The Man's Outrageous Demands Page 0,3
new possible fiancés. She’d begged them to not commit her to someone she wasn’t remotely attracted to, like George. They’d agreed, but not very happily. They considered it their responsibility to find her a husband who was safe, having lived with the continuous threat of kidnapping all their lives.
Marabeth pulled the zipper down her back and, inexplicably, the smell of Sam came to her mind. She had to admit that he smelled very nice. It wasn’t cologne which she generally didn’t like on men. But it was earthy and masculine. Very nice and strong, she thought.
Hanging the dress on a hanger in the closet, she pulled on a silk negligee and slipped between the sheets. Pushing thoughts of the irritating man out of her head, she considered the other men she’d seen tonight. Although her parents were willing to consider her opinion on the subject of her husband, she knew they were growing impatient to have the issue settled. Marabeth knew her father wanted grandchildren and an heir to the throne just in case Max never settled down and married, which was a definite possibility, considering the way he discreetly had a mistress tucked away at all times, but never the same one for very long.
Marabeth slept fitfully that night, her dreams interrupted by a tall, handsome man. She ran from him throughout her dreams but each time she turned the corner, she ran into him, his arms closing around her gently, but firmly and his head bending down to kiss her lips. Each time her dream came to that point, she pulled herself out of the dream, waking and frantically trying to go back to sleep and dream about something else.
By the time the sun was streaming across her bed, she was still exhausted and none of her anger had dissipated since the man had not only intruded upon her embarrassing proposal, he’d also plagued her dreams. The man had absolutely no right to be that invasive she thought.
Walking down to the stables that morning, she tried to let the fresh, spring air calm her temper and soothe her tired soul. The birds were chirping and the sun was just coming up over the horizon as she entered the stables.
“Hello, my Beauty,” Marabeth said to her horse as she entered his stall. “I hope you’re in a frisky mood today,” she said and patted the stallion’s flanks. The horse whinnied and snickered, eager for Marabeth’s touch. “Oh, my. You seem to be ready for a real ride today, aren’t you?” she said and led the great, black stallion out of the stall and into the yard.
Marabeth started the soothing process of saddling her horse, getting ready for her morning ride. Both horse and rider enjoyed these quiet times and Marabeth was in no hurry this morning, enjoying the horse’s frisky teasing.
“I understand,” Marabeth said finally as she lifted the heavy saddle onto the horse’s back, then strapped the buckle underneath. “I’m with you. I need to get away from here. Too stuffy lately,” she said, thinking she was alone. “I’ll bet you haven’t seen that irritating man, but if he ever comes around here, you just throw him off, understand? And tell all your friends, too,” she said and patted the horse’s flank again reassuringly.
“Who in the world are you talking to?” a deep voice said from behind her.
Marabeth spun around, facing the man with the voice, her body instantly starting to tremble as his large frame came closer.
“And who would you like your horse, and the entire stable of horses to throw off his back?” Sam asked, raising one eyebrow as he noted the high color in her cheeks. “Me, perhaps?”
“What are you doing down here?” Marabeth demanded, ignoring his question. She wasn’t going to answer him since he was exactly who she wanted all the horses to toss.
“I’m going riding, of course,” he said. “Didn’t you invite me for a ride?” he teased.
“No. This is my own private time. I ride alone.”
“Pity,” he said, standing too close for her peace of mind.
“Oh, Sam. I’m glad your down here early,” Max said as he came around the corner. “Marabeth! I didn’t know you were going riding this morning. Don’t you usually get out there earlier than this?” he asked. His glance went between Sam and Marabeth, instantly understanding that there was some unexplained tension between the two of them. “Am I interrupting something?” he asked.
“Absolutely not,” Marabeth said and walked her horse over to the mounting block. “I