by Noelle Adams
Ana nodded immediately and got out. He followed her, surprising her when he took her into his arms and kissed her out on the street for anyone to see them. This time, it was different. It wasn’t the gentle, persuasive kiss he’d initiated in the car earlier in the evening. Those were sweet, insistent, heated. Now, he was demanding and relentless. It still melted her soul but the questions were there in his kiss, in the way his mouth slanted over hers again and again, as if he were trying to brand her as his.
Ana shivered as she walked through the doors of the Weston Hotel. She waited in the lobby until the limousine drove away, then walked back out. “Can you get me a cab?” she asked the doorman and smiled gratefully as he immediately whistled for a passing cab to stop. “Thank you,” she said and ducked into the car.
She gave the driver directions, then tipped him heavily, grateful that the man was working so late. It was almost two o’clock in the morning when she slipped back into her hotel room.
Ana dined alone the following morning since it was so late. She’d slept in until almost seven in the morning and barely had time to say good morning to Marabeth and sip a cup of tea before heading back to her room to shower and change for her first appointment. She was scheduled to tour a day care and a hospital this morning and she wanted to look nice for the children. Ana checked her schedule and was satisfied that she would be back at the hotel in time to meet Marcus for lunch. She felt giddy, knowing she would be seeing Marcus shortly. It helped to ease the exhaustion she felt at only getting five hours of sleep.
The morning dragged on tediously. The children at the day care center were wonderful and she loved reading them a story. Several of them were sweet, wanting to give their first “kiss” to a real, live princess. Unfortunately, the hospital staff seemed to want to show her every single machine that had been purchased for the past decade. And her tour guide felt the need to introduce her to every member of the hospital staff. It was a relief when she finally stepped back into the limousine which would take her back to the hotel late in the morning.
As soon as she entered her suite, Ana looked at the clock and knew she’d have to hurry if she was going to be ready for her lunch appointment with Marcus. She was already stripping off her lavender dress suit and heels she’d worn for the morning.
She didn’t know what Marcus had planned for their lunch date, but he told her to wear riding clothes if she had them. Ana didn’t have any with her right now, but she had asked the hotel staff to deliver a set of riding clothes and there was a box from a well known riding company sitting on her bed. Ana opened the box and nodded with satisfaction at the clothes. There were tan riding pants and a brown, fitted jacket along with brown boots that were made of soft leather. A tailored, white shirt, riding hat and riding crop finished the outfit and Ana was grateful for the efficient staff at the Mayflower.
Pulling on the clothes, she wondered where they could possibly be going where they would be able to ride. Ana hadn’t seen much of Washington, D.C. but she had heard that it was a normal city with not many open spaces. In fact, because of the political nature of the city, none of the buildings were allowed to be higher than nine stories, the same height as the Capital building. That meant the city sprawled out in all directions but not upwards.
Ana arrived at the Weston Hotel five minutes before the limousine pulled up. She slipped inside, grateful for Marcus’s timeliness. “Good morning,” she said and moved closer for his kiss.
“Mmm...You smell good,” he said as he pulled her onto his lap to deepen the kiss. “Like fresh flowers and springtime,” he added, nibbling gently on her ear before moving to her neck, causing shivers of anticipation to tingle down her spine.
“New clothes,” she half laughed, half gasped as his mouth found a sensitive spot on her neck. She reached up and willingly put her arms around his shoulders, pulling him close, showing him without words how eager and excited she was to see him again after such a tedious morning.
He pulled back slightly before asking, “You went out and bought new clothes for riding?” His smiled charmed her right to her soul.
“Of course,” she said and slid off his lap to sit modestly on the seat next to him. “I wasn’t anticipating going riding on this trip. So I didn’t think to pack apparel for an activity so specific.” She put a little space between their bodies, thinking that he might think she was too wanton if she needed, wanted, to touch him constantly.
Erik put that small piece of information into his head for later analysis. The fact that this woman needed specific clothing in order to go riding with him indicated that she was some sort of aristocrat or maybe just brought up in a very strict, European household. Any other woman would just pull on a pair of jeans and sneakers which would work just as well as proper riding apparel.
He also noticed her slide away from him and shook his head. “Oh no you don’t,” he said and pulled her closer to him. “I had trouble falling asleep last night because I was thinking of you and what I wanted to do with you and to you.” He laughed softly at her blush but noticed her eyes light up at the thought. He liked that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. “Come over here and kiss me properly,” he said and put an arm around her back and kissed her soundly. They were both breathless when he finally lifted his head and stared down at her. “Do you always look this lovely after staying out until all hours of the night?”
Ana slipped closer to him, leaning the right side of her body against his strong one, glorying in the feel of his muscles against her. He took her hand in his and laced his fingers through hers, his thumb rubbing against her palm and wrist erotically which made her shiver again. Concentrating on his question, she finally answered, “I wouldn’t know. Before I met you, I was always properly tucked into bed at a reasonable hour.”
Erik surveyed her perfect skin and fiery hair. “I’d like to tuck you into bed,” he growled. “What do you sleep in?” he asked.
He pulled her back onto his lap, obviously not in agreement that sitting next to her was adequate. Ana didn’t mind. She liked being on his lap just fine. It gave her an excuse to touch his hair and skin on his neck. “Marcus, that’s not an appropriate question,” she said, laughing as he slid a hand up her thigh. She playfully batted his hand away but he ignored her and moved it up to her hip, resting there familiarly.
“I don’t think anything we do from now on could be deemed appropriate,” he said and bent down to kiss her again.
Ana had to agree and she arched into his kiss, wanting him to touch her as he had last night, even as she knew it was dangerous to tempt him that way. At this moment, with his lips on her mouth and his hands touching her waist and hips, her thighs and her arms, she didn’t care about propriety or the hateful wedding that was looming in the future. Because she didn’t resist, Marcus took the kiss deeper, pushing her back against the leather seat, his tongue gaining entry as his fingers deftly unbuttoned her riding jacket allowing his hand easier access to slip under her shirt to touch the soft, sensitive skin underneath.
After several minutes of this, Erik was in pain again from wanting her, his body having not completely recovered from the previous night’s flirtation with kissing her and now he was just as rock hard ready for her again. “Woman, you’re going to drive me insane,” he said and pulled her up so they were both sitting again.
“Where are we going?” she asked, putting her clothes back together with shaking fingers. She was a little shocked that she was letting this man do the things to her that he did when she’d never let anyone touch her before, never even wanting them to do so. But she definitely wanted him to touch her. It was more than just desire. It was almost getting to be as essential to her day as breathing.
“I told you, we’re going horseback riding,” he said mysteriously, watching her button her coat and pull it down primly over her luscious figure. He liked the fact that he could fluster her so easily but also that she moved quickly into his arms without question now. It meant she was learning to trust
him. At least her body trusted him. Her mind was another story, one in which he was definitely going to have to work on. He just wished he could find out more about her. His security team had run into a brick wall again at finding out anything about her. Not even her real name. It was frustrating, but as long as she continued to meet him, he was at least somewhat satisfied, if more curious than ever.
“But where?” she asked, looking out at the concrete and brick buildings surrounding the city. “I don’t see many places that would be a good area to ride horses.”
“There’s an island just on the border of Washington, D.C. and Virginia called Roosevelt Island. It is all trees and paths with lots of wildlife. There are some great trails for riding, I’m told. I also brought a picnic lunch for us. Is that okay?” he asked.
“It sounds lovely,” she said and smiled excitedly up at him. Ana loved riding, not as much as her sister Marabeth but it was definitely nice to get out and exercise one’s mind and body with a vigorous ride through the hills and trails surrounding the palace. She hadn’t had a good ride in over a week so she was eager to get onto a horse and let loose on the trails.
They arrived at the island a few minutes later and Ana watched in fascination as Marcus lifted up a picnic basket from the trunk of the limousine and store several containers in the saddle bags of the horses. Ana walked around to the front of the horses, wanting to get to know the animals while watching Marcus pack up their picnic lunch. They were beautiful animals that looked wonderfully healthy for being rented which is what she suspected was the case. Ana fell in love with a brown mare with soft eyes. As soon as she walked to face the animal, it snickered at her and nuzzled her palm. “I wish I had some treats for you but I wasn’t that forward thinking,” she said.
She patted the mare’s head and nose, then moved to the side to show the animal that she would be gentle and considerate of the mare. As soon as they mounted, the animal, who Marcus told her was called Lucy, responded to her slightest command instantly. Initially, the paths were small, and only one rider could pass through. But eventually, the paths opened up to more open spaces and Ana raced along ahead of Marcus, wanting to experience the openness of the fields as much as possible. They rode for over an hour, then Marcus pointed to a picturesque spot on the side of the island that looked out over the river.
They let the horses graze on the soft, spring grass while Marcus laid out their lunch. Ana took off her riding jacket and sat down on the blanket Marcus had spread out for them. She unpacked their lunch and opened the packages. There was pasta salad, cold chicken, cheese, grapes, sliced pears and white wine. Everything looked wonderful and Ana loaded up two plates for each of them.
While they were eating, Marcus leaned against a tree and watched her. “What do you want for the future?” he asked, taking a bite out of a crisp slice of pear.
Ana looked out onto the water, not wanting to look in his direction because she was sure her eyes would show him the truth. She wanted him for her future. She wanted to throw everything aside and show him how much. But of course, she wouldn’t. She had obligations and duties and she would never let her country down. “Oh, I guess what every person wants. Happiness, love, children and a secure future,” she said honestly.
“How many children?”
“Lots,” she laughed. “But that’s coming from someone who doesn’t have any yet. I’ve heard that they are much more work than anyone can imagine until they have them.”
They talked about the future and what each of them wanted. Ana watched him laugh at her stories of growing up with her sister and brother and all the tricks she and Marabeth played on their older brother who was much too serious, they always thought. He told her stories of growing up in boarding school and Ana felt sad that he hadn’t had the benefit of living with his parents through those difficult and informative years. He didn’t think there was anything wrong with his upbringing so Ana told him how she would raise her sons and daughters, with lots of love and kisses and definitely no boarding school. She didn’t mind a private tutor but she’d prefer to have her children near to her as they grew through their formative years.
They talked about trivial things, things that irritated them about their lives, why they reacted to different issues. Ana was struck again by how easy it was to talk to him. Any subject she brought up, he would listen and discuss. He might not agree with her, but he seemed fine with their differences of opinion. She couldn’t even talk to her mother this way. She could share her feelings with Marabeth, but Max was definitely not of the mindset that women were important enough to listen to unless they were decorating his arm. And she suspected that even then, Max would only pay a token interest to the woman’s opinions. She already liked Marcus but now her respect for him was growing with each moment she was in his company.
Ana packed up the basket with the remnants of their picnic and grew nervous since Marcus was watching her, his eyes intense. Ana knew that he was going to kiss her, and more than that she suspected, and it both frightened and excited her. She knew she shouldn’t do that with him. He wanted more than she was able t to give him. She had to go to her marriage bed a virgin. But being with him was so exciting, she couldn’t deny herself these stolen moments.
So when he reached for her and his mouth came down on hers, Ana sighed and allowed him entry to her mouth without any prompting this time. He lowered her so she was lying on her back, his weight held from crushing her by his forearms which were beside her face.
With the wind gently whispering through the trees and new, spring leaves, Ana kissed Marcus with everything she had inside of her. He responded by deepening the kiss, forcing her tongue to mate with his. Meanwhile, his hands quickly undid the buttons on her jacket, pushing the material aside then doing the same to her tailored shirt. As soon as his hand touched her skin, she gasped in his mouth, her body arching toward his hand, aching to feel his fingers on her breasts and frustrated when they moved lower to caress her waist.
Ana’s body was tightening with sexual awareness and need beyond anything she was able to control. Without thinking, she unbuttoned the top buttons on his shirt, her fingers stealing inside and touching the skin underneath. When she heard his indrawn breath, she immediately pulled her hands away. “I’m sorry,” she said terrified that she’d done something wrong or had hurt him.
“Don’t stop!” he demanded, pulling her hands back up to his chest, even unbuttoning more of the buttons so she had better access. Meanwhile, his hands moved back to her skin, freeing her breasts from her bra with the easily accessible front clasp. When her breasts were visible, he pulled back and Ana’s mouth dropped open when she saw the look of pure heat that emanated from his eyes. It frightened her for only a moment until he saw her expression and softened his own.
“Don’t be afraid of me, Annie,” he said, his voice rough with sexual tension. “I promise I won’t hurt you and I’ll stop as soon as you tell me to.” Without another word, his mouth closed over her nipple, the heat from his mouth making her cry out and her body almost lifted off the ground beneath her. The feelings were so intense, she wanted to cry but that would divert too much energy that she just didn’t have to spare. Her hands held his head in place with her fingers gripping his hair as her hips writhed underneath his.
“Marcus, please! We...” she started to say that they should stop but his mouth covered her other nipple, generating the same heat as before while the desire pooled in her stomach then flashing downwards to the core of her being.
“I know,” he said roughly but then his mouth dropped lower, kissing her stomach while one hand continued to touch her nipples, massaging her breast and sending sparks of fire everywhere. “Just let me touch you,” he groaned before lifting his head up and kissing her again.
Ana didn’t worry. She trusted him and her arms wrapped around his neck again, her fingers tangling in his soft, black hair.
After long minutes of kissing, he rolled over onto his back, his arm flung over his face as he b
reathed heavily, as if he’d just run a marathon.
“Marcus?” she asked, her hands closing her shirt.
Erik looked out from under his arm, noting the tears that were pooling in her eyes. He quickly sat up and touched her face. “Don’t,” he said, hating himself for making her cry like this. “Don’t, please,” he said again and his thumb caught the tear that dropped to her satin cheek.
“What did I do wrong?” she whispered. “I don’t understand.”
“Nothing,” he said with a force that would have rocked her backwards but his arms closed over her and he pulled her back onto his lap, leaning back against the tree as he’d been doing earlier. “You did nothing wrong. Everything right, in fact and that’s the problem.”
Ana looked up at him, noting his firm jaw and his closed eyes. “I don’t understand, Marcus. Did I hurt you?” she asked, still fighting back the tears.
“No. You didn’t hurt me at all.” He stopped and laughed derisively. “Well, that’s not exactly true but it isn’t something you did,” he said. “I just can’t touch you like this without causing myself pain,” he explained.
He took her hand and pulled it down to his groin. “This is what you do to me,” he said roughly and then immediately pulled her hand away because her touch was exactly what that part of his body wanted. “But we can’t do this in public,” he said, leaning his head back against the tree. “I’m not sure why I didn’t just bring you back to my place for lunch. Then this wouldn’t be an issue.”
Ana was horrified. She hadn’t realized that they were that close to making love. She scrambled to her feet, her hands automatically straightening her clothes yet again to ensure that everything was in place. She didn’t think there were reporters or, even worse, photographers, out here in the woods, but she didn’t want to think of what would happen if one of them actually caught a picture of her rolling in the woods with Marcus.
