Annie nearly jumped, her heart was pumping so hard, she didn't expect her fantasy to be interrupted by the large grandfather clock that chimed loudly against the wall in the corner of her father's study. It startled her out of the day dream she was having.

Disappointment coursed through her.

His eager welcoming arms around her, promising to keep their secret...it almost felt real. Sighing, she pushed herself away from the door. It was a wonderful feeling, to be able to imagine the impossible, to be engulfed in the world of fantasy, to fantasize any outcome so easily...

Annie had planned on not making this easy on him and planned to play hard to get but he was ahead of her, taunting, teasing, playing with her emotions with his constant attention solely directed at her. His intensity pushed past her comfort level. She wanted a chance at a relationship and he was there wanting her, needing her with a passion she felt within him.

She felt like she knew him, but she didn't know much about him. She was certain of several things: he was demanding, confident, powerful and he looked like a man who fights for what he believes in. She wanted that in a man, needed it. She wanted a protector, someone who could take care her better than she can take care of her self physically and emotionally. But she needed to be certain he wanted her for the person she was on the inside not just the outside.

Witnessing first hand what Cici went through for not updating their parents on her relationship, Annie needed to be careful–history was not repeating itself. She didn't want any influences.  Annie needed to see who Julien St. James was on her own terms without anyone knowing.

Yet.

Approaching her father's desk, she seated herself his plush leather chair and grabbed the phone. Her hands shook a little due to the surprise she received from the grandfather clock earlier. Giving it a hard glare, she noticed it was eight o'clock in the evening.

Taking the crumpled piece of paper out of her hands and smoothing it out, Annie glanced at the note Oliver handed her and started to dial the hospital.

Dr. Mark Reynolds–the hospital's chief of staff had left the message. He was a young, smart, highly talented and a handsome doctor who always outrageously flirted with her whenever she was working at the hospital. She had a crush on him for the longest time but never showed him or encouraged his advances. She never felt anything special with Mark like she did with Julien. She couldn't explain it to herself quite yet but she was positive of her feelings.

"University hospital Eliana speaking, how can I help or direct your call." Eliana spoke on the other end of the line.

"Hi Eliana, it's Annie speaking, Mark called and left a message about filling in, and I was just calling to see when and for how long." Annie replied.

She knew Eliana very well, she was one of the head nurses at the hospital.

"Hey girl, haven't seen that pretty face of yours in a while, how've you been?"

"I'm doing good, I've been super busy with work, I'm sorry I haven't come in sooner. How have you been?" Annie answered with a smile.

"I'm good, honey. Well seems like I'll be seeing you pretty soon since you said Dr. Sexy called you!" She said with a laugh.

Annie laughed as well. Everybody at the hospital was smitten with Mark. He was a charming flirt and had all the girls wrapped around his fingers.

"Yeah, so is he available? I can call back...." Annie suggested eagerly, hoping he was. She wanted to get off the phone and sit with everybody on the patio.

"Hold on hon, I'll page him. Even if he's in surgery I bet he'll answer his pager when he knows it's you. Hold on a sec." Eliana relied with a smile in her voice.

She put Annie on hold, less than a minute later Mark answered.

"Hello gorgeous! Miss me?" He said in a cocky and smooth voice.

"Hi Mark." Completely ignoring his charm. He was such a smooth operator. "You called me earlier?"

"Yeah, I did. One of the nurses wants the day off to attend a wedding, next Friday, her shift is from 8:00am to 8:00pm, would you be able to come in...?

It's been months since she last helped at the hospital. 

Mark worked in the emergency room. Work in the ER was strenuous. And Annie welcomed it. The adrenaline rush, she got when cases came in, the good, the bad. The most important closure she received was when she helped others live.

"It shouldn't be a problem, I'll make sure I have someone cover for me at work." She answered. 

"Great! I'll put you on the schedule, the staff will be excited to see you, it's been a while..." He trailed off, relief evident from his tone. 

"I know, I'll see you guys next Friday, have a goodnight!" She responded abruptly. 

Annie couldn't wait to enjoy the rest of the evening while the St. James' were still there. Continuing the conversation with Mark making small talk was something Annie didn't have the patience for at the moment.

Annie heard Mark's pager starting to beep erratically, notifying him of an emergency. "I have to go, Goodnight, see you soon!" He rushed out the line going dead.

Annie replaced the phone back on the receiver.

She left the study and made her way directly to the patio's double doors, located to rear of the mansion. She heard laughter as she advanced to the patio.

Everyone was seated around the fire, as the fire pit illuminated around them in the night giving off a ethereal glow. The flames danced in the center causing everyone's eyes to flicker. Turkish coffee was already being served with baklava. It was a favorite of her parents taking them back to their roots with the traditional drink and dessert from the Middle East.

Hookahs–another traditional perk, were lit around the pit, every pair sitting together sharing one.

Phaedra's laughter echoed into the night as she tried the hookah, smoke emitting from her mouth as she blew out. She brought the hose tip to her lips and inhaled, quickly blowing it back out again.

"What flavor is this one? It tastes delicious!" She asked excitedly.

Annie heard her saying as she was making her way towards them. She sat finding a seat next to Cici and Phaedra.

"It's a mixture of berry and grape, with a hint of peach." Sonny answered her.   He specialized in mixing the tobacco flavors and putting together the hookah.  Annie found Sheila and Michael sharing a hookah, Kate and Charlotte paired up with one, while Victor and Patrick both enjoyed cigars.

Julien was smoking out of the hose of his hookah as he gazed at Annie, with half hooded eyes. Duncan was beside him awaiting his turn eagerly. Glancing away from him, she pretended to look around the group casually.

Cici and Phaedra were using their special hookah, the one that has two hoses coming out of each end of the pipes bowl. Cici stopped smoking and offered Annie her hose to smoke out of.

She put the hose tip to her mouth and inhaled, releasing a large amount of smoke from her mouth quickly into the night sky, tilting her head back. She didn't like to inhale deeply trying to prevent the smoke from congesting her lungs. Just like cigarette smoke, it can be damaging. The Taverrons smoked hookah a few times a week, most of the time sharing just one amongst the four of them.

"Annie, I have your coffee already poured along with your baklava." Her mother said as she stood up to hand her them from the other side of the pit.

Annie rose and made her way around the fire trying to pass Julien and Duncan along with their hookah that rested on the floor. Although she was careful, her high heeled shoe caught onto the hose making the hookah tip over. The lit charcoals above the tobacco dish scattered all along their legs.

Duncan jumped from his seat trying to avoid getting burned while the hose in his hand having detached from the pipe itself. Julien was still in his seat, suddenly sitting up straight, pulling his chair back slightly. Annie tried desperately to avoid the charcoals, having been burned by them before.

"Annie!"
"Julien!"
"Duncan!"
"Are you alright?"
"Did anyone get burned?" They all shouted at once.

Everyone gasped and stood up out of their chairs starting to panic. Micahel made a grab for the tongs and the carrier for the charcoal, making his way towards the broken coals that landed on the paved floor. Charlotte let out a surprised yelp as she put the coffee cup down, making it spill over and slightly burn her hand seeing as it was still very hot. Not caring she grabbed some water to put out the coals.

All of a sudden, Annie lost her footing and balance.  By avoiding stepping on the coals she ended up in the most unexpected place–Julien's lap. She felt one hand wrap around her waist and the other firmly landing and holding her hip. Her arm went instinctively around his neck so she could steady herself when she landed on him side ways.

She felt his breath on the her chest above the open v-neck shirt she wore. Annie clutched him close to her, surprised from the impact, stiffening her body.

"Annie don't move, the charcoals are all around the floor. Just wait while I pick them up and check around for any strays." Michael ordered.

Annie looked at Julien now that he sat up a bit after the impact, loosening her hold on his neck. "I'm sorry if I hurt you when I fell." She apologized awkwardly, while blushing. She was extremely embarrassed by the display of her in Julien's arms, shifting on his lap.

"It's alright Duchess, you're not hurt are you?" He whispered to her as he tightened his hold, scooting her closer against his chest.

He called her Duchess...Her eyes widened as he looked into her eyes, as concern etched his face. "N-no I'm fine." She answered nervously. His hand still gripped her upper thigh.

Longing slammed through her. She had never felt this hopeful, wanting, helpless, and needy before.

She felt right in his arms. Her soft alluring scent engulfed him. He was captivated by her, as desire flared inside of him. He clutched her to him closer keeping her from squirming in his lap.

"This is highly inappropriate." Annie said low enough for him to hear only.

"What's inappropriate? This feels right to me." He answered with his signature devilish smirk.

It didn't feel right when her father quirked a disapproving eyebrow at her as she sat on Julien's lap while Sonny took his time picking up the broken and scattered pieces of charcoal. She knew it wasn't proper but she didn't have a choice when Julien was clutching her to him. She didn't want to create a scene and push herself off of him forcefully.

Annie glanced at her mother who was eyeing her and Julien, no judgement evident in her expression. Kate winked. Cici smiled and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Annie turned to Julien, "Unhand me now!" She whisper shouted at him with an angry scowl. "You're going to get me in trouble, this is not the time nor the place to enjoy feeling me up, everybody is watching!" His hands went still on her hip and waist, releasing the grip he had on her. He looked around him and surely enough her father didn't look too happy with the scene of his daughter in his arms.

Oh, but did he enjoy the feel of her soft luscious body on him. He tensed with need for her. When she fell on his lap he felt victorious, needing any excuse to touch her.

But he should be cautious. He shouldn't risk showing how he felt in front of others, and especially her family no less. He knew it was not in their ways to allow any display of intimacy in any sort between male and female who had no attachments of any sort. They had rules and traditions to abide by, and her father didn't seem like the lenient type.

But someday she will be his in their eyes and before God he promised himself.

Now he had to do damage control. He didn't want nor need anyone suspicious of his intentions. He looked back at Annie and her brilliant eyes shot fire. She was angry.

"Well, it appears as though Michael cleared the area, I hope you're all right Annie. You tripped and fell hard." Julien declared, loud enough for them all to hear.

He feigned the role of the concerned gentlemen with a polite serious expression.

Annie glared at him. It was all an act, she knew it. The desire she saw earlier was gone now replaced with a sweet, innocent, concerned, and well behaved gentlemen. Wanting to shatter his fake facade, Annie twisted in his lap forcing her bottom further on his crotch as she made to get up. She heard him moan deep in his throat as his hands went to her waist once again.

"Yes, I fell real hard..." Annie smiled inwardly, She got the reaction she wanted feeling the strain of his erection on her bottom.

Patrick moved forward to help Annie up, her heels seeming to make her legs wobbly and unsteady. He held her by the hand and pulled her swiftly up and away from Julien.

She felt slight pain in her right ankle while standing, the pressure making it throb. She must have twisted it and not realized it. While on Julien's lap she didn't even feel the pain, he was too distracting.

Her father still held her. "Dad, I think I must have twisted my ankle." Pulling her heels off.

Patrick glanced down.

Annie had her right knee bent while leaning against him and balancing on her left leg. Catching her off guard, he swiftly lifted her in his arms bridal style.   Wrapping her arms around his neck, Patrick carries to the same spot she previously occupied next to Cici.

Annie flushed in embarrassment as everyone watched. Patrick bent down and lifted her leg up, "Charlotte get me some ice, her ankle is swelling up."

"Oh dear." Charlotte face palmed herself and rushed off the get some ice.

Annie looked to see Julien behind her father, above his shoulder. Kate sat next to her worried. Cici, Phaedra, Duncan, Sonny, Sheila and Victor were hovered around them trying to get a better look.

Cici spoke up, "Angie, you okay?"

"I'm fine, it's just a little sprain, it's not that bad."

Julien stared at her intently, trying to read her eyes for the truth. She hadn't mentioned her ankle when she was on his lap. She didn't seem in pain, but was uncomfortable with the attention she was receiving.

"Everybody please go sit down, we don't need an audience, she'll be all right." Julien orders, seeming well controlled and authoritive.

Following his instruction, they all went back to their seats.

He bent down to her and Patrick's level. "May I?" Asking Patrick's permission to touch her ankle. "I want to feel if she may have done more damage than just a sprain." Glancing into Annie's eyes which were as large as saucers.

She attempted to withdraw her foot from her father's grasp roughly, not wanting anyone to touch her. She was slightly relieved it happened though, now she has the perfect excuse as to why she stayed glued on Julien's lap, if anyone thought to ask.

"Sure go ahead, I'll go check for a brace." Patrick answered him, not seeing to mind. He stood and turned around making his way into the house. Annie couldn't believe what she just heard, her mouth hanging open. Julien gripped her leg and stopped her from moving out of his reach.

"Be still." He ordered.

Annie stiffened when his hand made contact with the back of her muscled calf, his hands soft and warm. He pulled her foot onto his hard muscled thigh. He rolled her ankle gently inward then outward. Her ankle throbbed even worse than before by the time he finished. Grinding down on her teeth, Annie held in her cry of agony refusing to display her weakness.

"Where does it hurt more on the outer side, or inner?" He asked her, looking up.

"Outer, that means it's a minor strain. That must have been the reason I fell on you. I didn't notice until I stood up." She answered him in a clipped, strained voice.

Julien couldn't help but stare at her luscious full lips. Wondering how they would taste. Looking back up to her eyes she caught him starring at her. His hand started caressing her leg, enjoying the feel of her soft skin wanting any excuse to touch her.

He felt an emptiness inside of him whenever she wasn't near him. It's like she mended all the broken pieces–made him whole. In just a short period of time he's known her, he felt she was his other half that had been missing. This is the woman he'd been waiting for, for the last thirty-two years of his life.

Annie quickly surveyed her surroundings. Everyone was preoccupied with small talk and not paying attention to them.

"I'll always be there to catch you duchess...always."
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**(Hookahs are water pipes that are used to smoke specially made tobacco that comes in different flavors, such as apple, mint, cherry, chocolate, coconut, licorice, berry, grape, peach, cappuccino, and watermelon)**