Arianna & Finn (Royals of Valleria #3) (17 page)

After Henry and Finn had seen Alex and Arianna off later that morning, Henry had forced Finn into the first empty room they’d found after returning to the palace.

“What the hell is your problem, Henry?” Finn said as he put some distance between them, moving to stand near a fireplace.

“My problem is you. I have no choice but to bring you on this trip, but you’re not to make a fool of me, you understand?”

“That’s not my intention and you know it.”

“You made plenty a fool of me at breakfast.”

“What are you going on about? Breakfast was fine.”

“Really? Did Arianna think it was fine while your hand groped her underneath the table? Don’t try to deny it.”

“I didn’t grope her, for Christ’s sake.” Not that he hadn’t thought about it; however, just holding her slim hand and remembering how she’d used it on his body had done plenty to him.

“Arianna is too much of a lady to draw attention to your lecherous ways,” Henry said; Finn wondered what Henry would think if he knew what she was really like in bed.

“You’re imagining things and blowing everything out of proportion, as usual,” Finn said, brushing off his comments. “Relax, would you? Don’t you think if I had been doing anything untoward, that Alex would’ve kicked my ass for it?”

Henry paused, letting those words sink in. “Yes, that’s true. Still, I don’t want anything to go wrong in Valleria.”

“They won’t.”
Unless I want them to
. He still couldn’t believe marriage was on the table, but he’d do whatever it took to prevent it. It was becoming harder for him to imagine a world without Arianna by his side.

Henry huffed, a disbelieving sound Finn had heard most of his life. With a wave of his hand, Henry dismissed him, and Finn left to follow-up on some more leads; Jacob wasn’t the only contact he had that could be trusted.

***

Arianna was exhausted by the time evening came around. After arriving at the Vallerian Royal Palace, Alex had been rushed off to see to pressing business and Arianna had been ushered into preparations for the ball. She’d constantly checked her phone though, as she and Finn had traded numbers before she’d left Brazenbourg. He’d messaged only once, letting her know that he was thinking about her while he chased down leads on the information Valleria needed.

She missed him.

It was almost dinnertime when she entered her apartments in the Royal Wing of the palace. The majority of her siblings had slowly trickled in today, with only Ethan, Marcello and Grace left to arrive early tomorrow. Tonight was another famed family dinner, which she usually loved, but today only made her tense.

As she made her way to her bathroom, she began to strip off the sky high heels and business dress she’d worn for most of the day. She needed at least a bath before dinner, even if it made her late.

A woman whose future may soon change deserved to be a little late to dinner, didn’t she?

Arianna tucked in her hair, which was still pinned up from the long day. There was a low throb at the base of her neck, and she was contemplating leaving her hair down for dinner. It would be out of character for the persona she’d adopted, but maybe a small change wouldn’t draw too much attention to her.

She sat down into the achingly hot water and sighed. She flexed her toes under the water, letting the steam and heat soothe her tortured feet. The image of another bath, and an addictive man, drifted into her mind.

Finn.

She was growing to like him, she realized. No, that wasn’t true. She already liked him; she wouldn’t have slept with him otherwise. No, it was the other dreaded ‘L’ word that had her heart stuttering.

Love.

Arianna was growing to love Finn. His sharp, quiet mind, the pain hidden below that she could recognize in herself, and his body, oh my, his body. Just the thought of it had arousal blooming and a gasp escaping her lips.

Her wet hand slid beneath the perfumed water and followed the line of her body to settle between her legs. While one hand gripped the side of the tub, the other tortured her below. She imagined not her own, but Finn’s deft fingers arousing her. She remembered his cocky smile and impossibly dark green eyes just before her fingers slipped inside. She remembered his clenched teeth as he held back his own release until she found her own.
Now, Princess. Now.

The memory felt real, as though he were whispering the words into her ear, and she came fast and hard, water shifting dangerously against the edge of the tub. She cried out his name as her body became impossibly hot, and then fought to cool itself in the still heated water. She fell limp against the tub, rubbing herself idly until the tremors stopped.

She blinked her eyes open - when had they closed? - and took in the steam-filled room around her. A moment of disappointment pinged through her when she realized she was alone, but it passed. As her eyes swept the room, an absent glance at the clock had her sighing. Time to face the family.

She stood, letting the water sluice down her flushed skin. She stepped out carefully, drying herself tenderly. As she walked back to her bedroom, she wished Finn were here.

It was harder and harder for her to imagine marrying Henry, not with Finn so much on her mind and invading her heart. Was it the same for him? When he’d held her hand at breakfast, emotion had tugged at her, and she’d felt, for the first time in a long time, that she wasn’t alone.

She hoped Finn had found a way to get what Alex needed; she wasn’t sure she could go through with the wedding now. Duty and honor warred in her heart with her growing feelings for Finn. If she was forced to choose, what would she do? How could she turn her back on her country facing an unknown threat? Was her happiness such a high price to pay for the safety and security of her whole country and the rest of her family?

She sighed again as she began to pull out a simple dress for dinner. She hoped Alex had some news.

Alex walked through the secret corridors within the palace, going from his set of offices to the Queen’s. Though he loved his mother, his main goal was to see his fiancée, whose office was now situated within the Queen’s set of offices. Fortunately, his mother was busy dealing with last minute preparations for the ball tomorrow, so Rebecca should be alone.

Just how he liked it.

After checking the peephole to make sure she was alone, he used a special fingerprint scanner to access the door to her office. The scanners were installed in all the secret corridors of the palace - both here in the offices and on the other side of the palace in the Royal Wing, where the royal family lived in apartments of their own.

The door opened, and he entered to find her on the phone. Her back was turned to him and one hand held the phone to her ear while the other feebly massaged her shoulder. Alex’s eyes narrowed; he didn’t like to see her hurt or upset. The memory of her kidnapping a few months ago rose like bile in his throat but he pushed it back. She was safe now, and she was his.

He shut the door behind him, and it seamlessly blended into the wall; no one would know it was even there. He walked up behind her and used his strong hands to massage her shoulders. She gasped at his touch and turned around, then sighed in relief when she saw it was him.

“No, no I’m all right,” she told whoever she was speaking to. “Listen, I’ve got to go. Are you sure you’re all set for tomorrow?” A pause. “Good. Yes, all right. Love you, too, Mama. Bye.”

Rebecca dropped the phone in her purse nearby, then tilted her head back against the chair. “You startled me, Alex.”

“I apologize Miss Campo,” he said with a smile as he bent down to kiss her forehead. “What’s wrong with your shoulders?”

“Oh, it’s just tension I suppose. I’m nervous about the ball.”

Alex stopped massaging her shoulders and walked around to face her. The antique chairs used in the palace offices were beautiful, but not made for swiveling. “Why are you nervous?” he asked as he leaned against the desk and placed one of her slim hands in his. Just the feel of her skin against his - really, just the thought of her - always sent his blood racing. Some days he still couldn’t believe they were really engaged, and that he would get to spend the rest of his life with her.

“I’m nervous because it’s our first big event together. What if I trip or make a mistake? I wouldn’t want to do anything to embarrass you or Valleria.”

He felt a surge of pride; Rebecca was often concerned about Valleria and its citizens. It was just one more reason why she was perfect for him, and perfect as the future queen. “You won’t do anything to embarrass us, I assure you.” He gave her hand a kiss, his lips lingering a moment too long, or perhaps not long enough. “You did brilliantly last month when we visited the British royal family, didn’t you?”

“Only because you and Cat were there to help.”

“Darling, it was you,” he said and pulled her up and into his arms. She fit perfectly against him.

“You’re almost my husband. You have to say that,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her delicious, curvy body against him.

Alex growled. “I wish I was your husband already. Some antiquated law is forcing us to stay engaged for a year.” The Marriage of Royal Heirs Act of 1702 forced any heir to be betrothed for a year before the marriage could take place, which was aptly named the Royal Marriage Notification Year.

“You’re my husband in
almost
every way that matters,” she said softly and rested her forehead against his. “I love you, Alex.”

“Rebecca,” he said, overcome as the declaration fell from her lips. They said it to each other several times a day - sometimes with actions instead of words - and each time made his heart flip. “I love you, my darling fiancée.”

She giggled. “You’d better. I’m going to be Rebecca Frances Santoro di Valleria soon.”

“Don’t you mean
Princess
Rebecca Frances Santoro di Valleria?”

She giggled. “Hard to forget that part. But that’s not my name yet.”

“Don’t remind me. It will be your name in nine months, two days, ten hours, and thirty-three minutes.” She laughed, and the movement of her breasts against his chest gave him other ideas. He nuzzled her neck. “Let’s go back to our apartment, darling.”

“Think you can make it all the way to the other side of the palace?” she asked as her breath grew short and her eyes shut.

“Probably not,” he said and took a nibble just behind her ear; she let out a soft moan. Primitive instincts roared inside him and he wanted to shove everything off her desk and take her then and there. Only the camera situated in the corner of the room kept him from doing so.

“Alex, please,” she said and he felt her body heating under his attentions.

He took a deep breath, inhaling the soft lavender scent of her hair, a scent that followed him wherever he went, and happily so. “Are you finished with work for the day?” he asked, still holding her close.

“I don’t have time for anything else anyway. We’ve got the family dinner tonight.”

Alex groaned; he’d forgotten about that. He had hoped that the two of them could enjoy a private dinner in their apartments, followed by several hours in her arms. He hadn’t made love to her for days, not since the morning he left for Brazenbourg, and was aching for her now.

“It won’t be so bad, Alex.”

“My plans for the evening did not involve anyone but you,” he said as he stood and put a few inches of unwanted distance between them.

She smiled; it was a smile just for him and filled his heart to bursting. “We’ll have time later,” she said as her hands shifted up to tangle in his thick, black hair. “I promise.” She pulled his face down to hers and let the heat of her tongue and lips cement the vow she’d just made. Alex tangled his own hands in her rich, chestnut-colored tresses, which hung in soft waves down her back.

“Becca,” he moaned as he pulled away, using the nickname that usually came out when they made love.

“Sorry,” she said, clearly not sorry at all. “I couldn’t resist your lips any longer.”

“A fine excuse,” he said as he took a deep breath and stepped away from her, hoping to get his erection under control before they walked the long path back to the Royal Wing.

“Oh, it was much more than ‘fine’, don’t you think?” she asked and giggled.

Alex huffed a laugh. He couldn’t argue with her there. The physical intimacy he shared with Rebecca was definitely more than ‘fine’ and, coupled with their emotion connection, made it the most explosive experiences of his life. Even a mere kiss had him hard in seconds.

“Come on,” he said a minute later, holding out his hand for her. She picked up her purse and linked her hand with his; her slim fingers fit perfectly between his longer, stronger ones.

“How did everything go today?” she asked as they made their way down the ancient halls, Royal Protection agents trailing ahead of and behind them. He loved these moments with her at the end of the day, both of them together and sharing their burdens and fears.

“I’m not sure.” His shoes and her heels tapped softly against the floor as they walked. “Papa’s still against Arianna marrying Henry, but that’s the father talking.”

“I don’t think that’s true. Even as a modern king, I don’t think he’d believe in sacrificing a woman’s happiness for the sake of the country.”

“Perhaps.” Do the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one? Alex wasn’t sure. He didn’t think he could ever force his sister to marry, even to benefit Valleria, and it made him wonder what kind of king he might make one day. He decided not to worry about that now; becoming king was not in his immediate future, anyhow.

“Well, if nothing else, your father can delay any sort of official announcement from happening.”

“That’s true, and that’s what we’re planning for. Arianna seemed less sure of the idea when I spoke to her this morning. I’m going to try to have a word with her tonight.”

“Leave her be, Alex.”

“Why?”

“If she’s unsure, she needs to become sure of the decision she wants to make. You hounding her for an answer won’t change that.”

“It might.”

Rebecca bit back a laugh. While she loved the possessive, demanding side of Alex - at least sometimes - she knew his siblings cared little for it, and weren’t really affected by it. “If you say so.”

“That didn’t sound convincing.”

“It wasn’t meant to be.”

“All right, I won’t hound her. I can’t say the same for Papa, though.”

“He’s a father; it’s different. Have you heard back from Finn yet, or our own spies?”

Alex shook his head. “Marcello said our people don’t have any leads yet. As far as Finn is concerned, I received a message from him letting us know that he’d have more information in the morning.”

“Maybe it’ll be good news.”

“Maybe. I just wish I knew what Arianna was thinking. Why would she even consider this? You spent the day with her prepping for the ball; do you have any ideas?”

“Oh, Alex. I didn’t need to spend the day with her to know. She’s lonely.”

“Lonely? With eight other siblings, nosy parents and grandparents, and a palace full of staff?”

“You can be lonely in a crowd full of people. The crowd only makes it easier not to get noticed, but it doesn’t change anything. Didn’t you say you were lonely before we got together?”

Alex considered that. “Yes, I suppose that is true.”

“Having a large family doesn’t mean you aren’t lonely for someone to share your life with. She’s had a difficult past from what I’ve gathered, and it’s probably hard for her to move past it. She might see this as the only way she could marry.”

“But that ridiculous. She’s an intelligent and beautiful woman; she could marry whomever she wants.”

“Alex, darling, you may have to reconcile yourself to the fact that it could be Henry she wants.”

Alex shook his head. “I don’t think it is. I think she might actually prefer his brother.”

“Finn?” Rebecca said with raised eyebrows. “Because you caught him in her bedroom, helping her with her dress?”

“I was actually thinking of breakfast this morning, though I’m sure there was more to that little dress incident than she mentioned.”

“What happened at breakfast?”

“I think they were holding hands under the table.”

“Really?” Rebecca asked with a broad smile.

“Why do you look so happy about that?”

“Woman’s intuition, that’s all.”

Alex groaned. “Not this again.”

“Yes, this,” she said as she bumped her shoulder against his. “You doubt my intuition, but it was my intuition that told me it was a good idea to marry you. Was it wrong?”

“So, it was right once. Doesn’t mean you’re right again.”

“You can trust your intuition, but I can’t trust mine?”

“Exactly. So happy you’ve finally figured that out, darling.”

“Care to wager on it?”

He stopped in the hall, only a few strides away from the entrance to the Royal Wing. “What sort of wager?”

She turned to face him, a bemused expression on her face. “If I’m right, and Arianna really likes Finn and ends up with him, then you’ll be at my beck and call for an entire week of my choosing.” She trailed her fingers up his tie to chin.