“Ethan can be plenty scary if he wanted to be, trust me. He just enjoys how we all spoil him.”
“Who wouldn’t?” she said simply as they stopped outside one of the doors.
“This is your room, Prince Alexander,” one of the guards said.
“Thank you,” Alex said, then gave Arianna a kiss on each cheek. “You’re a good sister.”
“You’re a good brother.”
He smiled. “I’ll swing by your room to pick you up for dinner. Don’t be late.”
“I think you have me confused with Cat,” she said, referring to her older sister and Alex’s younger twin sister, Catharine. “But I’ll be ready,” she said with a wave as she continued her trek to the end of the long hall, where her room lay.
Once inside, she rested against the door, happy to be alone again. As she pushed away from the door and headed for the bathroom, she realized that it was not being alone that made her happy; it was dropping all the pretense of propriety. It took a considerable amount of work to stay prim and proper.
As her hands delved into her hair and began to pull out the pins resting there, she knew she didn’t mind the hard work it took to keep up the persona. She owed it to her family after what she had done all those years ago. She would do whatever it took to keep their respect; it had certainly taken long enough to earn it back after what had happened.
Arianna turned the silver knobs of the bath and let a rush of steaming water begin to fill a large copper tub. As she began to undress, she knew she would do whatever it took to make her family proud. She was older now, wiser. She wouldn’t be charmed by a man with ulterior motives again, and put her family and her country at risk.
No, never again.
***
Finn de Bara strode down the long halls towards his older brother, Henry’s, office. He ran a careless hand through his hair, which was a deep, rich dark brown, bordering on black. His brilliant green eyes, set in a square face he inherited from his mother, were wary and held a hint of his exhaustion. He rubbed his hand down over his face in a feeble attempt to become more alert. He had not bothered to shave today, so his strong chin and talented upper lip were covered with a layer of scruffy hair. Where Henry’s mustache made him look older, a day’s worth of growth on Finn’s face made him look dangerous and far too sexy.
Finn tucked his shirt into his pants as he walked. He had been woken by Henry’s assistant banging on his door not ten minutes ago. Finn supposed it was his own fault for staying out so late again. But what no one, not even his brother, understood was that his late night partying rarely had anything to do with debauchery and more to do with helping the citizens of his country.
Having a drink with them at the end of a long day was often the best way for him to help his people. As second in line to the throne, he had no real authority in the kingdom. He could only make recommendations to Henry and to their district mayors. Listening to his people talk over a drink was often the best way to learn what was really going on in their country. Though Brazenbourg was small, it was full of history and life. He loved his homeland. What he didn’t always love, was Henry.
It was hard for a man to admit he disliked his older brother. They had never seen eye-to-eye, particularly after their parents died and he ascended the throne. For a long time, Finn wondered if it was jealousy fueling his feelings - as Henry was the ruler, not him - but he knew now that wasn’t true. Of course, even Henry’s dislike for Finn didn’t keep Finn from hoping his brother’s feelings would one day change. He still hoped they could reconcile and become true brothers, even if it was a futile hope.
Making matters more complicated was the fact that Henry had a dark side to him that few ever saw. He hoped their guests didn’t see it, either.
Finn was sorry that his late arrival would look bad in front of the Vallerian royals, who he was interested in meeting. By all accounts, King Gabriel and Prince Alexander did an excellent job as rulers. Despite some recent security issues Valleria had since resolved, Finn felt as though he could learn from Alexander.
Just because Finn would not be leading his country, did not mean he couldn’t be a leader in his own right. Since Henry seemed to need him less and less, he had wondered about becoming a district mayor in the next election cycle. Working on the ground with the people, now that was something he could do. He just had to convince Henry of the idea, too.
Finn approached the offices with careless confidence. He swung open the door, an apology waiting on his lips. He held back, however, when he realized only Henry was in the room.
“Did you scare off the guests already, Henry?” Finn took a chair in front of his brother’s disgustingly large desk. Because he knew it would bother Henry, Finn propped his feet on the edge of the desk and crossed them at the ankles. He leaned back in his chair and gave his brother a devilish smile.
Henry scowled - it happened so often that Finn was sure Henry’s face would soon become permanently etched with the expression - and walked around the desk towards Finn. He forcibly pushed Finn’s feet off the desk, then took a few moments to rub a handkerchief over the spot his feet had been, though nary a speck of dirt was there.
“Where the hell have you been?” Henry said as he strode back to his chair.
“You know where I’ve been.”
“Sleeping off another hangover, no doubt,” Henry huffed. Finn had stopped correcting Henry’s assumptions years ago. Even though Henry had Finn followed wherever he went, Henry still never believed where Finn had really been.
“I hope the whore you were with last night isn’t still around. The Vallerian royals are here and they don’t need to run into her.”
“I wasn’t with anybody last night, Hank,” Finn said, smiling broader when Henry snarled at the use of his despised nickname. Finn had also given up trying to explain that he was not a womanizing asshole like the tabloids made him out to be. He’d been with a number of women, that was true, but he had never treated them with disrespect. But all that was in the past. If people knew how long it had really been since he’d buried himself in the tight heat of a woman, they probably wouldn’t believe him. Henry certainly wouldn’t.
“Took a night off, eh?” Henry asked. “Losing your touch?”
“Every guy needs some rest,” Finn smiled back. “So, which sister came with Prince Alexander on this visit?”
“Princess Arianna. They’re resting before dinner, at her suggestion. The Prince wouldn’t even entertain any discussions once she started talking. Why the hell he wanted to bring a woman along, I don’t know.”
Finn had long known about Henry’s dismal view of women and never understood where it came from. Their mother was a strong woman who had always instilled respect for women into her sons, but Henry had never really learned. “Which one is she? Is she Prince Alexander’s twin?”
“No, it’s one of his other sisters. No family needs that many children.”
“Tell them how you really feel,” Finn said sarcastically. “I’m sure that will make them very amenable to the diplomacy we’re trying to accomplish.”
“You mean the diplomacy I am trying to accomplish. You’re just the royal spare.”
Finn absorbed the shock of Henry’s words but kept his face a mask of indifference. Sitting across from Finn was the only family he really had left in the world, and Henry hated him. Finn wasn’t sure he would ever get over it.
“Spare or not, I’m still useful.”
“Well, use your ‘talents’ to distract the Princess at dinner tonight. Of course, that means you’ll have to forego a night of drinking to have a peaceful meal.”
Finn did not mention that last night he’d had a peaceful meal at the home of one of their citizens. He had met a farmer yesterday at a local bar, and then had gone to his home to share a drink and dinner with him and his delightful family. The farmer was having trouble irrigating his crops, as the country underwent a low rain season and a drought may be imminent. Finn helped the man however he could, which, un
fortunately, was not much.
“I’ll be at dinner, Henry,” Finn said as he stood. “I’ll be there on time, too, don’t worry. Which room is she in? I could escort her to dinner and apologize for not being there when she arrived.”
“She’s in the Yellow Room. The Prince is in the Purple Room.”
“I’m shocked you remembered purple is the favored color of Vallerian royalty.”
“I didn’t assign the rooms.”
“Ah. Now, that makes much more sense. I’ll have to compliment your assistant on my way out.”
“I don’t need you distracting him.”
“I won’t,” Finn said as he stopped in the doorway to look at Henry again. “I’m going to give you some advice, dear brother.”
Henry huffed a laugh. “This should be amusing. All right, go ahead.”
“Don’t be such an asshole tonight. If this is how you acted when you met them, it’s no wonder they went running to their rooms.”
“Get out,” Henry said with suppressed rage. Finn gave him a broad smile and walked out the door.
Chapter 2
Arianna put the finishing touches on her makeup and gave herself a critical look in the bathroom mirror. Giving herself a nod of approval, she walked back out to the bedroom while patting her hair gently. She had coiled it at the base of her neck, and she was praying it would stay put.
She was clad only in delicate lingerie and stockings as she walked to the closet where her dress hung. She did not wear the decadent lingerie for a man. No, she had not had a lover for a very long time, not since the last man had betrayed her and her family. She wore them for herself, because she liked the way the soft lace and sheer stockings felt against her skin.
Arianna slipped on her sky high heels next and began to put on her jewelry, a beautiful set of emerald, amethyst, and diamond, woven together seamlessly with delicate gold strands, as though the stones were meant to be together.
Next, Arianna gently removed the dress from a velvet-lined hanger. It was a long line of rich forest green silk, worn again in deference to Brazenbourg. The strapless dress had a heart-shaped neckline which displayed the tops of her larger than average cleavage. With a fitted waist and straight skirt, it made her appear taller and slimmer than she really was. The dress had a matching cropped jacket covered in bright silver embroidery, so that it appeared to sparkle in the dim light of the room.
She had eased the dress over her hips and was holding it against her chest while she tried to zip it up from the back one-handed. Why hadn’t she been provided with a maid to help her? She would need to remember to bring her own the next time she traveled.
When she heard a knock at the door, she paused to check the time. Alex was running a little late today, it seemed, as was she. Hopefully, he could help her with the dress. Not expecting anyone else, she asked, “Could you come in and help me?”
She was busy fussing with the dress, and did not immediately turn to see who had entered. She did turn around a few moments later, her nimble fingers were still holding the front of the dress secure.
When she saw a strange man in a tuxedo standing there, and not Alex, she gasped. Her grip on the bodice of the dress slipped and only her wide hips kept the dress from falling further than her waist. She quickly lifted up the fabric again, but it was too late. Whoever he was, he had now seen her breasts in the lacy strapless bra, along with a great deal of skin.
“What do you want?” she asked, her voice a desperate plea as her hands held the dress in a fierce grip at her cleavage. “How did you get past the guards? It doesn’t matter. If you come one step closer, I will scream this bloody palace down.”
The man stood in shock for a few moments before he held up both of his hands in front of him in surrender. “Your Highness, please. I didn’t mean to upset you. Allow me to introduce myself.”
“I don’t care who you are,” she said as she inched backwards and hoped she didn’t trip on the edge of her dress.
“I’m Prince Finn de Bara, Your Highness,” he blurted out.
“What? You’re who?”
“Prince Finn. I came to apologize for not meeting you when you arrived, and to provide you with an escort to dinner. I certainly didn’t mean to intrude,” he said as he ran an unsteady hand through his dark brown hair.
“Oh,” she said as she sagged against the dresser. “Oh my God. You took ten years off my life.”
“Then I apologize for cutting your life short as well,” he said.
Calmer, Arianna was finally able to really look at the Prince. The tuxedo he wore seemed molded to his body, and his wide, bright green eyes were alight with remorse and a touch of humour. She could drown in those eyes, she thought fleetingly and shook her head free of the thought.
“I’m sorry as well. I shouldn’t have reacted so strongly.”
“You were right to do so. A woman can never be too careful in this day and age, even a princess. Who were you expecting?”
“My brother, Alex. He’s supposed to escort me to dinner.” She tightened her grip on the silky fabric.
“I’ll leave and let you finish dressing.” She’d expected Finn to take advantage of the situation, given his reputation. Her face must have shown surprise, because he smiled. God, what a mouth he had. She hadn’t been intrigued by a man’s mouth in ages.
“Did I say the wrong thing, Princess? Would you rather I stay and help you with your dress?”
Sense finally seemed to filter into her consciousness. “Oh, I don’t know that it’s appropriate for you to help me, Your Highness,” Arianna said as she backed up against the wall while he inched closer.
“Please, call me Finn,” he said in a voice an octave lower than before; the tone sent goosebumps jumping across her skin. “I think we’ve moved past the formal pleasantries, don’t you?” His lips were tipped up in a gentle curve and she wondered how they might move against hers.
Propriety told her to throw him out, and she was about to do just that. In the next moment, however, Finn placed his hands - complete with wide palms and long, capable fingers - on her hips and she held her breath. His touch felt too warm, especially through the flimsy layer of silk.
For the first time in several years, a surge of lust coursed through her veins, compelling her to draw him in and feel his hard body against hers. She had not wanted a man in so long; why was she reacting this way now?
She’d forgotten what an addiction physical attraction could be, how it made her pulse race and her body yearn. However, even with her last boyfriend years ago, she’d never felt an instant spark like she seemed to have with Finn. Intrigued, she decided to see where the spark would take her. “All right. If you can remain a gentleman, I would appreciate your assistance.”
She was proud of her voice for sounding even, though Finn raised a brow at her comment. “All right. Turn around, Princess,” he said as his hands, which still rested on her hips, began to turn her.
The thought of him seeing her back, which was bare but for her bra, kept her still. “You can reach around and pull up the zipper. Your arms are certainly long enough.” What was she saying? Had all sense left her? Now, he would essentially be hugging her.
A devious smile spread across his face, even while his gaze remained curious. “Your call, Princess.”
“Arianna. You can call me Arianna.”
“I find I like calling you ‘Princess,’” he mumbled as he stepped closer. Too close. Her eyes fell to his lips once more.
His tuxedo jacket brushed her bare arm and she held her breath. His hands shifted from her hips and slid around to her back, grazing the bare skin at the base of her spine and pulling her against him in the process; she let out a gasping breath.
“Steady, Princess,” he murmured, his eyes now as dark a green as her dress. She couldn’t look away. His arms felt so good and terrible at the same time. Strong and steady, his hands found the zipper. He didn’t linger, but instead swiftly zipped her up and clasped the hook at the top. She neede
d to readjust the front of her dress, but held back.
His voice was thick when he spoke. “God, you’re beautiful.”
“Thank you,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. When was the last time a man had called her beautiful?
“Was that gentlemanly enough for you?”
“Yes.”
“Then am I forgiven?”
“Depends on what you’re asking forgiveness for,” a menacing voice said them. Arianna looked past Finn’s shoulder to see Alex glaring at them. Oh, no.
Finn stepped away from Arianna and she felt a rush of cool air wash over her at the loss of his body heat. It did help clear her mind, however, and she realized what had almost happened. Mortification and shame swept through her.
Arianna & Finn (Royals of Valleria #3) Page 2
