Eleta quickly dressed for dinner, choosing her gown carefully. She wanted to keep Rafe interested, but she didn’t want to be so overt that he would know for sure that he was being seduced. The fact that he wasn’t certain what she wanted from him was her biggest advantage at the moment, and she meant to keep him guessing. She viewed her image in the mirror and smiled at the result. She could hear their dinner being brought in, and she waited until they were alone once again. Assuming a calm mien, she opened her bedroom door and pasted on a regal smile.
“Lovely,” she murmured, seeing the food. “I’m famished.”
She went directly to one of the two dining chairs and looked at Rafe expectantly. He was too busy assessing her figure to react.
She was dressed in a gown with a sapphire blue velvet bodice and a taffeta skirt the color of ivory. The blue enhanced the color of her eyes, making them shimmer with reddish highlights. The heart shaped neckline was cut low across her bosom, and it dipped even further between her breasts. The sleeves were designed slightly off her shoulders, leaving acres of flawless bare skin across her bosom and back. The fabric hugged her slender waist and then flared into a full skirt. The queen wore a necklace of pearls that complemented the luster of her complexion. There was a large, teardrop shaped pendant of sapphire that dangled down, and it dipped coyly into the shadowed cleft between her breasts. Rafe once again felt as if someone had knocked the wind out of him and the room was about twenty degrees too hot.
Eleta appeared not to notice the state he was in, and she smiled at him serenely. “Would you mind, your Grace?” She gracefully gestured that she wanted him to pull out her chair.
Rafe blinked and cleared his throat nervously as he rushed to do so. As she brushed past him to sit down, her enticing scent floated up to his nostrils, and he closed his eyes briefly and gripped the edges of her chair as he gently pushed it beneath her. He absolutely refused to let his gaze drop to her bosom, because he was certain he would not be able to constrain himself if he did. However, the sight of her naked shoulder blades was almost as enticing, and he clenched his jaw to keep from releasing a pained groan. With a grim frown, he assumed his own seat and they commenced their meal.
For a few minutes, they ate in silence, as Rafe struggled for a way to tactfully question the queen about her motives. Finally, he gulped half his wine down for courage and faced her.
“Your Majesty, it is well past time when you need to explain why you have brought me here.”
Eleta chewed quietly and studied him with a calm expression. “As I said earlier, all will be explained to you soon. We should arrive at our destination by late tomorrow afternoon. Once we are there, I will explain everything you need to know.”
Rafe frowned sharply and shook his head. “That is not sufficient, ma’am. If you don’t start giving me some answers, I’m going to bring this inn down around your pretty little ears. It was obvious when we arrived that you didn’t want anyone to know who you were. I kept my silence then, but I am not averse to exposing your secret now, if it will win me my freedom.”
His threat didn’t seem to concern her overly much, as she simply shrugged one of her beautiful bare shoulders. “Your Grace, by now, my guards have ensured that we have the inn entirely to ourselves. Feel free to raise a fuss if it will make you feel better, but it will not do any good.”
Rafe growled and rose abruptly from the table. He prowled the room like some caged beast and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. Eleta merely watched with outward calm. However, the sight of his agitation caused her own heart to race. He was a magnificent looking man, and he appealed to her in every possible way.
“You have no right to keep me here against my will,” he railed. “Especially since I have never done anything to offend your Majesty.”
“Ha!” she exclaimed, feeling her own temper start to simmer. She threw her napkin aside and rose to face him with a haughty toss of her head. “Now, there you are wrong, your Grace. You have offended me mightily! If I felt inclined to imprison you for your offenses, I would certainly have enough of them to justify such an action!”
Rafe looked genuinely perplexed. “Such as which ones, ma’am? What have I ever done to cause you displeasure?”
Eleta glared at him with narrowed eyes and sparks fairly flew from the sherry colored depths. “You have repeatedly sent raiders to pillage my lands. Hundreds of my subjects have been killed or harmed because you failed to maintain the terms of peace set out long ago.”
“Your Majesty, you have been grossly misinformed. While I cannot speak for what my distant ancestors may have done, I do know that both my father and his father before him have kept the peace according to the terms of the treaty. Since I became the duke, more than ten years ago, I have done the same. I have led no raids against your Majesty’s lands or your people, nor would I permit anyone else to do so.”
“So you claim,” Eleta said with obvious scorn, “and yet the raids still happen. Villages are burned, women are raped, livestock are stolen almost on a monthly basis. And the villains always come from your territories in the east!”
“What the devil are you talking about?” Rafe demanded. “I’m telling you, I have no knowledge of these raids, and I would never support any attacks against your Majesty or your people! I swear that to you, on my word of honor.”
“Ha! So much for your honor then, sir.” Eleta subjected him to a sneering glare. “But then, I could hardly expect you to simply confess to your crimes.”
“I haven’t committed any crimes,” Rafe gritted out. If anyone else had dared to question his honor, he would have felled them on the spot. However, dealing with the queen was another matter entirely, especially since she currently held him hostage. He took a deep breath to subdue his anger and tried again. “What evidence do you have that these mysterious raiders have come from eastern Aglaia and not from somewhere else?”
“My scouts have followed their trail on numerous occasions, and it always leads back to your lands, your Grace. I can only conclude that you have either given the order for these raids or that you have turned a blind eye and allowed them to happen.”
“Your Majesty, if I were going to conduct raids such as these, I would take steps to conceal my actions. But the fact is, I have not done these terrible things you describe! I have no reason to raid your lands. I have behaved honorably since I assumed the position as Duke, and I bear no ill will toward your Majesty or your people. You must believe me.”
They stared at each other for several long moments of silence. Rafe seemed sincere, and Eleta searched his eyes, trying to determine the truth of the matter. Had she been misinformed? Of a sudden, she remembered that it didn’t matter. Regardless of whether he had ordered the attacks, she still had to fulfill the prophecy.
Rafe watched as the queen’s jaw firmed and her eyes turned distant. It seemed clear that she didn’t believe him. He finally sighed, turned away, and went to stare into the crackling fire. When he spoke again, his voice was carefully controlled.
“So that is why you have abducted me? You seek revenge for some perceived crimes?”
Eleta sighed as well. She was finding it difficult to maintain any animosity toward this man, and she desperately needed to stay focused. If she wasn’t careful, her softer feelings would interfere with her ultimate goal, and she couldn’t allow that to happen. However, she also didn’t want to be needlessly cruel. She wished she could offer him some reassurance, but she could not yet reveal the purpose of his abduction.
“No, your Grace. That is not why you are here. As I said, all will be explained very soon. As for tonight,” she turned away and walked to her bedroom door, “I am very tired, and I am going to bed. I will see you in the morning.”
“Wait!” Rafe cried. When she turned back toward him, Rafe sent her a beseeching look. “Your Majesty, we cannot pass a night here together. Don’t you understand? If word ever got out about us sharing a room, even with separate bedrooms, your reputation would be ruined.
No one would ever believe we hadn’t shared a bed. Even though you are the queen, you are not above social censure. And surely you must have some worries that your betrothed will learn of this.”
Eleta seemed unconcerned, and she started to turn away. Rafe crossed the room in two angry strides and took her by the shoulders. He gave her a gentle shake. She glanced down at his hands, and he remembered that as the queen, she wasn’t used to being touched. He cleared his throat nervously and dropped his hands to his side.
“Ma’am, if your betrothed hears about this, I’m sure he will be furious. Unless you are willing to risk your future marriage, please…you must allow me to leave before any further harm comes to your reputation!”
“I cannot, your Grace,” Eleta said calmly. “Now, I bid you good night.”
Without waiting for his reply, she entered her room and closed the door softly behind her. Rafe stood gazing at the closed portal for a long time. He wondered what would happen if he were to try the latch. Would he find it barred against him? Would she greet him with the same warmth she had shown in the library? He had never been so confounded by a woman. She waxed hot, she waxed cold…and he had no idea why she had brought him here. He released a frustrated growl and turned away.
He poured a generous amount of whiskey into a glass and subsided into a chair. As he moodily watched the flames dance in the grate, he thought about his next actions. He had to get away from here soon, or he was worried he would go insane from wanting the queen. Constantly being bombarded by her beauty was enough to wear down the defenses of a saint, and Rafe was far from sainthood!
He waited until a pair of hours had passed, and the inn grew silent. He could hear the guards outside the door occasionally shuffling, but otherwise, not a sound broke the stillness of the night. He donned his cloak, and on silent feet, he crossed to the window that overlooked the back of the inn. The moon was full, and he watched for several minutes until he was satisfied that no one was moving outside. He started to open the window and cursed silently when it moved only a couple of inches before it stuck. He struggled with the stubborn window frame, being as quiet as possible. When Eleta spoke quietly from just behind him, he nearly jumped out of his skin.
“Going somewhere, your Grace?” she inquired sweetly.
Rafe whirled and reflexively snatched her close against him. He clamped a hand over her mouth by instinct and then realized that she was dressed only in a flimsy silk gown. He closed his eyes and groaned softly. She was going to make him lose his mind! He dragged in a deep, steadying breath.
“I’m getting out of here,” he whispered. He met her eyes and spoke as calmly as he could with her plastered against him from breast to knee. He hoped she wouldn’t notice his rousing erection pressing against the softness of her belly. “I will not harm you, your Majesty, but I cannot stay here any longer.”
She merely sighed and raised one haughty brow. It was clear she wanted him to remove his hand from her mouth. He shook his head slowly. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I can’t let you rouse your guards.”
He hadn’t planned on her catching him in the middle of his escape. He had assumed she was sound asleep. Rafe tried to gather his scattered wits to think of some way to keep her quiet without overly offending her. Before he could think of anything, her small teeth sank into the fleshiest part of his palm. He yanked his hand away from her mouth with a stifled curse and glared down at her. He was surprised that she didn’t instantly let out a scream to raise the alarm.
Instead, Eleta gave a small huff of satisfaction. She knew multiple ways to get free of his hold had she wanted to, but that was not her intention at the moment. Instead, she could tell he was aroused by her state of dishabille, and she decided to play on his weaknesses. She pressed herself even more intimately against him and wound her arms around his neck.
“It’s no good,” she murmured huskily. “I’ve already told you that I require your presence. I’m afraid I cannot allow you to leave.”
Without waiting for his reply, she stretched up to kiss him, and she swallowed his moan in her mouth. It felt wonderful being held in his firm arms again, and she was soon just as lost in the kiss as he was. Their tongues mated in a tangled dance, and Eleta could feel an aching need growing in the pit of her belly. Her breasts swelled and grew more sensitive as they brushed against his shirt. He seemed to understand her restless need, and he caressed one tender nipple through the fine silk gown. His fingers toyed with the nubbin, twisting and pulling as Eleta tried to subdue her moans of delight.
Rafe suddenly realized they were both getting carried away, and he broke off from the kiss abruptly. He stood staring down at Eleta. Both of their hearts were thumping, and his loins throbbed with a painful ache.
“This is insane!” he hissed. “Your Majesty, I don’t think you understand…”
Before he could finish his statement, Eleta stretched onto her toes, grasped his head and kissed him again. Her lips were even more blatantly inviting, and she writhed sensuously against him. He groaned softly and capitulated. He could no more resist her than a man in the desert could resist a drink of cool water. He cupped the back of her head and deepened the kiss.
Eleta felt light headed, and she clung to his shoulders as she responded eagerly. Heat was pooling in her lower abdomen, and she felt a growing emptiness. She whimpered and arched toward the hardness of his erection. Her actions seemed to inflame Rafe even more, because he growled against her mouth and backed her into the wall. He ground his hips against her own, and Eleta gasped. His ardor thrilled her, and she wanted nothing more than to satisfy his lustful cravings.
Rafe was beyond reason. He snatched at the ribbon and released the drawstring at the top of her gown. His hands were rough as he pushed the garment down over her shoulders to free her lush breasts. He dove to possess the succulent flesh he had revealed, and he growled low in his throat when she clasped his head to her bosom and arched her back. Her eager response inflamed his imagination even further. It would take no effort at all to carry her to his bed and ravish her. He could have her beneath him in mere moments. He could bury himself in her wet heat and plunder her body until he regained his sanity. He could bend her over the bed and pound her into the mattress until this madness passed!
Eleta gave a pained whimper, and Rafe suddenly realized how harshly he had been suckling her breast during his lurid fantasies. He instantly gentled his touch. All at once, he remembered that he wasn’t holding some seasoned whore in his arms. He held an innocent, and even worse, he held his queen! That thought filled him with remorse, and he released her abruptly.
He took a step back and stared at her, still racked by fevered longing. She stood in a beam of pale moonlight. Her naked breasts were trembling, her lips were swollen from his kisses, and her eyes were heavy lidded with passion. She looked so wanton and willing, yet she was an innocent. He had to assume the effect she had on him was unintentional. He had never wanted a woman with such single minded ferocity. His body was clamoring for release. He would have sold his soul for the chance to claim her. But she was still his queen! That was the only thing that kept him from giving in to his hunger.
Rafe closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands as he released a strangled moan. Eleta watched him, feeling bereft and confused. She ached with a neediness that was completely unfamiliar, and she desperately wanted the relief she knew he could give her. She didn’t understand how he could end their encounter so abruptly. Didn’t he share her desperate desires? She suddenly felt very uncertain, and she clutched her gown over her breasts and quickly tied the ribbon to hold it in place. Hot tears burned the backs of her eyes, but she blinked them away. When she spoke, her voice was a shaky whisper.
“I’m sorry, your Grace. I cannot allow you to leave.”
She crossed quickly to open the door and beckoned to the two guardsmen to enter. One of them was Sir Eric, the commander of the guards, and he glared suspiciously at Rafe as he entered the room. The queen quickly retrieved a robe
from her room and stood in the shadows, not wanting the guards to see her in such a state of undress.
“Sir Eric, please see to the duke,” she commanded quietly. “He was trying to escape.”
The commander looked only too pleased to carry out her order. “Yes, your Majesty.”
Sir Eric removed a length of rope from his pocket and moved to bind Rafe’s wrists. Rafe briefly considered resisting. There were only two against one, but he knew reinforcements would soon arrive if he chose to struggle. He dismissed the notion, hoping for a better chance for escape in the future, but he shot an accusing glare at Eleta. She blinked, but then he saw her chin rise in defiance.
“Be careful,” the queen admonished, holding his gaze. “I do not wish for him to be harmed.”
The guards led him to his room and secured him to the bed with more rope, as the queen watched from the doorway. When they were satisfied that he would be able to sleep but could not escape, she dismissed them with a regal gesture. They left, closing the outer door quietly behind them.
Eleta released a deep sigh as she stood looking down at him. “I am sorry, your Grace. I would have preferred that things not develop like this, but you have left me little choice.”
Rafe raised a skeptical brow. “You do have a choice. You could tell me what the hell you want from me,” he growled. “Perhaps I would be more willing to help if you explained your reasoning.”
His angst was justified, and she wished she could offer him reassurance. However, if she explained her purpose, the prophecy would fail, and her people would suffer. Although her heart was torn, she had to remain impassive, or she would fail in her mission. She pulled a quilt up over him and sighed.
“All will be revealed soon, I promise. In the meantime, please don’t make things harder for yourself than they have to be.”
The Fall of The Wolf (Historical Romance) Page 7
