Family? Anna turned her head to regard the large, flat-out spectacular man who scowled at them from across the room. “Is he a part of your family?”
An unreadable emotion rippled over the chiseled, faintly golden features. “You could say he’s something of a father figure.”
“He doesn’t look like a father.” Anna deliberately flashed a smile toward the stranger. “In fact, he’s gorgeous. Maybe you should introduce us.”
The dark eyes narrowed, his fingers grasping her arm in a firm grip.
“Actually, we were just headed to your room, don’t you remember?” he growled close to her ear.
A faint smile touched Anna’s mouth. Ha. He didn’t like having her interested in another man. Served him right.
Her smile faded as the scent of apples filled the air.
“Anna…oh, Anna,” a saccharine voice cooed.
“Crap,” she muttered, watching Sybil bear down upon them with the force of a locomotive.
Cezar wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “A friend of yours?”
“Hardly. Sybil Taylor has been a pain in the freaking neck for the past five years. I can’t turn around without stumbling over her.”
Cezar stiffened, studying her with a strange curiosity. “Really? What sort of business do you have with a fairy?”
“A…what? No.” Anna shook her head. “Sybil’s a lawyer. A bottom-feeder, I’ll grant you, but…” Her words were cut off as the Conde hauled her through the alcove and with a wave of his hand opened the elevator doors. Anna might have marveled at having an elevator when she needed one if she hadn’t been struggling to stay on her feet as she was pulled into the cubical (that was as large as her L.A. apartment) and the doors were smoothly sliding shut. “Freaking hell. There’s no need to drag me around like a sack of potatoes, Conde.”
“I think we’re past formality, querida. You can call me Cezar.”
“Cezar.” She frowned, pushing the button to her floor. “Don’t you have a first name?”
“No.”
“That’s weird.”
“Not for my people.” The elevator opened and Cezar pulled her into the circular hallway that had doors to the private rooms on one side and an open view to the lobby twelve stories below on the other. “Your room?”
“This way.”
Anna moved down the hall and stopped in front of her door. She already had her cardkey in the slot when she stilled, abruptly struck by another night she attempted to best Conde Cezar.
The night her entire life had changed…
Chapter 2
London, 1814
Anna gave a small scream as she was jerked into the dark bedchamber and the door slammed behind her.
“Do you seek something, querida?” A soft voice drifted on the night air. An accented voice that sent a strange shiver over her skin. “Or is it someone?”
“Conde Cezar?”
“Yes, it is I.”
Anna stumbled back into the wall, cursing her damnable luck. How the devil had she managed to muck up something so simple as keeping track of her cousin?
Not only did she not know where Morgana had gone, but she had managed to get caught by the one man who disturbed her in a manner she could not entirely comprehend.
“You…you frightened me. I did not realize anyone was here.”