The Royal's Obsession Read Free

when there's so much fun and sun waiting for you. Have you even been up on deck to see things yet?”
    “I was up there when we boarded,” she hazarded, but Trinity shook her head.
    “Not good enough,” she said. “You have twenty minutes to make yourself presentable and to head up to find me on deck. On your way up, make sure that you bring up two shrimp cocktails that we can share. I didn't ask you along so that you could spend all your time hiding in your room, all right?”
    Anastasia sighed.
    “All right, Trinity. I'll be up soon.”
    “Twenty minutes! Or I'm dumping all of my plastic wrappers into the water.”
    The threat made Anastasia look up in shock.
    “That's really not good for—”
    Trinity laughed.
    “I know. I wouldn't. Just come up. I miss you, and I want to spend time with you.”
    Anastasia looked over her clothing choices. She hadn't packed much, as Trinity had directed, and it was almost refreshing not to have the wide variety of outfits open to her the way she would have had at home. If she had been at home, her mother would have wanted her to consider every single option, trying to find the one that would be most suitable for the moment. She would have had to consider the color and design of both the outfit and the venue, the company, and more.
    Here, she had what was in her suitcase, and it gave her a moment of delight when she was able to simply pull out a light sea-green sundress with a halter top. It was a new dress, and after snipping off the tags, she threw it on, knotting the halter behind her neck.
    She grinned at herself in the mirror. It was about as far from New York socialite as she could get. With her dark hair loose around her shoulders, she felt free and unfettered. It was slightly shocking how long it had been since she had felt like that. She slipped on a pair of sandals, and she was on her way.
    She found the kitchen quickly enough, where the smiling crew got her two shrimp cocktails, lovely in tall cocktail glasses, as quick as a wink. The elegant pink shrimp from-scratch cocktail sauce smelled divine, and she went to go find Trinity.
    Finding her best friend proved easier said than done. In fairly short order, she realized that the yacht was an impressive craft, not terribly far off from being a cruise vessel. She learned very quickly that it was simple enough to get lost, and even simpler to get turned around.
    She must have been a sight, wandering around with two shrimp cocktails in her hands, but as she became more frustrated, she only became more stubborn. She wasn't going to be defeated so easily, and she redoubled her search for her friend.
    Of course, that only meant that she became more lost, and finally, she somehow ended up bumbling through a door to find herself in a gorgeous little solarium. One entire wall of the room was clear glass, looking out over the Mediterranean. She could see the beautiful blue of the sky and the glassy clarity of the water beneath her.
    For a moment, she forgot about her mission. She forgot about everything. Instead Anastasia stood stock still, staring out over the water with a near-religious awe.
    A polite cough ended her reverie. The room's other occupant sat at a small table to the right of the door, and he raised an eyebrow at her.
    “So what's your name?” he asked, a hint of impatience in his voice.
    “I…I'm Anastasia,” she stuttered, taken aback by his brusque tone. She wondered if he was a member of the crew, and it struck her that perhaps she shouldn't have been there.
    “Hm, I haven't heard of you.”
    “I'm sorry, I am on the passenger list, I promise, I'm looking for—”
    “Oh, I can imagine who you are looking for,” he said with a snort.
    To her alarm, he got up and stalked towards her. When he was standing, she could see that he was a tall lean man. His features were twisted with irritation, but otherwise, he would have been handsome, with his olive skin and mane of dark hair. At least, she would have thought