The Murderess Page 3

  Aaron sat up slightly, leaning closer toward Lorelei. "You could be making all this up, and I wouldn't know the difference."

  "I could, but I have no reason to lie to you. It's your turn, tell me something about you."

  The prince grinned, that was an easy one. "I'm freezing and prefer heat over the outdoors."

  Lorelei laughed. "It's not that cold. Don't be such a baby."

  "Are you calling your prince a baby?"

  She jumped up, keeping just out of his reach. "I'm saying you shouldn't whine and cry. It's not very manly."

  Aaron stood and Lorelei took off on foot, laughing. He chased after her, through the darkened fields, using the hint of moonlight and the fire behind him as the only source of light. The farther he traveled into the grasses, the darker everything grew around him. "Lorelei?" he called out for her, no longer hearing her footsteps or breathing. The night air was absolutely still. He spun around on his feet, and in the distance could barely make the shape of the fire, the tiny sparkle against the cabin.

  From behind, Lorelei tackled Aaron to the ground, pinning him down. Her laughter vibrated through her chest, as his face had been shoved in the dirt and grass. It took him a moment to catch his breath. She'd knocked the wind out of his lungs when she attacked him.

  "You are such an easy target," she said, laughing.

  He grunted and rolled around, spinning her onto her back while he straddled her waist. "Only because I let you." He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of admitting she caught him off guard.

  "No, you didn't." She stared up at him, the smile growing on her face. Her lips opened but before she could respond, his mouth descended onto hers.

  The words were lost or forgotten. His fingers slipped behind her back, pulling her closer against him.

  She tangled her fingers in his dark strands of hair and opened her mouth to his. Moaning, she ran her tongue over his bottom lip, seeking entrance inside his mouth.

  Gasping, he pulled back. He wanted her, more than he'd wanted any of the courtesans back at the palace. Was it because she wasn't his to have? He and his brothers had refused her during the choosing. She had earned her freedom, yet here he was, wanting her to claim him, beg him to grant her access to the palace.

  The smile sparkled in her eyes and she stared up at the night sky, all too quiet.

  Minutes appeared to tick by without a word. Did she regret what happened, or was she still thinking about the kiss?

  Aaron wasn't an incredibly patient man, but he also didn't want to face the wrath of a scorned woman either. He knew Lorelei wasn't his and pretending she was, wouldn't change any of it.

  The wind softly blew through the grasses, forcing the nearby trees to rustle. "You haven't said a word."

  "Neither have you," Lorelei said.

  She challenged him, in so many different ways. Being with her seemed wrong, she killed Celeste, but it also felt right. He didn't wish to deny himself the pleasure, certainly not if she wanted it too.

  He reached out to her, finding her hand and taking it in his palm. Her fingers were cold, her grip icy. "You're freezing," he said.

  She quickly dislodged her hand and wrapped her arms around herself, sitting up. She pulled her knees to her chest. "It's fine."

  "Okay, I'm cold." He wasn't going to let it go that easily. "Let's go back to the fire." It wasn't just a suggestion, he needed the warmth to keep his toes and fingers from falling off. Though he knew that was an exaggeration, it wasn't that uncomfortable.

  Without a word she stood and followed the prince back toward the cabin. The roar of the fire had lulled, and she glanced at the pile of wood.

  "I can stoke the fire." Aaron may not have had to put wood on, but he felt confident that he could figure it out.

  Lorelei yawned. "No, I'm tired. We should go in to bed. Come on."

  He didn't know if it was the exhaustion from the day talking or something else, but he didn't open his mouth to question her suggestion. He let her take the lead, commanding him inside her home.

  Aaron shut the door behind them and hesitated at the bottom of the stairs.

  She already sauntered half-way up before glancing over her shoulder. "You coming?"

  "Yeah." That was all he needed before taking two stairs at a time, finding his way right behind her. Would something develop further between them tonight? He wasn't sure. As much as he wanted it to, there was something about her that he found bewitching. He felt drawn to her and didn't know why. Was it because he couldn't have her? He'd already turned her down. What were the laws regarding once a woman was already marked?

  "Stay on your side of the bed and we'll share," she said, drawing back the covers.

  Aaron didn't miss a beat. He helped her with the blankets and quickly climbed under the covers without so much as changing clothes for bed. There wasn't anything of his at the cabin, and the house was much too cool to wear anything less. Buried under the covers he still felt chilled.

  "If we cuddle, it'll be warmer for both of us," Lorelei said.

  If that was ever the invitation, he'd take it. "Okay." He scooted closer to the center of the mattress and wrapped his arms around her petite frame. Her body, though cold, began to gradually warm under the quilts.

  "No funny stuff under here, okay?" She warned him not to touch her intimately. "I still have that gun and you've seen what I'm capable of doing."

  Aaron wouldn't forget it anytime soon. "I promise, my hands stay around your waist." He held her to him, the warmth spreading between them, making the bed comfortable.

  She brushed her cheek against his chest and he desperately wanted to reach out, brush the red locks of hair behind her ear. He restrained himself, trying not to make the moment more intimate than it already was between them.

  "Goodnight," he whispered. It was the first night he ever felt like he truly loved someone, and it happened to be a young woman he couldn't have.

  "Night, Aaron." She didn't seem to bother with titles or acknowledging he was a prince. Did the thought slip her mind or was she too comfortable to care? He didn't say a word, afraid she'd send him outside back into the cold.

  Chapter Three

  Sometime during the night, his fingers slid beneath her shirt, caressing the soft skin of her back.

  Aaron woke first, his eyes adjusting to the sun streaming in through the windows. There were no blinds or shades, not a hint of privacy in the house that had probably once been abandoned.

  Lorelei shifted against Aaron, shoving one leg between his as she half-straddled the prince in her sleep.

  Was she still asleep? Her eyes remained shut. Aaron, with caution and a pit forming in his stomach, attempted to slip his hand out of her shirt and against the blanket. His slight movements stirred her awake.

  "What time is it?" She yawned. With heavy-lidded eyes, she ran her fingers down his arm, before rolling onto her back, pulling the warm blankets with her.

  "The sun's up. I should probably head on my way." Aaron didn't want to overstay his welcome.

  "Not yet," she said.

  Lorelei startled him with a hot searing kiss. He didn't dare ask what she was doing. After brief hesitation, he leaned in, his fingers stroking her jaw and tangling in her red locks.

  A soft hum emitted from the back of her throat, and she dragged her fingers beneath the tangled blankets, finding his stomach. Her hands worked the buttons on his slacks, slipping her warm palm into the front of his boxers.

  His breathing hitched, and his eyes shuddered closed.

  She covered his lips with hers, pushing Aaron onto his back, and worked down her pants and panties, sliding down onto his length. Already he was hard for her.

  His head tilted back, and he gasped as she surrounded him.

  "Tell me I'm better than all the other girls you've fucked," she whispered into his ear, tugging on the lobe with her teeth.

  "I swear it," Aaron rasped. The fire that commanded her was insatiable. He wanted to please her as much as she was doing for him. Unsure if he'd get a second chance with Lorelei, he wanted her to remember this morning forever.

  His hands moved up her flat stomach, lifting and removing her shirt. Aaron swiftly disrobed her of her bra and latched down, taking a nipple into one mouth and his fingers stroked the other breast at the same time. He wanted to be as physically close to her as possible.

  She tangled her fingers into his hair, gently guiding him lower.

  He dropped soft butterfly kisses over her stomach and inched her bottoms down over her hips, smelling her sweet intoxicating scent. His fingers glided over her curves and held her waist, descending his lips onto the budding nectar glistening from solely his breath touching her.

  Aaron's mouth kissed the folds, parting them ever so gently as she murmured above him. He had no idea what she said, his head buried beneath the blankets that were growing warm with the heat building between them.

  He swiped his tongue against her wetness, dragging the strokes up toward her clit.

  Lorelei shifted her hips, seeming to go restless as he teased her toward ecstasy. She moaned, and he plunged two fingers into her warmth, while continuing to suck her bead, flicking it with his tongue.

  Her hips rocked and her moans grew with intensity.

  Aaron knew she grew close as she clawed down his back with her fingers and then gripped a handful of sheets into her palms, squeezing down as her insides clenched. He knew what he'd done, proud of the effect he could have on a woman and knowing it was without a doubt real. There'd been no reason for her to pretend. She seemed to be the only person he'd ever met that didn't care he was a prince.

  He climbed up her body, his cock throbbing and pulsing for release.

  "My turn." She smiled and pushed him onto his back.

  He wasn'
t used to relinquishing control, but also didn't want her to stop. She wasn't his, not yet. Not in the way he desired.

  She tugged at his pants, pushing them down his hips and over his legs, the boxers following with it. Her hand came down between them, gently grasping his raging hard on, thumbing the head, before dragging slow steady fingers down the shaft.

  "I know you want me," she whispered against his ear, tugging the lobe between her teeth.

  He groaned, half in fear she'd hurt him, and the other half already tinkering toward ecstasy. He struggled to make this moment last, for both of them.

  "I want to be yours and yours alone," Lorelei said, shoving her mouth over his, guiding him inside her warmth.

  His lips parted and his head bent back. He craved more. In one swift movement, he pinned her beneath him, a wicked grin spread across his face as his hips moved with each thrust, rocking into her.

  Lorelei's nails dug into his bottom, pulling him deeper. She didn't dare keep her voice down, her moans echoed against the walls as she wrapped her legs around him. There wasn't another soul for miles and no fear of being overheard. Aaron loved the privacy they shared and the intimacy of the moment. He kissed a path down her neck, gently sucking the sensitive flesh as she trembled beneath him.

  His thrusts grew more intense. Aaron wanted her to remember every moment after he left. The sun had long since come up and a search party would be out looking for him. He dragged his fingers to her hands, clenching them together as she began to shudder. He felt her inside walls contract. The sensation overwhelmed him and his body trembled above her. Grunting, unwilling to hold out any longer, he let go.

  She covered his lips in kisses, pushing her tongue past his mouth. The moment and sensation stretched on as he pulsated inside of her, letting go, unable to hide what he longed for all night with her.

  His heart slammed wildly against his chest. Aaron rolled away, the covers discarded as the cool air caressed his sated skin.

  She shifted against the mattress, curling her body against his. "That was incredible."

  Aaron smiled, running his hand down her bare back. "You're incredible." He didn't dare ask her if the words she'd spoken during the throes of passion had been true. Did she want him to be only hers? His heart pattered quicker just thinking about the idea. Though he knew it could never be.

  Silence engulfed the room. Aaron knew he needed to get dressed and leave soon, but he didn't move from his spot on the bed. His fingers danced down her back and her hip, unable to stop touching her.

  "Is it selfish of me to ask you not to leave?"

  His fingers stalled over her hip. "I can't stay here. It's not safe. You might pull that gun on me again," Aaron said, cracking a grin.

  "Well then, I guess you're lucky I'm out of bullets. Grady only had two. Enough to threaten my life and his own if necessary."

  Aaron leaned in, kissing away the invisible scars. His lips brushed against her cheeks and down her shoulders, memorizing every curve.

  "Come with me. If you want to," Aaron said. He knew it was a bad idea, and against the rules. It would land him in a heap of trouble, but he could talk his way out of a bad situation. At least most of the time he could.

  "And do what? Be what?" Lorelei asked. "You have courtesans, and I'm not good enough to compete with those girls who've won your heart and affection. Don't you remember?" She showed him her wrist. "You rejected me once."

  Aaron struggled with how he'd fix the situation. "I didn't know you." Honesty was the best course of action. "Given the chance, anyone would see how amazing you are."

  She dropped her hand against the mattress. "If I say yes, where would I stay?" she asked. "Could I be a guard?"

  He laughed, unintentionally but the question was absurd. "No, Lorelei, you can't be a guard." All the guards in Brayleigh were robust men. Even if she could pass for a man with a haircut and the uniform, she was too petite to be stationed as a palace guard. "You'll join the royal harem and stay in Celeste's chambers."

  "Won't the other girls notice I'm not her?"

  "You let me deal with that."

  Chapter Four

  Aaron flew with Lorelei back to the palace. They brought the painting that had been hidden in the bedroom, but that was all they took with them. Lorelei didn't have much, and the few clothes weren't appropriate for the royal harem.

  "Clara will get you set up as soon as we arrive," he'd said.

  The ride back was quiet, but mostly because the engine was too loud to hear any words exchanged. He did hear her scream as they landed, fear taking over her senses.

  Although bumpy from slight turbulence, he'd flown enough times to know he wasn't in any real danger. Flying by light helped. Aaron helped Lorelei out of the airplane, before retrieving the painting, and escorted her toward the empty parking lot.

  His stomach sank, not seeing his vehicle anywhere nearby. He'd parked on the grass. Sitting beside where his car had been, awaited a palace vehicle. Aaron groaned, already knowing his father had tracked his car, sent a guard, and had his car driven home. Next time without a doubt the plane would have a tracker too, since he led them right to it. He'd need to think smarter, ditch the tracked vehicle and steal a car to use for his getaway.

  The guard stepped out from the vehicle and opened the back door. "Get in." There were no pleasantries exchanged.

  Aaron gestured for Lorelei to step in first.

  She hesitated. "Are you sure? I can walk."

  "That's not an option," Aaron said.

  She climbed into the backseat, and Aaron followed behind her. He'd devised a plan to explain her appearance and Celeste's absence, but it would do very little good seeing as how he couldn't discuss it with her. The guards were all under his father's thumb. None of them could be trusted.

  * * * * *

  The moment Aaron stepped inside the palace, he caught sight of his father trudging down the elegant stairwell. He wanted to keep Lorelei safe and spare her the pain of witnessing his punishment for disobedience.

  He turned toward the guard. "Take Lorelei up to Celeste's bedroom. Send Clara in to get her fitted." Aaron locked eyes on the red-haired young woman. "Do as your told."

  She nodded slowly and without a word, followed the guard up past the king.

  King Gideon glanced the girl over before approaching the bottom stair. He nodded toward the painting in his son's grip. "Care to explain where you've been?"

  "Out scavenging." Aaron placed the priceless artifact on a nearby chair, letting it lean carefully against the back of the seat. He didn't want any harm to come of it.

  His father grabbed Aaron by the ear, dragging him to the nearest room. "Get out!" He shouted at the servants that were tidying the study.

  With wide fear-filled eyes, they hurried from the room. Gideon pushed his son inside and slammed the door behind him.

  "Do you enjoy tormenting your father?" the king asked. "I ask of you one thing and one thing only. Take a guard with you whenever you leave the palace. Maybe I should lock you up like the girls upstairs. Show you what it's like to be one of them, a prisoner. It is after all in your best interest."

  Aaron showed no hint of fear. He didn't cower to his father, though he knew he'd be punished.

  "I asked you a question!"

  The young prince swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "I can't help it if the guards don't have the ability to keep up with me."

  King Gideon hung his head, clasping his hands together. "I'm not pleased, Aaron. You don't follow orders and worse, you took one of your girls with you? I won't even ask why she wasn't dressed in the appropriate attire. I can only assume you were trying to blend in wherever you disappeared off to. Thank heavens you thought ahead enough not to get yourselves kidnapped for ransom. One or two more trips like that and I'm not sure I'll pay the thieves."

  The king paced the length of the room.

  "I'm sorry." It was all Aaron could say. Though he knew no apology would alleviate the trouble he'd caused himself.

  "You ought to be! I sent four guards searching for you. What the hell were you doing at an airstrip? Please don't tell me flying a plane."

  Aaron kept his mouth shut. If his father didn't want to hear the words, then he wouldn't say it. The smile only seemed to grow on his face.