The Royal's Obsession Read Free Page B

that you had forgotten all about me and went back to sleep.”
    “I wouldn't have done that when you were threatening to roll me out no matter what I was wearing,” Anastasia grumbled, but she handed her friend a shrimp cocktail and accepted a brief squeeze on her hand in return.
    “And I see you brought our other recluse with you.”
    She started to ask what Trinity meant, but then her friend was turning to the man who had brought her up to viewing area.
    “ I was wondering if you were going to sulk for the rest of the voyage.”
    The man smiled at Trinity, and even Anastasia could tell that it was a real smile. It transformed him, taking him from a curmudgeon to a man who was breathtakingly handsome. Suddenly, she realized that she knew him.
    'You're…you're Apolo's brother!” she exclaimed.
    He nodded at her wryly.
    “I generally attempt to be a little more memorable than simply being Apolo's brother, but I suppose I'll have to take it,” he said. “And you're Anastasia. I didn't get it until we were talking, but we met at the wedding.”
    “We…we did,” she said, aware that a blush was coming up on her cheeks.
    Trinity was eying the two of them closely, her eyes slightly narrow.
    “All right, what's up with the two of you?” she asked warily. “Augustine, what did you do to my friend?”
    “Nothing!” Anastasia blurted. “I mean, I ran into him in the solarium and—”
    “I was unspeakably rude to her, and she bullied me into helping her find you,” he said calmly, speaking right over her panicked rush. I had assumed she was another one of my brother's attempts to draw me out, and I acted rashly. She said that I was attacking her.”
    Anastasia felt her stomach drop down somewhere near the vicinity of her feet. It was her worst nightmare come true. In the halls of New York, where she was sure of her footing and about her cause, she was unstoppable. Apparently, when you took her away from New York and put her on a cruise, she lost all of that confidence.
    Trinity, however, didn't seem to be the least bit worried that her friend had been a bullying shrew to her brother-in-law.
    “Ah. Then you are very lucky that your bad behavior didn't end up with you wearing this delicious shrimp cocktail.”
    “I almost did!” Anastasia blurted out, making Trinity giggle.
    “I'm sure he deserved it. Let me make a formal introduction. I've been making so many of them as princess that it's quite second nature to me now.
    “Prince Augustine, may I present Anastasia McFadden, my dear friend from the states, general do-gooder and all around good person. Ana, this is Augusting Buros, second prince of Greece, my dear husband's beloved younger brother and my dear brother-in-law..”
    “I…I'm pleased to meet you,” Anastasia said, fiddling with her shrimp cocktail. If she was very still, perhaps she wouldn't need to remember all of the things she had said to him. Maybe he would simply nod and take off, content with the social maladroitness of Americans and find someone else to talk to.
    “Ah, I am very pleased to see you again,” he said. There was a softer light in his eyes now, and abruptly, she realized that he was making fun of her.
    Almost as if in slow motion, she saw him reach for her hand, as if he meant to kiss it. As if she were someone he wanted to…to court or something. She couldn't stand it, so she simply did the first thing that came to her mind.
    Instead of allowing him to take her hand, she shoved the shrimp cocktail towards him. When he took it in surprise, she nodded at him, not meeting his eyes.
    “This has been fun, but I think I want to explore the deck a little,” she babbled. “Trinity, I know I was supposed to hang out with you, but maybe in a little while? I feel like I should go stretch and get my sea legs.”
    Trinity started to protest, but Anastasia could be fast when she wanted to be. She darted down the stairs again, her heart beating fast.
    Great. She had been on the trip for