Joan narrowed her eyes and stopped struggling. She’d show him outlandish. She ground her hips into his and was startled at the quick response she felt. Startled and a little turned on. Not to mention a little afraid. Still, she wasn’t going to turn back now.
Joan would teach him to laugh at her.
“Concubine, huh? What if I said that sounded more promising than honored guest?”
Tom released her and held her at arm’s length. His eyes darted around her face like he was trying to peer into her soul. He lost his temper. “Forget it. You’re nobody’s concubine. If you don’t agree to come back with me as my bride, I’m afraid you’ll leave me no choice but to marry you in the press. Let’s see how you like it then when reporters are camped out on your doorstep wondering why you’ve abandoned your new husband, the King of Rafferstonia, so fast on the heels of the wedding.”
Joan was speechless. Marry him? She’d heard the rest of his little rant, but her mind had gotten caught on the whole ‘be his bride’ thing. Light bulbs started flashing on in her head. She couldn’t believe them, but there they were anyway.
“Hold on. You came all this way to ask me to marry you?”
She squinted at him. Now that she’d said the words out loud she was sure he would collapse in a fit of hysterical laughter at any moment.
“Well I sure didn’t come here to ask you to be my mistress.”
He glared at her. “I can’t believe you’d even consider that an option.”
“You were laughing at me. I wasn’t about to let you get away with it.”
They stood toe to toe, at an impasse. The two of them seemed to realize at the exact same moment they were arguing over inconsequential matters. Both backed off.
Tom spoke first. “Maybe you better sit down.” He guided her to the spot he’d vacated on the couch then sat at her feet. Joan was still a little too stunned to do more than let him.
“I guess I should just jump in, right?”
“That might clear up any confusion,” she agreed.
He smiled. “True. I came here to ask you to be my queen.”
Her eyes widened. She hadn’t even considered that aspect of the situation. He took her hands in his. “I know it’s a lot to ask. In fact, that’s why I almost didn’t. It’s a big job, but you would be perfect for the role.”
The more he explained, the more her heart sunk. A business arrangement. That’s what this all had been about. A simple business arrangement. He didn’t want to marry her because he was in love with her.
“Perfect, huh?”
He nodded. “I cannot tell you how many women I have interviewed over the last few weeks. I fear I’m driving everyone in the palace quite mad. And Jai’—he’s the one who keeps suggesting you by the way—is probably hoping for assassins so he can duck.”
“So, this was Jai’s idea?” Things just kept getting worse and worse. This whole little scheme hadn’t even originated from Tom.
“He even vetted you without telling me.” Tom grinned. “Of course, that came back perfect, too.”
Joan wanted to cry. Nothing like getting a marriage proposal from the man you loved who saw the whole thing as a smart business arrangement. What should she do? She could say ‘yes’
and become his wife, the queen of Rafferstonia. She’d no longer be an outsider looking in and hoping for a mere mention of him in the press. Or maybe a photo to tide her over.
Or she could say ‘no’ and continue rebuilding the life she’d begun creating here. She loved her coupons and her class, but something was missing. It wasn’t a void to be filled by a minivan and three screaming kids.
“Sure. Why not? I’ll give it a shot.”
He frowned at her less than enthusiastic response. “This isn’t something you just ‘give a shot’, Joan. There’s no turning back. No divorce. Once you’re in, it’s forever. I need to know you’re up to this responsibility.”
“Are you?” she challenged. “This is a business arrangement inside a marriage. Are you expecting me to perform…certain favors?” Joan could feel her face heating, but she pressed on. “After all, you’re a healthy enough guy. Or are you planning to keep a couple concubines about?”
He dropped his gaze and studied the carpet under his knees.
When he looked back at her, she was surprised to see how serious he’d gotten. She had the strongest urge to kiss him until everything was all better. “No concubines. For either of us. Still, you wouldn’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. That’s not to say I wouldn’t mount a rather substantial campaign to seduce you. After all, it would be sheer torture to have the woman I love running about and not be able to touch her.” He took her hands in his. “So I’d have to try, you understand.”
Her heart caught in the uncomfortable position of being elated at hearing that he loved her and breaking for him at the despair she saw in his eyes. “This queen business must be serious stuff if you’re willing to give up so much.”
He said solemn nod. “It’s my duty.”
Joan pulled her hands from his grasp and placed them on his stubble-‐-roughened cheeks. Joan smiled and brought their faces mere inches from one another. “You wouldn’t have to try very hard.” She watched her meaning dawn in his eyes. Joan kissed him.
It was everything she’d expected it to be and so much more. Her toes curled and her heart sang. It seemed like every inch of her woke up. She tingled all over when he tangled his fingers in her hair and took over the delicious assault on her mouth.
Breathless, they parted to suck in some air and he grinned at her. “So you do think I’m hot.”
Joan laughed. “Scorching.”
About the Author
Lori Crawford has two great passions. Television and writing. As a child, she was a walking TV guide. When not watching TV, she was devouring every book she could get her hands on. Nearly a decade later, her love for reading developed into a passion for writing. She graduated from short stories and imaginary friends to write her first manuscript when she turned sixteen. It went on to languish in the bottom of a drawer where it rightfully belongs. A firm believer in writing from foundation of what one knows, Lori’s first published novel features a synchronized swimmer while Royal Opposites was born from her coupon queenish tendencies.
Making Waves by Nell Dixon
Cassidy Jones needs a holiday and her friend’ʹs cottage in New Bay sounds perfect. The beach could heal the bruises from losing her job and her fiancé. Perfect for some time alone to gather her thoughts and heal her broken heart.
Josh Parker is also looking forward to a much needed break after eighteen months of non-‐-stop work. His out-‐-of-‐-town friend offers her cottage, and Josh thinks it would be just right for some time to let his hair down and revive his social life with his old surf buddies.
One cottage, two unsuspecting occupants. A recipe for romance or disaster?
Excerpt:
The male surfers were all wearing black or blue wetsuits, unzippered and rolled down to the waist. Pretty girls in tiny bikinis laughed and chatted as the group placed their orders.
One of the guys with his back toward her seemed strangely familiar. It was something about his stance and the untidy mop of dark brown hair. Cassidy sat up straight, willing him to turn around so she could see his face. Her heart thumped in a mix of fear and anticipation as she watched him chatting with the girls.
The waitress came toward her with a pad and pen in hand.
Cassidy ordered a fruit juice, her attention still focused on the man with his back to her. Then, just as the waitress left to take Cassidy’s drink order inside the café, he turned around.
“Cassidy? Cassidy Jones?”
Her heart sank. It looked as if she had been wrong about not meeting anyone who knew her here in New Bay. Of all the people she hadn’t wanted to bump into.
“Hello, Josh, what a surprise to see you.” Josh Parker was definitely one of them.
He crossed the paved area between the t
ables to come and stand at her table, a bewildered expression on his face. “What brings you here? I thought you and Ethan were supposed to be headed for the Seychelles.” He looked around as if he expected Ethan to suddenly materialize beside her.
Cassidy bit her lip. It looked as if her famously work-‐-
obsessed boss hadn’t heard the news.
“I didn’t get married.” She tried not to sound terse. In her head, she’d practised how she would tell people and explain to them what had happened. Now, confronted in the last place on earth she had expected to see someone she knew, all her carefully chosen phrases deserted her. “Ethan dumped me.”
Josh looked confused. “So, you’re not married?”
Cassidy clenched her teeth. “No.”
“Oh.”
She did a mental eye-‐-roll. For a supposedly intelligent man who’d built up a thriving dotcom marketing business, Josh could be mystifyingly dense. “Are you here on holiday?” She prayed he’d say no, that he was just a day-‐-tripper. He hadn’t taken a holiday to her knowledge for over a year.
“I’m here for three weeks. I’m staying in a friend’s cottage.”
He made a vague gesture in the direction of the cliffs.
Cassidy’s heart sank. Not only was he staying in New Bay, but her cottage was on the cliffs overlooking the sea, too.
“What about you?” he asked.
“Same situation. My friend loaned me her cottage when she heard what had happened. I guess I’ll probably bump into you again. My cottage is on the cliffs as well.”
“Crazy coincidence.” Josh shook his shaggy brown hair at the strangeness of it all. “There are only half a dozen houses up there. Which one are you staying at? I’m throwing a big barbecue party in a couple of days’ time. You should come along.” He pushed his fringe out of his eyes and blinked at her.
“That’s very kind of you, but I’m not really up for partying at the moment.” She couldn’t think of anything she’d like less.
What if there were other people from work there?
“Okay, but if you change your mind, I’m staying at the Seagull’s Nest. It’s the white cottage on the end of the row.”
He’d turned and started to walk away before Cassidy managed to transform her incredulous strangled yelp into a more sensible sound.
“But you can’t be!” she called after him.
He turned around and stared at her. “What do you mean?”
Cassidy felt giddy. She’d jumped up to attract his attention and now everything had gone a bit fuzzy around the edges. She gripped the edge of the table in a bid to stop the seafront from swaying around her. “You can’t be staying there—because that’s my cottage.”
Full story available at www.astraeapress.com!
Astraea Press
Where Fiction Meets Virtue
www.astraeapress.com
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Royal Opposites Page 19