“You are not getting off that easily. I can’t believe you met someone, and you didn’t call me. What’s his name?”
“Xander. Xander Demande.” Reanna repeated his name slowly, enjoying how it felt on her tongue.
“That name sounds familiar.”
Reanna instantly straightened from the counter. “Please don’t. Don’t tell me who he is. I know he’s probably someone awful. I don’t care; I have no intention of seeing him again. But I don’t want to mar what happened yesterday. It’s too good a memory. If he was just released from prison, please don’t tell me.”
“Does he have to be someone awful? He could be someone famous.”
“Kendra.”
“Fine. I won’t google him. Okay, I will google him, but I’ll only tell you if he is dangerous.”
“I already told you it doesn’t matter who he is or if I just had a near-death experience with a serial killer because I’m not going to see him again.”
“See, this is where you always confuse me. You think he’s gorgeous. You obviously got along well enough to kiss him yesterday. Why do you think you’re never going to see him again?”
“Because I told him I wasn’t interested in going out with him.”
“And what did he say to that?”
“He said he’d pick me up today at noon.”
“That is hot. Why the hell would you say no to a man like that?”
“Didn’t you just tell me he could be dangerous?”
“Could be. Doesn’t mean he is. You don’t walk away from a man like that until his issues are confirmed.”
“You’re crazy.”
“No, I’m single and almost thirty. Okay, that may be some people’s definition of crazy. Are you seriously going to Hartford instead of meeting up with Mr. Hunkalicious?”
“Yes.”
“And you think I’m crazy?”
Reanna replaced her coffee mug on the counter and stretched. “I wish I could debate this with you more, but I have to shower and get going. I dropped off samples last week. I’ll need the data from them to finish my report.”
“You should have taken them to Boston.”
“I didn’t mind the drive.”
“Today is your birthday. Email them for the results like everyone else does.”
“No, I need the samples back at the same time.”
“Because you’re not coming back to Biostern after you finish this project.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to. Reanna, come back to work. I’ll take on those assholes with you.”
“No. The only thing that would make me feel worse about any of this is if you became involved in it. You’re the one who found this job for me.”
“I am involved. I’m your friend.”
“And I love your for that, Kendra, but these are my decisions to make. I’ve saved enough money to take a break after this project. I may take a vacation. I need to clear my head.”
Kendra made a frustrated sound, then said, “Don’t stand me up for breakfast tomorrow morning. Or I will hunt you down, Reanna. I don’t care where you are.”
“I know, Kendra.”
“Your expectations are too low; you deserve so much more. I hope you see that one day. And I only push you because I love you.”
That was one truth Reanna never doubted. “Okay, okay. I’ll meet you for breakfast. Do you want to meet at your house or at Over Easy?”
“How about your house?”
“Kendra, I’m fine.”
“I know you are. Just humor me.”
“Bye, Kendra.”
“Bye, Reanna.”
At precisely noon, Xander stepped out of the back of his Bentley and waited while his driver, Albert, walked to the front door of Reanna’s brownstone. Albert rang the doorbell once, then again. The older man became agitated and began to knock loudly on the door.
Xander frowned. He didn’t like to be kept waiting. Reanna would need to learn the importance of punctuality, but that was a lesson he could teach her once he had her back in his country. He intended to enjoy every part of convincing her to go with him. Even though he doubted it would be that difficult, the idea that she might say no excited him. In his country, women vied for his attention because they knew he was next in line to the throne. Women outside his country saw his wealth and appearance and tried to catch his eye. It was partly why he had put off choosing his new bride for as long as he had. He wasn’t short of sexual partners when he wanted one. Marriage to him was nothing more than the duty he would perform to ensure his enthronement. According to the laws of his country, he must produce a potential queen who was willing to announce her loyalty to him and his country before his thirtieth birthday. With four months left to go, and a track record of having to pry women off him when he tired of them, he wasn’t concerned. Especially now that he’d met Reanna.
He would take her to lunch. After the way she had looked at him the day before, and the sweet kiss she had given him, he didn’t think it would take much to get her to go with him. Ideally he would wait until their wedding night before allowing himself to have her, but there was no law requiring that. He smiled at the thought of how they could spend the very long flight to his country.
Perhaps it would be even better if he took her somewhere in the States before taking her back to his country. The more he thought about Reanna, the more he liked the idea of having some time alone with her before introducing her to his family. Simon could easily secure a private home for what he wanted.
Pleased with that thought, Xander looked up again, expecting to see Reanna beside Albert. Instead, a somewhat flushed Albert rushed to Xander’s side. “Your Highness, it appears she is not in.”
“What?”
Albert winced at his tone. “Are you sure you told her noon? Perhaps she thought you said afternoon?”
“I know what I said.” And what she’d said. She’d told him she would be working. He had assumed she was joking. Apparently, she hadn’t been. Reanna Fielding had chosen to go to work rather than meet him for lunch.
Xander could tell by the expression on Albert’s face his driver expected him to be angry. Xander couldn’t have been further from it. A smile spread across his face as he looked at the darkened windows of her brownstone. “She stood me up, Albert.”
Albert looked uncertain about how to interpret Xander’s reaction. “It does appear that way. Does that mean we will be returning to the hotel now? Will we be off to meet the woman in Canada?”
Xander nodded toward the car, and Albert stepped quickly to open the door for him. “We’re not leaving Boston. Not yet.”
Once they were back in the car, Albert waited for instructions. Xander gave him an address of a house just outside of the city. On the way, Xander called Simon. “Simon, I am on my way to Rick Klevin’s home.”
“The owner of Biostern? Are you sure that’s wise? If this is about the two men I told you about last night, wouldn’t it be easier if I hired someone to deliver a message to them for you?”
Xander looked down at the bruised knuckles on his right hand. “I’ve already spoken to them. I located them last night after we spoke. No, this is about Reanna. I want her to be happy in our country. I looked over every bit of information we have about her, and her work is important to her. I see no reason why she couldn’t continue to tinker in a lab on our island after she’s married to me. I’m considering buying Biostern as a wedding present to her.”
“It might be more expensive than you think, Your Highness.”
“Have I lost money on the compan
ies I’ve acquired in the past? Or has each one built or increased our wealth and gained us more respect from our neighboring countries? Christopher did quite well with finding a use for Clearcore. It was genius the way he used it to increase cell phone clarity. Who knows? Perhaps owning Biostern will give our family the chance to cure a disease.”
A bit tongue-in-cheek, Simon asked, “Any disease in particular, Your Highness?”
“Don’t mock me, Simon.”
“Never, Your Highness. My apologies if I sounded less than sincere.”
“Simon, you’re not sorry at all, and we both know it. You’re getting bolder as you age.”
“As are you. In fact, you’re beginning to remind me of your father. I was forty years younger when he came into his own. Be patient with me as I gather my wits for round two.”
“No patience necessary, Simon. You’ve earned your place beside the royal family, no matter how senile you get.”
Simon made a sound of displeasure, and Xander let out a hearty laugh. Simon had been part of Xander’s life from birth, and because of that, he was allowed more liberties than any non-family member.
“You sound happy. Did things go well with the Boston woman?”
“She stood me up, Simon. I went to her house, and she was not there.”
“If I remember correctly you told me she said she would be working.”
“I did. Simon, do you see what this means? Given the choice between going to lunch with me or going to work, Reanna Fielding chose work.”
“I didn’t know such a woman existed.”
“Nor did I.” When he heard Simon chuckle, Xander frowned. “You’re mocking me again, Simon.”
“Forgive me, Your Highness. You have lived a very privileged life. And a somewhat sheltered one, at least when it comes to Americans. They are headstrong. Opinionated. I’ve always thought of them as a bunch of headstrong children who collectively ran away from home. I find the idea of you attempting to rein in one of them and bring her home very amusing. I wonder if you will indeed be able to tame her.”
