“You aren’t in America anymore, Piper.”
She wasn’t. And she didn’t have much of a choice now. She turned, ignoring Kade’s attempts to hug her. His affection hadn’t come with an ounce of honesty. She wasn’t sure exactly what was happening, but she needed to buy everyone a little time. Then she could make some decisions.
She allowed Tal to pull her free. The sun hit her face, but this time she felt the heat instead of the soft glow. Flashbulbs blasted all around her as Talib pulled her into his arms.
Unlike the night before, now there was no gentleness in his face. There was a hard, possessive look in his eyes as he drew her against him. Her heart raced as he cupped her cheek, and his mouth came down on hers. Arousal flooded through her, but there was a cool distance to Tal that she couldn’t ignore.
As he took her mouth, a cheer went through the crowd, the sound nearly deafening her.
When Tal turned, Rafe and Kade were immediately at her sides, grasping her hands, gazing at her with affection before they turned to the crowd with triumphant smiles.
Though surrounded by people, Piper had never felt so alone.
* * * *
Rafe watched as Piper walked out of the bathroom. Her robe had been double knotted as though she was desperately afraid the tie might come open and expose her. Her face was set in tight lines, so unlike the happy, sensual woman who had ridden his cock the night before.
All in all, this was not how he’d imagined the morning would go. He’d thought he would feed Piper while they lay in bed and made love well into the afternoon. Now was their concubine time, damn it. Instead of enjoying his bride, he was fielding questions from fucking reporters. The story would be splashed across every magazine in the free world.
His cell phone trilled again, and he seriously thought about throwing it out the window.
Tal stared at him. “Are you going to answer that?”
“No.” He was in charge of dealing with the press. He would not allow Tal’s impatience to screw up his plan. “I will let them stew until tomorrow. To the outside world, we are in seclusion now. It should be expected since we’re meant to bond with our future bride.”
Piper turned suspicious eyes his way. “That whole meet up with the judge and the Prime Minister last night wasn’t just a greeting, was it? There was a reason you invited them to join us on the balcony. They asked you a question, and the three of you all gave the same answer. That was some sort of ceremony.”
Sometimes, she was too clever. He looked to Tal, who frowned his way.
Piper picked up on that, too. She stood in front of Rafe, blocking his view of his brother. “You have a mouth, Rafiq. You can answer me without Tal telling you what to say.”
This proved she hadn’t been properly prepared for the job they had selected her for. He’d let her down. His heart twisted in his chest. “At times like these, Piper, he is not my brother. He is my sheikh.”
Rafe might have enormous influence, but Talib made the decisions. He’d known that his whole life. While he and Kade were able to traipse across the globe, Tal had a country to run.
“So you and Kadir just do what Talib tells you to?” Piper sounded more aggressive than he’d ever heard her. “That’s the way this works?”
Tal groaned, his eyes rolling. “Yes, Piper, they never give me a single moment of trouble. Damn it. Consider this family like a corporation. I’m the CEO.”
She frowned, her lips curling down. “I don’t think I want a family like that.”
Why was Tal taunting her? Rafe reached out for her hand, happy that she didn’t totally reject him. She didn’t curl her fingers into his, but she didn’t pull away. “Give this a chance. Our life will not be like this all the time. I promise the press will settle down.”
“Before or after I have to make a decision I never thought I would, with your entire country watching?”
Now it was Rafe’s turn to frown. Yes, he had deceived and failed to prepare her, but his intentions had always been good. “You never once considered you might marry us? Our relationship was not even remotely serious for you?”
Now she pulled away, drawing her hand back. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re royal. I’m from a town of two hundred rednecks in West Texas. Why would I imagine marriage was even possible?”
“You’re also one of the world’s experts on green energy economics,” Tal shot back. “It’s a skill my country can use.”
Rafe wanted to hit his brother. Even if that argument had swayed Tal to consider Piper in the first place, this wasn’t the time to point out all the practical reasons she worked as their bride. “Piper, I knew I wanted you from the moment I saw you.”