The Prince's Resistant Lover by Elizabeth Lennox

didn’t hold that against him. In fact, there was little about the man she didn’t like. Especially his smile, she thought, her insides melting when she said something funny and he threw back his head and laughed, the humor lingering in his eyes even after the laughter had died.
    Yes, she really liked his smile. And his shoulders. When he leaned forward to make a point about government responsibilities, she decided that she really liked broad, muscular shoulders after all.
    Ana was so engaged and having such a wonderful time, she didn’t realize how much time had passed until she accidentally glanced at his watch. “Oh, no! Is it really one o’clock?” she gasped, grabbing his hand to still his wrist so she could get a better look at the time.
    “Yes. Why? I’m guessing you have an urgent appointment somewhere?”
    Ana picked up her scarf which had fallen to the floor during their conversation as well as her empty coffee cup and newspaper. “Yes, I do,” she said and stood up.
    “Wait. Have dinner with me tonight,” he said, stopping her with a simple touch to her arm.
    Ana shivered with his small touch, wondering how a stranger could generate such heat. She ignored the feelings, knowing the relationship could not go any further than this one, exhilarating conversation. She was meeting her future husband tonight and after all, she’d never been able to flirt, or even date another man, knowing that she was betrothed to the odious Prince Erik. Dating anyone had been out of the question. “No, I can’t. Really, I have to go,” she said and started to slip by him, now that she’d remembered her engagement party, she knew that this mild flirtation would have to stop immediately.
    His hand to her arm stopped her and she again shivered with awareness when his hand caught both of hers in his large ones. “Annie, I won’t let you go without knowing I’ll see you again. You can’t just leave me with nothing. Meet me tomorrow, here,” he said. “Have coffee with me again. It is Sunday so you can’t have any appointments tomorrow.”
    She glanced down at the strong hand gently touching her arm and wanted to agree to meet him. But she also knew it was too dangerous to agree. Her mind was already working on how she was going to get through the evening with her future husband tonight. “Yes, unfortunately I do have appointments tomorrow that I can’t get out of,” she said but the disappointment was in her voice. She started to walk away again, knowing that she needed to get away as fast as possible before she embarrassed herself in front of him.
    “Annie,” his deep voice said softly.
    His words stilled her and she looked up at him. The rest of the coffee shop disappeared, the other patrons’ noise dimmed and there was only the two of them, the rest of the world blocked out. His eyes transfixed hers and she stared, her heart beating wildly as she watched his head descend slowly toward hers, inch by inch and her head turned up automatically, eager to receive his kiss.
    When his lips finally touched hers, Ana gasped at the feeling. He lifted his mouth up only a fraction of an inch to stare into her startled eyes, then kissed her again, this time with slightly more pressure, his lips rubbing sensually against hers.
    Ana sighed and closed her eyes, the feeling of electricity tingling through her body at his touch. His lips were wonderful, transporting her away from all the tension of her current predicament and into a world where only Marcus existed. She’d never really been kissed before except for awkward, stolen kisses on a dance floor. But this man definitely knew how to kiss and applied that skill with a gentle pressure against her own lips.
    “Annie,” he groaned softly. But her name sparked her out of the trance and she stepped back.
    Stepping back, she looked around, worried that someone had seen them, which of course they had since they were standing in the middle of a coffee shop with a few other