Melody Anne - Scorched

Rosabella giggled and a slight blush entered her cheeks as she moved in front of Rachel.

“I love you. Call me the minute you need anything. Or just call to tell me about your day. I look forward to your coming back home,” Rosabella said, and Rachel noticed Adriane’s body tense as if afraid she would just run away with them right now.

Tempting.

But no. She was committed.

“I will miss you, baby girl,” Martin said as he pulled Rachel gently into his arms.

“I will miss you, too, Daddy,” she said, leaning into his embrace and allowing a few tears to escape, though she’d promised herself she wouldn’t cry. It wasn’t as if she were losing her parents forever. But they’d just be so far away.

“I will take good care of her and our babies,” Adriane assured them as he walked up and put his arm around Rachel as soon as Martin released her.

Rachel stood there with Adriane and watched the two walk from the palace and get into the awaiting car that would take them to the helipad.

“I won’t make you feel trapped ever again,” Adriane said as he turned her and looked into her eyes.

Rachel wiped her tears away as she looked at him with suspicion. What was he doing now?

“It was wrong of me. I’m truly sorry, cara. You have free rein to speak to all of your family. I can admit when I’ve done wrong,” he said with a rueful grin.

“I may need to record this,” she said, her heart clattering just a bit too much at the gentle way he was speaking to her. She was a bit too vulnerable right now.

“How about joining me for lunch?”

“Yes.”

Rachel didn’t hesitate. The thought of going to her room and being alone at this moment was unbearable. It was time to let down her guard and really try to know this man, try to tear down some of the walls that both of them had in place.

“Thank you,” he said so quietly, she almost missed it.

It seemed he was feeling the same way as she was. When he took her hand into his, she didn’t pull away, just followed him deeper into the palace.

Betrayed.

Deceived.

Devastated.

Rachel was also disbelieving as she looked down at a message she was sure had been sent to her in error.

How could Adriane do this to her? She’d stayed to get to know him, had let her family leave her there even though they hadn’t wanted to. Despite everything, she’d even started to believe that he wasn’t the monster she had originally thought him to be.

She’d been wrong.

Fury and fear mingled inside her, making her stomach roil with nausea. This couldn’t be good for the twins. It certainly wasn’t good for her.

I am sorry to have missed you, Ms. Palazzo. Your dress fitting has been pushed back an extra week, but we do need to have your measurements as soon as possible to ensure that your gown fits properly on your wedding day. Remember that two weeks goes by quickly, and we only have your best interest at heart, since the wedding will be televised.

Thank you,

Mariana

Rachel reread the note that had been left on her dressing table. And still she couldn’t believe what it was saying. Adriane had never canceled the wedding plans. He was simply humoring her until he could march her down the aisle. How could she have been so blind?

Although he’d offered to play by her rules and taken her out on a few outings where the two of them could talk, she clearly didn’t know him any more now than she had back in Florida a few months ago.

And she’d so wanted to have faith in him, so wanted to believe he was a good man. The alternative was unacceptable — that the father of her children was an egomaniac.

This was a nightmare and she couldn’t seem to wake up from it.

As the tears welled up, she twisted her hands in her lap, digging her nails into her flesh. She would not cry again, hormones or not.

Anger was the only emotion she wanted to feel at this moment. She closed her eyes, and reveled in it. Let it build. The angrier she was with the man, the less he could hurt her.

She suspected she was going to hurt plenty, anyway. Without rhyme or reason, she found herself growing attached to Adriane. Maybe it was the way he looked at her with so much need burning in his eyes. Maybe it was the few times he let down his guard and shared his feelings with her. Maybe it was just because she was a fool.

Whatever the reasons, she cared about him.

But it was a one-way feeling.

He desired her; that was more than obvious. He wanted to marry her — but not for the right reasons. He wanted his heirs to live there with him, to be raised the way he wanted them raised, and he wanted not to lose any time with them.

He also had implied — how generous! — that sharing her bed wouldn’t be a hardship for him.

That wasn’t enough. It never would be. She wanted love or nothing at all. And even if he did give vows of love, she wouldn’t be able to trust his words, certainly not after he’d just proved himself to be such a scheming liar. He’d never planned on canceling the wedding. It had all just been a big smoke screen for him to woo her into his way of thinking.

He was going to be highly disappointed.

Rachel had no doubt that he would say or do anything at this point to keep her in Corythia. So what was she going to do? Did she leave right away?

That was what she wanted to do. She wanted to run far from him and not look back. But if that’s what she really wanted, why did her stomach turn at the thought?

Because she was falling in love.

“You stupid, stupid fool,” she berated herself aloud. “But maybe, just maybe he’s trying to protect himself,” she said to the mirror.

Letting out a groan of disgust, Rachel stood up. She couldn’t even look herself in the eye anymore.

She’d heard that prisoners sometimes developed feelings for their captors. Maybe that’s all this was about. She might be misunderstanding her emotions because she felt trapped and dependent on Adriane.

The thought made her feel slightly better in a sick sort of way.

One thing she did understand completely was fury, and right now, anger was her number one emotion. Her stomping back and forth in her room wasn’t doing the antique Aubusson carpet any favors, but she didn’t care.

She’d called his right-hand man an hour ago, demanding an audience with the king, but Adriane was sure taking his time getting to her. For someone so insistent that he wanted to spend more time with her, he wasn’t in any hurry to arrive now. Maybe he’d had a premonition of what was to come.

He was going to get hit with everything she had the moment he walked through the sitting room door. Hell hath no fury like a woman burned by some two-bit king.

“Nico said it was urgent that I come to see you.”

Rachel turned to find Adriane in the room with her. Before she had a chance to jump at him, she noticed that he wasn’t at his best. His eyes had dark circles, and he looked as if he were entering hostile territory. Maybe he wasn’t as stupid as he acted.

Looking down at the note from the seamstress, she quickly changed her opinion. Yes, he was that much of a fool.

Even in his obviously exhausted state, he still looked good — way too good, in her opinion. It wasn’t fair or right. Why couldn’t he look like the control freak that he was? Then, she could have had some warning.

Of course, then she wouldn’t be in this mess, because she never would have slept with him to begin with.

Turning back around, she took a deep breath. If she began screaming at him, he would just walk from the room and nothing would get solved. She had to decide right now whether she wanted to give him a chance to explain, and whether she wanted to continue her mission of trying to befriend him.

Anger wasn’t going to do her any good. Yet it was all she seemed capable of feeling at the moment.

Grabbing the note that the seamstress had left, she approached him and handed it over. He took it warily and read the words, his eyes narrowing just a hair.

She waited.

Finally, he spoke. “You weren’t supposed to receive anything like this.”

“Are you kidding me, Adriane? That’s all you have to say?” she snapped, ready to start pummeling. She took several more breaths as she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart.

She was in fight-or-flight mode right then, and if the man wasn’t careful, he would be wearing a black eye in about three seconds.

“I’ll have to speak to Nico,” he said.

“This has nothing to do with Nico. This is about you lying to me!”

“I haven’t lied,” he protested.

“How can you possibly say that? We agreed that we’d get to know each other, that you would drop these foolish plans for a wedding,” she shouted, then took steadying breath as she tried to get herself under control. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t yell.

Well, he’d broken his promise, and she’d just broken the one to herself.

They were even in that regard.

“This isn’t worth so much drama, Rachel. It’s a minor matter, and you’re turning it into something it isn’t,” he said in a calming voice that only infuriated her more.

“You arrogant pig. How can you stand there and call it ‘a minor matter’? I’m trying to know you, trying to make an effort for the sake of our children. You don’t seem to get that. Or you simply don’t give a crap.”

“I very much care. That’s why I’m trying to marry you!”

His voice rose as he stalked toward her.