by Noelle Adams
Ana liked him immediately for some reason which was odd since she was usually painfully shy around most strangers. Her sister was the one who was more vivacious and outgoing. This man had a very nice, deep voice. Sexy, she thought. Definitely sexy! Clearing her throat and concentrating on the conversation, she struggled to remember what he’d said. “Mostly? I guess you’ll have some fun while you’re here?” she asked, trying to think of something to say other than “Oh” in response. It wasn’t just his voice that was sexy, she considered. Now that she was able to openly look at him, he truly was an overwhelming man with incredibly broad shoulders and handsome features. Every cell in him seemed to emanate authority and confidence. Not that she liked that kind of man, she thought. She hoped her future husband would be more on the slender side, she told herself. But this man was definitely put together in a nice way. She just didn’t like large, domineering men with strong personalities. Her brother and her father were like that and they tended to be too autocratic for her taste.
“Yes,” he said, instantly deciding that he would be spending time with this woman during his week-long visit. “What’s your name?”
Ana hesitated for a moment, not wanting to reveal her real name. “Annie,” she said, thinking of the hated nickname her sister called her.
“Nice to meet you, Annie,” he replied, leaning forward so his arms were leaning on the table. “I’m Marcus,” Erik replied, using his middle name as he usually did when entertaining a woman. “Tell me about yourself. What do you like to do?”
They talked about lots of things. He was generally pro-business but had a wonderful sense of the environment and social issues. Ana argued the social side whenever he brought up the business side of life. He made her laugh at some of his outrageous opinions and challenged him on several others. She suspected that he was just choosing the opposite side for controversy but she even liked that about him. He wasn’t so overwhelming, she started to think. He was still very large, though. But now that she’d gotten to know him a little more, she didn’t hold that against him. In fact, there was little about the man she didn’t like. Especially his smile, she thought, her insides melting when she said something funny and he threw back his head and laughed, the humor lingering in his eyes even after the laughter had died.
Yes, she really liked his smile. And his shoulders. When he leaned forward to make a point about government responsibilities, she decided that she really liked broad, muscular shoulders after all.
Ana was so engaged and having such a wonderful time, she didn’t realize how much time had passed until she accidentally glanced at his watch. “Oh, no! Is it really one o’clock?” she gasped, grabbing his hand to still his wrist so she could get a better look at the time.
“Yes. Why? I’m guessing you have an urgent appointment somewhere?”
Ana picked up her scarf which had fallen to the floor during their conversation as well as her empty coffee cup and newspaper. “Yes, I do,” she said and stood up.
“Wait. Have dinner with me tonight,” he said, stopping her with a simple touch to her arm.
Ana shivered with his small touch, wondering how a stranger could generate such heat. She ignored the feelings, knowing the relationship could not go any further than this one, exhilarating conversation. She was meeting her future husband tonight and after all, she’d never been able to flirt, or even date another man, knowing that she was betrothed to the odious Prince Erik. Dating anyone had been out of the question. “No, I can’t. Really, I have to go,” she said and started to slip by him, now that she’d remembered her engagement party, she knew that this mild flirtation would have to stop immediately.
His hand to her arm stopped her and she again shivered with awareness when his hand caught both of hers in his large ones. “Annie, I won’t let you go without knowing I’ll see you again. You can’t just leave me with nothing. Meet me tomorrow, here,” he said. “Have coffee with me again. It is Sunday so you can’t have any appointments tomorrow.”
She glanced down at the strong hand gently touching her arm and wanted to agree to meet him. But she also knew it was too dangerous to agree. Her mind was already working on how she was going to get through the evening with her future husband tonight. “Yes, unfortunately I do have appointments tomorrow that I can’t get out of,” she said but the disappointment was in her voice. She started to walk away again, knowing that she needed to get away as fast as possible before she embarrassed herself in front of him.
“Annie,” his deep voice said softly.
His words stilled her and she looked up at him. The rest of the coffee shop disappeared, the other patrons’ noise dimmed and there was only the two of them, the rest of the world blocked out. His eyes transfixed hers and she stared, her heart beating wildly as she watched his head descend slowly toward hers, inch by inch and her head turned up automatically, eager to receive his kiss.
When his lips finally touched hers, Ana gasped at the feeling. He lifted his mouth up only a fraction of an inch to stare into her startled eyes, then kissed her again, this time with slightly more pressure, his lips rubbing sensually against hers.
Ana sighed and closed her eyes, the feeling of electricity tingling through her body at his touch. His lips were wonderful, transporting her away from all the tension of her current predicament and into a world where only Marcus existed. She’d never really been kissed before except for awkward, stolen kisses on a dance floor. But this man definitely knew how to kiss and applied that skill with a gentle pressure against her own lips.
“Annie,” he groaned softly. But her name sparked her out of the trance and she stepped back.
Stepping back, she looked around, worried that someone had seen them, which of course they had since they were standing in the middle of a coffee shop with a few other patrons. But no one seemed to be paying them any attention. She quickly pulled her scarf up over her head with shaking fingers and covered her shining hair, wishing she could just forget her responsibilities and run away with him, let him kiss her senseless. But Ana had never been one to ignore her duties. “I’m sorry, I really must go,” she said and ducked around him to rush out of the coffee shop.
Erik watched her leave and his eyes bored into her back, willing her to stop and come back to him. He’d never felt so much in so little time with a woman. He didn’t deny that he was affected by the innocence of her kiss. He knew it was impossible because of her beauty and charming manner, but if that kiss was any indication, he would swear that she’d never been with a man before. He was even tempted to run down the street and pull her back into his arms and find out just how innocent she was. He had the thought of how wonderful it would be to teach her all about the art of lovemaking.
Erik sighed and looked over at Tim who was still standing sentry outside the store waiting patiently despite a crushing schedule for the day. Time to get back to work, he told himself. He tossed his empty coffee cup into the trash and went outside. “Everything better, Tim?” he asked, seeing that the tire had already been replaced.
“Yes, Sire,” Tim said, bowing slightly as he opened the door to the waiting limousine door for Erik.
Erik stopped, one hand on the door and the other on the roof of the car. He stared in the direction Annie had raced and considered what he was about to do. What would be the harm? A niggling sense of propriety told him that he was due to meet his future wife tonight and it wasn’t really good form to be hunting down one woman while being introduced to the future mother of his children. But he said the words that placed action in play. “Find her Tim,” he said and ducked his head into the limousine.
The door closed behind him and he saw Tim get into the front seat. The guard instantly picked up the phone and started speaking to someone. Erik heard the words “red hair” and “petite” but then blocked the situation out of this mind as he picked up the file he had been reading before the tire blew out.
Chapter 4
Ana snuck back into the hotel, sure everyone would be rac
ing around trying to find her. But no one blinked or even looked up as she made her way to the bank of elevators. The ride up to her floor was just as smooth and easy as was her slipping inside her room unnoticed. Ana was just taking off her scarf when her mother walked in. “Ana! What are you still doing here?” she said. “Shouldn’t you be at the spa already? I thought your appointment was for 2 o’clock.”
“Yes, I don’t know where the time went,” Ana said honestly. “I’m on my way,” she said and grabbed her purse to rush out the door.
Ana made it to the spa and they were very accommodating for her, which wasn’t a surprise. Ana relaxed as technicians worked the kinks out of her body and pampered her thoroughly. She sat back and relived every moment she’d spent with Marcus, enjoying each sentence and especially the kiss at the end. She had been kissed before, but because she’d been betrothed, Ana had never had any suitors. Her very few kisses had been stolen, sloppy lips against her cheek or the corner of her mouth. Since she’d avoided her fiancé for the past ten years, she’d never had any chance to really be kissed. It was shocking that she was now twenty-six years old and had never experienced those feelings before. The small kisses others had stolen over the years were nothing compared to the soft, whisper kiss that Marcus had given her and she shivered at the memory of those feelings.
By six o’clock, Ana was back at the hotel, her hair carefully and artistically piled on top of her head in a Grecian style that flattered her face, leaving her neck free. She pulled on the simple white gown, not really caring about her appearance all that much. She didn’t want to meet this man who would become her husband. She wanted to hide in her hotel room and savor the memory of her afternoon. But she followed her parents out of the hotel and arrived at the engagement dinner with a heavy heart.
Ana stood in the receiving line with her parents, sister and brother. Every few minutes, she’d stare down the line and wondered where her future husband was and what he looked like. He couldn’t compare to Marcus, she told herself, but maybe he would at least be nice looking. She vaguely remembered meeting him when he was a teenager but at that time, his voice had been changing, his limbs had been long but there wasn’t much to credit him. He’d been tall she remembered but Ana hadn’t been able to get a very good look at him. He was either talking with her father, or there were so many other teenage girls surrounding him, she hadn’t been able to see him through the crowd. Nor had she tried very hard, she thought to herself.
Everyone looked on as King Alexander entered the room and Ana waited with her breath held for her fiancé to follow. But no one was behind him. He walked royally into the banquet hall and bowed gracefully to Queen Natasha and King Stephen. “I’m sorry to report that Prince Erik will be late tonight. Please don’t be offended by his tardiness. It was a horrible situation he had to resolve at the last minute.” Turning to Ana, he smiled down into her blue eyes. “I understand I can’t compare to my son, but I’d be honored if you would allow me to escort you into dinner,” he said.
Ana was offended at first, but she understood what an honor King Alexander was bestowing on her. She smiled gratefully up into his handsome face and nodded her head. “I’d be thrilled for your escort, Your Highness,” she said and put her hand through his arm.
Max sat on her left and King Alexander on her right and he entertained her through the entire awkward meal with stories of Prince Erik and how daring the man was, how wonderful he was with his subjects and how handsome he was.
“I’m sure he’s a wonderful person,” Ana said and laughed at all the appropriate moments. But inside, Ana was furious with the man for embarrassing her like this. She’d seen the pitying looks from the other guests who understood that Erik thought so little of her that he couldn’t even make it to his engagement dinner. She was furious but maintained a calm, peaceful demeanor, knowing that the press would report her every move and expression in the papers the following morning.
Her father made a speech, talking about how wonderful it will be to unite the two kingdoms in marriage and how the two families could form bonds that would reach beyond the politics. Ana stopped listening as her anger boiled up. She had to clench her fists under the table, otherwise, she was likely to toss her wine glass at the wall. Her fury almost overwhelmed her.
By the end of the evening, Ana had formed several ideas on how she wanted to get back at the absent prince, some of which started with castration and mauling. Walking into her hotel suite, she stomped around, desperate to find some outlet to her fury and embarrassment. On the way home, she’d decided that castration wasn’t good enough for the man but had many more ideas for what she’d like to do to him. Sharp objects were considered. The ideas were gruesome and she flung her white gloves off, tossing them onto her dresser and ignoring the mess her clothes created. She didn’t even care that her lovely white dress was now sitting in a heap on the floor.
In the middle of Ana’s angry tirade on men and their inconsiderate behavior, Marabeth walked in and sat down on the bed, already changed into her nightclothes and robe.
“How could he!” Ana exclaimed as soon as she saw Marabeth’s face. “We aren’t even married and the man can’t even show me any respect.” She stomped over to the window and pulled the drapes closed, yanking them shut with an unnecessary force that surprised even herself. “But why should he?” she asked, Marabeth, turning back to face her seemingly calm sister. Ana disappeared into her dressing room to pull on a nightgown and robe, not wanting to wear the engagement party dress that had been chosen specifically for the occasion. Storming back into the room, she continued her angry tirade. “I’m just a decoration and an appropriately trained womb for the production of his heirs! I’m nothing to him. What a humiliation!” she growled, pacing her room, pulling the belt tighter on her satin robe.
Marabeth started to say something, then thought better of it. After another long, silent moment of watching her older sister, she spoke up. “King Stephan said it was an unavoidable emergency,” Marabeth offered tentatively.
Anastasia sneered at the idea. “Right! Admit it, Marabeth, you don’t believe that anymore than I do.”
Marabeth smiled gently at her sister, trying to come up with some way to calm her down and ease her anger and frustration. “I think I believe it. I’ve never met him myself but from what I’ve heard of Prince Erik, he’s very good about his obligations. I don’t think he would have ignored an appearance as important as tonight without justifiable cause.”
An inelegant snort was Ana’s initial reaction to Marabeth comment. “Don’t kid yourself, Marabeth. The man was probably out philandering,” Ana said, and fought back the tears of humiliation that formed in her eyes.
Marabeth understood her sister well and rushed over to her side. “Ana, please don’t assume the worst. I’m sure it was an awful thing that kept him from your side.”
Ana didn’t reply but a tear fell from her lashes onto her cheek and she angrily wiped the offending wetness away, hating the fact that she even cared what the man thought of her. She wanted to be strong and capable, someone who would be able to deal with whatever life dealt her but this situation was just untenable and unspeakably rude! Ana wished she just didn’t care, but she did. If she didn’t have love in her marriage, she at least wanted respect and common courtesy. From what she’d experienced from the man so far, neither were on his agenda.
Marabeth continued despite her sister’s silence. “Perhaps you could ask him tomorrow.”
Ana stared at the ceiling, wishing she didn’t care. “What good would it do? If he gave me some lame excuse that I don’t believe, would father release me from this ridiculous engagement? Would I get to go to law school and practice law? Would I be able to find my own apartment and live my life the way I want to?”
Marabeth shook her head. “No,” she said sadly.
“They why listen to the lies? Face it Marabeth, we’re stuck in our lives just as the people out there are stuck in theirs,” she said, waving her hand to t
he people still rushing along the sidewalks, urgently trying to reach their destinations as they bundled against the cooler than normal spring evening. “I’m sure many of them would give up a lot to be in our shoes and I’m just being ungrateful.” Ana sniffed and tried to pull herself together. She knew she was being ridiculous and should be strong and calm in all situations. She’d been raised to know how to act no matter what was thrown at her. Good grief, she could handle a posse of reporters with a smile and a polite comment. Why was one man’s absence creating so many emotions within her?
Because of Marcus, she knew. The thought popped into her mind before she could stop it but she knew it was true. If she hadn’t met Marcus this afternoon, known what it was like to shiver in a man’s arms and feel desire course through her body with a small, gentle touch, she would be giving in to the situation with more grace. But now, she just didn’t want to give in. She had a more valid reason to resist than just not wanting to be married to a stranger.
Marabeth could feel her sister’s pain by the way she was holding herself still. “Oh Ana, please don’t do this to yourself,” she said, rushing over to take her sister’s hands in hers and pulling her down onto a white, damask covered settee. “Perhaps, once you meet Prince Erik, you’ll find that he’s wonderful and charming and he’ll fall in love with you and you with him and you’ll live happily ever after, just like in all the stories.”
Ana wiped another tear from her face. “Do you love George?” she asked quietly, already knowing the answer but wanting to make a point to her sister.
Marabeth shook her head slowly. “No, but I’m sure we’ll have a decent marriage. And I love children. I know we’ll start a family as soon as we’re married.”