The Royal's Obsession Read Free Page A

so if he weren't advancing towards her so intently.
    “Er, I'm sorry, I don't know who you mean.”
    “Oh, and I suppose those cocktails are just for you?”
    She stared down at them, wondering why he sounded so accusatory over her—or rather Trinity's—choice of snack.”
    “Would…would there be a problem if they were just for me?” she wondered, and he laughed sharply.
    “But they're not, are they, pretty girl?”
    Her anger, slow to arrive, finally flickered into life at his careless endearment.
    “All right, I don't know who you are, but you don't have the right to call me a girl. I'm not a dog or…or some random waitress that you can flirt with, and frankly, you shouldn't call your waitress that either!”
    He looked slightly taken aback by her vehemence, but he shrugged.
    “All right, what shall I call you then?”
    She scowled at him.
    “From the way you are acting, how about if you don't call me anything at all?” she snapped. “Most women who come wandering through don't have any interest in being…being attacked, all right?”
    He raised an eyebrow. He really was more handsome when he wasn't being so aggressive, but she really didn't care about that at the moment.
    “Attacking? Is that what I was doing?”
    “Yes,” she said, staring up at him. She realized that she wasn't the most threatening person in the world when her only defense was a pair of shrimp cocktails, but she was damned well going to try to do her best.
    “I came in her looking for a friend of mine. You pounced on me as if…as if I were a baby seal, and then you start being threatening. I'll tell you right now that is not going to fly, mister!”
    He frowned, and he started to say something but she cut him off with a sharp shake of her head.
    “No. I really don't care to hear it. In fact, unless you can tell me where my friend is, I don't think we have anything to say to each other.”
    She stalked towards the door, her delight in the solarium entirely ruined. Or at least, she meant to do so. He put his arm across the door, blocking her path unless she was willing to try to duck underneath it. Instead Anastasia glared up at him.
    “I might be able to help you out if you could tell me who your friend is.”
    For a moment, Anastasia thought about simply ignoring him and, if he didn't unbar her way immediately, possibly finding out how he looked wearing two shrimp cocktails. Then she lifted her chin with all of the arrogance and contempt that her background could bring to bear.
    “Well, if you happen to know where I could find Princess Trinity Buros, that would be grand.”
    To her gratification, his eyes did widen. With his attitude, he certainly didn’t do anything as useful as working on the ship, but perhaps he was a random guest.
    “You know the princess?” he asked, a little more respectfully.
    “Yes,” Anastasia replied. “I do. And now if you don't mind, I would like to find her.”
    “Ah, well, come follow me. I just saw her a little while ago.”
    Anastasia eyed him suspiciously.
    “This better not be some kind of ridiculous trick,” she said ominously. “I know her quite well, and her husband too.”
    “No tricks,” he said, with a slight grin. “I am sorry that I behaved so poorly. I would like to start over.”
    She raised an eyebrow.
    “Get me to Trinity, and we'll see.”
    He laughed at her, shaking his head and leading the way.
    “I deserved that.”
    “You did.”
    With unerring accuracy, he led her through the yacht. When he passed by the men who worked on it, they nodded at him deferentially and he greeted them by name. Anastasia was beginning to wonder who this man really was when he led her up a spiral of stairs to what seemed to be the very top of the yacht itself.
    They emerged into a comfortable viewing room, lined with elegant couches and containing just a handful of people.
    Trinity, a sarong wrapped around her hips, stood up with a grin.
    “There you are, Ana! I was beginning to think