Page 2 of His Unexpected Heir

Antonio watched, amazed as the wedding feast came to a spectacular ending. The wedding cakes, yes, multiple tiered cakes, were lit up with sparklers. There was even a chocolate fountain. How the palace chef had managed that, Antonio didn’t know. It seemed impossible to have a chocolate fountain coming out of the center of a five-tiered cake, but there it was. And how did the cakes not catch fire with all of those sparklers lighting up the tops and sides? Each five-tiered cake was like a spectacular firework display.

Antonio lifted his glass of champagne to his lips, scanning the room. Almost immediately, he found her again. Astra was whispering to someone in the back of the ballroom. The palace servant nodded, then hurried away. The beautiful woman stood with her back ramrod straight as she surveyed the ending of the wedding feast. How the hell had she created such a fantasy wedding so quickly? It seemed as if his friend, Zahir, Sheik of Sidrina, had only just met his gorgeous bride yesterday. And yet, they were now married. Mandy and Zahir looked deliriously happy together.

Correction; Mandy looked happy. Zahir seemed to be…Antonio laughed and Zahir’s eyes snapped towards him. Antonio knew exactly what Zahir was thinking. Antonio tilted his glass towards his friend and watched as Zahir rolled his eyes and sighed with exasperation. Si, this wedding extravaganza had been necessary. But Antonio knew that Zahir would have been perfectly happy with a small wedding. One that would have gotten his ring on the lovely Mandy’s finger two weeks ago.

Antonio snickered and Levi Harris, another friend from Philadelphia, punched his arm. Clarissa shook her head at him reprovingly. “Behave,” she warned.

“I am behaving,” he countered, but his eye was immediately caught by Astra again as she walked across the room. Even as he watched her, she lifted a hand. That must have been a signal because, suddenly, what he’d thought was a wall, started to pull away. It wasn’t a wall, but was a set of folding doors that opened to the ballroom.

Impressive, Antonio thought. The small quartet that had been playing in the corner of the dining room stopped and a larger group of musicians in the ballroom began playing. Zahir stood up and gallantly took the blushing bride’s hand. The wedding guests applauded enthusiastically as the newly married couple led the way into the ballroom for their first dance together as a married couple.

Antonio stood up, not applauding as he downed the last of his champagne.

“And now, we dance,” Sean Byrne announced with relish as he pulled his gorgeous wife, Kennedi, into his arms. The others at his table did the same, but Antonio wasn’t in the mood to watch the happy couples dance. Moments later, he and Edward, the Duke of Finehearst were alone in the dining room.

“Are you going to find her?” Edward asked, handing Antonio a glass of something other than champagne.

Rami, known to the rest of the world as Sheik Rami al Qadar, Ruler of Ditar, joined them, a glass of scotch in his hands and amusement clear on his not-handsome features. “Is he going to find her?” he asked of Edward.

Edward chuckled, shifting his body to include the other man. “Doubt it.”

Antonio accepted the glass and sniffed, but he didn’t really care what was in the glass as long as it wasn’t more champagne. He was sick of the bubbly stuff. It was an excellent vintage, but it was still champagne, which he hated with a passion.

“Find who?” Antonio asked, even while he scanned the room again.

“The lovely lady who made everything happen today,” Rami replied, his tone bored. He looked over at the women, all of whom seemed more than slightly terrified of him. The man might not be considered conventionally handsome, but there was an alluring power in his dark eyes and powerful body that challenged both men and women alike.

“I don’t know who you’re talking about.” Antonio took a sip and discovered it was scotch, nodding slightly as he appreciated the subtle smoky flavors.

Edward rolled his eyes. “Don’t even bother, old man,” he teased, sipping the excellent scotch. “You’ve been eyeing Astra all evening.”

Several pretty women tried to catch Antonio’s attention, but he ignored them. He wasn’t interested in any one else tonight. He watched with amusement as the women eyed him, evaluating himself, Edward, and Rami.

“You’re delusional,” he snapped, dismissing the women.

Edward chuckled. “So, you’re not interested in Astra? If not, then say so, old man. I’ve been keeping away out of respect but if you’re not–”

“Don’t even think about it,” Antonio snarled, turning to level a glare at Edward.

Edward chuckled, nodding knowingly. “I thought so.” He clapped Antonio on the shoulder. “Since you’re obviously smitten, I’ll just have to console those lovely ladies over there with my gallantry.” He punched Antonio’s shoulder playfully. “She did a wonderful job today. Let me know if I can hire her for future events. Everyone is amazed at how well today’s wedding was organized so quickly.” He downed the rest of his scotch, placing the crystal glass on the gold-covered table behind them. He turned to Rami. “I’m flying out to Estradia soon to discuss the project we were talking about earlier. We’ll finalize the details then.”

“Are you going to join me?” he asked of Rami.

Rami eyed the ladies, then shook his head. “No challenge,” he replied, bored with the women.

Edward chuckled. “You’re becoming jaded, old man.”

Rami snorted. “And you aren’t?” He jerked his hard chin towards the women. “Are you seriously interested in any of them?”

The duke shrugged his broad shoulders. “I never turn down a dance with a beautiful woman.” He moved off towards the small group of women and Antonio watched, trying to release the abrupt fury he’d felt when his friend had suggested romancing Astra.

He searched for, and found, the woman that had haunted his thoughts for the past several days. She wasn’t “his” woman, as much as he’d like her to be. Astra was graceful, beautiful, and intelligent. She was the calm amid the storm that was today’s celebration. Everyone turned to her for guidance and she offered instruction with a smile.

Yes, he wanted her. But Astra was clearly exhausted. She hid it well, but Antonio could see the fatigue in her eyes, in the slight slouch of her shoulders. She glanced at her watch and he noticed the sigh. Then she straightened her shoulders, lifted her chin a touch higher and…glanced towards him.

There was a jolt of electricity. He felt it. And her startled gaze told him that she felt it too.

Nodding, he lifted his glass in her direction, trying to convey…what? That he knew she was worn out? That he could see the fatigue in her eyes? All that, and congratulations on having done an outstanding job today. Antonio had worked with many other event coordinators over the years, and none would have been able to accomplish a wedding of this magnitude so quickly. Even with the expertise of the palace staff, today’s wedding and the night’s reception had been a monumental feat. And Astra had done it.

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