Their Virgin Concubine(29)

There was a brisk knock on the door. Before he could answer, Rafe opened it, and Piper stepped through, her face a careful blank. She was gorgeous in the early morning light. Her brown hair shone richly. Her skin was a creamy pearl against the turquoise-colored dress she wore. The swell of her breasts made his cock hard.

“Do you have any information on how I can get to my apartment? I’d like a map, please.” She said it with an even tone, but he couldn’t help but notice that her hands shook.

“A limo will pick us up, Piper,” Rafe replied.

“I’d rather take a taxi.”

Kadir looked at her. She was solid. She wasn’t some delicate flower, but her heart was far more fragile than anyone believed. He’d handled her all wrong last night. He’d acted like a child who’d had his toys taken away. He’d treated her like a plaything and not a beloved female.

Maybe it was time for Kadir al Mussad to grow up.

He followed his true instincts, the one that had nothing to do with testosterone and everything to do with his heart. He stood and crossed toward her, his heart lifting as her eyes flared. Yes, he wasn’t always going to do what she expected. Rafe was right. It was up to them to keep her. Tal wanted her to save the kingdom. But Kade needed her to save him.

“What are you doing?” The question came out as a breathless huff.

He didn’t give her a chance to move out of the way. He simply crowded her and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close to his body, reveling in the feel of her against him. For the first time in his life, he simply allowed himself to enjoy a woman’s softness for emotional reasons. It was funny. He might never have truly opened himself to her if she’d just been a girl he and his brother shared, but she was the one. He would be married to her and that meant he had a chance to sink into her. “You’re coming with us, habibti. Don’t bother complaining. I won’t let you take a cab somewhere. Please, Piper, forgive me.”

It took a moment. She was stiff in his arms, but then Rafe was there at her back, his hands on her, following Kade’s lead for once.

“Forgive us, Piper,” Rafe said quietly.

“There’s nothing to forgive.” Her words were soft, but there was a hard edge to them.

“We didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I know. You just felt sorry for me.”

He pressed her against his brother, trapping her between them. He pressed his pelvis against her stomach. “I feel sorry for me right now. I’ve been like this all night long.”

“And me.”

Piper’s body nestled against his as Rafe pressed against her, too.

Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. “I don’t understand. I wasn’t going to turn you away.”

Kade struggled to find the words to make her understand. “Piper, we care about you. We want you, but we want to make love to you when the time is right. Can you honestly tell me you had any thoughts of the future last night?”

Piper sighed, her body finally relaxing. She didn’t wrap herself around them, but she stopped fighting. “I wasn’t thinking at all. I was just feeling. And this morning, I’m glad we didn’t go through with it. It would have been a mistake.”

He forced her face up. She was so beautiful. “Yes, but I do not think we’re on the same page yet. This is going to happen, Piper. We will come together when everything is as it should be. Do you remember how we explained last night that in our family, brothers must share a woman?”

Piper flushed. “Yes. It’s not exactly the kind of thing a girl forgets.”

“There are three brothers, habibti. Think about that.” He kissed her quickly before she could pull away. Then he stepped back.

He deeply enjoyed the shocked look on her face.

The plane rolled to a peaceful stop, but he was pretty sure Piper’s mind was still soaring.

“Come on then, love. It’s time to meet your friend, Tal.” Kade took her hand and started to lead her out of the plane.

“So I’m going to Tal’s? Should I get my briefcase? Does he know I’m coming?”

Rafe walked behind them. “He knows. I have little doubt he is waiting for you.”

The plane door opened, and a blast of heat hit them. Piper gasped a little. He was sure it wasn’t the last he’d hear of that sweet sound. She was in for a bit of a surprise.



* * * *



Talib stood in the heat, adjusting his tie yet again, wondering what he was doing. It was traditional to wait for guests in the receiving room, but Piper Glen was more than a guest. She would be mistress of this house if things worked out.

Three bodyguards stood behind him. All former US Special Forces. All recommended by his friend, Cole Burke. He almost never went anywhere now without his own small SEAL team. Every man was decked out for the occasion in a suit and those sunglasses that the US military seemed to hand out to their resident badasses.