Rafe walked out looking a bit like Kade felt. His eyes were tired and there was a slope to his shoulders that let Kade know his brother hadn’t slept well, either. “Piper isn’t any happier this morning than she was last night. It is a good thing we ‘forgot’ to bring the suitcase of clothes she’d packed or I fear she would be right back in her dowdy wardrobe out of sheer spite.”
It had been Kade’s idea to leave behind the trunk of her old clothes. He’d made sure there were no mementos or special objects in the case. Just her old clothes that would help her cling to her old life. “All of this could have been avoided if our brother wasn’t such a prick.”
Rafe’s phone rang. He grimaced. “Speak of the devil.” He took his phone and hooked it into the conference room’s sound system. Rafe clicked the answer button right before he shut the door so Piper wouldn’t hear the conversation. She might just demand to be taken home if she did. “We’ve landed, Talib.”
“Excellent.” His brother’s deep voice flowed out of the speakers.
Half the time Talib was his hero. The other half, he was everything Kade himself could never be. Self-sacrificing. Stalwart. True. He was the very image of the last sheikh, a man who had brought their country enormous wealth and who had fought off invaders almost all his life. “How is our little Piper doing? She is well?”
“She is pissed off,” Kade shot back. For all that he loved his brother, he was still mad about not giving Piper what she needed last night. What fucking century were they in that the sheikh had to take her virginity?
He could almost see his brother’s brow arching as his voice became coated with ice. “Piper is angry with the accommodations? They were not to her liking?”
Rafe sighed, sending Kade a glare. “Piper was overwhelmed with the plane. She was sweet and gracious with everyone we met. Once she settles in, she will represent the palace with true grace. Piper was upset because she does not understand our customs, and you will not allow me to properly explain them.”
“How so?” A deep chuckle burst forth. “Ah, did you and Kade play a bit more than you should have? That explains Kadir’s surliness. I’ve begun planning our handfasting banquet. It is only a few days away. You’ll have your turn then. I must say, I’m a bit surprised you’re this eager to bed Piper. She hardly seems your type. I rather thought I would have to fight you over wedding her.”
Kade looked at Rafe, who had a little shit-eating grin on his face. He held up a hand when Kade was just about to question Tal’s eyesight.
“We all know how short we are on time, brother. I understand your reasons for wanting Piper. She is intelligent and understands the chief business of our country. While she is very smart, she is also innocent of our very worldly ways. She will likely be content to live in peace and quiet. The women we previously discussed were all used to the glamorous life.”
Ah. Now Kade understood. Tal was selecting their bride based on very strict criteria, and if there was one thing Tal wouldn’t want it was a wife who would want to make headlines and cause gossip. Piper, while absolutely lovely and feminine, didn’t possess the hard-edged conventional beauty associated with models, actresses, and jet-setting royals.
“Yes, I do believe she will be advantageous on many fronts.” Self-satisfaction oozed from his voice. Tal got that tone when he negotiated a big deal or pushed through legislation he was proud of. “Now, why was she angry? Did you two frighten her?”
So he didn’t know everything. “I told you before we suspected she was rather innocent. I can confirm that she’s a virgin.”
“That is excellent news.”
“She doesn’t want to be, and she’s a little pissed off that she still is.” And Kade’s cock was definitely angry.
Rafe sent Kade his patented “shut the hell up and let me deal with him” look. “But we agreed that we would handle this following all of the traditions of our ancestors, including the fact that you must be the first to take our bride. Unfortunately, we could not explain that we’d whisked her away to be married to three princes and her maidenhead belonged to our oldest brother. I prefer to keep my head on my shoulders. I also was unsure if she would simply jump off the plane.”
“She is a reasonable girl,” Tal argued. “It’s why I selected her. I doubt highly that she will throw a fit when she realizes she’ll have three husbands to depend on and provide for her, and she will have a job unlike any she could have aspired to. Trust me. I know this girl. She never expected to have half so much. She will be grateful.”