*****
She marched into her bedroom expecting to see him lying on the bed, stopping short when all she saw was a well-made-up bed with the cover turned down, the way Carmen did it.
He wasn't waiting for her. Telling herself that it was relief she felt, she walked slowly into the room and sat on the loveseat. Carmen, bless her heart, had left a fire simmering in the hearth, sending a warm and cozy glow around the room. Taking off her shoes, she wriggled her toes to rid them of the tension. It was good that he had stayed away. This meant that he was listening to her.
But the empty, dull feeling inside her chest was not going away. He would still come. No! She shook her head, sending her hair flying.
This has to stop. It was ridiculous to think that anything good could come of it. They were poles apart and she would be stupid if she had not learned her lesson. She had been burned by an attractive man before; one she had planned on spending her whole life with.
And Prince Tomas Diego Luis Perez was so far out of her league, it was laughable. The man was movie-star handsome and a multi-billionaire. He was accustomed to beautiful women, the cream of society. She would be setting herself up for a world of hurt and pain if she continued down this pathway. He was not for her. And he would never be interested in someone like her.
It was just a phase. He was bored with all those rich society types and thought it was amusing to slum it. She had seen the countless photos, glossy photos of him and different women from all over the world. She had also read the various articles.
She was a simple, down-to-earth woman who valued her independence and her pride. She was slowly and surely getting over Brian. She stared in shock as she realized that over the last week, she had not thought of him once.
She was getting over him. Firming her lips, she rose and set about getting ready for bed, with the stark realization that she would not be getting much sleep.
****************
She struggled to open her eyes, blinking as the sun slanted on her face. The sound of the door opening had her squinting to see Carmen walking in with a tray.
"I came twice, but you were still fast asleep," the woman said by way of apology as she set the tray down on the bedside table. "You wanted to wake up at six. It's now half past seven."
"What?!" Antoinette jumped up. "You should have shaken me awake or something. Oh God! I slept through my alarm."
"You must have been tired."
Emotionally drained, spending half the night waiting for him to show up. Never again. She was done. Sweeping the covers off and grabbing the steaming cup of coffee the maid handed to her, she raced towards the bathroom. "The queen?" she called behind her. "Where is she?"
"She had to go out to an early appointment. She left some messages for you in the office."
"This has never happened to me before." Inhaling the coffee, she hurriedly took off her nightgown and tied her hair into a loose knot on top of her head. She desperately wanted to ask about the prince, but kept her mouth shut. She did not care if he was here or not. That was no longer her concern. They had had their fun and now it was over.
She selected her outfit with utter care. One look in the double mirrors in the bathroom had her deciding to use the makeup, and not sparingly. And she wore a dress. The shell pink wool was close-fitting and had a matching jacket that reached to her waist. Skin-light stockings and tan leather boots completed the ensemble. She added gold hoops to her lobes and a hammered gold necklace. The lipstick was a pale, shimmering pink that mirrored the color of the dress.
She brushed her hair with long, hard strokes and pinned the thick strands at the nape of her neck. She was gratified when Carmen clapped her hands in admiration.
"Absolutely Bella," the woman murmured in admiration.
"Thank you." Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her jacket and purse and headed downstairs.
She did not run into him on the landing or in the hallway. Shrugging, she went into the office and read the messages andwent straight to work. The phone lines had started ringing and before she had time to settle down, she was speaking to people from France and two others from Italy. Looking up absently when a maid entered with a tray, she gestured to the edge of her desk. A glance at her desktop showed that it was almost half past ten already and she had yet to take a break. She sent off emails in response to the ones flooding in and answered a call from the queen to say that she would be out most of the day.
She had just settled back to enjoy a cup of coffee and Tostada when he strolled in. Her traitorous heart, the same heart she had reprimanded all of last night, did a slow dive at the sight of him. He had obviously been outdoors because the breeze had rustled his thick dark hair and he was wearing a suit. The navy blue jacket fit his broad shoulders and was of a superb cut. He took her breath away.
"I have no time for you," she told him coolly. There was no way he was ever going to find out that she had spent last night longing to feel his arms around her.
"I brought you something." His smile was charming and did funny things to her stomach.
"You can keep-"
He produced a single Sterling rose from behind his back, simultaneously pulling her to her feet. "Hi," he whispered, his mouth covering hers hungrily.
