He was going to kill Rafe. No doubt his middle brother had picked the gown and now every fucking man in the place was going to look at their bride-to-be’s breasts. Rafe might enjoy treating her like a Barbie doll, but after tonight she would be a much more modest doll.
His brothers met her at the bottom of the stairs. Piper’s smile lit up the room, her blue eyes dancing happily as she took in the sights. Talib felt his heart nearly stop. Her hair was flowing over her shoulders, her skin glowing.
“Excuse me, Mr. Ambassador.” Without a look back, he walked away from the man, but not toward Piper. He needed a moment alone. The last few days hadn’t gone as he’d assumed they would. He’d been so sure when Piper arrived that he would see her, satisfy his curiosity, enjoy a few intellectual discussions, then put her to the back of his mind until she became their concubine. After that, he meant to continue his day-to-day life without really thinking about her.
He strode past the throng of people, needing some air. Nothing was working out as planned. He wasn’t supposed to be obsessed with Piper, or burn to pin her body under his and fuck her half the night. But he couldn’t fool himself for a minute longer. He’d spent the last six years with his emotions buried deep, and they seemed to be bubbling to the surface now. Because of her.
He opened the French doors that led to the balcony and overlooked the garden where he and his brothers had played as children, their mother watching over them with her gentle smile. He was far from the child he’d been.
He caught sight of Landon’s broad figure at the door, a silent sentinel. This was his life now. Guarded constantly. How could he think about bringing Piper into this? If his enemies ever caught wind of the unexpected depth of his desire for her, they wouldn’t hesitate to use her against him.
But he had no choice and he knew it. He had to hold himself apart from her, make everyone, even Piper, believe he was indifferent. He wasn’t going to lose years of progress because he was worried he might break her heart. He had to harden his own. What he was feeling wasn’t love, just a perfectly normal sentiment for the woman he was about to marry, coupled with a hearty dose of lust.
Once he’d fucked her, he would see that she was just like every other female, and he could settle into a pleasant friendship and leave her heart to his brothers.
He glanced around, realizing that he was being an idiot. Alea was distracting Khalil at the moment, as planned. Now it was time. He pulled his phone out and texted Rafe to bring Piper to him. Rafe knew what to do.
Mere minutes passed before the door opened and Piper walked through. Her eyes widened as she took in the garden. This hadn’t been part of her tour. It was a very private part of the palace connected to his rooms. Piper had been shown much smaller guest rooms, but after tonight she would reside in the family rooms, a set of opulent apartments fit for a queen. And he would visit her there often until he was assured his line would continue.
And otherwise they would live separate lives.
“This is so beautiful,” Piper said, looking over the gardens. The silvery moonlight gave the space an almost haunted look.
She was a beautiful thing. How could he have ever thought her plain? He’d taken one look at a picture on a government document and decided she wasn’t lovely. Her features taken one by one were unremarkable, but she practically glowed in person, her loveliness a function of her personality and kind spirit.
“We used to play here as children.” Rafe didn’t seem to have Tal’s reticence. He wound an arm around her waist and cuddled his front to her back, his chin resting on her shoulder. “Kade tried to climb the palms from the yard to the balcony. He got stuck there once and our fathers had to rescue him.”
Piper was turned away from him, but Tal could hear the smile in her voice. “It’s so odd to hear you talk about having four fathers.”
“They were great men, happy men. I miss them all dearly. They have all passed on now. We didn’t get away with much, but we were always taken care of.” He paused for a moment. “And our mother always knew she was loved.”
His mother had been the daughter of an English aristocrat. His fathers had taken one look at her and known she would be theirs. They had actually stolen her, smuggled her out of the country, almost causing an international incident, but by the time she’d emerged from their concubine period, she’d been sated and happy and ready to play the gracious queen.
He had to hope Rafe and Kade could do the same with Piper.
The doors opened again, and Kade walked in with their secret guests of honor. Two men. The head of Congress and the country’s highest appointed judge. Both were necessary for the ceremony to be legal, and both would be very discreet.