He took a few more steps and gently settled her onto the biggest bed she’d ever seen.
And
it was one that didn’t immediately adjust to her size. She looked around warily and raised herself on her elbow. “Is this a regular bed?” She looked at Niklas, her eyes filled with wonder. She’d been so sure that they’d left such normal things like this behind on Earth. She bounced on it a few times to be sure.
Niklas sat down next to her and gently brushed a lock of hair from her face. He reached up and plucked a piece of spaghetti from the side of her head.
“I was tired,” she said apologetically. Her face grew warm and she was sure she was blushing. She loved to watch him. Her appreciative gaze wandered over his handsome face and broad shoulders. How had she ever gotten so lucky? He was truly a work of art. His sculptor had indeed been a master. The man was perfection itself. He was the complete manifestation of every single one of her late night fantasies come to life. Brianna shook her head slowly, she had even dreamed of him. Watching his perfect lips, she unconsciously moistened her own with a slow movement of her tongue.
* * * *
Niklas inhaled sharply. What he imagined her doing with that tongue was illegal in at least three systems. He smiled at that, as it wasn’t illegal here. Not anymore anyway. Sometimes it was good to be King. Niklas smiled inwardly, Brianna would probably faint if she could see herself now.
One long golden curl hung over her shoulder. Smaller curls framed her face with little wisps of color. Her cheeks were flushed, whether with embarrassment or anger he couldn’t tell. She had no idea of her beauty, her natural allure or of her absolute power over him.
If she had the slightest urge, Niklas was sure she could rule this world through him. And he knew he would love every minute of it. He closed his eyes for a moment and said a small prayer, thanking the Goddess for bringing them together. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. He reached out, his hand gently cupping her face.
* * * *
Brianna closed her eyes. How did he always know how to say just the right things? Just when she was feeling like something the cat had dragged in. Not that she’d seen any cats since they’d arrived. “Thank you, Niklas.”
He bowed low, took her hand in his larger one and kissed her palm. “Thank
you
, Brianna, for forgiving me and trusting me after all you have been through.”
Brianna looked down, suddenly very interested in the comforter on the bed. She felt bad, she really did, but how could she really trust him after he’d kidnapped her? She
had
trusted him once and look where that had gotten her!
Yes, look where it has gotten you. You’re in a palace with the most handsome man you have ever seen in your life drooling on the back of your hand. And he’s willing to give you anything you could ever want.
Brianna bit back a groan. Sometimes she hated her inner monologue. It usually prodded her to say things she knew were better left unsaid. She bit her lip and peered up at Niklas, he was still staring at her mouth. What was it with him and her mouth for crying out loud? “What?” she asked impatiently.
His smoldering gaze met hers. “I was just thinking how perfect and full your lips are, and how much I want to kiss you right now.”
He rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip, causing her to shiver when a shot of warmth ran through her body, traveling all the way down to her toes. Brianna closed her eyes enjoying the sensation. Wasn’t it about time she came to terms with the fact that she was stuck here? Should she take advantage of the fact that this man couldn’t seem to live without her touch? Things really
could
have been worse. If she had to be kidnapped, Niklas was infinitely better than some fat, unwashed biker with no teeth and an attitude.
She may not be sure that she could trust him, but boy, could he kiss like nobody’s business. Brianna remembered their times together and her libido started galloping away with what little sense she had left in her. It galloped past a cheerleader that had been lurking on the right side of her brain whispering all sorts of good ideas. While a pinched-faced party pooper from the left and logical side of her brain kept lecturing her on why she should maintain her lack of trust.
There was a spectacular display of fireworks when Niklas’s lips covered hers. He threaded his fingers through her hair, tilting her head to the side for better access and exposing the slender column of neck. He nibbled behind her ear and Brianna’s libido galloped up and whisked the pinched-faced pooper away, leaving nothing behind but the brazen cheerleader with her very good ideas. “Mmmm. That feels so good, Niklas.” His tongue probed her ear, made a circuit of the outer shell. His hands wandered across and down her back, massaging her hips.
“Yes, it does, doesn’t it?”
His right hand wandered back up and cupped her sensitive breast. The nipple pebbled against his palm. She arched up and into him. A small bit of sanity had her wondering why this was a bad idea. Her hand left his shoulder and brushed the front of his pants.
“Yes, Brianna.” His breath hitched in her ear. “I need you so badly,
Laharra
.” He pushed her back on the bed.
Someone pounded on the door.
“Niklas! I know you’re in there. I told you there isn’t going to be any mischief under this roof!” The tone of Silera’s voice brooked no argument. “I’m not leaving here without her, Niklas.” She rattled the knob. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s been so long that I don’t remember how hard it is to stay in the mood with someone standing outside of the door listening.”
Niklas set Brianna away from him and hung his head. “You’d better go,
Laharra
. When she has her mind set on something, she just won’t give up.” He leaned down and gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead. “I will see you at dinner tonight.” He shifted himself within his clothing. “I just hope I can survive until our wedding.”
Chapter Twenty-two
Brianna smiled in her sleep. Light from the window tickled her senses. She opened her eyes slowly. The last few weeks had been storybook perfect and would have been even more so had the threat of the end of this world not been looming over their heads.
The wedding was tomorrow. Finally, she and Niklas would be able to sleep in the same bed again. She stretched as she slowly came awake. As usual, she was deliciously sore in a few select places, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Silera would certainly have a fit if she’d known about their hideaway along the
Shantamoura
. She’d been so diligent in keeping them apart at the palace.
Brianna frowned as her hand bumped the wall beside her. She didn’t remember moving the bed against the wall. There wasn’t really a need for that in a room the size of this one. She opened her eyes and looked around, finding that she wasn’t in the room she’d grown accustomed sleeping in and Killer was nowhere in sight.
Her stomach rolled as the usual morning sickness began to make itself known. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing her rebellious stomach to settle down, just this once. She needed to think.
A picture of a shadowy stranger loomed into her mind. Only he wasn’t a stranger, as Brianna had recognized him. It was the same man from the ball, with that same cold smile. She remembered now—he brought her here. What did he want with her? It must have been him. His face loomed in her mind.
Brianna cupped her head in her hands and felt a lump there. He must have hit her with something. Her head ached. The throbbing was a steady cadence torturing her already abused head. The bitter taste of bile hung in the back of her throat, making her swallow convulsively.
She inhaled deeply, needing to gain control of her emotions, trying to be strong. Brianna did this even as she gagged from the mixture of the foul taste in her mouth and her morning sickness. The smell of dankness and mildew that permeated the room didn’t help with her queasy stomach. She squeezed her eyes shut when she heard the faint scuttling noises in the corner. Rats? She shook her head and shuddered. She didn’t want to know.
Trying to look around without moving too much, she wondered what she was doing here. Where in the world was she? Or perhaps a more appropriate question would be where in the universe was she? There wasn’t a way to tell if she was even on a world or not. They could be on a ship drifting through space for all she knew.
Brianna pressed her trembling hand to her mouth, trying to stifle a hysterical giggle. With any luck, they wouldn’t realize she was awake yet, and that would at least give her some time to think. She closed her eyes and prayed for her strength to return. She took another deep breath. Just a little while longer and maybe her head would clear enough to formulate some sort of plan, at least she hoped so.
She opened her eyes again and examined every inch of the dimly lit cell. It was too small to be a room. Six feet by six feet was just big enough for a bed and one small table and chair. The door was flat with no decoration. The cream-colored walls and brown floor blended well with the natural wood furnishings. She looked down. The bed was covered with a gray utilitarian blanket. The small table held one pitcher and one glass.
The bed was hard, and her muscles were sore from resting on it in one position for Goddess knew how long. She ached all over. Bruises marred what she could see of her arms and, if the pain was any indication, her legs as well. Brianna needed to move, but didn’t dare, because she didn’t want to make a sound—and she was sure she’d make plenty of noise if she tried to move right now, it hurt so much. She feared the creaking of the bed or the rustling of her clothing would alert her captors to her conscious state.
Briefly, she thought of calling Larin for help, but she wanted to try Niklas first. She couldn’t keep calling upon the Fae for help without hurting Niklas’s feelings. Brianna gazed longingly at the pitcher on the table and licked her dry, chapped lips. She was so thirsty. She worried about that. Would they drug her? Had they drugged her already? She slid a protective hand around her slightly rounded stomach. Had they already harmed her precious cargo? She swiped impatiently at a tear. There was no time for crying. If she was going to protect her children, she had to find a way out of here.
Brianna closed her eyes and concentrated. She tried using the mind link to call Niklas to her. There was no response. Either they were too far apart or her captors were somehow blocking their mental link. She refused to consider the thought that he could be unconscious or dead.
Niklas? Please, answer me Niklas, I’m so scared.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and concentrated on staying calm. Getting hysterical was not going to help matters. She needed to stay calm, so she could think her way out of this. Trying to keep her movements to a minimum, she itched to bring her hand to her mouth. Her horrible nervous habit of nail biting was taking a tremendous toll on her ability to think right now. If they were monitoring her, not only would they see her horrible habit, but they would know she was awake. Surely they wouldn’t see just a nibble…
Brianna had almost lost the battle with her inner nail biting self when the door was flung open so forcefully she’d forgotten to feign unconsciousness. Her eyes were wide with fear as she looked at the man in the doorway.
He was tall, like Niklas, but that was where the resemblance ended. Where Niklas had laugh lines at the corners of his eyes. This man had lines between them from scowling. His mouth slashed cruelly across the lower half of his face, showing his contempt for her, or perhaps his contempt for the entire human race.
It
was
the same man from the ball.
Niklas!
She could hear herself screaming, yet her mouth was firmly closed. She had to calm herself. This could not be good for her or for the babies. The thought of her unborn children had a calming effect, allowing Brianna to take a deep breath and think. “What do you want with me?” she asked him levelly.
He smiled. “Who said I wanted
you
?” He stepped further into the room and sat down on the chair. “You have something I want. Something that will help me kill the usurper and place the rightful heir where he belongs.” He held out his hand. “Give it to me, and perhaps I will be kind and let you go.” He shrugged. “Or I may just kill you quickly instead of torturing you. Either way, giving me what I want is better than making me take it from you.”
“The rightful heir?”
“I am the rightful heir. Niklas is my cousin. His line has ruled for thousands of years when it should have been mine. It went to his, only by the virtue that his grandmother married the king first.” He held out is hand. “Give me the stone.”
Brianna wanted to try to talk reason with him. Tell him that of course the firstborn son would rule, not an adopted son, but the man was crazy.
Go to hell!
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, sir.” Brianna rolled onto her other side and brought her legs up to her chest, wanting to do whatever she could to prevent him from noticing her pregnancy. This man wanted to destroy the rightful heir, and she was carrying three more. She had no doubt that he would take great joy in murdering them all.