Page 79 of Modern Romance June 2025 5-8

Softly, so gently she thought at first she’d imagined it, something stroked her cheek. She caught a glimpse of his raised hand and his finger skimmed from her cheekbone to her chin, creating warmth deep in her body.

She had to break free. Now.

Resolute, she grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away just as he leaned closer. Her breath snatched as his heat engulfed her. Wide shoulders filled her vision and gleaming golden-brown eyes fixed on her mouth as he brought his face to hers.

Annalena told herself to step back but was transfixed, waiting for the moment his mouth touched hers.

Surely one moment of curiosity was allowed? One moment before sanity returned.

He was so near her vision blurred, her eyes fluttering closed.

The moment stretched, her every sense on alert.

But when his mouth touched her it wasn’t on the lips. She felt his mouth caress her earlobe as he whispered, ‘Actually, we’reverycompatible. Attuned, even.’ His voice was a rumble that turned her insides to a quivering mess and her knees to jelly. ‘You’re shaking in anticipation, did you know? If you’d just relax…’

‘What? You’d seduce me in your summerhouse?’

Her nails dug into his wrist as she flung his hand away and stepped back. Eyes snapping open, she saw him blink, his expression for a second almost confused as he straightened to his full height. Her one consolation was that he looked almost as dazed as she felt.

But Annalena couldn’t let that show. Desperately she reined in her anger, knowing if he saw it he’d realise it had its roots in disappointment.

He’d be right. She’d felt the drag of attraction from the first, while he’d feltnothing. He was playing on her weakness.

She thrust her shoulders back, hoping he wouldn’t notice the way her nipples had hardened.

A lifetime concealing feelings behind a smile came to her rescue. Yet she didn’t trust herself to meet his eyes. Instead she focused on the tiny scar above his left cheek.

‘I’d rather you didn’t practise your wiles on me, Benedikt.’ She dragged air into too-tight lungs. ‘This situation is hard enough without pretending attraction that’s not there.’

‘Annalena—’

‘Let’s talk later. I’ve had enough for now.’ She turned and strode out the door.

CHAPTER SEVEN

‘It’s completely outrageous,’ Annalena repeated into the phone as she stared at the dusk-darkened gardens.

She wished she could be anywhere else but she couldn’t leave until she and Benedikt came to some agreement. So she’d turned to her grandmother and they’d discussed the situation at length. It had been a relief talking to Oma. She’d been sympathetic and supportive. Unfortunately she hadn’t been able to suggest a way out of this mess.

‘Actually,’ Oma said, after a long silence, ‘in some ways it’s an elegant solution, to have you share the throne.’

‘Oma! How can you say that? It’s horrible and—’

‘I know, I know. I was obviously wrong about him, my information was flawed. He’s an appalling man and you hate him. But then he’s Karl’s son. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and if the tree’s rotten…’

Annalena bit her lip then forced the words out. ‘He’s not like that. I don’t like him but he’s not like his father. He seems genuinely concerned about the country, for one thing.’

‘Ah.’ There was a wealth of meaning in that single syllable. ‘You don’t hate him after all.’

‘Just because I don’t think he’d kill for the throne, doesn’t mean Ilikehim. He’s the most arrogant, infuriating man. He even tried to convince me—’

‘Convince you of what?’

‘Nothing important. It doesn’t matter.’

Annalena wasnotgoing to admit how he’d undone her with the touch of his lips to her ear and the caress of his breath. That said more about her dormant love life than about him.

She shifted as that ache started up again deep inside. It had been there all day and every time she remembered those moments in the summerhouse she felt edgy all over again.

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