Melody Anne - Scorched

“She fainted while we were at the resort. It took her about five minutes to wake. I want to have everything tested,” Adriane told the doctor.

“Of course, Sire,” Dr. Ricord said. He slipped a cuff on her arm and, having taken her blood pressure, listened to her heart rate at the same time.

Several minutes passed as he also checked her breathing and temperature, plus other matters of significance, while asking the occasional question. How was she sleeping? How much was she eating? Did certain foods trigger her nausea?

She answered each one, growing more frustrated as time passed. Rafe and Ari were supposed to be getting married in about half an hour. She was barely going to make it in time.

“She’s breathing well, and her color is only slightly flushed,” the doctor told Adriane as he jotted down notes about Rachel’s condition.

“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.

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.

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.

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.