More Than Rivals... by Susannah Erwin

Author:Susannah Erwin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-03-29T12:37:04+00:00

Nine

A week later, all Anna had accomplished was to muddy the already murky waters passing for her thoughts. She wasn’t ready to sell Lakes of Wonder and return home to Ft. Lauderdale – or as Martiza put it, she was continuing to avoid her parents. And after a trip up the coast to Los Angeles, where Anna paid for a tour of Lochlainn Studios and visited the small museum on the film lot dedicated to the family’s rise to prominence, she was even more conflicted about where she fit into the powerful dynasty—or if she was even meant to fit in. After all, the only thing she had in common with them was half her chromosomes. Blood may be thicker than water, but that was a low bar to pass. Blood was still pretty thin.

The one area where her conflicts seemed to be resolving was her feelings for Ian. Ever since the kiss in the gondola, he seemed to have taken up permanent residence in her subconscious. She could go about her day perfectly fine, with only the occasional stray thought—like now, and she pressed her legs tightly together in a vain effort to relieve the pressure that seemed to build every time his name even whisked across her brain. But at night, he starred in her dreams, leaving her restless and empty when she woke up and he was not physically present.

She doubted she took up nearly as much space in his subconscious. He gave no indication he felt anything for her except willingness to repeat their night together. Yet she checked the time on her phone with her breath held in anticipation for the fifth time in ten minutes. She should be seeing him in person for the first time since the day they kissed in the gondola right about—

Now. She smiled when she spotted him.

She’d asked him to meet at sunset, an hour before the park closed. It was a Friday, which meant fireworks would signal the end of the park’s operating hours; Anna had learned they were too costly to set off every night. Still, crowds of people were streaming toward the exit, especially families with small children who were too tired to wait for the evening spectacular. But the packed walkways didn’t slow down Ian, who was swimming against the tide with ease. He deftly dodged a double stroller holding twins while capturing an errant balloon just before the string disappeared into the atmosphere. He handed the balloon back to a small child who stopped, midcry, with an astonished look on her face. He didn’t wait for the parents’ gushed thanks, choosing to wave them off as he continued his forward progression without missing a step.

She applauded as he reached her side. “That was a flawless grab. Eleven out of ten.”

He shrugged. “I happened to see the kid untie the string weight and release the balloon at the right time.”

“You can accept a compliment, you know. Say, ‘Thank you, Anna, for appreciating my chivalrous act.’”

His smirk was lopsided.

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