The Brothers' Virgin Captive (4 page)

“What about my family, or the man who purchased me? Surely they will come searching for me?” Fear started to take root once again in the pit of her stomach. Sweat bloomed on her forehead, and her heart raced. She couldn’t be taken back, not when freedom was shown to her. She started to shake uncontrollably at the thought of being found. Not only would they make sure she was punished, but there was no doubt in her mind Master Charles would extract his own special kind of pain. What would they do to her? What about Master Charles? Luca was by her in an instant, and when he wrapped his arms around her, lifted her easily, and placed her on his lap, it was only then that she started to ease. It was strange to have him touch her so intimately, but Anna found herself easing into the hardness of his body, and allowing herself to accept what he offered. With her head on Luca’s chest and the sound of his beating heart further calming her, Anna stared at Arik. Some kind of emotion flickered in the dark depths of his eyes. Perhaps sorrow and regret? Or maybe even understanding?

“Everything is okay, Anna.” Luca ran his hand over her hair, and although she had been brought up to think this kind of affection was inappropriate with anyone other than her future husband, she couldn’t find it in herself to push him away. It felt too good to be touched and held, especially by him, the man she had wanted this from for so long.

“Anna.” Arik leaned forward and rested his forearms on his thighs. The way he said her name was like the touches Luca gave her. Intimate.
Affectionate.
Seductive.
“I have used every resource I possess to make sure you are utterly safe. Do you understand me? No one will come for you, and no one will find you, and if against the grace of everything that is holy they
did
find you, they would have to go through me to get to you.” The way Arik said it, so harsh, determined, and sure of the situation, had her believing every word he said. “Do you believe me, Anna?”

She answered without hesitation. “Yes.” She may have just met Arik, but she trusted her instincts, and right now they were telling her he was honest and willing to protect her above all other things.

He leaned back in his seat and said, “Good. That’s real good, Anna.” The fact Luca had gone to great lengths to save her had tears springing in her eyes. She couldn’t hold them back, didn’t want to. Luca continued to hold her until she had no more tears to cry. He helped her to stand and led her out of the room. Of course Arik watched her silently the whole time, and she wondered exactly what he was thinking and how he saw her. What had Luca told him about her? Did he see her as a damaged woman that was beyond repair? She still had so many more questions, but was so very tired. She always liked to believe that things would look brighter in the morning, but she wasn’t lying in her bed and staring at the ceiling. She was now thrust into reality, and everything was crashing down before her.

Luca led her up the stairs and into the room she had been staying in. “I’m sorry about the accommodations, but I’m afraid all of Arik’s rooms are like this.” He smiled down at her, and she couldn’t help but return the gesture. With his hand still firmly entwined with hers, Anna couldn’t help the tingles that snaked through the point of contact and up her arm.

They stopped in front of the bed, and her cheeks heated as she stared at the slightly rumpled sheets. When she glanced up at him through her lashes she noticed he didn’t appear to be affected as she was. That had her feeling even more embarrassed by her emotions. Clearly he saw her as nothing more than a female to help, but here she was having completely inappropriate thoughts of the two of them tangled on the very bed they stood in front of.

“Come on, Anna.” He let go of her hand, and she felt instantly at a loss. Pulling the sheets aside and stepping back, Luca waited for her to obey him.

Once she was in bed with the sheets pulled around her body she stared up at him. Did he only see her as a child that needed looking after? He was nearly twenty years her senior, so the thought wasn’t too abhorrent.

“Luca?”
His smile was soft and kind, and it was so strange that she could feel so strongly about someone she had barely spoken to. Yes, they had seen each other countless times in the past, but in reality they had been strangers nonetheless. In her mind she had spoken to Luca about everything and anything. It might have been the fanciful daydreaming of an abandoned girl, but it had been in those quiet moments when she was cloaked in darkness and alone in her solitude that she let herself imagine a life with him. It didn’t matter the age difference or social standings, because in her mind they had been equal and free to love and be happy.

“Yes, Anna?” He sat on the edge of the bed. All of this was so strange: the situation, her intense attraction to not only Luca, but apparently to his brother as well. Having him so close, yet clearly oblivious to how she felt toward him was a bit disconcerting.

“I have more questions.”

He took her hand in his once more and brought it to his mouth. The first male lips to touch her and they were from the man she was in love with. Yes, love. She might have collapsed on the floor if not for the fact she was already lying down. This wasn’t a silly, immature crush from a teenage girl, but an intense and all-consuming emotion that stole her breath.

“I know, and rightfully so.” He let her hand drop back to the bed gently and smiled once again. “Tomorrow is another day, one that I promise will bring answers to all of your
questions.
” With that he stood and left her alone with her thoughts. Falling asleep was going to be hard, especially after everything that had transpired.

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 crystal 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?