Page 13 of The Mafia Princess

“Aren’t you going to button your shirt, sir?”

He looked down at it and then nodded. “I will before I leave the room.”

Aryanna gritted her teeth and tried to concentrate on her crackers. She caught the smile on his face and wondered what was funny. Her eyes narrowed. He wasn’t laughing at her discomfort, was he?

He looked too innocent at the moment, and like his paper got his full attention, so she relaxed. After awhile, he stood and put the paper back in the briefcase before slowly buttoning up his shirt. When he glanced her way, she ducked her head and kept her gaze on her lap.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come, Lass?” He stopped with his hand on the door.

“I’m positive. But thank you.”

“All right. I’ll see you later.”

“Okay.”

She heard his footsteps fade and exhaled. God, peace was exactly what she needed. Her nerves were at their breaking point.

Aryanna figured she’d have a few hours to shower, dress in her pajamas, and maybe watch a little TV before bed. She planned to sleep on the sofa. It was no hardship since the thing was very comfortable.

The shower she took was long and hot and felt wonderful. She scrubbed her scalp until it tingled before putting conditioner on it. She washed her body and then rinsed before she turned off the water.

She wrapped a towel around her head and one around her body. After finding a blow-dryer, she got to work on her hair. It took a long time to dry because it was so thick, and she wanted it dry so she could braid it again.

Her side started to ache from having her arms lifted, so she stopped, put lotion on her body, and then put on her pajamas. She decided to brush her teeth later because she planned to eat a little more from the tray. Everything on it was scrumptious.

After finding blankets and pillows in the closet she made a bed on the sofa. She turned off the lights and the TV on and found a movie she liked. She got comfortable with a plate of snacks in her hands, a lemonade on the table next to her, and a sweet romance to watch.

The night turned out to be one of the best in her life, which sounded pathetic, but she hadn’t been allowed many things at home.

Staying in America was looking better and better. She needed to consider and find information about living expenses and a job. She didn’t think she’d be able to tap into her inheritance because her father would block it, but it was something she could check into and maybe start getting money from and pray no one would tell him.

She started to feel sleepy, so she turned off the TV, brushed her teeth, and braided her hair before lying down. Between one minute and the next, she was asleep.

Chapter Seven

Remington let himself into his suite and saw the empty bed. He walked into the little living room to find Aryanna asleep.

He crouched down beside her and smoothed the hair that escaped her braid away from her face. Without the glasses to hide behind, he could see the beauty she didn’t want anyone to see for some reason.

At dinner, he’d talked with the girls and devised a plan to get Anna to open up. One of the first things he wanted to know was who hurt her and when. The second was why she was in disguise and who she really was.

She hummed and then snuggled farther under the blanket. The room wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t warm either, and he devised another plan. He’d make the room even colder and hide any other blankets, so she’d have to come to him. He’d try that tomorrow. He stood and walked into the bathroom to undress and brush his teeth. After he turned off the lights and got into bed, he stared at the ceiling and thought about everything that had transpired in the last few months.

The idea to move to the United States had been his father’s idea. Remington rebelled initially because he loved Scotland but understood where his father came from.

The businesses they owned in Scotland had been doing poorly for a long time, and there hadn’t been any other opportunities for them, so his father suggested moving to America with his cousins and starting a few businesses there.Whenand notifhe became successful, he’d send money home, so his father could stay in the house he’d been born and raised in.

The house was close to two hundred years old and had all the character of being that old, but the place had been added on to and modernized through the years to make it nice to live in. If at times they could feel the damp breeze through a door or window, they lived with it and just added wood to the seven fireplaces in the house.

Maybe his father and his companion would visit him in America some time. But he knew it would be hard for his father to leave his home and the woman he loved. He hadn’t started to miss it yet but knew he’d eventually have to go home to visit his father.

His home in Scotland had a different feel than Alastair’s. Where his cousin’s house was huge and bright, his home in Scotland had a lot of brick and dark wood, giving it a homey family feel, even though it was considered a mansion.

His thoughts turned to the girls at dinner. When he explained what was happening, what he knew, and what he wanted to find out, they were totally onboard. They were actually excited to have another woman in the house. They made it sound like he wanted Anna beyond a valet, but he didn’t have time for a relationship. He wanted to be able to concentrate on building the businesses for the family.

He fell asleep even though he had several ideas bombarding his mind. His body was done for the day, and he wasn’t going to fight it.

When he woke the next morning, he saw Anna dressed and ready for the day with her little glasses perched on her nose. Those damn things were going to get accidentally broken today. She just didn’t know it. He sat up and stretched before standing. He heard her squeak and then saw the blush on her face. He looked down at himself and realized he only had his boxers on.

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