by Day Leclaire
He offered a humorless smile. In a manner of speaking. The election is in a little more than four months. Once its over, youll be free to marry whomever you wish.
It took her several seconds to process his words. The instant she had, her breath escaped in a horrified hiss and she shook her head. You cant be serious. Four months? No! I wont let you keep me here that long.
And just how are you planning to stop me?
Like this!
He had to admit, she surprised him, something that hadnt happened since hed first begun his training as a callow youth. She fisted her hands around the filet knife embedded in the table and yanked it free, thrusting the razor-sharp tip toward his throat. She paused just shy of cutting him.
My mother doesnt have four months. Youre taking me back to Prince Brandt right now.
Even with a knife at his throat, he couldnt help marveling. God, she was beautiful. Vibrant. Infuriated. Infuriating. He deliberately leaned closer until the razor-sharp point pricked the base of his throat. Listen up, Princess. Nothing you say or do will convince me to return you to him. Theres only one place Im willing to take you.
She glared at him for a split second before her gaze shifted downward to where the knife had nicked him. She shuddered at the sight of the blood shed drawn. And where is that?
My bed, of course. In one easy move he knocked her hand aside, sending the knife clattering against the wall and then to the floor. Before she could do more than utter a soft cry of protest, he swept her into his arms and lifted her high against his chest. Consider it your home for the next four months.
Three
M errick wasnt the least bit surprised that Alyssa fought him, though this time she struggled even more fiercely than when hed initially abducted her.
Stop it, Alyssa. Youll only hurt yourself waging a battle you cant win.
I dont care. Ill fight you until my last breath. She clipped him with her fist. I wont let you do this.
Im afraid you cant stop me.
He carried her from the kitchen to the steps leading to the bedroom and took them with swift efficiency, despite his struggling armful. Depositing Alyssa on her feet at the top of the stairs, he reached around her and thrust open the door on one side of the landing. Instantly she tried to skitter away. He gathered her back up and held her wriggling body tight against his. Damn, but he needed to put some distance between them. Shed become far too great a distraction, something he didnt need when tomorrow promised to be even more challenging than today.
I dont want to hurt you, Princess, he warned. But you will do as I say when I say it, or youll spend the next four months tied to a bedpost.
You cant honestly believe that I wont fight, that Ill just let you She clamped her mouth shut, unable to utter the hideous words.
Youll sleep in my bed for however long were together. He captured her chin and tipped it upward, forcing her to look at him. Allow me to emphasize the word sleep.
She stared at him, her eyes wide and dilated. Notnot
No. Not, he repeated calmly. Just sleep. Tomorrows going to be a long day. Id like to close my eyes for a few hours between now and then and I need to make certain you wont try anything foolish. Like escape.
Why did you make me think Her voice broke and she waved her hand in an impatient gesture. You know.
Because you had a knife at my throat and I was angry. Even though the confession came hard, he didnt shy away from taking full responsibility. He let that sink in before adding, But I wasnt lying, Alyssa. You will be sharing my bed for the next four months, though what happens in that bed is up to you.
She reared back as if hed struck her. Nothing will happen there!
He didnt bother arguing. Time would prove her right or wrong more readily than anything he could say. Turning her to face the open doorway, he gave her a gentle shove toward it. Under other circumstances her expression of surprise and confusion when she found herself standing outside a bathroom would have been amusing.
Get cleaned up. Shower if you wish. You can also help yourself to any of the toiletries you find. Theres a robe hanging on the back of the door. Put it on before you leave the bathroom.
She bristled. And if I dont?
He deliberately chose to misunderstand. Come to bed naked. I wont object.
I meant, what if I dont come out at all? Her fighting spirit had clearly been revitalized. IllIll sleep in the bathtub.
You can try, but since the door has no lock you wont be very successful. He checked his watch. You have thirty minutes. Use it wisely. When your time is up, Im coming in after you.
You wouldnt! The response was an automatic one. Even she realized as much, because she shook her head. Of course you would. But then, raiding the bathroom while Im in the shower would be the least of the offenses youve committed against me, wouldnt it?
He simply looked at her. Men rarely opposed him; women never did. And those few men who dared balk at his orders only did so once. But then, they knew who he was. Alyssas unwavering defiance impressed the hell out of him. Even as she acquiesced to his demand, her expression and posture warned that she did so under protest.
When he remained mute, frustration vied with her anger. Youre a total bastard, you know that, Merrick?
Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.
Actually, the term was mild. As commander of the Royal Security Force, his life was comprised of making impossible decisions that had dire effects on the people with whom he came into contact. Worse, he had to live with the ramifications of his decisions. He didnt doubt for a minute that the actions hed taken today, and would continue to take over the next four months, would produce the most painful results to date.
With a look of utter contempt, Alyssa turned her back on him and slammed the door in his face. He took it without flinching.
Score one for the princess.
She emerged from the bathroom thirty minutes later, timing it to the very last second, and he straightened from where hed been lounging against the hallway wall. Despite her earlier threat, she wore the bathrobe hed left for her and had washed her hair, which hung down her back in damp, heavy curls. Her face was scrubbed clean and to his consternation she looked all of twelve. Or she would have if it hadnt been for the womanly curves that turned floor-length terry cloth into a garment every bit as seductive as the scraps of silk and lace shed been wearing earlier. How she managed it he couldnt begin to guess, but it guaranteed him a near sleepless night.
She stalked to the bedroom doorway, only a slight hitch in her stride betraying that she wasnt as amenable about the night ahead as she pretended. He followed, watching in exasperation as she crossed to a chair on the far side of the room and curled up in it.
He shut the bedroom door and locked it, steeling himself for yet another pitched battle. Get in the bed, Alyssa.
No, thanks. Im good here.
I cant allow that. I need to sleep and I wont be able to if Im constantly watching to make sure you stay put.
She snuggled deeper into the chair, burrowing in for the duration. You wont get much rest, anyway. ImIm a very restless sleeper. I toss and turn all night long.
He almost smiled at the blatant lie. Or he would have if she hadnt been right about one unfortunate fact. It didnt appear hed be getting much sleep. But it wouldnt have anything to do with her restlessness. Ill manage. He pointed toward the double bed. Get in.
She took several deep breaths before obeying. Leaving the safety of the chair, she approached the four-poster with all the caution of a mouse sneaking up on a baited trap and stood beside the bed for several long moments. Just when he was on the verge of picking her up and tossing her in, she pulled back the covers and slid between the sheets, curling up in as minute a ball as possible on the very edge of the mattress.
Hell. The next few hours were going to be some of the most difficult of his life. He circled the bed and yanked his black ops T-shirt over his head, tossing it onto the chair shed abandoned. His boots came next, hitting the floo
r with a distinctive thud before he released his belt buckle and unzipped his trousers. He saw her stiffen at the distinctive rasp of the zipper and he could hear the nervous intake and exhalation of her breath.
Stripped down to his boxers, Merrick joined Alyssa in bed. She made a pathetically small mound on the farthest side of the mattress, no doubt attempting to remain as still and inconspicuous as possible in the hopes hed leave her alone. Releasing his breath in a sigh, he hooked his arm around her and tucked her close, spooning her back against his chest. She remained stiff as a board, refusing to accommodate the alignment of curve to angle.
As for thinking she was pathetic, he was forced to hastily revise his opinion. Though she didnt struggle, somehow the dainty, fragile woman he held within his arms had managed to transform herself into hardened steel, gouging bony elbows into the few vulnerable parts of his body. Steel-tipped fingers dug into the arm anchoring her in place, and even her heels and toes had became lethal weapons. The only place she remained soft and cushioned was her backside, though he didnt doubt she would change that if she could. But at least it offered some small shielding against the rest of her anatomy.
Do you have to touch me? she whispered, squirming. Isnt it enough that Im in the same bed with you?
Dear God, if she didnt hold still thered be hell to pay. Its necessary, he explained with impressive patience. This way if you attempt to escape, Ill know. And Ill stop you.
Her breath trembled from her lungs. I wont attempt to escape.
Yes, you will. You think your mother needs you. So youll continue to try and get away, just as Ill continue to stop you.
She shifted again and he stifled a groan, only half succeeding. Theres nothing I can do about it, she snapped. I did warn you. Im not used to sleeping like this.
Tonight would have found you in some mans bed sleeping just like this, whether it was with von Folke or with me. Though with von Folke there would have been a lot more involved than talking and sleeping. Hed have wanted to consummate their union in order to make the marriage legally binding as per Verdonian law. For some reason the mere idea of anyone else putting his hands on Alyssa roused Merrick to a white-hot fury. Or are you forgetting this would have been your wedding night?
He didnt know what prompted him to ask the question, but to his surprise she shuddered. I had forgotten, she confessed. Then her voice dropped to a whisper so soft, he barely caught it. Being with himIt would have been far worse.
He didnt cut her any slack. If thats how you felt, you should have refused to marry him. I doubt hed have hurt your mother.
Her elbow clipped him in the gut and this time he suspected it was deliberate. You didnt see his expression. I did. Prince Brandt will do whatever it takes to get me to the altar.
If it means winning the throne, youre right. Hell say whatever he must to force your agreement. But even a man like von Folke has lines he wont cross. I suspect murder is one of them.
People cross lines all the time when theyre desperate. Her voice held a note of cool conviction. One of my stepfathers was an auditor and I worked for him the summer between high school and college. Thats how I became interested in finance in the first place. I could always sense when someone had been cooking the books. You can almost smell their desperation. If I were auditing Prince Brandt, Id be checking his accounts very carefully.
Interesting. Are you saying hes embezzling money?
No. Im saying hes desperate. I have no idea why. But I can sense it, even though hes working really hard to keep a lid on things. Whether its related to finances or not, I cant tell.
She fell silent after that, leaving Merrick free to sift through her observations. Something was up. Too bad he couldnt be certain what. He didnt doubt that von Folke would go to almost any extent to wear the crown. Avarice. Power. Prominence. All were substantial motivators. But why would a man be desperate to become king? Desperation implied a driving need rather than a burning desire. Why would a man need to be king?
Hed already checked von Folke out. Maybe it was time to dig a little deeper. A full profile, he decided, includinghe smiledany books that might have been cooked.
Alyssa had finally settled, for which he was eternally grateful. Moonlight crept through the doors leading out onto the balcony and slipped into bed with them, frosting their entwined forms with silver. The crown of her head rested beneath his chin and silken strands of her hair snagged along his whisker-roughened jawline. He inhaled, filling his lungs with the odor of the herbal shampoo shed used. He could also catch a hint of a lighter, more irresistible aroma, though whether it came from her soap or the natural scent of her body, he couldnt be sure. Either way, the fragrant perfume soaked into his pores, permeating his senses in a way he knew would forever be a part of him.
That women who was with you earlier, she said, catching him by surprise. What were you saying to each other? The part in Verdonian, I mean.
He lifted onto his elbow and drew her head to one side so he could look at her. The moonlight muted her vibrant coloring, turning her hair to silver and darkening her eyes to black. Her features took on a pearly glow, given depth and definition by the charcoal shadows sinking into the gentle planes and angles of her face. Watching her closely, he bit out a swift comment in Verdonian. She responded by staring at him in utter bewilderment.
You dont speak the language, do you? He shook his head in disbelief. You come here expecting to be our queen and you cant even speak to your people in their native tongue?
Why should I? she retorted indignantly. I didnt know I was part Verdonian until last week.
I would think if you were going to rule a country you might want to communicate with your subjects. What would you do if English wasnt our second language?
If Id known thats what was going to happen to me, I would have learned Verdonian. Exasperation edged her words. What did you say to me? How do you know I wasnt pretending I didnt understand? You think Im pretending about everything else.
Because my comment was unforgivably coarse. Unable to resist, he stroked his thumb along the sweeping arch of her cheekbone. If youd understood, youd have reacted. Slapped him, most likely.
Oh. She rolled away from him, not protesting this time when he spooned her into their earlier position. You still havent answered my question. What did she say to make you laugh?
She called me a bear cub. It can also mean a stuffed animal.
A teddy bear?
A teddy bear. Yes.
Silence descended for several more minutes, though he wasnt the least bit surprised when she spoke again. That womanthe one who called you a teddy bearshe took my place, didnt she?
That was the plan.
Who is she?
My sister, Miri.
Alyssa turned her head again, this time of her own volition, and gazed at him in confusion. Arent you worried about what Prince Brandt will do to her when he discovers the deception?
Yes. He was incredibly worried.
Then why did you let her do it?
He hadnt wanted to but shed insisted, threatening to reveal his plans if he didnt allow her to participate in the abduction. It was necessary, Merrick limited himself to saying.
She mentioned there were reasons for what she did, Alyssa said slowly. She settled onto her back. Were they the same reasons you have? To make sure the elections are fair?
He hesitated. Hed assumed thatd been what Miri had meant at the time, but since then hed had several long hours to reconsider her words. Something in her tone had disturbed him, though hed been unable to pinpoint what. With anyone else, hed have managed it, had been trained to do precisely that. But his feelings for Miri interfered with his training, clouding his logic with emotion.
He narrowed his gaze on Alyssa. Shed proven herself a shrewd judge of character when it came to von Folke. Perhaps shed picked up on whatever hed missed. Somethings bothering you about what Miri said. What?
Alyssa shrugged and her robe parted to reveal the soft skin of her throat and
shoulders. Her comment soundedpersonal.
Personal. The longer he thought about it, the more certain he became that Alyssa was correct. He could see it nowthe quiet despair in Miris green eyes, the stalwart determination in her stance, the way shed flinched when von Folkes name had been mentioned in connection with Alyssas. Hell. Why hadnt he seen it before? He should have. Another concern to contemplate during the endless hours of the night.
Go to sleep, he told Alyssa. He needed to think without distractionand shed already proven herself a huge one. Tomorrow is going to be difficult enough as it is.
Why?
He sighed. You ask a lot of questions, Princess.
Yes, I do. And heres one more She rolled over to face him and her subtle perfume invaded his senses once again, threatening his sanity. Are you certain you want to go through with this?
It wasnt the first time the question had been posed, and Merrick didnt hesitate in his response. The future of Verdonia depends on it.
She moistened her lips, choosing her words with care. Eventually youll be caught. You realize that, dont you? What will happen to you when you are? Will you be sent to prison?
Maybe. Or banished. It depends on who catches me.
But if you send me back
So. Shed found a new angle of attack, one he cut off without compunction. Enough, Alyssa. Prison or banishment, Ill deal with the consequences when they occur.
What about Prince Brandt? What will he do to you? You said there were lines he wouldnt cross. Are you willing to bet your life on that?
He wont be pleased that Ive taken away his best chance at the throne. That had to be the understatement of the century. Not that it matters. Whatever occurs as a result of my actions is an acceptable penalty.
You cant be serious.
Im quite serious. He lifted an eyebrow. Dont tell me youre worried about me?
Of course not. But he caught the flicker of concern that gave lie to her claim. The temptation to touch her became too much and he stroked his hand along the curve of her cheek and down the length of her neck. She shivered beneath the caress.
