Poison, Lies, and No-Win Choices Read online

  Poison, Lies, and

  No Win Choices

  Bride Ball, Part II

  A Grimm Revisited Story by

  BRENNA LYONS

  Published by Phaze Books

  Also by Brenna Lyons

  We Shall Live Again

  Last Chance for Love

  Rites of Mating

  In Her Ladyship’s Service

  Matchmaker’s Misery

  Animal Instincts

  Night Warriors

  Will of the Stone

  Bearing Armen

  Veriel’s Tales: Crossbearer Turned

  Veriel’s Tales II: Losing Regana

  Marked

  and many more…

  This is an explicit and erotic novel

  intended for the enjoyment

  of adult readers. Please keep

  out of the hands of children.

  www.Phaze.com

  Poison, Lies, and No-Win Choices copyright 2010 by Brenna Lyons

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  A Phaze Production

  Phaze Books

  6470A Glenway Avenue, #109

  Cincinnati, OH 45211-5222

  Phaze is an imprint of Mundania Press, LLC.

  To order additional copies of this book, contact:

  [email protected]

  www.Phaze.com

  Cover art © 2010 Deborah Lewis

  eBook ISBN-13: 978-1-60659-983-9

  First Phaze Edition – March, 2010

  Created in the United States of America

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Dedicated to...

  Grimm, the first love of my fantasy life, as it is for so many fantasy authors.

  Tamer, the love that was meant to be.

  Chapter One

  Benjamin’s cock came up at the feeling of Alana on his lap, her laughing body vibrating against his.

  It had to be soon, appearances be damned. The game of decision was amusing enough and a social nicety, but he’d long ago decided that only Alana would do.

  Her face dipped close to his, and he captured her lips in a kiss that released his frustration and need...at least, a modicum of them. It left them both ragged, and sweat coated his bare chest, most likely from clenching his muscles in restraint.

  Mora’s chattering broke the moment, and Alana levered herself onto the arm of his chair, giving the other contender room to sit on the opposite arm. Her smile faltered at the sight of the noblewoman, with her fine clothes and augmented body. Alana recovered quickly, smoothing the simple blouse and skirt most of the lowborn in attendance wore.

  Another reason it has to be soon. Alana was becoming disheartened by his failure to choose formally, unsure of her appeal.

  Mora offered the cup in her hand. “It’s warm in here, don’t you think? I thought you might like a drink.”

  Before he could take it, Alana did so. “My thanks,” she breathed. “I’m frightfully parched.”

  “But that—”

  It was too late. Alana had tipped her head back, baring her graceful neck, draining the contents of the cup in a few hearty swallows. That accomplished, she handed the cup back to a horrified Mora. It was a bold move, riding the edges of uncouth, but contending to a prince was thinly-veiled civility, at its finest.

  Benjamin bit back a laugh at the tactical prowess that had won Alana this round of the chase for his attentions. How could he choose another, when such a witty and inventive woman had captured his heart? The words to dismiss Mora were on the tip of his tongue when one of the other ladies saved him the trouble by drawing her away.

  “Mora? I need a word.”

  He worked at the mystery of Mora’s upset and distraction without success. Surely it wasn’t Alana besting her that caused the reaction; that had happened many times before. The hair rose on the back of his neck in warning, but his alcohol-muddled mind couldn’t work its way to an explanation for his unease.

  Mora engaged in a whispered discussion with her fellow, and Benjamin turned back to Alana, noting the pain in her eyes. It had to be tonight, propriety or no. When Mora returned, he’d make a public show of choosing Alana. If the Goddess was kind, he’d be taking the latter to his bed after that.

  * * * *

  The drink went straight to Alana’s head, and she wondered at what vintage it might be. Wine, even strong wines, didn’t usually affect her this quickly.

  She’d only been drunk once before, but she didn’t remember it feeling this good. Her entire body sang in a pleasant awareness.

  Benjamin’s hand settled on her thigh, then trailed upward. It clasped lightly at her hip, and he pulled her back into his lap. “Where were we?” he growled playfully. His mouth closed on hers, and Alana shifted closer to him.

  She shivered at the touch of his ready cock through the silk trousers that comprised the whole of his outfit. Every night of the event, she’d prayed she’d feel that length, but Benjamin had decreed only the one he’d ultimately choose would.

  And Mora is still a contender for his love. Mora, with her cunning and cold resolve. Alana wished there was a way to open his eyes to Mora’s true nature.

  That an unlikely proposition, she had to make her own sincerity clear to Benjamin. She threw herself into the kiss, moaning at him surrounding her in textures and scents.

  He was so potent, he made her head swim. The need for more rode at her, and Alana tangled her fingers in the crisp hairs that bisected his chest.

  Benjamin came at her mouth more avidly, urging her on. Emboldened, Alana touched him, moaning as muscles tensed beneath her palms and fingertips.

  Her body burned and ached for an end to the game. His kiss wasn’t enough. His hands exploring over clothing wasn’t enough. Alana cupped his rigid length between their bodies.

  Benjamin broke off the kiss with a half-swallowed cry. She forced her eyes open, meeting his questioning gaze. He wasn’t stopping her, so she stroked him through the silk.

  Her heart pounded in apprehension. Would he rebuff her? Dismiss her and choose Mora? This was presumptuous, but her need was maddening in its intensity.

  The kiss resumed, a harder, hotter kiss that announced his interest. Benjamin guided her around to face him, and Alana placed a knee on either side of his body, stretching her skirt to its limits. One of his hands fisted in her hair, and the other grasped at her hip, drawing Alana to his body.

  The temperature in the room jumped abruptly. The heat between them followed in kind.

  Alana pulled at the fasteners on his trousers, and Benjamin wrenched his mouth from hers. He shot a startled look between their bodies, then met her eyes, swallowing hard.

  “Here?” he whispered.

  “Anywhere.” Anything. “As long as it’s now.” She shifted her hips against him, making the offer.

  He pushed up at her skirt, and Alana opened his trousers. His cock strained against her hand and she grasped it, moaning at the feel of him.<
br />
  Benjamin positioned her over the crown, then guided her down. Alana’s breathing hitched at the first touch. She forced her hips down, gasping his name as he arched off the seat and filled her.

  She held to his shoulders, her fingernails biting skin, her eyes sliding shut. His cock filled her, stretched her, eased the ache.

  “Goddess, Benjamin, yes,” she urged him.

  * * * *

  Benjamin froze in disbelief. It couldn’t be...

  But he knew it was true. Alana was a virgin.

  Well, she was, until I—

  “Goddess, Benjamin, yes,” she pleaded.

  At least I didn’t hurt her. Thank the Goddess for that.

  There’d been an even chance she was untouched...perhaps less than even, all things considered. When she’d agreed to exhibitionism, he’d assumed she was experienced.

  Alana rose and fell over him, scattering his senses. Who knew a virgin could move this way? If this was what she did to him untrained, her sexual education might well kill him.

  A hoot of appreciation opened Benjamin’s consciousness to other sounds from the assembled crowd. That brought a measure of sanity to his fevered mind.

  Benjamin shook his head, cupping Alana’s face. “No, Alana. Let me—”

  “Let me,” she purred.

  Any thoughts he’d had about a virgin being too skittish for exhibitionism fled. He couldn’t decide if she was too involved to notice their audience or uncaring that it existed. If Alana wasn’t bothered by it, Benjamin wasn’t going to force a stop.

  It was a wild ride, and the end was kinetic. Alana threw her head back and screamed at the first jet of his seed into her. Her contractions gripped him hard, and he roared in possession. She was his, and the Goddess help anyone who stood in his way.

  Her eyes slid open, and the look of longing made his heart stutter. She was innocent of what her expressions did to him, how they turned him into clay in her delicious, little hands.

  She’s innocent. That fact finally made it through the haze in his mind. Benjamin glanced around at the attendees of the Bride Ball, some watching them avidly...some less overtly...none oblivious to the spectacle.

  It’s unacceptable. Benjamin eased her skirt over her buttocks, shielding all but the sight of the root of his cock extending up between those silken thighs.

  Alana whimpered at his touch, her eyes pleading for more, her body still gripping and releasing in the throes of waning climax.

  “In my rooms,” he offered. “Will you accompany me—”

  “Yes.”

  “Highness,” one of Alana’s supporters addressed him. “Highness, I must—”

  “When Mora returns, tell her to move on to other pursuits,” he announced. “I’ve chosen Alana, if she’ll have me.”

  Aftershocks ripped through her, and tears misted her eyes. Alana laughed in delight. “Oh, yes.”

  “But Highness, I must tell—”

  “Enough.”

  She fell silent, though she shifted nervously.

  Benjamin set Alana on her feet, carefully covering her. He fastened his trousers, glad he’d chosen purple. Gold would have shown the smears of red more clearly. At any respectable distance, the stains on the purple would be mistaken for clear female fluids, and the masses wouldn’t have leave to gossip about watching Benjamin deflower his wife.

  He took to his feet, wrapping an arm around Alana. The woman he’d dismissed twice dared to approach him again.

  Benjamin motioned her to silence before she could speak, glaring her down. “One more time, and you will find yourself in a cell.”

  She dipped a quick curtsy and scurried away.

  Chapter Two

  Matthew looked around at the hoot of a voyeur coming from the direction opposite voyeurs’ row. His jaw dropped at the sight of Benjamin and Alana.

  He knew his brother had been at the edges of madness for the girl, and it seemed the game had ended with an explosion of repressed passion given wings. The two hadn’t even made it as far as voyeurs’ row.

  That should calm the old man. At least, Matthew hoped it would.

  It wasn’t that Matthew was adverse to the idea of a wife or mistress. He simply hadn’t found a woman he’d consider for more than a night or two with a male barrier.

  He sank back into a sofa, closed his eyes, and sipped at the glass of punch, grinding his teeth at the sounds from voyeurs’ row. This was definitely not the place to find one.

  Benjamin had caught lucky with Alana. She wasn’t the usual Bride Ball fare, and she doted on him. But how many like her could there be?

  As if in answer, a feminine shape settled next to him on the sofa.

  And it starts. Benjamin has chosen Alana. Most of the ladies willing to settle for a noble match paired off in the first four days of the event. As the second highest-ranking man in attendance, the focus of the remaining royalty-chasers has fallen to me.

  He smiled. Then again, he wouldn’t balk at a bed partner for the night. On that note, he opened his eyes to survey the first of his choices.

  There were actually two of them, both dark-haired, both pretty enough to spark his interest.

  “Care for some company, Hein Matthew?” one asked, running a finger down her cleavage.

  “Company is all I’m seeking, I’m afraid.” It was stated bluntly...a bed partner with no chance of a contract in the making. They’d either accept his terms or withdraw. He’d lay odds that one of each would occur.

  The closer’s hand settled on his thigh. “We’d be interested in no ties.”

  He flicked a glance at the other. “Which do you suggest?” His tastes were better known than this. Sex shows were amusing enough, but he preferred hands-on single action between the sheets.

  “Hmm...” her cohort purred. “Perhaps a taste to allow an unbiased choice?”

  “Now that is enticing,” he admitted.

  The first rose and circled his body. Matthew shifted to the center, allowing them to bracket him.

  There was no fanfare. In a heartbeat, there was a warm woman pressed to his chest, their mouths meshing. Matthew wrapped his arms around her, testing the feel of them moving together.

  He eased away. “Nice fit,” he murmured.

  She offered a vixen’s smile and slid into her vacated seat.

  Matthew raised his glass to cleanse the palate.

  The second took it, laughing. She offered another glass that held a gorgeous burgundy. “Try this. James gave it to me himself. It’s a much better vintage.”

  He took it and inhaled, chuckling. “Birchstand’s best.” It was just the thing to celebrate his brother’s contract—fine wine and fine women. Half of the slim glass disappeared down his throat.

  The next kiss was even more avid, as if they were trying to outdo each other. They probably were, since he’d made it clear he was only choosing one for the night.

  He raised the glass, stopping to stare at the level. It was full. His lips quirked up in a smile. “Trying to take advantage of me?” he teased.

  The first cupped her hand under the stem of the glass and guided it to his mouth. “Most definitely.”

  Matthew considered that and took a sip of the wine instead of a mouthful.

  The next quarter hour passed in deep, carnal contemplation. With each trade, the play became more intense and involved.

  Matthew threw himself into the game. He wanted this. He needed it. He didn’t care which one he took to his rooms. He’d take them both, if they were willing...as long as he sated himself soon.

  The one currently nestled to him stroked his cock, and he reasoned he wouldn’t make it that far. “Voyeurs’ row,” he rasped out.

  She laughed, walking her fingertips up his abdomen. “We prefer privacy in the sheets.” She left his lap and shot him a look of invitation.

  “My rooms, then.”

  The other hefted the wine bottle. “One for the trip?” she suggested.

  Matthew pushed the bottle aside and dipp
ed toward her lips. “Just what I was thinking.” I could finish here. Benjamin had it right.

  She placed a hand on his chest, signaling a stop. “I think we’ve had enough...here. The sooner we reach your rooms, the sooner the real fun begins.”

  He released her with a growl, taking to his feet...too quickly. His head spun. Matthew replayed his consumption in confusion; two glasses or so of good wine and one of spiked punch wasn’t enough to do this.

  They sandwiched him, hands roaming. The need slammed into him so hard it nearly floored him. Sweat beaded on his skin, and the air scorched in his lungs.

  “Hein Matthew?” one asked.

  “It’s hot,” he breathed. “So hot.”

  “Lodi?”

  The other took his arm and guided him toward the corridors. “We’ll open a window, Hein. In the meantime...” She passed him the wine bottle.

  “Lodi!”

  “Just something to wet the mouth,” she explained.

  Matthew nodded, raising the bottle and swallowing down two mouthfuls. He was thirsty. He was hot, and—by the Goddess Herself—he needed to get laid...hard, fast, and probably more than once.

  The trip to his rooms was punctuated by touching and tasting...both of mouths and wine. The cool stone of the corridors soothed his bare feet.

  At times, he swore there were more than two women with him...more than two pairs of hands touching him, but that didn’t make sense.

  The door closed behind them, and Matthew turned to the one at his right, seeking her mouth.

  The other—Lodi—took the bottle from his hand and set it on the table near the door. Her hands worked at his suede trousers. “Time to get undressed, Hein. Time to cool the fire.”

  He was on fire. There was no denying it. The one in his arms led him toward the bed, and Matthew stumbled along with her. His balance deserted him, and they sprawled to the mattress together.