Chapter 3
Ana stood in front of the mirror, studying her naked body. Even ignoring the dirt on her face and hands and her filthy tangled hair, she had to agree, she did look strange. Strange, yes. But a boy? No! What the hell were these, she scoffed, glaring at the full mounds on her chest, topped by soft pink nipples? No boys she knew had these. She didn’t have to lift her breasts, they stood up as firm and full as anyone could wish. And she didn’t wish. If anything, they annoyed her. Just like her curvy hips and long legs annoyed her. And her butt. Damn, not that she wanted big doughy cheeks like Molly, but why were hers so tight and curvy? It was hard enough to find pants that fit and didn’t show her crack.
For the last five years, since her thin strong body started betraying her, she had stood daily staring at the naked stranger in the mirror, growing more and more perplexed. What was it going to do next? Get even curvier? Grow another tit? That would probably help, she thought with a grimace. At least that way, she would look like as big a freak as she felt. She wouldn’t have to listen to the whistles and grunts when she walked in the barn. Maybe then the ranch hands who used to urge her to ride faster, jump higher fences would stop treating her like she was made of glass, when they weren’t ogling her and exchanging lewd grins.
Until this point, she had managed to squelch the memory of what happened in the barn. But it came flooding back. She started, shocked at the change she saw in the mirror. Just thinking about that awful man, her cheeks flushed and, dammit, so did her chest. Even her nipples perked up. They came to attention, got tighter, harder, like ripe berries.
With a harsh moan, Ana turned from the mirror and strode to the bathroom willing her faithless body to stop trembling. The elegant marble tile and gold plated fixtures in the fancy shower her father had installed for her beckoned her. It was her refuge. She didn’t care how the servants talked about how spoiled she was. It wasn’t as if they didn’t have the most elaborate servant’s quarters in California. You’d think they’d be grateful. The Chinese servants were as bad as the Irish ones. Those damn Irish. Her aunt who knew everything about what was proper and what wasn’t had insisted that they import Irish girls from the east. Apparently in Boston, anyone who was anybody had Irish servants, never Chinese.
Ana growled as she stepped into the shower and turned the water on full blast. She hated her aunt, and she hated Molly with a vengeance. And that man, that awful, arrogant, beautiful man, she hated him most of all. No, that was wrong. She hated herself more. How could she ever live down what had happened? What she’d done! What she’d seen! Oh God, if anyone found out. The servants? Molly? Caitlin? They would tell the hands. She would be the laughingstock of the ranch.
She squeezed her eyes shut and made the water hotter, trying to burn the hateful images out of her mind. Her only saving grace was that she would
never
see that odious man again, never hear his taunting laugh or see his sexy grin. With a louder groan, she loosened her soaking braid and let her hair fall over her shoulders, down her back. Maybe if she scrubbed herself hard enough, soaped her hair long enough, she could wash away the haunting images that made her cheeks flame, her stomach clench, and her body tremble.
~~~
Ana stood at the top of the curving staircase, willing herself to go down. The sound of lively chatter, the clink of glasses and soft music spoke to the festive event below, the event she dreaded attending. Ana hated parties — especially her aunt’s parties. All of her aunt’s pretentious friends bored her to death, in particular the wealthy, eligible men her aunt foisted on her.
Ana would have refused to attend, except that her father had requested her presence. She loved her father more than anyone in the world. The only one even close was Kai, her brother. Kai disliked their aunt as much as Ana did. They both despised the way she thought she could take the place of their mother, Sarah, who died twelve years before, when Ana was eight and Kai was twelve. Aunt Penelope, or Aunt Persnickety, as Ana and Kai called her behind her back, was white, like their mother. When their mother died, Aunt Penelope insisted that she become part of Chao Li’s household, as she said, to bring a more “civilized” sheen to it. Her reference was a thinly veiled slur against her Chinese brother-in-law. While she was embarrassed that her niece and nephew were half-Chinese, the fact that her brother-in-law was one of the wealthiest men in California, some said the country, lessened her embarrassment somewhat. Aunt Persnickety never mentioned that before her sister Sarah died she had been banished from her Boston society family for committing the sin of marrying a Chink — as Penelope often referred to Chinese when she wasn’t calling them the ‘yellow people.’ Chao Li was so devastated by the untimely death of his beloved wife, so deep in grief, he had accepted his sister-in-law’s insinuation into their lives. Now, after twelve long years, Chao, Ana, and Kai did their best to tolerate the intolerable woman.
Her aunt had been in a frantic buzz for more than a week preparing for the impending arrival of Chao Li’s guest. For once, Chao had done something right in Penelope’s eyes. According to Penelope, Chao’s guest was the son of one of the most powerful men in the U.S. Senate, and a member of Boston’s elite. When she heard he was coming to visit, Penelope insisted that they have a special dinner party to show him off. As always, Ana paid no attention to her aunt’s fluttering preparations. She would have skipped the party, making up one of her typical excuses, except that her father specifically asked her to attend.
Knowing how much Ana hated such events, Chao rarely insisted on her presence. But tonight was important to him, so important he bribed Ana with a beautiful gown. Given that Ana hated wearing dresses, insisting that pants and a shirt were more comfortable, Chao Li gave her an unusual gown she couldn’t resist. It was bright red satin, shot through with gold and silver threads. Certainly not the kind of gown her aunt wore or wanted Ana to wear. It was an avant-garde creation that Ana loved the first time she saw it.
Some of the most innovative designers in Paris were moving away from the overdressed, multi-layered costumes and restrictive underwear that women wore for the last century. The gown Chao gave Ana was at the foremost edge of current fashion. A slender slip of a gown, the bodice came to a low V revealing the top swell of her breasts. Knowing that her aunt thought calling attention to one’s bosom was déclassé, for once Ana was pleased that her bosoms were as full as they were and that the gown showed them off. As much as Penelope hated the dress, she was mortified that Ana refused to wear a corset, in fact was adamant that the most she would wear was a light chemise.
As she dressed for the party, Ana struggled with the gown. The slim skirt made it difficult to move freely, unlike the trousers she wore on a daily basis. Frustrated, she called for Jing, her personal maid, to help her. To Jing’s dismay, Ana insisted that Jing open one of the seams up the front of the dress. Jing didn’t hide her shock. “No, no, mistress. You cannot do that. The madam will be angry. You cannot go to the party with a
hole
in your dress!”
“Not a hole, silly! Just a slit. Up the front so that I can walk, not shuffle along like an old woman,” Ana exclaimed, handing the scissors to a reluctant Jing.
An hour later, Ana stood in front of the mirror, delighted by what she saw. Jing had made an outrageous slit up the front of the dress. It offered a glimpse of Ana’s sensational legs when she walked. To taunt her aunt further, Ana chose a pair of red satin high-heeled slippers Kai had brought her from New York, claiming they were the height of fashion. The three-inch heels accentuated her ankles and toned calves, neither of which proper young women ever revealed, according to her aunt. Twirling once more, Ana laughed out loud at her image in the mirror. If this gown didn’t convince her aunt it was preferable to let her wear trousers, she didn’t know what would.
Chapter 4
Ana hesitated at the top of the stairs. She didn’t care if her aunt was furious. She secretly hoped she would be. Maybe she’d stop inviting her to these damn parties. But Ana didn’t want to upset her father. Taking a deep breath, she started down the stairs. Thanks to the slit up the front of the dress, she moved easily from one step to the next and by the time she reached the bottom, she was confident she had done the right thing altering her dress. For the first time, she didn’t dread a party. If nothing else, it helped take her mind off the awful incident in the barn, almost making her forget the despicable man who’d upset her and challenged her as no one ever had. She stood in the doorway for a moment surveying the anteroom leading to the formal dining room.
The well-designed chamber easily accommodated the thirty guests invited to the dinner party. Chao Li’s villa was astonishing, renowned in all of California for its opulence and extraordinary beauty. Invitations to the complex were treasured by influential wealthy Californians. Most of the parties and events were instigated by Penelope as Chao Li preferred smaller private gatherings. But tonight, Ana had to admit the room was lovely. Gas-fired sconces provided a pleasant glow and the string quartet housed discreetly behind tapestry screens filled the room with tasteful music. Elegant silverware, priceless china, and sparkling glassware decorated each place setting. Bouquets of wildflowers placed strategically throughout the room added riotous color and subtle fragrances. Liveried servants and maids stood at the ready to serve the copious amounts of food and drink that her aunt thought necessary to underscore their wealth. Just one more thing that annoyed Ana about the pretentious woman she was saddled with. As usual, everything that her aunt controlled was perfect. Too bad she cannot control me, Ana thought with a satisfied grin.
Ana spotted her brother across the room. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw her, then a slow grin replaced his usual frown. He winked at her, confirming that her dress was sure to do what she hoped it would: annoy the hell out of their aunt. They exchanged a long suffering glance, confirming their camaraderie and deep distaste for the affair. She smiled to herself, knowing that his disgruntled expression would no doubt be reflected on her face the minute she had to speak with her aunt — or any of the potential suitors the interfering biddy invited to torment her. Fortunately, Penelope was engaged with a group of men at the far end of the room. Even at that distance, her shrill hyena-like laugh sent unwelcome shivers up Ana’s spine. At that moment, she spied her father and her negativity evaporated. She loved her father and the look on his face when he saw her was nothing short of adoring. He put up his hand, halting the conversation with San Francisco’s leading banker and moved toward his beloved daughter. His movement caused a stir in the room, as most of the guests turned to the doorway to see who had captured their illustrious host’s attention.
He strode toward her, his hands outstretched. His greeting echoed across the now quiet room.
“Ah, yes, finally, my lovely daughter has arrived.”
The guests parted, leaving a path between father and daughter allowing Chao Li to reach Ana and draw her into the room. His glowing smile as he turned to the guests underscored the love and pride shining in his eyes.
“Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Ana Ming, my daughter.”
A smattering of applause greeted his introduction. Ana felt her cheeks heat, embarrassed by the attention. Knowing how proud her father was of her and loving him deeply, she forgave him the unwelcome attention. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, then turned shyly to the guests who were crowding closer to see her. She felt a little like a circus animal on display. Her well-earned reputation for skipping out on most formal events made her a curiosity, and the guests pressed forward to be the first to greet her. Her father draped a protective arm around her shoulders and led her into the room. Without being asked, Kai joined them, shoring up her other side.
Just when she had convinced herself that she could indeed do this, she saw him and the room swirled before her. Clutching Kai’s arm, she took deep breaths to keep from falling. Dismay closer to despair flooded her. This couldn’t be. It simply could not be. But there he was, standing next to her aunt, resplendent in formal attire, looking for all the world like a gentleman. His slim black trousers hugged his strong thighs, underscoring his lean, strong physique. A silver and dark grey vest accented his cutaway coat. A complimentary ascot with flecks of emerald green mirrored the deep forest green of his astonishing eyes. His hair hung in careless curls around his suntanned face, a fashionable rogue prepared to steal the heart of every woman in the room, young and old. Except that he wasn’t looking at any other woman; he was staring at her. When their eyes met, a slight ironic smile twisted his lips, and the now familiar twinkle in his eyes made Ana’s groin clench.
~~~
Gabe saw her before she saw him. Only years of high-level poker playing allowed him to keep his expression impassive when the earthquake-level shock that he felt could have, and should have, brought him to his knees. It wasn’t the fact that she was Chao’s daughter. Or even the fact that he’d propositioned her in the barn minutes after fucking one of her maids. Or that he’d threatened to spank her, and tie her up while he fucked her. No, any one of those things should have been the reason shocked tremors roiled his gut. But they weren’t. The reason he needed every ounce of detachment years of playing poker had drilled into him, was because she was without a doubt the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
She was clearly Chinese, but the angels that created her had stirred up an exotic racial mix that was more exquisite than either race on its own. Her skin was pale and delicate, and a natural rosiness flushed her cheeks. Her lustrous hair hung down her back in a silken black cascade. Thick dark lashes and arched brows framed her wide upturned eyes. He almost wept, looking at her mouth. How the hell could he have missed those lips? Christ, if he’d stopped teasing her long enough to look beneath the dirt, he might have done what he ached to do now. Take one, then the other of those full sensuous lips, and suck on them as he drove his tongue deep inside her mouth.