The Man's Outrageous Demands (19 page)

Taking a deep breath, she started her rehearsed speech. “First, you can’t touch me. I want to talk and well…whenever you start touching me, we stop talking.”

Sam considered that for only a moment and then nodded his head. “Agreed. As long as I can touch you after you’re done talking.”

Marabeth drew in a shaky breath. “If you still want to, then I’ll be happy to be with you, tonight,” she emphasized.

“What are your other conditions?” he asked, not agreeing to the time table she was setting up. He wanted her right now. He had her underwear in his pocket and had been thinking about it during the past hour. Just the thought that she didn’t have any underwear on was driving him insane with lust for her.

Marabeth considered her conditions met and continued on. “I want you to really listen to what I have to say and not just sweep my issues aside as if they were insignificant. I understand that you might think they are silly but they are important to me and I want you to treat them with that same amount of importance.”

“I never sweep your issues aside,” he countered.

“Yes, you do, Sam.”

“Fine,” he snapped, not liking the fact that she thought he didn’t respect her.

“Good enough,” she said. She picked up her fork and played with the food on her plate, not really interested in food anymore. She hadn’t had any breakfast but she still wasn’t hungry. Not with all the emotions running through her at this time.

Taking a deep breath, she started off, “Sam, I know you aren’t in love with me now, but I want to know if there could ever be a time when you could at least respect me.”

“What the hell do you mean?” he demanded. “Of course I respect you.”

She noticed that he didn’t say he loved her. Feeling slightly defeated, she persevered. She’d known he wasn’t in love with her. It was just confirmation that her intuition was correct.

“And why do you think I don’t love you?” he asked.

Marabeth smiled wistfully. “Because you’ve never said you’re in love with me. But don’t worry. I don’t expect you to be in love with me,” she said.

“Dammit, Marabeth! You’re being ridiculous. Why in the world would I want to marry you if I’m not in love with you?”

“Regardless of your romantic inclinations, I want to have your respect,” she said, not willing to argue with him on that point.

“I do respect you.”

“No, you don’t. Respect means that you trust me. You don’t trust me yet. And I need to know how I can earn your trust.”

“Marabeth, you don’t need to earn it, it comes with the territory.”

“Then why won’t you tell me what is going on with my security? Why do you brush off all discussions that have any kind of importance to me?”

Sam calmed down, taking note of the anxiety on her face. She cared. That was evident. And she wanted him to see something which meant she cared deeply. If she didn’t care, she would treat him like she had her former fiancé and he’d just be a burden to her. That thought calmed him down to the point where he really could listen to her. Leaning forward, he started eating lunch, suddenly ravenous and looking forward to tonight when he could take her into his arms again. “When the security issue is resolved, then you can go about to all your usual functions. The rest I can only show you that I respect your work and the things you’re accomplishing by ensuring that you’re safe when you do them. And as for loving you, you’re in love with me but you’ve never said so yourself, have you?”

Marabeth blinked, surprised by his comment. Was she in love with him? The crushing realization was true. She was in love with him. Desperately so. It wasn’t just the sex. She loved even his arrogance although she wished it wasn’t at the expense of the things she considered important.

“Yes, I love you.” She shook her head. “But I won’t go into a marriage with someone who doesn’t respect me,” she said. dealt with it then. But I didn’t love George. without respect.”
“I had that with George and would have Since I do love you, I won’t marry you

“What do I have to do to prove that I respect you?” he asked, feeling very confident and wonderful at the moment. She’d admitted that she loved him. That was half the battle, wasn’t it? More than half he thought.

“Like I said, you have to respect the things I do and learn to trust me.”

“Fine. I’m not sure how we’ll go about doing that, but give me a chance and send me some signals and I’ll do my best,” he said.

Marabeth thought that was a good enough start. She smiled, feeling butterflies in her stomach. “Okay then.”

“Good. Will you come to my house tonight? I’ll cook for you,” he said. “And you can tell me what you’ve done today.”

Marabeth had to laugh. She knew what was on his mind and it wasn’t her daily activities, which he knew inside and out because he read about them in the daily reports. “Fine,” she agreed.

Sam took another bite, then stood up. “I have to go if I’m going to be finished at a reasonable hour. I’ll meet you in the garage at seven?” he asked.

“Seven o’clock,” she agreed.

He was almost to the door to the dining room when he stopped and turned back. He walked back to where she was still sitting at the table and bent down to kiss her. “Thank you for talking to me,” he said, then winked at her. “And would you please go get a dress for our wedding?”

Marabeth laughed, feeling good now that he had thanked her. “Yes. I believe Stacy made an appointment for me with the designer this afternoon.”

“Good.”

The next two weeks were the most magical of Marabeth’s life. She spent the day working in her office and had meetings brought to the palace since Sam still didn’t think it was safe enough for her to leave. But the evenings were spent together. They ate dinner every night although sometimes it was late. Sam asked her about her day and she shared her concerns with him about some of the charities that popped up. And when he offered to look into them for her, she rejected his offer telling him that she had her own ways of researching the organizations. Wonderfully, he accepted that and even more, he shared his day with her. She found that he was truly a visionary when it came to the military and the various needs of the forces. He had some wonderful changes he’d like to make but also knew the hurdles he’d have to overcome in order to implement those changes.

Marabeth thrived through those two weeks. She had several fittings for her wedding dress which was going to be beautiful with a fitted bodice and a flowing, chiffon skirt that skimmed the floor with sparkling beads embedded in the folds of the chiffon. There was a long train that would accompany her down the aisle but would be taken off for the reception so it didn’t get in the way. Her veil was made of the lightest tulle and had the same sparkling beads sewn into the folds as well as the skirt.

She felt like she was on top of the world and if Sam didn’t say he loved her again after their one lunch, she dismissed it as unnecessary. All she wanted was his respect and that would be enough. At least she tried to convince herself of that.

Stacy stood in the doorway to Marabeth’s office, obviously not wanting to interrupt Marabeth’s train of thought. But the issue couldn’t wait any longer.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Marabeth, but…”

Marabeth stood up and watched her secretary warily. “What’s wrong?” she asked, knowing it wasn’t good news if Stacy’s body language was any indication. The woman wouldn’t even come into the room but stood outside the doorway.

“I was curious about the changes that the new Minister might start imposing,” she said hesitantly.

“And?” Marabeth asked absently. She didn’t really want to talk about Sam. He’d been on her mind too often lately and she really wanted to stop thinking about him.

“Well…it seems that he is asking for permission to build a new Air Force base on the west coast,” she said.

Marabeth laughed. “Not near the wetlands,” Marabeth joked. Marabeth had a pet project of her own and that was to save the wet lands on the west coast from further devastation due to over building. Too many of the beaches were being taken over by commercial enterprises that ignored environmental concerns. Her father wasn’t very concerned about the environment either but she’d adopted an area that had yet to be touched and was still relatively pristine, ignored by developers as being too far out to stir much interest.

“Um…” Stacy started, lifting a bound manual higher in her hands, “that’s actually exactly where they want to build the airport.”

Marabeth looked up from the letter she’d been reading. “Are you kidding?” she asked, sitting up higher in her chair.

“No. I wish I was.”

“Well, they can’t do that. We’re just about to get that land designated as a national resource for wetlands.”

“But it hasn’t been yet,” she said, walking hesitantly over to Marabeth’s desk to hand her the bound papers. “I’m sorry,” she said and walked quickly out of the office.

Marabeth read through the words that basically condemned the wetlands from preservation. “This can’t be happening,” she said, putting her head in her hands and reading through the rest of the proposed changes to the defense of Cordova. This was a classified version of the proposal so Marabeth was able to see more details than most others would see.

“Don’t worry, Stacy,” Marabeth said calmly. “I’ll just talk to Sam and let him know that this area is not a good site and would have a devastating impact on the environment. Besides, there’s another area only five miles away that would probably be just as useful and is already paved because of an old shopping mall that had been proposed about five years ago.”

Marabeth walked down the hallway to Sam’s office and smiled at Jerry who was busily typing on the computer when she walked in. “I’m sorry to just barge in like this but is the Minister available to talk?” she asked, smiling at the young man.

“I’ve been told to interrupt whatever the Minister is doing for you, your highness,” he said and picked up the phone.

“No, I don’t want to interrupt him if he is in a meeting.”

“He’s not,” Jerry shook his head. “He’s been going through correspondence,” he explained.

A moment later, Sam came out of his office and smiled broadly at Marabeth. “What are you doing here? Come on into my office,” he said and stood aside so she could precede him into the larger office.

“Thanks,” she said and smiled as she passed by him. Marabeth concentrated on what she’d come here to say and not on the magnificent man standing in front of her, impressively dressed in a well tailored business suit.

“What’s up, princess?” he said and pulled her over to the sofa by her hand. “Or is this a social call?” he teased.

“Not really,” she grimaced.

“I knew that,” he laughed but pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard anyway. “What’s on your mind?”

They settled onto the sofa and Marabeth had to shake her head and concentrate on her mission. She had trouble remembering what it was and had to shake her head slightly when she realized she was just staring at his handsome face.

“It’s about this base you’re proposing on the west coast,” she started off.

“What about it?” he said.

“I was hoping you’d consider not doing it,” she said.

“Not a chance. That side of the country is severely vulnerable.” “Then how about an alternative site,” she said, not losing hope.

“No way. That stretch of land juts out into the sea and gives us a much better view and maneuverability than any other site on that side. Why? What’s so special about that barren stretch of land? No one lives out there so it should be pretty easy to gain access to it.”

“No one but a bunch of animals that have been pushed out of their original mating places over the years. That beach is a big favorite of the sea turtles to lay their eggs in the springtime. There are many other animals that need that stretch of land for their survival.”

Sam smiled down at her. “You’re not one of those tree huggers, are you? I thought you were more sensible than that. You can’t honestly expect me to choose a bunch of landless animals over the safety of the country, do you?”

“Absolutely not. I’m a big advocate of security. But there are always alternatives for air force base positioning. There aren’t many alternatives left for the animals.”

“Then they are going to have to find one, because I need that stretch of land for the base. It is pivotal to the defense of that side of Cordova and several other initiatives I’m planning for the future.”

She blinked at his unyielding tone. “Sam, you can’t be that heartless. These animals need their nesting sites. Putting an Air Force base would create so much chaos that they’d be forced out for miles.”

“That’s not my concern.”

Marabeth didn’t like his black and white attitude. “Well, then make it your concern. Have a little heart.”

Sam glanced at his watch, then back to her. “Come to dinner with me tonight and we’ll discuss it,” he said, standing up and pulling her with him. ‘I have a meeting with several cabinet members but you can convince me later on tonight. Deal?”

Marabeth was suspicious but she relented for now. “Okay, but I’ve got to warn you, I’m not going to give up on this issue,” she said.

“I’m looking forward to all your arguments,” he said.

Marabeth smiled wanly as she slipped out of his office and walked slowly down the hallway back to her own office. Xxx

Marabeth woke up and opened her eyes, a feeling of dread coming over her. Rolling onto her back, she stared up at the ornate ceiling of her bedroom. Her wedding was in two days.

She had to stop it.

It would have been different if she’d married George. Marabeth hadn’t had any feelings for George, nor had he had any for her. It would have been a marriage of convenience at best. They would have lived separate lives, appearing occasionally at social functions or public appearances together when it was necessary.