sent her away.
But once morning
came and he hadn’t made an appearance, her heart grew heavy with fear. She
couldn’t call anyone to ask and she’d been too star struck to get Allan’s cell
number.
“Allan where are you?” she cried, rubbing her cold
arms.
Then she heard the door jiggle and the handle bend and
relief flooded her. She ran to the door and pulled it wide open. “Allan, I’m so—you
are not Allan?”
“No, Signorina Albury , I’m not.” The
stranger responded with a smile.
Instinctively,
Riana stepped back, her arms coming back up around her frame. “Who are you?”
“ Signore Sinclair sent me to fetch you. The train leaves in an hour.”
Riana nodded. “And where is Mr. Sinclair.”
“He just left for the train station, Signorina .”
“He left me behind,” Riana whispered, hugging herself
tighter. Her heart ached like it never had before. Why it would hurt so much
that a man she barely knew had left her behind puzzled her, but it didn’t
change the fact that it did.
“Where was he…before he, ah , left for the train station?”
He cleared his throat and quietly answered. “The suite
next door, Signorina .”
Riana felt her knees wobble under her and she leaned
against the couch for support. She opened her mouth to ask did he spend the night there, too? but nothing came out.
“ Signorina , please don’t cry. I’m sure he had things to
attend to and he couldn’t wait for you,” the man pleaded.
Riana brushed her fingers over her wet cheeks. She
hadn’t realized she was crying. Why was she crying for a man who’d left her in
his bed to occupy another’s?
The suite next door belonged to an Italian celebrity.
The stylist and makeup artist Allan had hired had been gossiping about her
nonstop when they were readying Riana for dinner.
The stranger stepped into the suite and moved past
her. “I’ll just get your luggage.”
She nodded and noticed the relief on his face as he
rushed away. She didn’t blame him. It was pathetic to cry over a man who’d only
brought her along to keep him company in bed.
Riana lowered herself on to the couch. She needed to
sit down for a moment and…and what?
Despite how betrayed she felt, she couldn’t leave. It
was her fault Allan despised her and running away would just make her a coward.
But she couldn’t bring herself to go after him like some trained dog being
fetched by whoever this guy was to be delivered to her master.
“ Signorina , I
think we should leave now.”
Riana nodded, but she couldn’t bring herself to stand
up, not yet. She raised her shaky hands to cover her face. Oh God, he slept with the woman next door!
He sat next to her, placing a napkin on her lap.
“Maybe we could wait a while, just ten minutes for you to compose yourself.”
That was all it took for the floodgates to open.
* * * *
Allan sat in the cabin, his work papers spread out in
front of him. He’d purposefully began working the moment he settled on the
train so when she came in, she wouldn’t bother him. He was still angry with her
and he wanted her to know it. But it was useless considering he’d been unable
to concentrate on anything but Riana since he abandoned her at the restaurant.
The woman was a sickness and it annoyed him how she
filled his every thought when she wasn’t close by; when he couldn’t touch her,
kiss her, running his hands over her soft skin as he prepared her body for his
possession. The need for her was only worse now that they were angry at each
other. He wanted to make love to her and punish her while doing so.
Hold up! Have sex, not make love! Where the hell did
that come from?
You only make love to someone you love and he didn’t
love her. Did he? The vendor’s words came back to haunt him. What had he seen
that Allan hadn’t noticed yet? Riana clearly didn’t notice it either or she
would have said something. No, she wouldn’t. She was extremely shy…and yet not
so timid to grab
But once morning
came and he hadn’t made an appearance, her heart grew heavy with fear. She
couldn’t call anyone to ask and she’d been too star struck to get Allan’s cell
number.
“Allan where are you?” she cried, rubbing her cold
arms.
Then she heard the door jiggle and the handle bend and
relief flooded her. She ran to the door and pulled it wide open. “Allan, I’m so—you
are not Allan?”
“No, Signorina Albury , I’m not.” The
stranger responded with a smile.
Instinctively,
Riana stepped back, her arms coming back up around her frame. “Who are you?”
“ Signore Sinclair sent me to fetch you. The train leaves in an hour.”
Riana nodded. “And where is Mr. Sinclair.”
“He just left for the train station, Signorina .”
“He left me behind,” Riana whispered, hugging herself
tighter. Her heart ached like it never had before. Why it would hurt so much
that a man she barely knew had left her behind puzzled her, but it didn’t
change the fact that it did.
“Where was he…before he, ah , left for the train station?”
He cleared his throat and quietly answered. “The suite
next door, Signorina .”
Riana felt her knees wobble under her and she leaned
against the couch for support. She opened her mouth to ask did he spend the night there, too? but nothing came out.
“ Signorina , please don’t cry. I’m sure he had things to
attend to and he couldn’t wait for you,” the man pleaded.
Riana brushed her fingers over her wet cheeks. She
hadn’t realized she was crying. Why was she crying for a man who’d left her in
his bed to occupy another’s?
The suite next door belonged to an Italian celebrity.
The stylist and makeup artist Allan had hired had been gossiping about her
nonstop when they were readying Riana for dinner.
The stranger stepped into the suite and moved past
her. “I’ll just get your luggage.”
She nodded and noticed the relief on his face as he
rushed away. She didn’t blame him. It was pathetic to cry over a man who’d only
brought her along to keep him company in bed.
Riana lowered herself on to the couch. She needed to
sit down for a moment and…and what?
Despite how betrayed she felt, she couldn’t leave. It
was her fault Allan despised her and running away would just make her a coward.
But she couldn’t bring herself to go after him like some trained dog being
fetched by whoever this guy was to be delivered to her master.
“ Signorina , I
think we should leave now.”
Riana nodded, but she couldn’t bring herself to stand
up, not yet. She raised her shaky hands to cover her face. Oh God, he slept with the woman next door!
He sat next to her, placing a napkin on her lap.
“Maybe we could wait a while, just ten minutes for you to compose yourself.”
That was all it took for the floodgates to open.
* * * *
Allan sat in the cabin, his work papers spread out in
front of him. He’d purposefully began working the moment he settled on the
train so when she came in, she wouldn’t bother him. He was still angry with her
and he wanted her to know it. But it was useless considering he’d been unable
to concentrate on anything but Riana since he abandoned her at the restaurant.
The woman was a sickness and it annoyed him how she
filled his every thought when she wasn’t close by; when he couldn’t touch her,
kiss her, running his hands over her soft skin as he prepared her body for his
possession. The need for her was only worse now that they were angry at each
other. He wanted to make love to her and punish her while doing so.
Hold up! Have sex, not make love! Where the hell did
that come from?
You only make love to someone you love and he didn’t
love her. Did he? The vendor’s words came back to haunt him. What had he seen
that Allan hadn’t noticed yet? Riana clearly didn’t notice it either or she
would have said something. No, she wouldn’t. She was extremely shy…and yet not
so timid to grab
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