The Man's Outrageous Demands Page 0,40
good friends and sisters to each other. What happened that year that changed things?”
Marabeth smiled slightly before answering, here eyes took on a sad look as she remembered her shock when her parents sat the both of them down for a serious conversation after dinner one night. “She and I were both told we were betrothed that year. It was the first time we’d seen our future husbands and neither one of us were very impressed with them.”
Sam noticed her somber expression and wanted to wrap her in his arms. He resisted, understanding that she needed space at the moment. And he wanted to get to know her more. If he touched her, he wouldn’t want to stop. “That must have been difficult.” He didn’t move, but continued to lean against the cement railing as he watched her walk across the patio touching the flowers. He accepted the distance and even enjoyed watching her walk. She seemed to glide as she moved, as if her feet were barely touching the ground.
Marabeth nodded at his response. “It was awful.” “I guess your sister found that Prince Erik wasn’t so bad after all since they are about to have their first child together.”
Ana rolled her eyes. “This time two years ago, I wouldn’t have bet on it,” she said.
“Another difficult period?”
“Yes. Very fraught with tension, it was. You wouldn’t believe the uproar that occurred when Ana ran away with a stranger one weekend. My father was livid. We eventually found out that the stranger was actually Prince Erik. Neither one knew that the other was their betrothed at the time so it caused a great deal of tension within the palace.”
“But everything went happily ever after?”
“So far,” she chuckled.
Sam knew that they were veering off the twenty questions game but she was so open now, he wanted to find out everything he could about her. He liked listening to her talk. Her face held so much expression when she relaxed and shared with him. “What about Max? Why wasn’t a marriage arranged for him?”
“I don’t know,” she said, shrugging her shoulders for emphasis. “We’ve asked our parents that but have never gotten a very satisfactory answer. I’d wager it has something to do with the fact that he is a male and my father therefore considers him more worthy of intelligence and careful planning. Therefore he’ll choose someone well suited.” Marabeth tried to hide the hurt and sarcasm from her voice, but she heard some of it slip out. “Women on the other hand, must be guided at all times for fear that they will irrevocably mess up their live, and everyone else’s in the process.”
“They let you choose this time, didn’t they?”
She raised her eyebrows at his question. “Did they?”
“Yes. I spoke to your father and it was my understanding that they were just waiting for you to find someone you were interested in.”
Marabeth turned her back on him, looking out into the dark night. “Let’s not get into that again, shall we?”
Sam noticed the tension in her shoulders come back and was sorry for bringing up what was obviously a sore subject. But he wanted to know more on that issue. He wanted her to admit that she wanted him and that they could be happy together. He didn’t understand her stubbornness. He was quiet for a moment before he said, “I’ll reserve the conversation for a later time. But I think it is my turn for a question.”
“Okay, shoot. What’s your question?”
“How much do you weigh?” he asked.
Marabeth almost choked on her sip of wine. She sputtered for a moment before gasping, “My weight? You want to know how much I weigh?”
“Yes.”
Marabeth eyed him carefully. “You already know. You’re just testing me to see if I’ll tell the truth, aren’t you?”
“Just answer the question,” he chuckled.
“One hundred and twenty pounds. Why in the world would you ask a woman what her weight is? That’s something most women won’t even tell their husbands!” She was laughing at his satisfied expression by the time she finished.
His eyes didn’t reveal anything, but his smile was charming and could melt butter she suspected. He shrugged his shoulders before saying, “Just chalk it up to male curiosity, okay? What’s your question?”
“How much do you weigh?” she threw back at him.
He walked across the patio, stopping just an inch or two from her body. “Two hundred and ten. Almost twice as much as you,” he said. He loomed over her as he said it. “I’m