The Surrender of a Lady (20 page)

“Yes. It seems I’ve left something important behind in the harem.”

Peters’s eyes met his again.

“A son. More specifically, Jinan’s son.”

Peters hissed in a breath. “Tell me you don’t want me to retrieve the son. It’s suicide. The prince will have me slung up by the balls for setting foot near his island. Rothburn, we’ve been in this business, dealt with all types, you know better than anyone you don’t cross the bloody Turks.”

“I don’t want you dealing with him. I want you to send a note through channels that cannot be traced to this villa. I want the prince to consider a sum of money in exchange for the child and for Jinan, even though he has no way of finding her. Money, gold, jewels, part of my business, whatever it takes. I just want you to word the letter in a way that the prince knows I’m not going to give up till I have both in my custody. I’m sure he has a flock of children. He’ll be able to part with one.” He should ask Jinan who the father was. Somehow that didn’t seem important.

Peters stood, crossed his arms over his chest, and walked toward the window. “I still think it’s a mission that will be met at the point of a scimitar.”

“Possibly. There is nothing to be done about it. I made a promise and I’ll keep it even if it’s the last thing I do.”

“Consider it done. It shouldn’t take more than a week to get word back.”

“Now if you will excuse me, I have some things to attend to,” he said with a pointed look toward Jinan.

Peters raised his hands to stall whatever else he might say about Jinan. “I don’t want to know. I’ll leave you, then. If anything dire comes up, I’ll send a message from my lodgings.”

“Thank you.”

He could trust Peters to smooth out the ruffled feathers of vendors and buyers alike.

Right now, all he cared about, all he could think about, was pacing in the garden. When Peters left, he headed directly through the narrow corridor to the doors that were flung open into the sunny garden.

Jinan sat by the largest fountain where great golden koi swam. Her finger was circling above the water, calling the fish to her, but they darted away when they realized there was no food to be had.

He gave his trousers a tug at the knees and sat next to her.

She didn’t bother to look at him. Why would she?

Rothburn cleared his throat. “I’m glad you found your way down to the garden.”

She did not look up to him. “Have you sent word for my son?”

“I have.”

“I thank you for that, but this game you play will not be good for you in the end. This is a waste of both our time and I fear you will meet your death from stealing Amir’s property.”

“You are not anyone’s property. More than anything, I want you to at least understand that.”

She made no response, so he changed the topic and asked, “Did you find the box this morning?”

He thought she would outright ignore him since she took so long to answer. “I did.”

“I’ll ask that we have the same arrangement here as we did in the Pleasure Gardens. You are to wear it at all times. At least until you are more comfortable with this life and the consequences of our unions.”

“If I should refuse you?”

“Then we will have a repeat of the other night. I can’t apologize, Jinan. You have enough power over me. I’ll not give you more leverage.”

Jinan scrunched her brows together, giving him a narrow look. “Whatever you wish, my lord.”

He nodded, then scooted closer to her. It was time to take the damned veil from her face. As he lifted his hands to her face, she started to move away and finally looked him in the eye when his hand grasped her knee, stopping her escape. “What is it you want?”

“You have no need of the veil here. Few will see you, and any who do will remain loyal to your secrecy.” Placing his hand over the pin at the back of her head, he waited for her protestations. None came, so he pulled the diamond-studded hairpiece slowly from its clasp. “Nothing between us, Jinan. I’ve seen you without it already.”

The veil fluttered to her lap like a butterfly landing to perch in a sea of colorful flowers. She made no move to shield what was revealed.

He lowered his hand and ran the back of his fingers down her smooth cheek. Her skin was sun-darkened beneath the veil. She sat with her back straight but her eyes averted.

“Look at me, Jinan.” His voice was hoarse with need.

“You want your house staff to see me? Is this it? You want me humiliated by my position as a harem whore? You give them a means to identify me.”

“I promise you my staff is discreet. No one will betray you in this household.”

“You have betrayed me.” Her eyes turned sad, as if all hope had leached from her heart. “Now you have removed the last shred of dignity I held.”

He paused, not sure how to respond to that. “I have done no such thing, Jinan. You know I intend you no harm.”

“Do I? I am no longer in the safety of the harem, and you cannot make me feel safe here.”

“What if I asked you to be my wife? Would that give you any reassurance of my intentions?”

“Do you think I would so easily say yes? I won’t. You’ve not proved your worth to me, Rothburn.”

“Jinan.” Griffin let out a sigh of frustration. His temper was quickly turning. “I have given you as much patience as a saint. I’m offering you something many women would beg for.”

She snorted, then stood from the bench; her fists were clenched tight at her sides as she walked a few steps away and gave him her back. It was long moments before she spoke. “There is nothing between us. I’m not willing to surrender myself to you. Will you keep me locked up for the rest of my days?”

“You mean to tell me you loathe me so thoroughly?”

He had planned to counter her argument but couldn’t seem to find the words to belittle what defenses she had left. Instead, he was on her in five quick strides, holding her in the circle of his arms. Tilting her chin up, he looked into her pain-stricken eyes.

“What can I do to secure your hand in marriage? What do I need to prove?”

Instead of answering, she averted her gaze once again. It was answer enough that she was torn in her decision when her eyes filled to the rim with tears.

How tempting it was to call her Elena. She seemed so innocent, so lost.

Where are you, Elena? You must still exist somewhere in this woman before me.

His finger and thumb caressed the soft flesh beneath her chin. “I understand your hesitancy. I don’t like seeing the pain in your eyes. For what reason do you reject me?”

“You do not understand my pain,” she said, and gave him the full brunt of her tortured stare. There was something stronger than abhorrence, but he couldn’t be sure it was directed toward him. What other secrets did she hide? What wasn’t she telling him?

He lowered his mouth closer . . . not touching her lips, yet. God, how he yearned to touch them with his own.

“Jinan,” he croaked out, the saliva gone from his mouth. “Are you really paradise?”

Then he pushed his hands through the long dark locks of her hair and laid his mouth upon hers. Her lips were soft against his. It was an innocent kiss that quickly became a devouring of pent-up need between them.

This was different from the kisses they’d shared in the Pleasure Gardens, different from the kisses they’d shared ten years ago in the grand duchess’s secluded garden. There was more feeling, a deeper knowledge and awareness of each other than the inexperienced mutual desire they’d felt mere weeks ago.

Her lips parted beneath his, warm breaths mingled and fused in the moment. Could she become lost in this? Would she surrender the last of herself to him? Would he still hold on to his belief that he had done right by her? In his actions, his words, the ones left unsaid?

His tongue touched hers in tender exploration, and he wanted to consume her, inhale every last bit of her into his system. Wetted lips slipped and fused together as they each became bolder, greedier for something more. He didn’t want to press her for more than she was willing to share or offer. He’d already pushed her too far. This was not a one-sided kiss.

How had they ended up against the wall? They were conveniently there now. Then thought escaped him when her arms wrapped around his neck. She stood up taller, on the tips of her toes, he was sure, and her body pressed tight to his from thigh to chest. Her fingers curled through his hair, holding on with all her might as their bodies entwined and joined.

It was the kiss of kisses.

It was definitely pent-up need.

God, her kiss was paradise.

Bending his knees, he brought their groins together and thrust her against the wall in his desire for more. Moaning into his mouth, she wrapped herself more tightly around him. His hands cupped her buttocks, and he couldn’t stop himself from indulging more of their senses. Their tongues still delved and sought a completion that could only be found by lowering them to the ground.

Once on his knees, he ground up into the damp center of her body, wanting her to ride out to her climax. Never had a kiss been so intoxicating. Never had he thought he could lose himself to a woman so that he forgot about who watched them . . . who could see them . . . hear them.

He didn’t care about anything but kissing her. Her tongue was soft, smooth, and welcoming. She kissed like any experienced harlot.

But this was different.

There was a passion burning beneath the disguise of Jinan. She’d longed for this as much as he. Perhaps as long as he’d wanted it. He pulled more roughly at her hair as he gained a grip, hauling her down on his body. He thrust up as she pushed harder against him, and just like that they found a rhythm that could satisfy them both.

His cock swelled in the confines of his trousers. He wanted to release his hold on her long enough to free his raging hard-on and fuck her right there, but he didn’t want to distract her from the kiss.

It was too soon. He needed to ease her into this. He needed her to want him as badly as he needed her. He didn’t ever want this tasting of each other’s mouths to end. Her tongue swirled around his, and her lips pulled at his intermittently, taking the lower lip, then the upper one as she licked and nipped at them before driving her tongue back into his mouth in a tangle of need.

They both broke apart from each other, their breathing labored, and he couldn’t bear for her to see the conflicting emotions running rampant in his mind, the feelings that were almost certainly reflected in his gaze. Whatever she asked for in this moment, he would give her. He’d deny her nothing right now.

“Shitfire.” His forehead pressed to hers as her smaller body still rode out to a completion that could very well free her mind from what he’d done to her the last time they were together.

When her neck arched back, he licked then bit at her exposed throat. She tasted of woman, a light musty saltiness that had his tongue searching more of her skin. He was harder than hell, and he knew he’d get off soon in his trousers. It didn’t matter. Like their first night together, this was about her letting loose her desire, her need, her emotions. This was about cracking through that barely penetrable façade to the real woman hiding behind the charade she played so well.

Her hips jerked out of rhythm between his hands, and her slick center rode hard over his bulging groin as she mewed out her orgasm. Her fingers were rough, pulling at his hair as she held herself above him, her breath coming in pants.

And because he couldn’t end like this, he grasped her hips tight and rode up into her. In three hard strokes, his balls tightened up so much that the come spouting out of the head of his cock strained painfully against the binding material.

He let out a sound that could not be mistaken for anything but unbridled animalistic pleasure. Wrapping his arms around her back and placing his hands on her shoulders, he pulled her in tight, burying his face in her neck as he slowly gained control over his breathing. The heat of their wet groins spurred him on for an encore. But not out in the open where his staff could spy him at any moment. If they hadn’t already.

What had he done?

It always came back to this. Damn it. He had come to talk to her, to apologize as best he could, and here he was fucking her where anyone could happen upon them. Damn it to hell, too, if he wouldn’t do it all over again given the choice.

Lifting her from his lap and to her feet, he stood. As though embarrassed by what they’d just done, she looked down at her feet. Chucking her chin, he made her meet his gaze. Still the dark, bottomless brown he remembered. Now he had the rest of her face to soak up since the veil was gone—for a second and final time between them.

It was on the tip of his tongue to call her Elena and ask her for only truths between them when, in thick Persian, she said, “I will make myself ready for you, my lord. I apologize for not wearing your gift.”

Hell and damnation if he could say anything about their past—their future—when she threw up a solid wall between them with such ease after earth-shattering, mutual come-offs. There was nothing to say in the moment that wouldn’t have her wishing him ten kinds of bloody death, so he spun on his heel and walked away.

It was most likely a mistake to give her the upper hand. He needed to break down these coldhearted walls she was so insistent upon erecting. There was a weakness somewhere and once he found that chink, he’d plow right through to the very core of the matter.

Stepping back in his office, he left the door open and watched Jinan through the window. She paced a short path on the cobbles that lined the fountain. In her hand she held the silken veil. Would she put it back in place? Would she still try to hide from him? He didn’t believe she would.

After a few minutes of constant pacing, she headed inside. He turned as she walked past him toward the stairs that led to his rooms. She wasn’t going to attempt leaving. That surprised him for some reason.

Should that not be worrisome? It wasn’t as though she could escape him anyway. She couldn’t find her way easily around Italy dressed in the garb she seemed so accustomed to wearing. Though he didn’t mind that in the least.