Melody Anne - Scorched

“I wish to have a nice meal with my fiancée. Deal with it, as you Americans like to say.” He sat down and lifted his wine glass, taking a sip as if they were having a normal meal and discussing mundane subjects. The lout even leaned back and crossed his ankle over his knee as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

“You’re either incredibly dense or unbelievably arrogant. From what I know about you, I would say both. I told you earlier that I’m done being with you tonight. Do you have so little pride that you always show up where you are so obviously unwanted?”

“Let’s eat. We need for you to have your energy for later…activities,” he said with a wicked smile.

She had no doubt what activities he had planned. Wanting to refuse anything he suggested, even at the expense of going hungry, Rachel shook her head. Then she thought of the child she carried. It wasn’t just herself she would be denying. Still, if he were any kind of gentleman, he would leave and let her have the rest of the night to herself.

That wasn’t going to happen, so why even attempt to kick him out again? With luck, if she just ate the meal and remained firm in her denial, he’d leave.

Sure, sure. But she could dream.

“If you expect me to eat in your company, the least you can do it offer me some fresh clothes,” she said, proud of her haughty tone.

In answer, his eyes took a leisurely stroll from her neck to her feet and back up again, and he spent far too much time on her neckline before he met her furious gaze. “You look just fine to me,” he finally said, and heat flowed between the two of them.

Spinning around to break the connection, Rachel paced the large room. It was obvious she wasn’t going to get rid of him, more than obvious he wasn’t going to be a gentleman and get her something decent to wear, which meant she was eating a meal with the cad in too short a robe.

It would be so easy to fall back into his arms, and that was the worst thing she could do. Even in his arrogance, though, he had a way of drawing her toward him — making her desire run rampant.

It had to be the baby.

She’d read that during pregnancy, a woman’s body went through all sorts of bizarre hormonal ups and downs. Obviously that was happening to her, because if she were in her right mind, she wouldn’t feel the slightest emotion for him except utter disdain.

When she turned back to face him, he’d risen from his chair, but his gaze hadn’t left her as he waited at the table for her to rejoin him. With a defeated sigh, she walked stiffly over to him, then took the seat he was holding.

“I love this color on you. The blue brings out your eyes,” he whispered, his mouth grazing her ear as he spoke.

Unable to hide her body’s betrayal at his nearness and the warmth of his mouth, Rachel chose to say nothing. He would just call her on her lie if she denied wanting him again. The thin material wasn’t hiding a single thing from his view and she couldn’t keep her arms crossed forever.

Fine. Let him look, because that’s all he was going to get to do.

After a moment, Adriane circled the table and sat down. He waited until she picked up her fork, then he joined her in eating. With her stomach in knots of indecision, Rachel was at first barely able to get much of the meal down, even with her hunger nearly at supernova levels.

Her anger had at least squelched any remnants of desire. Refusing to look up and meet his gaze again, she speared a moist piece of meat, taking a bite and nearly sighing as the flavor hit her taste buds. The tender morsel fell apart in her mouth and slid effortlessly down her throat, answering the distress signals her stomach had been sending in droves.

“I have decided you’re simply playing hard to get,” he said with a careless shrug, instantly making her blood boil. She had to remind herself not to allow him to get a reaction from her. “From my experience, there are some women who enjoy being chased, who like keeping their man dangling on the end of a rope. It’s OK. I’ll give you your excitement, play along with your little game, since that seems to be what excites you so much.”

Rachel nearly choked on the vegetables she’d just swallowed. She lifted her head and stared at him, her mouth agape. Did he honestly believe the crap he was spouting, or was he trying to push her buttons?

She didn’t know and tried not to care. Either way, she was close to flinging some steaming-hot potato gnocchi at his smug face. So much for her good meal.

Before she made one more decision she might regret, she closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath, then counted to ten in her head.

“I will make this more than clear for you, Adriane, since you are obviously a little bit slow on the uptake,” she began, proud she wasn’t screaming, though it was only because she was talking between her teeth. “I do not want to be here, do not want to marry you, and will not be falling back into your bed. This isn’t a game, and I’m not saying this because I’m bored or because I want you chasing after me. I will gain my freedom, and if you’re really lucky, I may eventually allow you to see my child. As long as this baby lies within the safety of my womb, he or she is mine and only mine,” she finished, her breathing coming out in short huffs as her fury rose to unhealthy levels.

“From what I can see, Rachel, you are quite the little liar,” he said, a smirk tilting his lips up as he directed his gaze to her heaving chest.

“How dare you be so crass!” she snapped, rising from the table and storming across the room, getting as far from him as she could.

Adrenaline flooded her, because he was right — her body was betraying her. Yes, in these moments, she despised him, thinking he was about as classless as a sewer rat, but she also remembered that week with him, remembered how he’d brought her to the peak of pleasure over and over again.

She could hate him all she wanted, but that didn’t take away her body’s craving for more of what only he could give her. Still, even if she did desire him, it didn’t mean she would do something so foolish as to cave in to her hormonal demands.

It wasn’t worth the disgust she would feel for herself afterward.

“I tell it as it is, and I am really losing patience with your game of hot and cold. Fire burns in your eyes, yet you continue to fight me. Don’t forget that you are on my island now, Rachel. Here, I am king and I can take what I want,” he said as he also stood and took determined steps in her direction. There were rules he had to follow, even if he was the king, but he wouldn’t think about that right now — not in his anger.

Her fury intensified as she watched the small flex of his jaw. How dare he be angry with her! He was the one throwing out nonsensical statements and then expecting her to drop to her knees before him.

Wasn’t going to happen.

“You’re not my king, Adriane. You seem to keep forgetting that. I am an American and an Italian. I don’t follow you, or owe you my respect. Only a man who treats his woman with love and kindness deserves my loyalty. The only thing you will earn from me is pity for the emptiness your life is bound to be filled with, considering you have to force your subjects to honor you,” she told him, wanting to anger him to the point he would storm from the room.

As his face tensed and his dark eyes narrowed to dangerous slits, Rachel wondered whether she had pushed him too far. How well did she really know this man? She couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t send her to the dungeon to be tortured. Was that still done nowadays? If it was, she didn’t want to be the one to find out.

“If you simply succumbed into the obvious lust between us, I would have a pleasant night, but then there would be nothing to look forward to. However, Rachel, be very careful when you push me. I have my limits, and you seem to have a way of reaching them in record time.”

“If you don’t like what I have to say, you know where the door is. Please, be my guest, and feel free to use it. Maybe you can find another room in this giant castle where you are far more welcome,” she replied, not afraid of him or his little speech.

“Maybe I should do that. Would it bother you, Rachel? Would the thought of me in the arms of another woman make you jealous?”

His taunt hit its mark. Rage flew through her. She shouldn’t care — she should be relieved if he chose someone else, but the vision of him lying entwined with another woman as her own belly grew larger with his baby made her want to puke.

That angered her even more.

She closed the gap between them and lifted her hand, intent on striking him, so mad that she wasn’t even thinking of the consequences.

He effortlessly grasped her wrist in his large hand, his hold strong but not punishing.

“We are going to go up in flames when we come together,” he promised as he held her gaze captive and then looked pointedly toward the bed. He was breathing heavily.

“We are not having sex again, Adriane!”

A smile softened the tenseness in his jaw, and his eyes captured hers again and refused to release them. “That’s where you’re wrong, my future queen. We will be having sex — plenty of it. And I’m not a patient man, so be warned.”

A shudder traveled down Rachel’s spine at the pure hunger his statement caused, a hunger that had nothing to do with the rapidly cooling meal she’d abandoned.

Then, as if he hadn’t just been stalking her with his words and eyes, he smiled, his anger seeming to evaporate as quickly as it had appeared. He released her and took a step back. She took in several deep breaths.

This was just another reason to curse the man.

Yes, he tempted her, made her think of the nights she’d spent with him, but she also knew that to do that again would be a mistake — a mistake she wouldn’t be able to take back.

If Rachel slept with him now, he’d assume he’d won, and he’d never let her get away from him. No. It would be much better for her to resist him, to irritate him, even. Then, if she did it right, he wouldn’t be able to get rid of her fast enough.

There was a good plan. Tick the man off so badly that he purged her from his life.

As Rachel looked up into his eyes, a wide grin split her face, making Adriane look back with suspicion.

“What’s going on in that mind of yours now?” he asked.

“I was just thinking it was truly time for the games to begin,” she said, enjoying the worry in his eyes. “Batter up!” Laughter spilled from her. And with that, she took her seat.

“It’s time for bed, Rachel.”

Oh, my, can he speak, Rachel thought.

He’d uttered just a few simple words, and she was ready to melt into a puddle at his feet. She wouldn’t do it, though. She had her pride and she was determined to keep it. Heck, what else did she have at the moment, now that her basic freedoms had been taken away?

But still, his voice was a killer.

“Yes, Adriane, I agree,” she said, sending him a seductive glance, enjoying the leaping flames in his coal-black eyes. “So you should probably leave now,” she finished.

Her little pause — her game — was worth it: she watched his face turn to stone.

Slowly, he rose from the chair, not taking his eyes off hers. Even if she were capable of moving, which at that moment she wasn’t, she was trembling too intensely to try to escape his prowling.

“Why fight the inevitable? We both know what’s going to happen. You may be telling me no with your words, but your body is certainly saying yes,” he whispered as he reached her side and circled his arms around her, pulling her up against him.

A shudder passed through her as she tilted her head to look into his eyes. “Obviously, you’ve never taken a self-defense class, Adriane. No means no,” she told him, proud of herself for not yielding to his embrace.

“Mmm, maybe we’ll have to go to one of those together.” He bent down and ran his lips across hers in a seductive caress. “There’s more than one way to seduce a woman, Rachel,” he said, his tone filled with promise.

The satin material of her robe caressed her aching nipples, and heat pooled in her core. It would be so easy to succumb, so easy to let him lead her to the bed right behind them. He’d set the scene well, and she felt herself falling for his charms.

The man was…powerful.

His hands smoothed along her back, catching the end of the short robe on his way up her rounded backside, forcing a whimper from her throat before she was able to stop it. She was already pregnant. What was the worst that could happen if she spent a night in his arms?