The Brothers' Virgin Captive

by The Brothers' Virgin Captive [Evernight] (mobi)

  Chapter Five

  The next day the three of them sat around a large table with an array of breakfast foods spread out before them. Anna hadn’t fallen asleep until the first rays of sun had broken through the small crack in the drapes. It seemed like she had just closed her eyes when there was a knock on her door and Luca was calling out for her. After she bathed and changed into another outfit, she found herself in the dining room after following the delicious smells. Croissants, pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, and everything else she could possibly imagine was laid out like an offering to a god.

  Meals at her family’s home had always been grand, but when it came to Anna’s meals she had been fed sparingly. According to her mother a proper husband didn’t care for a plump wife. Even though she ate only what was given to her, her figure was robust at best. When accusations came from her mother that Anna was stealing food and that was why she was so thick, Anna had made herself refrain from the already small portions of food she was provided. Now here she sat, surrounded by a feast, and all she could keep thinking about was the harsh and hurtful words her mother and father had thrown out at her daily.

  “You have to be hungry.”

  She looked up at Arik. She was, and the grumble her belly decided to give at that moment told them as much.

  “The broth I gave you last night wasn’t substantial.” He pointed his fork to the spread and said, “You need to eat and further rid your body of the toxins.”

  “I would have gone willingly with you if I had known the reason.” She looked at him then Luca. “Drugging me wasn’t necessary.”

  Luca’s jaw was clenched as he stared at his brother. Arik set his fork down so softly and precisely it was a little frightening, and how ridiculous was that? There was just something dark and powerful that surrounded him, something that should have made her keep her distance, yet she found herself drawn inexplicably to him. For several long moments all he did was stare at her. It seemed he did that at every turn. Luca watched Arik with a foreboding expression on his face. Was it really her place to complain how they got her out? Yes, drugging was a bit extreme, but she was no longer part of the auctions. Anna should be thanking them, right?

  “Drugging you was my last resort, although there were only two options I had for you. If I recall correctly you didn’t want to come willingly, even after I explained we didn’t have a lot of time.” This was true, of course.

  “If you would have just told me Luca sent you, I would have felt comfortable going with you, because I would have known your intentions were true.” When everything was said and done Anna trusted Luca with her life. Their lives had been vastly different, but in her heart she had felt safe around him, and in the world she lived in and the people that surrounded her, her instincts were all she had.

  “I tried, Anna, but in that situation time was of the essence. I am a man who doesn’t have time for games. I came there for one purpose, and I wasn’t leaving until you were in the back of my car. If that meant drugging you to get to the end result then so be it.” He finished his coffee and stood. “I do apologize for the impairment I had to cause on you, but it was imperative. I think we can both agree that it worked out for the best.” He raised a dark brow at her, and she found herself nodding. He was right, and she felt foolish for making a big deal about it. In the end how he got her out wasn’t important. She was no longer a prisoner, and that was all that mattered. Arik turned to leave, and she stood quickly.

  “Wait.”

  He looked over his shoulder, and there was surprise on his face at her raised voice.

  “I didn’t properly thank you for saving my life.” And that was what he had done. If not for him and Luca she dreaded to think of what her fate would have been. Horrid images of what Master Charles could be doing to her or making her do at this very moment played through her mind. “Thank you.” She whispered the words and looked between the brothers. For the first time since she had been in his presence he offered her a genuine smile.

  “You’re welcome, Anna.” He turned and disappeared down the hallway, and Anna sat back down. Luca stared at her silently, and she was happy to see the intense look was gone from his face. He lifted an empty plate and started loading up spoonfuls of food from each selection and placing it on the plate until it was a heaping mountain. To her surprise he walked around the table and set the plate in front of her.

  “Please, Anna, eat.”

  She looked up at him, and he brushed his thumb across her cheek. She didn’t know what the future held, but anything had to be better than her past or what was going to be her life as a virgin bride. Luca sat back in his seat, and she found herself eating nearly everything on the plate.

  When they were both done she looked out the French doors at the vast green lawn. Anna noticed there were no servants, but she really wasn’t surprised. Despite being in Arik’s presence for such a short time she suspected that he liked his privacy.

  “You have questions, Anna, and I want to give you the answers.”

  She turned and looked at Luca. He was so attractive, and not because his face and body were gorgeous, but because his personality and demeanor were caring and modest. He never acted out of place, never was disrespectful, and after it came to light that he was the one that helped her escape being a sex slave, she knew she had been wise to trust her instincts when it came to him.

  “Have you been planning this for more than the past two years?”

  “No.” He leaned back in his chair. “I watched you when you were a little girl and could see how unhappy you were. I wanted to help you, to take you away from the verbal and emotional abuse those people inflicted on you daily.” He shook his head and looked down. It was strange to see another person care about her wellbeing. “I didn’t know how to help you then, Anna. I had no money, no stability, and I sure as hell didn’t know the first thing about taking care of a child.”

  There was a clear pain in his words that made her want to go to him, but she stayed in her seat and hoped he continued. His words were a salve to her, and maybe it would help him as well.

  “I stayed around not only to support myself and mother, but to watch over you. If I stepped out of bounds I would have been dismissed from my position, and then I wouldn’t have been able to see you. It wasn’t until the year you turned eighteen that our father passed and I decided to broach the subject concerning you to Arik. My brother had inherited our father’s wealth, and I knew he had the resources to aid in what I needed done. Even discussing what I proposed with my brother could have landed us in prison or even resulted in our deaths if anyone found out.”

  Anna didn’t know much about the world she lived in since she had been sheltered and only given information that would benefit the auctions and her future husband, but she had heard enough about the importance of virgins being sold and what it did to their society.

  “Arik agreed right away, and so we spent the next twenty-four months planning how we would get you out.’

  “But why did you have to leave?”

  His expression was tender. Couldn’t he have stayed while they planned everything out?

  “I wanted to, but leaving was the best route Arik and I thought we should take. I needed to distance myself from you, Anna, focus on getting you out, and not leave a trail where Arik or I could be linked to it all.”

  Of course it made sense, but she still remembered the years she’d spent wondering where he had been and what he had been doing.

  “I’m sorry if I hurt you.” He folded his hands together on top of the table and looked into her eyes. “I saw the way you looked at me, Anna. It was a longing that broke my heart. I wanted to tell you I’d come back for you, that I wouldn’t let them break you, but I couldn’t. They were always listening and watching, sweetheart. I had to tread lightly.”

  Anna looked back out the double doors and watched a sparrow land on the edge of the stone birdbath in the center of the patio. The small bird fluffed out its wings and jumped into the crys
tal clear water.

  “Look at me, Anna.” The sound of Luca’s voice so close should have startled her, but instead she turned slowly to face him. He knelt in front of her, his hands on the armrest of her chair and his expression relaxed. “We may have never spoken, but those years I was gone you were all I thought about.” His voice was soft. Luca took her hand in his and brought it to his mouth to lay a gentle kiss in the center of her palm. “I missed you, Anna, and even if I wasn’t there physically I was there with you in here.” He took her hand and placed it over her heart and then his. “As strange as this may sound, I fell in love with you in those two years I was away.”

  How did she respond to something like that? She had loved Luca Graison for as long as she could remember, and hearing that he cared for her as much as she did him had her crying like a fool.

  “My sweet Anna. Please don’t cry.” He brushed his thumbs under her eyes and wiped the tears away. For several long moments they stared at each other, and as he slowly moved in Anna felt her heart stop. The feel of his breath brushing along her lips had her eyes closing on their own. “I want to kiss you, Anna. Will you let me?”

  Did he even have to ask? With her eyes still closed and her heart stalled in her chest, she nodded. He pressed his lips to hers, and electricity slammed into her body. She jerked and moaned against his mouth. The kiss was soft, gentle, but something inside of her cracked, and she wanted more, needed more. He speared his hand in her hair and brought her closer. At the first touch of his tongue to her bottom lip she opened her mouth and let him inside. The flavor of him washed along her taste buds, and she made a small noise in the back of her throat.

  “Touch me, Anna. Please.” His lips moved against hers when he spoke. Her fingers itched to touch his hard, muscular body, and instead of feeling nervous about her wants, she lifted her hands and gripped his shoulders. Their mouths moved together, and their tongues pressed against one another in what reminded her of a sexual act she wanted desperately to experience with him. Her chair scraped along the tiled floor when he turned it so she faced him fully. In the next second he moved his big body between her thighs. Anna should have pushed him away, told him this was too much and too fast, but she couldn’t, wouldn’t. She wanted this too badly, and had ached for it since she knew what these emotions inside of her were.

  Luca’s chest was broad and hard, and when it pressed against hers she instantly felt her nipples bead. Wetness spilled from between her thighs, and a tingling started in the bundle of nerves at the top of her mound. With both of his hands on the sides of her head, and his fingers curling into her hair, Anna got lost in the feelings and sensations of Luca having sex with her mouth. He broke the kiss far too soon and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

  “God, Anna.” His breath teased the shell of her ear. Then his lips found the side of her neck, and he laid a gentle kiss upon her sensitive flesh. “I have been thinking of doing that since I left you.” He held her tighter, and she let herself experience every single emotion she wasn’t allowed to feel. “Things will be better for you, Anna. I promise. I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again. I love you.”

  Those three words were like a hot poker of realization inside of her. “I love you, too, Luca.”

  He tensed around her but soon relaxed, and a deep sigh left him. She wrapped her arms around him and held him as tightly as he held her. When she lifted her gaze after several long euphoric moments of being wrapped around Luca it was to see Arik standing in the shadowed hallway. Even with the grayness partially covering him she could see his emerald cut eyes. He watched her with curiosity and interest, but there was also another emotion hidden behind those green depths, one that made her even wetter between her legs. How long had he been watching them, and had he seen their intimate kiss or heard their words of love? Why did the thought of Arik seeing that bring heat to her and cause her arousal to grow?

  Chapter Six

  The next few weeks were spent with Luca showing her around Arik’s estate and her becoming comfortable in her surroundings. The few times she allowed herself to watch the news didn’t mention anything about a runaway virgin bride or one being kidnapped, but then again she didn’t suppose they would. People like her parents, and she suspected like Master Charles, liked to keep things out of the media. Bringing what they would consider a failure in the circles they ran was certainly not something they wanted brought to everyone’s attention. But if things got desperate she didn’t doubt her parents would eventually go to the media, claim some kind of conspiracy, and have an all-out man-hunt for her. Bringing herself out of her depressing and frightening thoughts, she looked around. Things were certainly different at Arik’s estate. Anna never saw servants or guests in the house. There were no neighbors, not for as far as she could see. Knowing they were outside of city limits gave her a semblance of calm, and with each passing day she felt herself grow more comfortable and secure. Of course she wondered how long they intended to keep her here, but did she mind? No, not when it meant she didn’t have to live her former life. Anything was better than that.

  Luca had moved in with his brother the same time he left working for her father, and she was thankful that he was there all the time. Having him around also aided in her comfort, because if she was being honest Arik’s presence had her slightly disoriented in a very sexual way. The grounds were beautiful with blooming gardens, colorful and exotic flowers and trees, a large pond that overlooked the snowcapped mountains, and intimate trails that led through the thick forest that lined the estate. The mansion itself was a towering structure made up of wrought iron and stone. It was four stories high, with frightening looking marble creatures perched at each corner of the roof, and intricately spiraled banisters that arched away from numerous balconies on various levels. It was impressive and grand, but there was a coldness to it that reminded her of a solitary building that could never house a family or be filled with love.

  She and Luca walked along the shore of the pond, holding hands, but not talking much. The silence was comfortable, and Anna enjoyed the fact she didn’t have to feel like keeping conversation. The scenery was gorgeous, and over the past few days she hadn’t seen much of Arik. Her time with Luca had been wonderful, but she couldn’t help but feel the sting of disappointment that the other Graison brother had been absent. There was also guilt when it came to her feelings. Loving one man but lusting after another was abhorrent in the eyes of society, especially for a female born to be a virgin in the auctions, but then again she really wasn’t in that category anymore. She was a free female, but for how long was still uncertain.

  Luca and Arik might promise her safety, but she knew her parents. Money and social standing meant more to them than she did. She didn’t know the extent of what Arik and Luca had to do to get her out of the auctions, but it had to be heavy and costly for them to slip so easily out the back door. Overall they were pretty hush-hush about it, but Arik had made a few comments about people being easily paid for their compliance. In the end Anna didn’t care about the how of it. She was free, and nothing else mattered.

  Of course she said all of this to herself, but her fears were still a living entity inside of her, and she honestly didn’t know if or when they would ever go away.

  “I’m worried, Luca.”

  He stopped and looked down at her. She didn’t need to elaborate on what she meant. “I know, and although I can’t take that worry and fear from you, you have to trust me when I say there isn’t anything on this planet that I will let harm you. I should have done something a long time ago, but I can’t change the past.” He pulled her close, and her heart picked up speed.

  Since their kiss in the dining room Luca had been overly platonic with her. Maybe he feared that what they were doing was too fast and too soon? She certainly had thought that, but had pushed those thoughts away as fast as they had come. She wanted this, wanted him, and why should she deny herself any longer? Taking the initiative for once in her life, she rose on her toes and pre
ssed her lips to his. He seemed taken aback at first by the way he tensed, but he then wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her body flush with his. His erection was thick and hard as it pressed against her belly, and the familiar tendrils of desire coursed through her veins. She wanted him, but didn’t know how to go about saying it. Of course blurting it out was always an option, but she hadn’t been brought up to be so forward. It was hard to break away from something that had been drilled into her mind from the time she had been old enough to talk, but she knew if she planned on starting a new life, one that she approved of, she needed to step outside of her comfort zone.

  Pulling back from their kiss had him groaning in disapproval. She looked into his eyes and noticed the way his breathing had subtly changed. He lowered his eyes to her mouth before lifting them back to her eyes.

  Licking her lips and taking a deep breath, she whispered, “I want you, Luca. Right here. Right now.”

  That was all she needed to say, because the deep rumble that left him told her he understood exactly what she meant. He crushed her to him once more and took her lips in a brutal kiss. He swept his tongue into her mouth, and she tangled hers with his. Their combined breathing sounded harsh and labored. Her body was on fire, and her heart felt like it would pound right through her chest. Anna wanted to give every part of herself to this man.

  Please say you want me. The words whispered in her mind, and even though his actions told her he wanted her desperately she wanted to hear the words. To hear him say those things would truly solidify everything, but as if he heard her clearly he broke away from her and took a step back. Anna blinked several times, not sure if he was about to deny her, but the desire on his face was clear.

  He ran a hand harshly through his hair and stared out at the pond. “I want you, too, so badly, sweetheart.” She waited for that inevitable but to come into play. “I want you to stay here with me.” He looked back at her and smoothed a hand over her hair in a gentle sweep. “But I won’t be with you for the first time on the hard ground. You deserve your first time on a bed with silk beneath you.”