David Miller had never done anything like that before, and he didn't enjoy the experience in the least. Indeed though he wasn't happy to recognize the seductive Anna with Annet hanging on his arm, he wasn't prepared to allow the promiscuous little vixen get away with ignoring him. Brown eyes had glanced coolly in his direction and also back to Bryan, and he didn't like that at all.
" Hello. Anna, are you there?" David grunted in a grueling manner. She cast a quick look in his direction, her chocolate eyes hidden by the absurdly long lashes that framed her deep brown eyes.' Yes. Hello,' she said, before fleetly turning her head down again.
Permit me to say this because we haven't been duly introduced to one another. The name is David Miller. He was dead set on drawing her attention to himself, so he purposefully extended his hand to her in an attempt to do so. A stern look emanating from her eyes, followed by the extension of a delicate hand.
After taking it in his hands and feeling the smoothness of her skin on his palm, he immediately came aware of a fluttering sensation in his loins. Ever since the last time he'd encountered Anna — no, Hana — or whatever the hell it was that she called herself, he'd noway been so presently aroused by a woman as he was by Hana.
When he looked down at their hands that were gripped together, he was nearly startled, but also he noticed the marriage band and flashed back in the nick of time. He avoided having sexual relations with wedded women, but an exception to this rule was made in the case of this attractive seductress, who didn't reveal her marital status to him until after he'd already taken her to bed.
Anna was numb with amazement when she noticed the challenge in his look and the knowing hint of sensuality in his brown eyes. She also heard the enticing tone of his words. She precipitously removed her hand from his clutches as her shock began to set in.
She said" Anna Gonzales" under her breath. Annet made her entrance nearly exactly when she was supposed to.
"Anna, I have a favor to ask of you. Would you please take care of David 's grandfather for me?" She stated it with the same typical lack of empathy that has come her trademark.
"He was in an accident a many days ago, and he can not walk very well."" We need to circulate, and James wants to discuss business with David later." Whether Annet was insensitive or not, she had the occasion to give Annet a kiss for the interruption.
"There's no difficulty. It'll be my joy,' Anna said as she held Bryan by the hand. Annet seized David by the arm, and the pair started making their way through the mob toward the exit. Anna let out a jiggling shriek of relief, even though she was shaking on the inside. Imagine your darkest agonies coming true!
David Miller enthralled, a spot near or at the very peak of her priority list. She couldn't believe that he was related to Bryan since Bryan was short and heavyset and had black eyes. But David had to be at least six feet four inches tall, and his eyes were light brown, which was a striking contrast to his tan complexion. She was astounded by this fact. When they first met a year ago, the first thing she noticed about him was his eyes.
They were one of the reasons she had behaved in a manner that was so drastically different from whom she typically was. That he showed up then at her father's house as the lover of her sister had to be the strangest coincidence in the history of the world. It made her feel queasy, and she really wanted to get away from there. She was ready to give some kind of justification to Bryan when she looked around and noticed that he was still looking after Annet.
His face was a picture of complete and total surprise the entire time. Anna had a perfect understanding of how he felt, but she was confident that it was not for the same reason. She said," Annet is very beautiful, and she does have a tendency to have an unanticipated effect on men, but I suppose your grandson can handle her," which was meant to be encouraging.
" And they do make a nice couple," she said. After mumbling something incomprehensible, he brought his hand up to his lips and immediately started sneezing violently. It was too soon to consider leaving just yet because it was clear that the man was in some kind of trouble.
" Bryan, you do not look very good." Anna put her arm around him and made the following suggestion.
" I believe that we ought to find nearly comfortable to sit, and I will get you a glass of champagne." She made a delicate attempt at humor by saying," also you can tell me all about your accident and what I suggested for last Friday."
"Clearly," he said while maintaining a nervous smile." But first, would you be able to give me the name of the woman who's holding my grandson?" Bryan refocused his silver- topped cane in their way while making a stir. Anna told him," That is my stepsister — Annet," as she eventually spotted an empty lounge and guided him towards the far corner of the magnific drawing room.
Annet was the name of Anna's sister. She sensed that he was stumbling." Hello there, how are you doing?" She inquired cautiously as she supported him in taking a seat. She regarded his wrinkled face with concerned eyes as she remarked," You look a little pale."
"So, your stepsister, is that right? I had no idea you had a sister until today."
"Well, you do not indeed know me very well,"Anna joked.
" I suppose I need that drink," Bryan rasped as he sat down on the lounge.
He also grunted in Korean something that Anna thought sounded suspiciously like a curse.
" I suppose I need that drink," he said again.
"If you'd be willing to stay then. I will fetch you a brandy and bring it back."
She felt compassion for the man, who was obviously still experiencing some kind of discomfort. While this was going on, David had his hand on Annet's back and was leading her through the crowd with him. He beamed, and he never stopped smiling for the entire proper spots, as Annet collected effusive birthday wishes from her friends. They made their way towards her mama and father who were seated at the other end of the room from where they had entered. Without any conscious effort, David was suitable to play the part of the ideal consort, and his mind was always concentrated on the gorgeous Anna.
He cast his eyes about the room, curious as to which of the men there was her husband. David reflected critically on the man's good fortune, wondering whether or not he really was so fortunate. There was no misunderstanding of the sexual tension and raging desire that existed between Anna and him. There had been no mistake. He concluded that her poor husband was someone who should be pitied rather than envied.However, it was time for him to stop worrying about Annet and start doing what he had come to do, which was to assist his grandfather. He cast a quick glance across the room and noticed Bryan already comfortably situated, and for a few seconds their eyes connected. David was confused for a while because he appeared to be seeing bewilderment in his grandfather's eyes, but as he watched, Anna approached Bryan and offered him a brandy, and the elderly man broke out into a broad grin.Anna extended her hand to Bryan and offered him the brandy glass. "Are you sure that everything is
Anna was able to hear the two men shouting, and despite the fact that she detested the notion of confronting David, her concern for poor Bryan overwhelmed her anxiety about the situation. She got to her feet and then immediately launched into the Korean rant in a voice that was calm and controlled effectively. Excuse me, Mr. Miller, but your grandpa isn't feeling very well, and yelling at him won't do anything to improve his condition. Anna was giving him a piece of her mind! David was completely speechless since the woman had such courage. In case you had forgotten, he was involved in an accident, and at this point, he ought to be resting at home. “I was not shouting,” David said after it took him some time to find his voice. He intentionally reminded her of the intensity they had shared by stating, “We Koreans are as passionate in conversation as we are in everything.” He did not do so in a very subtle manner. “And I am fully aware of what it is that Bryan requires.” He cast a mur
She had a lot of respect for the elderly guy, but she had zero interest in having anything to do with his grandson, and she would have preferred it if he had departed as soon as possible. As Anna saw Bryan follow Annet and David out of the room and into the hallway, she let out a trembling sigh of relief. Annet replied in a sarcastic tone five minutes later, after she had returned after leading the guys out of the mansion, “Thanks so much.” You might have insisted on bringing the elderly gentleman home, and David could have stayed for a longer period as a result. Anna shrugged her shoulders and offered, “Maybe—you know better than I do.” It was as close as Anna believed she could go to warning Annet about how much of a serial womanizer David Miller was by saying, “But he strikes me as a man who does what he wants, and gets what he wants—women included.” Anna said this because she believed it was the only way she could adequately convey to Annet how much of a womanizer David Miller wa
Anna exited her car in a parking spot designated for residents just in front of her front door. She then retrieved her handbag and a shopping bag stuffed with veggies from the passenger seat before exiting the vehicle. She straightened up, stretched her shoulders, and sighed with contentment as her gaze swept over the narrow strip of the front yard, which was a riot of color in the June light. The trip to Fullerton was nice.She had a fantastic day; she had helped Mark, her father-in-law, in the garden, and she had eaten a wonderful lunch that had been provided by Marga, her father-in-law's wife. After that, the three of them went for a stroll on the beach, and on their way back, they stopped by Allen's grave. Following that, they went back to the house and had some tea there.During the ride back to Los Angeles, Anna rationalized the terrible thoughts that had kept her up for a significant portion of the previous night. Her stomach was full, and her spir
Anna, on the other hand, was not amused and she had no intention to partake in his humor. She was at a noticeable disadvantage because his large frame towered over her. He was just inches away from her. She retreated involuntarily and braced herself against the bench as she came to a standstill there. Because she had nowhere else to go, she chose to ignore his implication and instead look up at him. She spoke calmly but with a sarcastic expression on her face as she replied, "Then let me pass, and I'll get you a cold drink." She tilted one of her beautiful brows.When he was too close, his dazzling deep stare was too knowing, and all of a sudden, the heady aroma of his perfume sent her back to another time and place—the close quarters of a yacht's cabin. She inhaled a slow breath that was shaky and deep. She had no intention of coming there...David Miller declined to get a cold drink for Anna, saying, "I don't want a cold drink, Anna." He was tryin
"Would you want the drink I offered?" Anna repeated back in a tone of complete disbelief, as the man's audacity astounded her. "Are you out of your mind? I demand that you leave my home at this very moment.Is this how you treat your visitors?" David straightened up and made his way forward in a casual manner. "Consider what your father would say if he heard that his daughter had shown such a shocking lack of manners to the grandson of one of his major shareholders," he said. "Think what your father would say if he heard that." Then there's Annet as well, as you were so nice to point out.' He halted alongside her, his brown eyes focusing in on her hot face as he stared at her."My father and Annet?' Anna said once again. What exactly was he talking about? And what was the source of the unsettling sensation that there was a danger lurking somewhere in it?Since the death of your spouse, Annet has been under the notion, as have the rest of the people
David concurred, saying, "If that is what you want...yes."Anna started her speech on the assumption that he was telling the truth. " Allen and I first crossed paths while he was working as a researcher for my Aunt Martha when I was twelve and he was twenty-one. When I was in college, he quickly became not just my closest friend but also my boyfriend. He supported my passion for landscaping designs, and once I graduated, he urged me to go into business with Sara. He was sweet, loving, and offered complete and utter support. When I was twenty-two years old, we were married. After another four years, he was eventually taken from us by a ski accident.David mumbled, "He might have been a paragon of virtue, but he was also a fool to risk his life skiing with a passionate, sexy woman like you at home to warm his bed." "He might have been a paragon of virtue," David said. "But he was also a fool."She did not like the characterization of herself as "passionate and sex
David prompted me in a really direct manner by saying, “I asked you a question.” He was able to see by the expression on her lovely face that her thoughts had wandered away from him, and this made him extremely uncomfortable... “Why did you lie?' he asked her.”The demand in his low voice succeeded in drawing Anna's attention to the situation. She concluded that thinking about the past was not helping her deal with the circumstances of the present, and she knew from her own experience that David was not going to let her forget or give her space until he had an explanation for what had happened.She got to her feet slowly and cast a gaze down at him as she did so. “All right, let's make a deal,” she said. “I'll tell you what you want to know.” Her intrinsic honesty compelled her to tell him the truth disgrace the demon and finally draw a line under the horrifying occurrence once and for all. “But you have to promise
David cupped her face and said, “There is nothing that can make me queasy when it comes from you.”“Your body is where my child grows, and your blood is her blood also.”“Don’t ever think that it is something to be embarrassed about.”Anna smiled weakly at the man before her. ‘How could she not love this man?’David led her to the shower while helping her out of her clothes.He reached out to take the soap, but she said, “Please let me do it on my own, my breast is so sore, and it hurts too much.”“Okay, but let me do your back.” he insisted as he watched her.“We can visit the baby after breakfast.” he said.At this point, Anna was excited to see Selene. She swiftly finished her bath and changed into a wrap-around pink floral dress.They ate their breakfast and went to the hospital after.They were looking at their child through the incubator, she was so beautiful yet so fragile. 'I can't wait to hold her in my arms,' Anna thought. She felt so mesmerized by her. David wrapped his arm
Anna woke up in the hospital the next day. Last night, she had a c-section because of the preterm labor. David was sitting near her. “Is the baby, okay?” She asked weakly. “The baby is in intensive care,” David said calmly. “Oh my God, is she going to be, okay?” concern was evident on her face. “All her vital signs are okay; however, she is in the incubator.” David cupped her face gently. “No need to worry, Anna, her pediatric doctor is a known specialist.” David reached for Anna and hugged her. At this very moment, she wanted to feel his warmth because she couldn't control her anxiety. Then the Doctor came to visit. “Good morning, Mrs. Miller.” She was an older woman with kind eyes. “I’m Doctor Avery Samuel, nice to meet you,” she said. “Nice to meet you too Doctor,” Anna replied. “Can I see my baby?” “Yes, but We had to wait for your OB-GYN, Doctor Ethan's recommendation.” “When it’s safe to move you, then you can visit your baby, but you have to understand that you cannot
Anna dialed a memorized number on her phone.A sleepy voice answered her call, and Anna felt a surge of relief. “Sara? How about lunch?”“I didn't get to bed until three, you impossible person. Must it be today?”“We could make it a late lunch,” Anna persisted and heard Sara's laughing approval.“Name the time and place, and I'll meet you there.”“One-thirty. At the Grove,” she returned without hesitation.They met within minutes of the appointed time and managed, by good fortune to be shown to atable overlooking the fountain. After the serious business of ordering was completed, they settleddown to exchanging news, something which lasted through the starter, and well into the maincourse.“You're positively blooming,” Sara complimented quietly.“Your hair, your skin. everything about you. I couldn't be more pleased everything is working out.”Anna managed a bright smile that didn't fool her friend in the slightest.“Not quite, huh? What's the problem?”“I didn't ask you to meet me
She rose to her feet and gathered the cutlery and glasses, then carried them through to thekitchen.David followed, and she heard him locking the outer doors and setting the security alarm.It was a simple task to load the dishwasher, and she had just finished when he entered the room.He looked over all the powerful masculine: dark trousers, light tan skin, dark hair, in stark contrast to the white shirt. Tall, he almost seemed overpowering, and, while she craved his touch, there was a part of her that cried out against any sexual defeat.She watched as he dispatched food down the waste disposal unit, then dropped emptycontainers into the pedal bin before washing and drying his hands. In silence, he turned andcaught hold of her hand, leading her through to the lounge, and then he selected a slow song.Soft music emanated from the speakers and Anna looked at him speechlessly as he drew her intohis arms.Crazy, she thought, as he pulled her close against him and began to drift slow
“There's an excellent piece you really must see. Expensive, but worthy of investment.” He riffledthrough the catalog pages and brought the item to David's notice, then made his excuses assomeone else demanded his attention.“I happen to like Zhang Hongtu,” Anna protested as David's amused gaze rested on her expressive features.“So do I,” he assured her, and, placing an arm around her waist, he directed her towards a display.“Shall we begin viewing?”Some paintings verged on the bizarre, others resembled caricatures of design over brilliant slashes of color. One, in particular, looked as if a very young child had indulged in a wild battle with numerous pots of multicolored paint.“What do you think?”Anna turned towards David and tried to present a considered viewpoint. After severalseconds she voiced with restraint, “I'd prefer not to answer on the grounds that anything I saycould be overheard, taken into account, and held against me.”“A remarkable nonconformist piece,” David d
“Anna. How are you, darling? Sorry to keep you waiting.”She closed the magazine and rose to her feet with a ready smile. “Michael.”“Your hand? It is still giving you pain?' He drew her towards the far end of the salon and seated her at a basin.“It aches a little.”Michael's personal attention was rare, and Anna, by virtue of being David's wife, appeared tobe one of the favoured few.She wrinkled her nose as he sluiced water over her hair and applied shampoo, rinsed and repeated the process with conditioner, then towelled it dry before leading her to a mirrored cubicle.“Are you able to drive again?”‘The specialist says I can. David would prefer Jacob to continue in the role of chauffeur. Although he has compromised and bought me another car.'“He is being protective, hmm?”“You could say that,” she agreed with suitable dryness.Michael picked up his scissors and comb and went to work. “Don't knock it, darling,” he cautioned wryly.“Men are not usually protective unless they care.
‘Would it ever be any different?’‘Could it be? Sadly, she didn't think so…’Even if she prepares herself for what is to come, she knows that David will also fight for this child to be his. ‘It will be a long battle.’Anna wandered down to the swimming pool and sat in one of the chairs positioned beneath a wide sun umbrella. The sun felt warm against her bare skin, and she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.“Anna? It is eleven-fifteen.”She came sharply awake at the sound of Amy's voice, amazed that she could have lapsed into a light doze. Her hand had swollen slightly and was beginning to show signs of bruising. There was also a degree of pain when the physiotherapist supervised her exercises, a fact which he noted, adding an admonition to be more careful. There didn't seem to be much point in assuring him that it was not self-inflicted.At home, she ate the chicken salad Amy had prepared for lunch, and then she changed into a bikini,selected a book, and wandered out to sit b
When another couple joined them, Anna let out a breath of relief because most of the people were aimlessly wandering from table to table. While the woman had a light talk with Anna, the man—a business associate of David's—began an intense debate with him.Anna glanced at David with a look of surprise as he rested his arm across the back of her chair twenty minutes before they departed.“It is getting close to eleven o'clock.”“Our mission has been accomplished.”“Are you ready to go?” Anna nodded in agreement.Without saying a word more, he had them leave the ballroom and start to lead the way. A number of his friends wanted to talk to him, and while he waited a second to say a few expressions of courteous reply, he did not remain.Anna sank into the leather-cushioned seat and relaxed as David lowered the Bentley to street level, joining the steady flow of traffic leaving the city.It was pleasurable just to relax in the car. The pulsing in her hand had diminished in intensity, and th
Anna caught her breath as David locked eyes with the model, who appeared innocent, in a way that only Amelia could.“Yes, to my great joy.” Underneath the velvety smoothness of his voice, there was no mistaking the steely core.As the guest speaker stepped up to the podium, Anna removed fruit segments from their meringue nest and set the plate aside, choosing tea as the dessert arrived, which was a letdown.Then, a DJ played some tunes in the background and urged everyone to get down on the dance floor. With grace and elegance, Amelia and her partner were among the first to ascend the stairs.She had an air of confidence and sophistication. Anna could tell the model was fully aware of the impact she was making on her partner from the subtle allure of her face.She wanted to know if it was helping David out or not.Meeting his shadowed stare unsettled Anna, who sneaked a peek at him. She blinked when he reached out and intertwined his fingers with hers, and she smiled tentatively becau