Claimed by Pleasure: King of Spades (Wonderland Book 2)

by Jaymie Holland

  For a moment—the smallest of moments—she thought about a hunger strike before deciding that would be dumb. It wouldn’t do a damned bit of good and she needed her strength if she was going to figure her way out of this place.

  While she ate, she couldn’t help but think about the dream and Alice. It all had begun to fade and Alexi was desperately trying to hold onto the threads of it.

  When she finished eating, she got up and tried the door on the balcony that led outside the king’s chamber. It opened again, like it had last night. When she walked out onto the granite, she could see why he wasn’t concerned about her escaping this way. It was a long distance to the ground, at least two or three stories high. It was difficult to tell from here just how far it was.

  The musical sound of a waterfall came from her right, and she looked beyond the beautiful ravenwood flowers blooming from vines near the balustrade. Mist rolled off the falls in the early morning sunlight, the sound like music.

  Against the chateau, the ravenwood vines wound up and around a brown trellis to the roof of the chateau. She wondered if she could climb down the trellis, but when she reached out to touch the vines, a thorn pricked her finger and stung.

  She drew her hand back and looked at the spot of blood forming on her finger that now throbbed, as if some kind of light poison had been on the vine. On closer examination of the vines, she saw that they were covered in thorns. So much for the idea of escaping down the trellis.

  The sunrise left behind streaks of pink, orange, and yellow in the blue sky. She sucked the droplet of blood from her finger, the metallic taste light in her mouth. She let her gaze drift over the land. Despite herself, she enjoyed the panoramic view. A forest surrounded most of the castle walls, but from her vantage point, she could see a stretch of grass that seemed to go on for miles. The cottony clouds were more aqua than white, and wispy fingers of the puffs reached out across the gorgeous sky.

  She drank in the beauty of Darronn’s realm. In some ways it was hard to imagine he served as king over this land, but in others it seemed to be perfectly natural. He was a powerful man, clearly a leader respected by his people, a man who did not compromise his beliefs or intentions.

  The thought made her frown. She didn’t plan on being here long, but he would have to compromise if he was to get anywhere with her.

  Did she want him to get anywhere with her? Why did her mind even go there?

  A sigh escaped her. The flowers, the waterfall, and the view were all she had for companionship at this moment, and she felt lonelier than she’d ever imagined. Even when her father took off with a younger woman and her mother had become a transient, Alexi had still had Alice, Awai, and Annie.

  While she watched Darronn’s subjects at work and at play, she grasped the smooth granite wall of the balcony that was only as high as her waist. From this vantage point she could virtually see everything that went on, including activities in the village.

  She blinked. Two couples were having sex in different parts of a terraced garden. Neither couple seemed to care if they were seen screwing. They were kind of noisy, their moaning, groaning, and conversation drifting up to where Alexi stood. They must have just gotten it on, because she hadn’t heard them before. She shook her head and turned her attention back to the view.

  The mountain air was fresh and invigorating, and her nipples were rock hard beneath the straps of leather that crisscrossed her breasts. Beneath her bare feet, the granite flooring of the balcony was cool.

  A breeze caressed all of the parts of her skin not covered by the leather clothing she wore. If it could really be called clothing. Surprisingly, even though the skimpy outfit didn’t hide a whole lot, it made her feel sexy as hell.

  Her heart twisted, her chest aching. She desperately missed her family. Hell, Alexi missed her work, her office, and her assistant, Angie.

  What were they all doing now? How were they handling Alexi’s disappearance? God, she hated the thought of making her friends, family, and employees worry by just up and vanishing—like Alice had.

  Alexi swallowed as she thought about her twin, but the lump in her throat was about the size of a cannonball. She had missed Alice for so long. The ache in her heart would never go away until she found her.

  Yet again she wondered if Alice could possibly be here in this strange land. Or was she somewhere back in California or any other state? Maybe even Mexico. Alice hadn’t left a trail, as if she had been swept up by a giant hand and taken away.

  Like Alexi?

  Damn it. I’ve got to get out of here and find Alice.

  As Alexi considered the predicament she was in, and everything else on her mind, she moved to the wooden trellis again and breathed in the rich scent of the purple ravenwood blooms. Their sweet perfume was soothing in the clear spring air, but their countless thorns were a reminder that things weren’t always what they seemed. Beautiful and peaceful, yet a real bitch if you got too close.

  Careful not to prick herself on a thorn, Alexi plucked a bloom and brought it to her nose and inhaled. It had a thick perfume that reminded her of jasmine. Almost too strong, but she liked it.

  She set the ravenwood bloom on the low granite wall and it immediately was swept off the balcony by the breeze. The flower swirled and twisted through the air just like the memory of her vision last night had done as the morning had gone on.

  Could the mirror possibly be waiting for me in the meadow? With Alice on the other side?

  Alexi ran her finger over another ravenwood petal. As she withdrew her hand, another thorn pricked her finger. “Damn it,” she muttered as she backed away.

  And smacked into a solid wall of muscle.

  She started to turn around, but Darronn grasped her shoulders and murmured, “Let me see your finger.”

  Alexi shivered at his low and vibrant tone and raised the finger where a single drop of blood had collected like a red tear. Darronn leaned over her shoulder and grasped her wrist below her gold bracelet. He brought her finger to his mouth and gently licked the blood away then sucked on her finger.

  A moan slipped from Alexi’s throat before she could stop it.

  “I am certain every part of you tastes as honeyed as the nectar of ravenwood blooms,” he whispered by her ear as he pushed her auburn hair over her shoulder.

  She was tempted to knee him in the balls again, but he laughed and drew her so close that there was no room to let him have it.

  “Come.” He stepped back and took her hand. “I will show you my home.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Darronn said nothing about the fact she had clothes on. Maybe he figured Kalina gave them to her and he didn’t want to fight with her over it.

  Whatever the case, score one for me, she thought with satisfaction.

  He took her through the doors of his chambers and continued through the chateau with its large hallways and many rooms. It was more than a chateau. It was so big it was virtually a castle.

  Yet, the mountainside domain suited him. It was masculine, like one big man cave, without a woman’s touch to be seen. She wondered what it would be like if he had a queen and what she would do to the place, then pushed that thought aside. She certainly wasn’t going to fill that role.

  She smiled to herself as she thought of Darronn having a man cave. A huge flat screen TV and a comfortable sofa in front of it, a remote in his hand as he clicked through channels before settling on a football game. She could almost picture a bottle of Heineken and a massive bowl of popcorn, or a big bag of Doritos, as he cheered on his team. What team would a king root for?

  A laugh rose up inside her and escaped before she could tamp it back down.

  He looked at her. “You find something amusing?”

  She managed to put on a straight face, or at least she hoped it was. “Believe me, you wouldn’t get it.”

  He came to a stop and faced her. “Explain.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Can you tell me what Heineken, TV, Doritos, football games, and a
man cave are?”

  He furrowed his brows. “We have weretiger dens, but do not call them man caves. Football, TV, and Dor-ee-toes and the other strange word—I do not know what you speak of.”

  She raised her hands and grinned. “I rest my case.”

  He crossed his arms over his broad, bare chest. “Tell me what these things are, woman.”

  She raised her brows. “Woman?”

  He just looked at her.

  “Okay. Whatever.” She shrugged. “Heineken is a type of dark beer and Doritos are crispy flavored corn chips.” He still looked confused, but she continued, “Football is a game, and TV is a kind of box where you can watch people—um…” She cocked her head to the side. “Well, that’s harder to explain.”

  When he looked like he was going to make her try, she hurried to say, “And a man cave is a room where a man keeps all of his stuff.” She waved away the rest of the explanation. “I don’t know what kinds of things men do here, so I really can’t tell you any more.”

  “Hmph.” He let it go and she was relieved. They stopped in a doorway and she stepped into a library. A real, honest to goodness library with old-looking books on shelves and lots of scrolls, all neatly rolled up and stacked in cubbyholes. No animal heads were mounted on the walls as trophies and all of the wood furniture gleamed. Nope, not at all like she’d imagined it.

  It made sense he didn’t keep animal trophies. He was a weretiger, and likely any hunting he did was for food, not to show that he had killed something for the sake of killing it.

  A desk with pieces of parchment scattered across it took up part of the room. Another table stood at the far end of the library.

  Beautiful paintings graced the walls, the rich burnished frames looking lovely against the wood walls. A portrait of a couple hung above the fireplace, and there were paintings of four men and a woman. One of the men she recognized as Darronn.

  She made a sweeping gesture with one hand and said, “Family?”

  Darronn’s gaze went to each portrait before returning to the first painting on the left.

  He nodded to it. “The portrait above the fireplace is of my parents, Cynrik and Elinara, the former High King and Queen of Tarok.”

  Alexi cocked her head to the side and studied it. The dark-haired man sat with his back ramrod straight. He looked regal but stiff and uncomfortable. However, there was warmth in his dark eyes.

  The queen was beautiful with honey-blonde hair and green eyes like Darronn’s, and she appeared to be relaxed and happy, while still looking like a queen.

  “It’s a wonderful painting,” Alexi said.

  Darronn pointed to the portrait beside it, of a bare-chested dark-haired man whose eyes were as green as Queen Elinara’s and Darronn’s. “That is Jarronn. He and his new queen are now the High King and Queen of Tarok as well as King and Queen of Hearts. He is my twin, and is the eldest by a few hours.”

  Alexi stepped closer to the painting. “Kalina told me you have three brothers who are also kings, but not that the High King is your twin.”

  She glanced at Darronn and saw that he had narrowed his brows. “What else did the sorceress tell you of my brother?”

  “Nothing more than that what you just did.” Alexi looked back at the dark-haired man in the portrait and noticed the heart tattoo on his biceps. “You’re obviously fraternal twins like Alice and me. The two of you don’t look anything alike, except for your eyes.” She studied the now familiar gaze. “Our eyes are the only thing Alice and I have in common, too.”

  Darronn seemed disinclined to discuss his elder brother, and gestured past his own portrait to one of another dark-haired man with penetrating black eyes.

  “Wait. I want to see your painting.” Alexi moved closer to the image of Darronn, who was also bare-chested like all of the kings, with the exception of King Cynrik. “You look happier there than you do now, Darronn.” She looked over her shoulder and saw him scowl, but it didn’t intimidate her. “What happened to make you so grouchy?”

  “I am not grouchy.” He growled the words and she almost laughed at the fact that he sounded even more so.

  He moved to the next painting, clearly dismissing any further conversation about his own portrait. The next man was positioned in a side view so that the diamond tattoo at the back of his right shoulder was visible. The man was looking to the side so she was able see his harsh profile.

  “That is one of my two younger brothers, Karn, King of Diamonds,” Darronn said.

  He moved on and pointed out a blond man with a club tattoo and a devilish expression. “Ty is King of Clubs.”

  “Ty looks like he’s on the mischievous side,” Alexi said. “You’re so serious that he must drive you crazy.”

  Another low growl from Darronn before he started to turn away.

  “What about her?” Alexi’s gaze moved to the portrait of the blonde woman with a captivating smile, although something about her eyes seemed almost lost. “Who is she?” Alexi asked when Darronn didn’t volunteer the information.

  Darronn paused and met Alexi’s gaze. “The youngest of the Tarok clan.” His voice grew soft as he said, “The portrait was done a long time ago, before the sister I knew and loved died.”

  Alexi rested her fingertips on his forearm, over the spade just above his left wrist. “I’m sorry, Darronn.”

  He shook his head. “Do not be. It was of her own doing.”

  Suicide? Alexi wondered, but she didn’t ask out loud. It was obvious from the look in Darronn’s expressive eyes that he didn’t want to discuss his sister, so she changed the subject.

  “My cousin, Annie, is an artist, but she primarily does landscapes. Some are real and some are fantastical ones that she’s made up. ” Alexi’s heart tightened as she thought of Annie’s paintings. “She prefers to get lost in worlds that come out of her very vivid imagination and onto the canvas.”

  Darronn actually smiled as he glanced back to the picture of the former High King and Queen of Tarok. “My mother painted all that you see. Even the one of her and my father.”

  Alexi returned his smile and admired the paintings. “She was incredibly talented.”

  “That she was.” He wasn’t smiling any longer but he wasn’t frowning, either. “My mother and father passed away from an incurable disease.”

  Her fingers were still on his wrist and she squeezed his arm. “That must have been difficult.”

  “It was a long time ago.” He sounded as if his thoughts were far away. She waited, letting him see whatever it was he was remembering.

  He turned back to her. “What did you do where you came from? Did you serve a king?”

  Alexi burst out laughing. “Do I look like the type of woman who would serve anyone?”

  Darronn shrugged. “Many women with fire and spirit serve powerful men.”

  Alexi narrowed her brows. “I serve no one. As a matter of fact, I have employees who work for me.”

  “You must have a high station in life.” He sounded genuinely curious.

  “I’m a lawyer.” When he didn’t look like he understood, she went on, “An attorney.”

  He looked puzzled. “I do not know those words.”

  She shook her head. “How can you speak English so well and not know what they are?”

  “We speak the language of Tarok.” He shrugged. “You speak it as well.”

  She blinked. “I do not.”

  The corner of his mouth twitched, like he was amused. “The sorceress explained that when you came to our world, you would speak as we do. It is part of the magic she used. Yet you say words I do not recognize.”

  Alexi had to digest what he’d said for a moment. “You’re saying I’m not speaking English?” She listened to every word she said. “Sounds like it to me.”

  “The sorceress’s magic is quite powerful.” He turned the conversation back to Alexi. “Now explain these words I do not know.”

  “An attorney is a counselor when someone has wronged another.” Sh
e brushed hair away from her face. “An advocate for the person who has been wronged or is accused of being wronged. A judge or jury then determines who is wrong.”

  Darronn gave a slow nod. “I believe I understand. In Tarok we have no need for such counselors. However, we do have arbitrators who settle disputes when one arises.”

  He broke off and settled his hands on her shoulders, his eyes focused on her. “What happened to make you so distrustful of men?”

  Surprise rippled through her like a wash of cool water. At first she wanted to deny that anything had happened. She’d put it all behind her. But, what the hell.

  “During my last year at Stanford Law School, I started dating a guy from one of my classes. His name was Larry.” She let out a slow breath. “He was intelligent and gorgeous, not to mention the sex we had together was great.”

  She almost laughed at the scowl that darkened Darronn’s handsome face, which showed his obvious jealousy. But then she frowned as she thought back to those days when she’d been so naive. “I thought he was perfect for me. And I thought I’d fallen in love.”

  “What did he do to you?” Darronn asked through clenched teeth. “If the bastard harmed you I will track him down and kill him.”

  Alexi almost smiled again at Darronn’s protectiveness. “Larry didn’t harm me. At least not physically.”

  She had long ago forced the memories to the back of her mind but they all came rushing back. “He used me.” She ground her teeth before continuing. “I was the top law student at Stanford in my year and he was second only to me by half a point. I later found out that he had been taking my class work and copying it.”

  Darronn’s eyes darkened as she spoke.

  Anger and hurt swelled up within her at the memories. “I was so stupid. It wasn’t until we were close to graduation that I found out. One of my final papers vanished, including from my computer’s hard drive and my backup external drive. I couldn’t believe it, and I had no idea who had done it. I had to write it all over again at the very last minute. When they were graded, it was then I discovered that Larry had turned in my original one as his own.”