Seduced - Book Three - Surrender Series

by Anne, Melody

  “Nah. I’m comfortable just as I am,” he answered with a wicked grin — the same grin that had made her chase after him for so long.

  “Fine,” she huffed. If he wanted a show, then he was going to get one. He’d better enjoy it because looking was all he was going to do.

  Seeing her clothes lying in the corner, she sat up, exposing her backside to him as she snatched up her own shirt, which was thankfully dry. She pulled off the borrowed shirt from him, giving him a nice long glimpse of her smooth back. Right before she got it over her head, Shane’s finger trailed from her neck, all the way down the length of her spine, then slid over the curve of her soft derrière.

  A chill rushed through her as she moved away, unzipping the tent with one hand and grabbing her pants with the other. She darted out, no thought crossing her mind that someone might be out there. They were on a deserted island, after all.

  Luck was with her when no one spotted her streaking outside. That was a good thing, since she was half naked. Struggling into her still damp pants, she moved into the trees a short way and made sure not to be gone too long.

  The area creeped her out. She’d never been anywhere where she was this alone. As much as she was afraid of her reaction to Shane, she was glad he was there. She wouldn’t do well by herself — she was terrified of the slightest sound.

  When she heard the bushes move near her, she let out a loud gasp, and went running back toward the tent.

  “It’s only me, Lia. Don’t worry,” Shane called.

  It still took several moments before her heart slowed its frantic beating.

  Shane returned and climbed back into the tent. Lia decided it wouldn’t be wise to go back inside with him. The space was just too small. Besides, they should be looking for a way out of this mess. Maybe they’d build one of those rafts like the one Tom Hanks had made in the film Cast Away, and someone would rescue them in the middle of the ocean.

  OK, that wasn’t the brightest idea, but she was desperate here.

  “Are you hungry?” Shane asked as he stepped back outside, the sight of him in his low-slung pants and nothing else causing near cardiac arrest. He was muscled and dark and beyond scrumptious looking. She could seriously dine off his abs alone. Chomp.

  “Yes,” she replied, hoping he had something and wasn’t just taunting her.

  “We have a few supplies, but they will only last a couple of days. We need to conserve what we can. There should be fruit and possibly nuts on this island, so we’ll have to go on a hunt,” he said as he cut open a bag and passed it to her.

  Lia was elated when she looked inside and found a large amount of trail mix. This would be plenty for the both of them for a good breakfast. Next he pulled out a water bottle. Water had never looked more beautiful.

  “We only have three bottles, but I have water purification tablets, so this isn’t our limit. Still, we need to take it easy. Hopefully, we can find a fresh-water supply deeper inside the island. I don’t want to go too far and risk getting lost, though. We also need to keep our belongings with us. This tent is the only thing that will keep us protected from the weather at night.”

  “It sounds like you’ve been stranded before,” she murmured after she chewed and swallowed, being careful to take only small sips of water.

  “I haven’t ever been shipwrecked, but I’ve…” he trailed off.

  “You’ve what?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” he said, clearly wanting to change the subject.

  Now Lia had to know. She couldn’t stand mysteries; she refused to read anything that had suspense in it. If she did accidentally pick up a book like that, then she’d flip to the last chapter to find how it ended before going back and reading it from the beginning.

  The stress of suspense was just too much for her. It wasn’t pleasant in the least.

  “Please tell me.” See, she could ask nicely.

  “Maybe sometime,” he said.

  She knew that was all she was going to get out of him for now. Dang it!

  “Let me pack this up and then we’ll be on our way,” he said and began taking down the tent.

  “Why are you taking it down?”

  “We don’t want a creature taking off with it, or a freak wave dragging it into the ocean. This is our bedroom for the next day or so. Hopefully only that long,” he said, looking out across the water. Not a boat in sight.

  “I’m glad I’m with you, Shane. I would never think of any of this,” she said. Their eyes connected as he stuffed the tent into the pack and hefted it onto his shoulders.

  “I’m glad to be here with you,” he replied, grateful that she’d forgotten that it was his fault they were stuck on the island in the first place.

  The heat in his eyes had her stomach tensing. Why did he have to decide to give her his full charm now? She’d wanted him forever without it being reciprocal, and now when she’d decided to not have him be a part of her life, he was giving her his full arsenal of charm.

  Men!

  “We’re losing daylight, Grayson,” she said as she began moving, having no idea where she was supposed to go.

  “We just woke up, Lia. There’s plenty of light left,” he said with a laugh, but he didn’t complain as she began moving.

  She must have been on the right path because Shane pushed ahead of her with a long stick as he moved bushes and they wove their way a bit deeper into the island. If she had to be trapped, at least she had a fantastic view, she thought as she watched the muscles in his butt flex with each step he took, and the twist of his upper torso while he worked on the brush.

  “The good news is that this island isn’t too big or too dense. I think it would be very difficult for us to get lost,” he said as they moved along. After walking for about an hour, they both heard a noise and stopped.

  “Is that a…?”

  “Yes, I think it is,” he said with a smile as he moved forward.

  Now elated, both of them quickened their pace. Coming over a small rise, Lia stopped, her breath being taken from her.

  “That’s stunning,” she whispered.

  In front of them stood a pristine body of water with a twenty-foot waterfall flowing into it. Lia rushed forward, excited at the thought of washing the layer of salt water from her skin. She had no thoughts of safety, just pure refreshment.

  “Lia, let me check the area first,” Shane said as he gripped her arm.

  “I’m itchy, Shane. I need to bathe,” she said as she looked at the crystal-clear water.

  After a few moments of looking around, he deemed it safe, which made her roll her eyes. Yes, she’d led an easy existence, cosseted and cared for, but she was capable of ensuring her own safety. However, it would take longer to argue with him than to just let him do a small security scan. As soon as she got the green light, Lia ran to the edge, where she discarded her clothes without a thought of modesty and smoothly dived into the water.

  Shane stood back watching the enticing curve of her backside, feeling his body’s natural reaction. She wasn’t trying to injure him, he didn’t think, but she was surely causing permanent damage anyway.

  Well, if he couldn’t beat her, he sure as hell was going to join her. Without any further pause, he moved down to where she’d thrown off her clothes, and stripped off his own, then dived into the water and came up right in front of her.

  Without giving her time to react, he pulled her close to his naked body and kissed her. He was done with letting her thrust him away.

  Chapter Ten

  Adriane

  Prince Adriano of Corythia, or Adriane, as he called himself in the States, or even Ian Graziani when he wanted fewer people to figure out who he was, turned the corner before pausing. Taking a deep breath, he heard his trusted adviser approaching and quickly masked his face, knowing what was coming.

  Adriane was never truly alone. There were bodyguards following him, his assistant right there, and when he was in public, cameras. So many cameras. Since this visit wasn’t annou
nced, at least the paparazzi weren’t present, but he could never ditch his bodyguards. They’d have a heart attack.

  At least they gave him the semblance of privacy, though, standing out of the way, not making their presence known, but they were always close.

  “Your Majesty, should you really be entertaining this American?”

  With a deep sigh, Adriane turned toward Amedeo, giving him a look that made the man back down immediately. “I am only having dinner with the woman, Amedeo. It’s nothing for you to concern yourself about.”

  “Of course, Sire. It’s just that we need to get back home. You know your brother is causing many problems.”

  “Yes, and the problems will still be there next week. I promised my mother I would return home, and I will. I just need this time. The American girl is nothing more than a distraction. Do not assume it is more than that.”

  Adriane had no difficulty whatsoever reminding the man who he was. Since age seventeen, he had been the crown prince of Corythia, knowing he would one day ascend the throne. That day had just come sooner than he’d planned. He wanted to be free a while longer, build something in this world before he settled down, married and ruled his country.

  His father had passed away too soon, only a month ago, leaving a world of burdens on Adriane’s shoulders. His mother, an American actress his father had fallen in love with, shocking the country when he’d brought home his foreign bride, had adapted amazingly well to his father’s country. The people revered her, would even die for her. She knew his need for freedom, but even she was pressuring him to return home.

  He’d been thrown so much at once, and had needed escape. Yes, it was selfish on his part, but soon the people would own him, and he needed this time to himself — needed it to accept the reality of what his life would be like now.

  As the crown prince, he’d had a lot of responsibility thrust upon him, but he’d still managed to come and go as he pleased, to a large extent. He’d made many successful deals with business leaders in other countries, bringing a steady stream of income to Corythia. His father had been a proud man.

  Adriane loved his father, but respected him more. The loss had been great, and Adriane needed time to heal, needed to get his mind off of the pain of losing him. The American girl would be a good distraction from his worries.

  “Make sure Ms. Rachel arrives to her home safely. I don’t think anyone has spotted me here, but if they did, I don’t want her to become a target. Keep two of the men posted on her at all times.”

  “I will get on that right away, as well as have a background check done on her,” Amedeo stated as he spoke into his microphone.

  “No. There’s no need. She doesn’t know who I am. I like the mystery of the situation,” Adriane said with a smile.

  “Sire, I don’t think that is wise,” Amedeo gasped, obviously shocked by Adriane’s unusual behavior.

  “I don’t want to be smart right now, Amedeo. I just want to live a little before I am ruled by the people of Corythia,” Adriane said with a sigh.

  He did love his country, but he had so much more living to do. At only thirty years of age, he wasn’t ready to be king. But ready or not, he would be crowned next week.

  “Yes, Sire.” Amedeo wasn’t happy, but he would obey orders. It would be unacceptable to do anything less.

  With that, Adriane turned and walked up the small dune to the parking lot and toward the awaiting car. Climbing into the back seat of the Jaguar limo, he grabbed a bottle of scotch and poured himself a generous drink. He’d tried to deny it, but he knew he was excited about dinner with his mysterious woman.

  Her reaction to him was expected. Women tended to fall at his feet, willing to do anything he asked of them. But his reaction to her was what startled him. He had felt an instant attraction to women before, but as he’d pulled Rachel against his chest, it had taken massive restraint on his part to let her go again.

  She’d caused a stir in him that he definitely wanted to explore further. With her compelling green eyes and luscious pink lips, not to mention her perfect curves, he’d felt weak in the knees. It was unusual, though not impossible.

  With all the stress he was under, this Rachel would be a welcome distraction in his turbulent life. A few nights with her and he’d be ready to leave America behind and go back to Corythia to do his duty to God and his country.

  At thirty years of age, he would be the youngest king in his country in the past two hundred years. The thought made him miss his father again. What a great king and man he’d been. Adriane was confident in himself, but filling the shoes of his father wouldn’t be easy. He was sure the people had their own reservations about him, as well.

  As they pulled up to the hotel, Adriane’s phone rang, and one look at the caller ID had his eyes narrowing dangerously as he received the call.

  “What do you want, Gianni?”

  “Is that any way to greet your brother, Ian?”

  “You should not speak so disrespectfully to your king!” A mixture of bitterness and sadness filled him at how far apart he and his brother had grown.

  “You’re not king yet, Ian. Don’t get too comfortable. After all, a lot can happen in a week’s time,” Gianni remarked as he laughed bitterly over the phone.

  “We’ve been through this, Gianni. I would have gladly given you the kingdom if you’d been worthy to take it. I never wanted to be tied down to one place. You threw it all away with your greed.”

  “You are so quick to judge me, little brother, but the throne should have been mine and we both know it. The oldest son inherits the title,” Gianni spat.

  “Father wanted you to rule — it was expected from the moment of your birth. You were the one who chose to disinherit us!”

  “I wanted change. Was that really such a crime?”

  Adriane took a deep breath as he forced himself to calm down. He’d been through this many times with his brother. The two of them had been inseparable as children, only eleven months apart. Then Gianni had run away from home at eighteen, seeking adventure. The people he’d chosen to carry on with had been political enemies, convincing him that their father was Satan resurrected. He’d denounced the throne and they hadn’t heard a word from him for five years. When he’d come back, it was too late.

  “I refuse to continue trying to appease you, Gianni. I hope one day we can call each other brother again, but it won’t be today. I tire of your fits, and I will not indulge your games. Please, take care.”

  With that Adriane hung up the phone.

  He inhaled deeply several times and released the breath slowly, and the anger had dissipated from his aching stomach by the time he arrived at the hotel and entered through the back door. The media hadn’t been alerted to his presence and he was hoping to keep it that way. If Gianni knew where he was, his brother would sell him out in a heartbeat.

  Someday, they might mend fences, but Adriane wasn’t holding out much hope. His brother was too bitter, too changed to accept the way the cards had fallen — the way Gianni had made them fall.

  Entering his suite, he called his assistant and had dinner ordered. As he went to shower and dress, a smile flitted across his lips. Tonight would get his mind off his responsibilities and his troubles. Tonight was about sating desires, and nothing else.

  Whistling as the hot water streamed down his muscular body, Adriane smiled genuinely for the first time since his father’s burial. Rachel was just what he needed before he became fully owned by his people. For the next few days, it was OK to be selfish.

  Well, he thought, I won’t be completely selfish. My lover will be well satisfied.

  Chapter Eleven

  Ari

  “Have you read this, Rafe?” Ari exclaimed.

  Rafe jumped at the sound of Ari’s excited voice. Then he looked up from his computer to see what had her so animated. She’d been poring over the pages of his ancestor’s journal for two hours. The bottle of wine was almost finished, mostly by her, and he’d decided his sedu
ction skills were decidedly lacking.

  Such a fine vintage wine, and it had been wasted, in his opinion. Once she’d opened the pages of the journal, he’d ceased to exist for her, leaving him to grab his laptop and get work done.

  He’d whispered in her ear, brought her a plate of fruit and cheese, accidentally brushed his leg up against hers, and he might as well have been a cardboard box. She hadn’t so much as glanced at him. After a few attempts at speaking with her, he’d discovered that she was simply mumbling, not hearing a word he was saying. So he’d given up.

  She was fully mesmerized by a man he shouldn’t be jealous of, but actually was. The man had been dead for over a hundred years, yet still had her full attention.

  “No. I haven’t read it, just learned of the stories through my grandmother. Why don’t you read to me?”

  “Oh, it’s beautiful, just beautiful. He loved Saphronia so much. I can feel every emotion he was feeling, the pain, fear, devastation; it’s all here!”

  “It was a frightening time for many in those days,” he said, trying to keep her talking. Setting his laptop aside, he moved closer on the pretext of leaning over so he could see the book. He knew he was a bit pathetic when he had to use the excuse of reading just to get close to her. If only he hadn’t promised not to touch her.

  “It’s not just his words, Rafe, but hers as well. She wrote to him, and he kept the letters from her in the journal, tucked away right next to his personal thoughts and feelings about what he was dealing with. I’m so grateful that your ancestor was smart enough to have the pages protected or all of this could have faded away by now.”

  “Yes, some of the old letters have weathered the test of time, and others haven’t. My grandmother loved the journal so much that my grandfather didn’t want to take any chances, so he protected it. That way she could flip through the pages as much as she wanted without fear of ruining it.”

  “Oh, I would love to hear the story of your grandparents’ romance, too. It sounds like you come from a long line of romantics,” she said, gracing him with a beautiful smile.