Melody Anne - Scorched

The party moved outside, and the guests formed a double line for the newly married couple to walk through. Everyone was armed with rice to throw over the heads of the happy pair as a symbol of fertility and prosperity, though with Rafe’s billions, they didn’t need any luck in the latter department.

When Ari reappeared with Rafe at her side on the other side of the rice throwing wall of people, the newlyweds made sure to give Rachel a parting “gift”: yet another firm lecture, letting her know she was to call them the moment she wanted to leave Corythia.

Though Ari hoped that Rachel and Adriane could work through their differences, she wasn’t taking any chances. The king had already held her dear friend captive once. He wouldn’t be allowed to do it again.

The women shed goodbye tears; the men stood by somewhat uncomfortably and shook hands. Rafe certainly didn’t trust Adriane, but he was going to respect his sister’s wishes.

As Rafe and Ari left, a silence descended on the other two couples. Rachel wasn’t even looking at Adriane, and then in a flash, she disappeared once again, feeling that her room was the safest place to hide for the moment.

Shane and Lia were left alone when Adriane stomped off. The rest of the crowd began to leave the palace, their stomachs full and their smiles genuine. It had been a lovely wedding and reception.

“Does this mean we are together now, Lia?” Shane asked as he grasped her hand and led her to a more private area in the palace. As exciting as their earlier lovemaking had been, he was eager to be where he could slow things down and make love to her the way a woman deserved.

“It means that I’m tired of fighting how I feel. I don’t know what the future has in store, but I just know I want to be with you right now,” she admitted.

Shane was surprised when a blush stole over her cheeks. Lia hadn’t been the blushing type in more than a decade. Her years of shyness had been pushed away, and Lia had never looked back, liking the woman she was now so much better than the shy teenager she’d been. Now she was confident, brave and ready for any new challenge thrown her way.

“Marry me, Lia.”

Shane was shocked when the words popped out of his mouth, but when he had no desire to take them back, he knew it was the right thing to say, the right time to ask her to be his wife.

She turned and looked at him, her expression dazed, but not horrified. That was a start.

“You’re just carried away by the moment, Shane. We haven’t solved any of our problems yet, just masked them in a flurry of lovemaking,” she warned.

“I don’t care. We can get through the problems, work them out as we go along. I don’t care if we fight or don’t agree on everything. I don’t care what tomorrow holds. As long as I know I’m coming home to you, I can face anything,” he said.

She was silent as she looked into his eyes, just the two of them standing together in a large palace ballroom as the lights were dimmed and the music from the joyous party played back in Lia’s head.

“Shane…” She seemed to not know what to say.

“Don’t give me all the reasons it can’t work. I’ve known you half your life. I love you, Lia — more than any other soul on this earth, past or future. You have admitted you love me too, so why can’t we just stop playing games and be together? The two of us can jet off to Las Vegas and get married right now, then tell our families about it later. I just want you by my side for the rest of our lives.”

She looked at him with wide eyes before a beautiful smile overtook her features. “I do want to marry you,” she said before throwing her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her and kissing him with an unquenchable and fathomless need.

Shane reluctantly pulled back from her. “That wasn’t a yes, Lia. Are you saying yes?” His eyes gleamed.

Did she want to say yes? Of course she did! Was she going to let her fears stop her? Lia thought about it.

“Yes, Shane. That’s a yes. I may change my mind, think this is a bad idea, but right now, all I can think about is marrying you,” she said, beaming up at him.

“Then I had best hurry,” he said, abandoning the idea of going back to his hotel as he called a driver to pick them up.

Before Lia had time to think, he had her in the car and was driving to the helipad, where they could immediately be transported to his jet.

“What about our bags?” she asked with a laugh as she stepped from the helicopter and it flew away, zipping across the dark sea.

“We can have them shipped to us. I’m not taking any chances that you’ll change your mind again,” he said, pulling her close to shield her from the sharp wind picking up around them.

Lia snuggled close in his arms, drunk on what she was feeling in these moments. She did love him. All of the worries she had were still there, but they were tucked away. She wanted to be this man’s wife. She might end up losing him tomorrow, but at least she’d have him now.

Their travels went quickly, and soon she was in a jet, lifting into the air — destination, Las Vegas. She felt only a twinge of regret that she was sneaking off to elope. Her family would forgive her — she hoped.

As the jet flew smoothly across the dark, starlit skies, Lia nestled into Shane’s arms, falling asleep with her head resting comfortably against his steadily beating heart.

This was where she belonged, and nothing the two of them could do from this moment on would be wrong.

How could it be anything less than perfect when it felt so right?

Shane knew their problems would still be there when they woke up after this act of impulse, but he didn’t care.

When they faced tomorrow, they’d be man and wife.

Sure, Rafe might try to throttle him, but it would be well worth it.

Holding Lia close, he relaxed, feeling good for the first time since he’d lost his friend. Maybe it was time to turn in his resignation to the military.

He’d loved his time of service, felt he’d done a lot of good over the years, but now he had a new life to forge, a new life that would include his very beautiful wife.

First, he’d marry her, then take her to buy the biggest diamond he could find. He wanted the world to know she belonged to him — forever.

Shane fell asleep with his head against the seat of the jet’s superbly comfortable couch and with a very content and warm Lia held securely to him.

“Sir, I think the king has had a…um…a breakdown.”

Nico sent a withering stare at the servant as he waited for the man to go on. “Do not forget you are speaking about your king,” Nico warned him.

“Well, it’s just that the king is in the throne room…” the man started.

“And?” Nico asked, though he wondered what Adriane might be doing there.

“Um, it’s just that he’s in there pacing and talking to himself. No one but the cleaning staff has been in there in months. No ceremonies, no reason for him to be in there.”

“The king can be in any part of his palace he chooses to be in. I had best not hear of you spreading rumors,” Nico said before dismissing the servant.

Nico walked down the palace hallways to check on his king. What in the world was going on now?

Adriane paced his throne room — alone — by choice.

He’d growled at everyone when he’d been in his offices to get out and then he’d wandered the palace, finding himself in front of the ornate doors leading to the grand throne room. Walking inside, he’d looked at the cold room with its high-backed thrones, gold decorative walls and little else. This was a place for ceremonies, the place his wife would be crowned queen. That thought had stirred his blood. If she became queen. He’d remained in the room ever since, for almost two hours, while he came up with the details of how he was going to get Rachel into his bed.

He wasn’t going to beg — he’d done enough of that. He was going to seduce, though so far that had failed as well. Maybe he was going insane; he just didn’t know anymore. Damn. Their time in Florida wasn’t this complicated. It wasn’t complicated at all. He’d asked her to dinner, planned on a night of hot sex, and had gotten a week instead. Now, he was pacing like a madman in a place of formal ceremonies and talking to himself.

Adriane laughed aloud, the sound echoing off the walls.

That’s it. He was losing it — really losing it. It was a good thing his staff couldn’t see him right now.

Why couldn’t his time with Rachel be just as easy as it had been back in Florida?

He didn’t think he was asking for too much.

Finally finished with sulking on his own, he grabbed some of the fresh-cut flowers that were in a vase on a nearby table and made his way from the room.

He knew how to seduce; he just hadn’t been putting in enough effort. A good king knew such things. Seduction was the essence of diplomacy, after all.

As he made his journey to her room, no nerves assailed him, no doubts of his victory this time.

Granted, his desire to have her like him as a person puzzled him. To have her love him, too? He wasn’t going there. He didn’t need her affection; her compliance was enough — well, that and her lying beneath him. He wasn’t going to be married without reaping the benefits of hot sex, and with Rachel, the sex was always hot. He couldn’t remember another lover turning him on anywhere near as much.

Just the thought of her sweet ass cupped in his strong hands while he plunged into her heat had him instantly hard and ready to throw her across the bed.