted into the air, Rachel became more restless in his arms. And the reality of his situation was hitting him with full force.
He was going to be a father.
It was both exhilarating and terrifying.
Now he just had to convince Rachel that she was his — and only his. They would wed no matter how much she fought him, no matter what he had to do to get her to walk down that aisle.
Convincing her of this fact would be stimulating and a challenge. The woman made him feel emotions he’d never experienced before. She made him feel like a man, not just a royal with specific and often tiresome duties.
Yes, he liked her fight, liked that she couldn’t simply be placed into a box. And he had to admit that he was looking forward to their inevitable altercations.
He also liked to win, and with a prize as valuable as the heir to his country, this was one battle he wouldn’t back down from.
Still, the journey the two of them would take was well worth traveling.
His hand brushed her hair from her forehead as he looked into her sleeping face. She was a true beauty, a real gem. He would never allow her to escape.
CHAPTER THREE
RACHEL WAS WARM and cozy. As she drifted up from the deep lake of sleep, she struggled to hold on to its blissfulness.
But, no. Something jostled her, and she knew that no matter how badly she wanted and needed to stay asleep, it was over. Stretching her arms, she hit solid muscle. What?
Her eyes finally creaked open and she tried to focus in the harsh light. When the blurriness faded, she locked eyes with Adriane and instantly stiffened. What was she doing sitting on his lap, leaning into him?
“You’re just fine, Rachel. You simply had a little nap,” he said, stroking her back.
Rachel tried to focus on Adriane. Where was she? Why was she with him? As she woke up all the way, the night came back with the violence of a slamming door and she pulled away, nearly falling on her butt in her haste to jump out of Adriane’s arms.
“What’s going on, Adriane?” She looked around the roomy jet in puzzlement.
“You were just having a little dream, darling,” he said. It was obvious she hadn’t quite figured out where she was yet. She’d be a whole lot more upset when that happened.
“I’m not your darling,” she said, and sat down on the chair across from him.
“Oh, Rachel, you most certainly are,” Adriane said.
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A shiver passed through her. If only she weren’t so attracted to him — hating him was so difficult. But did she want to hate the father of her child? No. Of course not. She just wanted to find a happy medium, be able to breathe normally in his presence, and then work out what she was going to do next.
“We were in the car,” she said, confused as she again looked around. Adriane could see she was starting to get her bearings. This wasn’t going to end well.
As she looked around the jet, they suddenly hit a pocket of turbulence, and that’s when she noticed the vibration. She looked toward the curtained windows and her eyes widened. This wasn’t a normal room. The curved walls, the small window openings, the confined space…
“Are we on a plane?” she asked with an exasperated gasp.
“You need to remember what the doctor told you back at the villa. You have to keep your blood pressure down, and fighting with me will surely raise it,” he said in a quiet, calming tone.
“I am trying really hard right now not to freak out, Adriane, but I swear by all that’s holy that if you’ve kidnapped me, my blood pressure is going to go straight through my head and explode,” she said, gritting her teeth.
“I’m taking you home for a little while. I have to take care of you. ” Adriane prayed that the remark didn’t send her into another faint.
“The doctor said I need to not get stressed or overexert myself, so I’m trying really, really hard not to yell right now, but all I want to do at the moment is reach out and strangle you,” she said, fire returning to her eyes.
“I just want to make sure that all is well with you and our child. It’s important that I look after you. I won’t bring up our wedding until you’re feeling better,” he said, offering his idea of a compromise.
“I will be just fine looking after myself,” she told him.
“Please try to understand. My country is in upheaval right now with the death of my father, and my brother making a play for the throne. I must return home — it is my duty — but I can’t leave you behind if your health and that of my child are not at one hundred percent. You are my duty, too,” he said. He couldn’t back down from this and leave her behind. She was too important.
“I am nobody’s duty, Adriane. I demand that you turn this plane around this second. ” She looked toward the cockpit and considered pounding on the thick doors and informing the pilots that their king
had kidnapped her. Yeah, right. That would do a lot of good.
In their eyes, as in the eyes of everyone who worked for him, Adriane could do no wrong. She didn’t see that she had a whole lot of choices right now.
Why had she let her exhaustion overwhelm her? If she’d only stayed awake, she wouldn’t be in this mess. Yes, Adriane was stronger than she was, but surely she could outrun him — even tired and pregnant.
OK, she didn’t know if she could, but she would have made a valiant effort.
Her eyes still narrow, Rachel looked from him to all points of exit on the jet. Adriane watched her under his eyelids just in case she tried to do something foolish, but he tried to portray a man at ease. He felt relief enough that she wasn’t screaming, that she didn’t seem to be getting overly upset. Maybe she would compromise with him. As well she might; he was doing her an amazing favor by bending at all. He’d prefer to march her straight to the altar, but she certainly wasn’t making things easy for him even just to talk to her. He was already working on a new strategy.
For now, however, it would suffice to have her under his roof, where he could ensure her health and know her whereabouts. Where he could force her to communicate.
“Your country’s problems are not my concern, Adriane,” she said. At the hurt that flickered briefly in his eyes, Rachel felt a pang of remorse. She shouldn’t, though. The man had taken her against her will, and she had a lot of other grievances against him. If his feelings were hurt, that should be just too bad, because he’d been nothing but a bully since returning to her life. And yet…and yet she didn’t like to hurt anyone intentionally, and it was obvious that her words had done just that.
“I would like for them to be your concern, since they will be the concern of our baby,” he said after a long pause.
“I get that our child will be a part of your life. I can see that you aren’t going to accept anything less than being an active father, but that doesn’t mean the two of us have to be friends, or even have to deal with each other at all. Many children grow up happy when their parents aren’t together. ”
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“That’s just not how it’s done in Corythia, Rachel. You carry the heir. He needs to be raised to know and love his land,” Adriane insisted.
“Would you stop saying ‘he’?” she growled. “That is driving me crazy!”
Adriane’s eyes grew round, and then a grin split his face as he lifted his hand and brushed back her hair.
“I love that you have such spirit, Rachel. It’s unbelievably sexy,” he said, wanting so badly to reach over and take her lips. If he hadn’t feared that she might bite him, he would have done just that. Hell, it might have been worth it, anyway.
“Don’t try to distract me, Adriane. I’m angry with you,” she said, but he watched as her breathing quickened.
He enjoyed seeing that he still affected her as much as she affected him. But he also knew that she’d rather eat dirt than admit that to him.
“I like distracting you,” he murmured, his hand sliding down her face and then caressing her shoulder and arm as he sat down next to her.
“Adriane…” she warned.
“Yes?”
“Stop touching me. You’re making my blood pressure spike again. ”
Adriane immediately withdrew his hand, though it was exceedingly difficult for him to do so. After the doctor had examined her again, he would be doing a lot more touching, in a lot more-intimate places.
“I will back off if you stop fighting me long enough to come and see our child’s birthright. Don’t you want to see his — I mean, the baby’s land?”
Rachel was furious, but as she had to keep her blood pressure down, and as they were already on the jet, she really didn’t have a lot of choices at the moment. Once they landed… Well, that was a different story.
“Am I free to leave the minute I want?” she asked, looking him in the eye so she could detect if he was being anything but honest.
“Rachel…” he began.
“I swear, I’ll call in the U. S. military, Adriane,” she threatened.
“Not if you can’t get to a phone,” he countered with a small grin.
“Oh, I have ways,” she warned him. She also had a family that would move heaven and earth to get to her. She wasn’t concerned about her rescue. She might have little choice but to play his game, but he’d discover soon enough that it was a game he would lose.
“We will discuss your departure later if you still feel like leaving,” he said.
Rachel knew exactly what he was doing. He was trying to pacify her with vague promises. OK, she would let him believe it was working. If he thought she’d surrendered to his will, it would be so much easier to make her escape. Still, she couldn’t help but make one more snarky comment, damning her plan as soon as she’d formed it.
“I’m not going to fight you any further right now, because I’m smart enough to listen to what the doctor has said. But don’t think it means that you’re off the hook, Adriane. When I get the all clear from the doctor, we’re going to have one hell of a battle. That’s a promise. ”
Then, before he could answer, she stood up and moved to the back of the jet. She had no doubt that there was a bed aboard, and she was going to find it. All the fighting had drained what little energy she had left, and since she was stuck here, she was going to at least try to catch up on her sleep.
He tried to talk to her, but she just hummed as she walked away, finding a room and closing the door behind her. She was sure the king of Corythia didn’t appreciate her less-than-respectful treatment of him, but the poor sap would just have to get used to it.
Adriane found himself wanting to chase after her to teach her a few lessons on royal behavior. Her health was the only thing stopping him from doing just that.
As soon as she was better, though…
That thought made him smile as he kicked back on the sofa. Yes, they would certainly battle when she was back in full health, and Adriane was a fine warrior.
CHAPTER FOUR
RAFE PACED THE small room while he waited for his family. It was supposed to be his wedding day, the day Ari would become his wife, the day he’d have her for all time. He didn’t deserve this day — but, miraculously, Ari had said yes, and she was going to be his.
Though not today.
Instead, his tuxedo was rumpled, his tie cast aside, the top buttons of his shirt undone, and fury rolled off him in waves. How dare Adriane take Rachel! The man would pay for this betrayal.
“She’ll be fine, Rafe. ”
His heart calmed at the gentle sound of Ari’s voice, and at her sweet touch as she wrapped her arms around him from behind and smoothed her hands up his stomach, resting them on his chest.
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“I’m sorry our day has been ruined, Ari,” he said softly as he turned, pulling her closer to cradle her head against his chest.
“It’s not ruined — just postponed. I could marry you wearing cutoff shorts and a tank top in a grungy courthouse in front of a hung-over justice of the peace. It’s not the wedding that matters, Rafe. It’s having you as my husband for eternity,” she said as she lifted her head and looked deep into his eyes. “Or at least the next eighty years. ”
“I’m so grateful you saw through the bad, Ari, so happy that you have forgiven me. I love you beyond the limits of speech, and I will have you as my wife. Thank you for putting the needs of Rachel above everything else. Most brides wouldn’t be so accommodating,” he said as he leaned down and ran his lips across hers in a brief kiss.
“Rachel is one of my best friends, and she would do the same for me. I could never have a wedding without her being there, even a courthouse wedding. I honestly don’t care where we marry as long as the people we love are with us. Let’s make sure she is well, and then we will become husband and wife. ”
Rafe ran his
fingers through her silky hair, his eyes trying to convey to her all the emotions bottled up inside him. How he loved this woman.
“Son?”
Rafe turned to find his mother and father standing by the door, their eyes dimmed with worry, and everything was brought back into focus. Being in Ari’s arms soothed him, but right now, he didn’t need to be soothed, he needed to find answers, and seeing the strain on his family members’ faces prompted him to find those answers fast.
“I’m sorry, Dad, for springing this on you. We had no idea what was going on until Ari and Lia came to check on Rachel and found her gone. Here’s the note that was left by Adriane. I’ve done business with him for years, and he recently ascended the throne after his father passed. I was unaware that he’d ever met Rachel,” Rafe said with disgust, and he handed the note over to his parents.
After a brief pause, his father looked up, almost shell-shocked.
“Why…what…I don’t understand,” Martin said, the note hanging limply from his fingers.
“I don’t either, Dad,” Rafe said, helplessly. It wasn’t like him not to have the answers. He was always the one on top of every situation. To be put in this position of weakness now infuriated him all over again.
“Let me try to explain,” Ari said, releasing Rafe and leading the group to a sitting area. She felt slightly awkward telling Rafe’s family what was going on with Rachel, but since Lia wasn’t back yet, she had to shoulder the burden.
“Please do, darling,” Rosabella said as she sat down.
“Rachel met Adriane, knowing him only as Ian, about three months ago while she was in Florida. They…uh…clicked,” Ari said cautiously.
“Clicked?” Rosabella asked.
“I don’t think you really want details,” Ari said, completely mortified and instantly blushing crimson.
“No, cara. I think that would be a little too much for me,” Rosabella agreed.
“They got along really well, and they spent the week together. Then Rachel left and started her job in Italy, thinking she was never going to see him again. Well, it turned out that Adriane had discovered a…um…well, a…broken condom,” Ari choked out, the red on her cheeks turning an even deeper hue.
Rafe scowled at her and she just shrugged. It wasn’t her fault that she was talking about condoms. If he had a problem with it, then he really needed to take it up with his sister. Ari was just the messenger, and she was filling them in on the essential facts with as little detail as possible.