by Noelle Adams
Ana shuddered at the fury she’d be facing with her father if he had to read something like that with his breakfast coffee. She was careful to hide her hair and be as inconspicuous as possible as she walked through the lobby to the bank of elevators near the back. She wished she could look around and see if anyone was looking at her curiously, but she didn’t have the courage and thought that might make her look more guilty and attract someone’s attention.
Thankfully, she made it back to her rooms without incident and was worried about that as well. In fact, everything worried her. Had she made the right decision when she’d accepted Marcus’s invitation to the islands? She knew she’d have to leave him at the end of two days but would that be enough? It would have to be, she knew, looking around at the suite of rooms that she’d been avoiding for the past week. This was her life. She had obligations she couldn’t, and wouldn’t, ignore.
She checked her messages and there was one from Prince Erik. She crumpled it up and threw it into the trash can without even reading it. In her mind, it was too little too late. If she showed up at the church in three weeks and met him for the first time, would that be worse than meeting him now? She loved Marcus and he’d spoiled her completely for any other man. So it was just as well she hadn’t gotten to know her fiancé this week. There were a few other messages besides his but none that were important so she tossed them all away as well. She knew that protocol demanded that she at least respond to the messages but she didn’t care at this point.
Ana ordered breakfast in her room that morning. The exhaustion was all over her face and she knew that her mother would question her appearance. Ana considered laying down for a few hours, but had too much to do if she was going to be able to leave with Marcus by five this evening.
Luck was not on her side. She was busy putting clothes into her suitcase which was exactly what she was supposed to be doing since they were scheduled to leave right after her father’s meetings ended this afternoon. There was a knock on her door only moments before her mother poked her head into the suite, smiling when she noticed Ana packing her bags. Her mother sat down on her bed and touched Ana’s hand to stop her from packing.
“Talk to me, dear. You look exhausted. You’ve never fought with your father before but I can assure you that he feels just as bad about the incident as you appear to be.”
Ana had completely forgotten about her disrespectful behavior of the morning before but it was as good an excuse as any to explain her fatigue today. “I just wish things were easier,” she said wearily, turning to sit down next to her mother, her hands falling into her lap in resignation and frustration.
Natasha put her hands over her daughter’s in an effort to sympathize. “It can be. In my opinion, we’re the ones that complicate life.”
Ana didn’t have any response to that. How could she tell her mother that she was now having an affair with a man that was not her fiancé when she should be preparing for her wedding day? And to top things off, she was going to create chaos when she ran away for two days with someone her parents had never met. Yes, Ana was definitely the one who was going to complicate life in only a few hours.
Natasha sighed and shook her head. “Did you call Prince Erik? I know he called and left a message.”
“How did you know?” Ana asked, startled enough to look at her mother.
Natasha smiled. “I called him and spoke to him. I explained how upset you were and he promised to call and talk to you.”
“Ah,” Ana said, her chest constricting at the mention of the man. “So he didn’t even initiate the call?” Ana’s eyes fell back to the floor, embarrassed that they were now filling up with tears simply because of the insult the man had dealt her the night before. It was all because she was so tired, she reminded herself. She just needed some sleep and her fatigue would fade as would the emotional roller coaster she seemed to be on.
“Well, no. But he did call, didn’t he? That shows that he cares about your feelings just a little.”
Ana laughed harshly. “No, that means he was caught doing something he shouldn’t by his future mother in law and knew he needed to fix the situation.”
Natasha shook her head in denial of her daughter’s accusations. “You’ve got him wrong. If you’d only take a little while to get to know him, I think you’ll find yourself pleasantly surprised. He’s a very nice, handsome gentleman. I’ve known this man for years and I promise you, he has always been extremely chivalrous. I know if you’ll just give him a chance, you’ll find more things that you like about him than you dislike. And I have a feeling you two have a lot in common. When are you planning on calling him back?”
Ana considered her options. She didn’t think her mother would agree with the option of not calling at all. That left sometime between now and the wedding. “I’ll call when I get home,” she conceded. “It will be easier when I’ve had a little distance from this long week.”
Her mother patted her on the hand. “I guess that’s a good idea. I heard he’s leaving town today as well so you’d probably miss him anyway. I just wish this week had been more productive in the romance department.”
Natasha stood up and walked out of Ana’s rooms. Ana stood up to resume her packing and smiled to herself and countered her mother’s assumption. “Actually, it was wonderfully romantic,” she said out loud.
“What was romantic?” Marabeth asked, walking in right after their mother and draping herself on her sister’s bed.
Ana was startled. She turned quickly back to face her sister, wondering if anything was revealed inadvertently. “Oh, nothing really,” she said. “I was just being sarcastic.”
Marabeth frowned. “That’s too bad. I was hoping you’d met Prince Erik and he’d swept you off your feet and both of you were madly in love with each other.”
Ana shook her head sadly. “That only happens in the movies, Mara.”
“Well, a girl can dream, can’t she?”
“Any hot dates with George this week?” she asked, making her point.
Marabeth grimaced. “No. Just two dinners with a group of other people thank goodness.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because the man has no social graces. He couldn’t hold an intelligent conversation to save his life,” she laughed. “But I guess I’m getting to know him which is better than what you get to face. I’m sorry things didn’t work out this week between you and Prince Erik. I’m still hopeful,” she said and wrinkled her nose.
“Always the optimist, huh?”
“Absolutely,” she said and bounced off Ana’s bed. “I guess I’d better make sure I’m all packed as well. Nancy won’t let me touch anything though,” she said, referring to her maid. “After the last time I packed, she complained for a month about how she had to work to get the wrinkles out of my clothes.”
Ana laughed with her sister. “You aren’t the most savvy packer I’m guessing,” she said.
“Ah, but I can seat forty different kinds of diplomats and dignitaries at dinner without causing any offense. See! I have very valuable life skills,” she joked right before exiting the room.
Left alone, Ana quickly finished packing. She had two bags, one that would go back to Cordova with her family and the other she was taking with her with Marcus. It was her small bag and she’d only packed a couple of outfits. She didn’t really have anything appropriate for a hot environment but she had her credit cards and she knew she would be able to buy anything she needed once she got down there, whichever island she was being swept away to.
She sat down and wrote a note explaining her absence and how she would be perfectly safe. She promised to arrive home by Sunday evening and would be prepared to finalize her wedding plans to Prince Erik without any further argument. She said that she just needed some time to work things out for herself and put everything into perspective which was almost the truth. She did need some time and she’d use that time to work Marcus out of her system, hopefully getting enough of him to last her a lif
etime.
Pushing the note into the middle of her desk, Ana stood up and looked around, making sure she had packed everything. With a final glance, she took her bag and, glancing at her watch, rushed down the elevator. The limousine was waiting in front of the hotel this time so she didn’t need to catch a cab. Ana was glad that pretense was over. As soon as she stepped out of the hotel, Tim, Marcus’s body guard stepped out of the car to open the back door for her. Ana smiled her thanks and ducked into the back. Tim stored her suitcase in the trunk and within moments, they were driving toward the airport.
Ana was expecting to fly a commercial flight and was excited about the prospect. She’d never flown on a regular flight before. Every trip she’d ever been on had been flown by the military of Montbain, the plane maintained for the exclusive use of the royal family.
But the limousine drove up to the same area her father’s jet was parked. Ana had a few moments of panic when she noticed her father’s pilot checking the jet’s exterior. She pulled on a scarf just as the door to the limousine opened and Marcus put a hand on the small of her back as he led her to the private plane that was just as luxurious as her family’s.
Inside, Marcus nodded to the pilot who immediately started taxiing to the runway. The phone rang and he sent her an apologetic look as he picked up the phone. Apparently there was a crisis that he had to deal with and he wrote down notes as he spoke quickly in Arabic. Once that call was over, Marcus picked up the phone and made several other calls, all of them in different languages. Ana had been schooled in several languages herself and was fluent in French, Italian and Arabic and conversant in several others but she didn’t understand the issues he was discussing so she tuned out the words as she flipped through a magazine. She didn’t read a single word since she was too nervous about the mess she’d left behind at the hotel. She imagined that her mother was just now realizing that Ana hadn’t come down for dinner and was probably finding and reading the note.
Ana knew her father well enough that he wouldn’t accept that she was safe. He would have the whole security force out looking for her. She should call and assure him that she was safe and not to worry or search for her.
Two hours into the flight, Ana looked up and found Marcus walking toward her a mischievous glint in his eyes. She had only a moment to put down the magazine before she was crushed in his arms.
“Thank you,” he said and bent down to capture her lips with his own. The kiss seemed to go on forever and Ana just wrapped her arms around his neck and gave in to the magic of his kiss.
When he finally lifted his head, she smiled. “What was that for?” she asked.
“One, because you’re incredibly beautiful in that lovely, red dress. I thought redheads weren’t supposed to wear red, by the way,” he said, then lifted her into his arms to carry her through a door in the back of the plane. “And two, because I know that you’re tense because of whatever you left behind in Washington. I’m grateful you’re willing to be with me for a few more days and am willing to do whatever I can to ease the tension.”
Ana laughed and stood up when he let her feet fall to the ground right beside an enormous bed. “Well, as to the first part, it’s pink that redheads aren’t supposed to wear, not red but thank you very much for the compliment,” she said and shivered as the zipper slid down her back. Marcus wasted no time pulling the sleeves down her arms and she immediately went to work to divest him of his clothes as well. “And as for the second part, I’m a willing participant in this tension release program,” she laughed, delighted when he pulled his shirt off over his head, baring his chest to her wanton eyes.
Without another word, they fell onto the bed together. Ana’s body, still new to lovemaking, was initially shy and inhibited. But Erik was having none of that. His hands found all the sensitive places that he’d discovered their first night together, loving the way she instantly responded to his touch.
When he finally entered her, he moved slowly, needing to show her that her decision to come away with him wasn’t a mistake. He’d planned to show her the same thing on several other levels but this one was the most elemental. As they crashed over the precipice to a mind-blowing climax, Erik pulled her into his arms, enjoying the way she shuddered and gasped as her release came.
Ana almost instantly fell asleep, her arms wrapped around his neck and her head using his shoulder for a pillow. The night before with no sleep was finally catching up to her.
Erik slipped out of the bed, careful not to disturb her. He showered quickly, then left her to sleep through the rest of the flight. Out in the seating area of the plane, he made several phone calls, trying to clear up his schedule for the next two days. The last phone call was the most important though. It was to his security team. But still, they were coming up with nothing on his mystery lady. It was as if she hadn’t existed before her arrival at the Mayflower and now she didn’t exist since she’d left it earlier today.
Erik ordered his team to continue the search. She had to have a history somewhere. Someone was bound to have noticed such a beautiful woman in a hotel lobby or restaurant – somewhere within the public areas of the hotel.
They landed in Grand Cayman two hours later and Erik hesitated to wake her up. She looked so comfortable and relaxed. Gone was the wariness he saw when she was thinking about something and there was no tension in her shoulders. In the end, he woke her simply because he knew that his bed at the beach house was more comfortable.
Ana awoke still groggy and disoriented. She didn’t feel well rested at all and she had no idea where she was. It took her long minutes to realize that Marcus was smiling down at her, his blue eyes showing his concern for her fatigue. “Did I wear you out, my lady?”
Ana didn’t bother to deny it as she pulled the sheet more securely around her. She was completely worn out from his lovemaking. “Yes. Now what are you going to do about it?”
“You mean besides pull that sheet down so I can see your lovely body again?” he asked wolfishly, starting to do exactly as he’d said.
Ana slapped his hands away from the sheet, laughing at how incorrigible he was. “Not that,” she said, grabbing it tighter in her fists. “You’ll have to feed me, sir. And entertain me and I’ll warn you that I’m very finicky.”
“Finicky, huh?” he growled. “Well, then we’d better be off. I think I have a lot to do and just a little time to do it in,” he said and pulled her up quickly, the sheet falling down as her startled hands grabbed onto his shoulders for balance instead of holding onto the sheet for modesty.
“What are you doing?” she shrieked as he carried her into the shower.
“We have to get moving. There’s a fire-breathing show at the Lexium Hotel tonight that you won’t want to miss. My housekeeper makes the most amazing dishes so be sure you’re hungry,” he said before turning on the shower for her. He left her in the bathroom with a sweet kiss on the cheek and a wink before he patted her on the bottom on his way out the door.
True to his word, Ana was treated to a whirlwind of activity. Friday night, he took her to dinner at a Cajun restaurant that had a wonderful show with fire-eaters and fire twirlers. Ana could barely keep up with all the activity and was thrilled with the entertainment. He made love to her that night with a slow, powerful rhythm that made her head spin with the power behind each touch, each kiss.
Waking up in his arms was a wonderful experience as he made love to her with the sun shining down on them in the early morning light. Saturday morning, he took her snorkeling on a reef filled with fabulous colored fish. It was amazing to watch them swim right up to her face mask before darting away. Lunch was at an outside café where the cook personally came out to greet them, chatting away in some Cajun language Ana was unfamiliar with. But it was interesting watching him and the chef speak so casually, laughing and slapping each other on the back. That afternoon, he took her sailing and she laid out on the top of the small deck, letting the sun warm her skin and lull her to sleep.
She
dreamt that Marcus had changed and was more serious, but still the man she loved and he arrived right before her wedding to a stranger, picked her up on his white horse and carried her away to a white castle in the clouds. She woke up to the waves crashing against the hull as they came back into port.
The evening was wonderful and relaxing. They did nothing more than sit out on the beach where a table was set up with white linen and silver with candles dancing in the ocean breeze. They dined on lobster and scallops in a white wine sauce. Unfortunately, they didn’t do justice to the fragrant meal. Both of them were more eager to talk, not really about anything important or heavy, just laughing at whatever came into their minds.
Ana let him pull her onto the sand and make love to her as the waves crashed over their bodies. She’d always thought it would be uncomfortable to feel the sand under her but with Marcus, there was no time to think about anything when he touched her. He overwhelmed all her senses, leaving nothing to think about other than the next touch, the next feeling.
Sunday morning, Ana was sitting out on the balcony, a cup of tea already in her hands and a feeling of lethargy stilling her movements. She had woken early and watched the sunrise, knowing it would be her last for a very long time. As soon as she returned home, she fully expected her mother and father to be furious. Locking her into her rooms is not beyond her imagination although it would be relatively severe.
“You look too serious for a gorgeous morning. Why don’t you come back to bed,” Marcus said, moving up behind her and nuzzling her neck.
“I will in a minute,” she said, touching his cheek and smiling up at him happily. “Thank you for a wonderful time,” she said.
Marcus sat down in the chair on the opposite side of her, knowing he needed space to keep his hands off her. It was time to make his next move and try to convince her to stay with him longer. He knew going into this weekend that he’d need more than just two days. Spending just one day with her had convinced him that they had something incredibly special with each other and they shouldn’t just let it go.
