Annie reacts negatively to Van Drake, but not to his editor!

**

Annie took a step backward, shocked and suddenly feeling that everything was so surreal. She couldn't believe what was happening.

"Y ... y ... you?" she stammered. "You are Vanessa Drake?"

The handsome man nodded, his blue eyes roving her up and down. "Yes I am. And I've really been looking forward to this, Annie." He looked incredibly happy. "You're even lovelier in person than in the photos you emailed me."

Annie gulped, her entire body quivering. Ohmygod! This was as awful as the sky falling down. No wonder you didn't send me any, she wanted to say. All that crap about being a recluse and not wanting any photos 'out there'. Humphh!

But she didn't say it, mainly because she couldn't say anything. She was freaking speechless.

Never had she been so surprised and so humiliated in her life. And both at the same time. She'd thought this man to be a woman, and she'd written to him about her most intimate thoughts and desires. Embarrassment and anger rose up in her like a sudden summer storm, and all she wanted to do was turn around and walk away before she began to explode like crashing thunder all over him.

His lips curved into an amused grin. "Aren't you going to shake my hand?"

Annie stared at his proffered hand, afraid to touch it. Not only had this man lied to her about his gender, but he was also the most gorgeous member of that gender she'd ever seen. And on top of that, he looked exactly like Jean-Luc!

She was tall, but he still towered over her. The well-worn brown tweed sport coat fit his broad shoulders snugly, and underneath it he wore an army-green colored t-shirt, stretched tightly across his muscular chest. His lean hips and long legs were encased in a pair of faded jeans with a couple obligatory worn spots, and on his feet were a pair of brown cowboy boots badly in need of a polish.

Not only wasn't he a woman, but he was also quite an unconventional man. Nobody dared to dress like that in the posh St. Andrew's Hotel.

Struggling to gather what she could of her wits, Annie extended her hand. It was trembling and she was embarrassed, but what could she do? "I'm very happy to meet you, Mr. Drake. I'm just ... well ... shocked. I certainly never expected ... this."

He took her hand in his. "Please call me Van. We're old friends, remember? And I'm sorry about not admitting the truth to you before, but I knew you would not continue writing me those awesome letters and emails if you knew I was a man."

The warm firm grip of his hand sent a tingling sensation pulsing up Annie's arm. She tried to ignore it, but she couldn't. It was spreading like wildfire throughout her whole body. And all that did was anger her. "You are quite correct in regards to that, Van. Had you told me you were a man, I would have stopped writing to you altogether."

Her snippy tone caused his amused expression to fade. "Really? But why?"

"I would've had nothing more to say to you. I don't like it when men mislead me."

Ooh! He should've known that. She wanted to stomp on one of his boots with her spiked heel.

"Oh, I see. Like the way Eric did?"

He did know it, the cad! Annie winced. Why, oh why, had she told 'Vanessa Drake' all her personal secrets?

She sighed. "Yes, like the way Eric did. May I please have my hand back?"

"Sure." He gave her hand a squeeze before letting it go. "You're mad at me, aren't you?"

Annie's hand felt like it was on fire. She folded her arms across her chest and tried to ignore the burning, throbbing sensation. "Yes, I am. You tricked me. I told you everything about me."

This brought the amused smile back to Van Drake's lips. "I know. And I found it all terribly interesting. And I told you everything about me, too."

"Oh sure. But from the point of view of a woman."

"It all stands true, Annie. You're a writer. Use your imagination. Change it to a man's point of view."

Tapping her foot on the floor in annoyance, she thought about that for a moment. Then her cheeks colored fiercely in embarrassment. One of the things 'Vanessa' had written was that her idea of the perfect man was a tall, handsome, blue-eyed blond. That meant that Van's idea of the perfect woman was a tall, beautiful, blue-eyed blonde.

And she knew she fit the bill. Perfectly.

And that meant he knew he fit the bill according to her idea of the perfect man. After all, she had told 'Vanessa' all about Jean-Luc, and she - or he had even read the manuscript. And he looked exactly like Jean-Luc!

Annie tossed back her hair. "I think I'm going back up to my room. It was a pleasure meeting you, Van. Perhaps we'll run into each other again during the next few days."

She moved aside to step around him, but he moved just as quickly and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Oh no, you're not going to run out on me, Annie. I said I'm sorry. Don't you understand? I never would have gotten to know you so well if I hadn't kept up the ruse that I was a woman."

Annie pressed her lips tightly together. His strong hands gripping her shoulders were even more disconcerting than his handshake had been. Her eyes narrowed as she looked up at him.

"Well, now that you know me inside and out, there really is nothing more for us to discuss."

Van's long lashes hooded his piercing eyes as he gazed at her. "But of course there is. We really only know each other through the mails. Now we have to get to know each other in the flesh."

At this close proximity to him, Annie didn't even want to think of getting to know him that way.

She drew in a deep breath. Then, "Please let me go. You have entirely the wrong idea about me. I have no interest in getting to know you or any other man. Besides, everybody is looking at us."

Van looked quickly around to see that most of the others in the lounge were watching them. He smiled. "Let them gawk at us if they want to. It doesn't matter to me. What does is that we sit down, have a couple drinks, and talk about us."

"Us?" she repeated, her eyes flying wide. "Van Drake, you are as incorrigible as the heroes in your books!"

He winked at her. "Right. I patterned them all after me."

"Ooh!" Annie stamped her foot. "I have no desire to have anything to do with a man like you."

"Don't give me that. You've been dreaming about me every night for over a year. You told me so yourself. After all, I'm exactly like Jean-Luc, the hero in your book. It's not every woman who gets the chance to meet a real-life equivalent of the man of her dreams."

He had her there. He was absolutely dead right, and she knew it.

"Some dreams are better left unrealized," she said. "I like reading and writing romance novels, but I don't want to live in one."

Van shook his head slowly. "What a pity that is. Eric really did a number on that heart of yours, didn't he? I finally come face to face with the woman of my dreams and she doesn't want those dreams to come true?"

"I don't believe you're serious," Annie retorted. "A man like you has got to have a hundred women waiting in the wings. If you're trying to line me up for a brief convention affair, forget about it. It's not my style at all."

"Nor is it mine," he said firmly. "Don't you believe that a man can fall in love through getting to know a woman via correspondence? Especially when he's been waiting all his life for the right one?"

Annie blinked. He looked dead serious. He was either an excellent actor or he actually meant it. But she just couldn't believe the latter. It was too preposterous. Even in this day and age when people did hook up regularly through social media correspondence.

Suddenly, from beside them, came the sound of a man clearing his throat. Annie jerked her head to look in that direction.

Standing next to them was a middle-aged man of medium height. He was wearing a stylish three-piece suit and tie, and there was an amused expression on his distinguished looking face.

"If you propose to her now, Van," he said, "you'll break every female heart at this convention. When the ladies all find out you are Vanessa Drake, they'll be lining up outside your hotel room door."

Annie shrugged out of Van's grip and took a step backward. "Good," she said to the stranger. "They'll keep him occupied. Then he'll leave me alone."

The man laughed, giving Van a long calculated look. "So, the romantic rendezvous isn't working out as planned, is it? I guess the lady didn't like your little surprise?"

"Not at all," Annie assured him, realizing he obviously knew what was going on. "I'd be much happier had Van really been 'Vanessa'."

Van shrugged his shoulders, the amused smile returning to his lips again. "It looks like I've run into a real live romance heroine, Jake," he said to the man. "This gal definitely has a mind of her own. Annie, this is Jake Campbell, my editor. Jake, this is Annie Halston, advertising copywriter and aspiring romance writer from New York City."

Annie had already noticed his name tag and the yellow heart on it denoting that he was an editor. Below his name was printed, SENIOR EDITOR, CHEVRON BOOKS.

She shook his hand, smiling pleasantly. She might be angry at Van, but Jake Campbell was a man she had every intention of being nice to.

"I'm very happy to meet you, Mr. Campbell."

"The pleasure is mine, Annie. I'm always happy to meet aspiring writers, especially those from New York. The city is my home, too. Van told me about you, and the little trick he had played on you. I didn't think you'd go for it, so I thought I'd drop by to make the peace. I have to keep my eye on Van, you know. He's Chevron's hottest property. There is going to be enough commotion here at the convention when the word starts spreading that Vanessa Drake is a man. I don't want to add to that the news of a scandal between Van and one of the aspiring writers."

Annie smiled at him. He had just told her in a very nice way to play it cool and not cause a fuss because of the little ruse Van Drake had perpetrated on her. That kind of admonishment from anyone else would've made her furious. But from this man, she kept her emotions in check.

"You can be assured that my lips are sealed," she said. "Apparently you are much more perceptive than Mr. Drake. I think he really believed that I would be so overwhelmed by him that I wouldn't resent the trick he played on me."

Jake looked at Van indulgently. "That's because he's a hopeless romantic. You, however, seem to be more of a realist."

Annie nodded. "Correct. I am a great fan of romance, but I have learned not to confuse it with reality."

Van chuckled. "Don't let her fool you, Jake. She's just as hopeless a romantic as I am. And what I know of her new book and her writing skills, well, I suspect she'll be your next bestselling romance writer."

Annie didn't know whether to kick him or thank him. She did not consider herself a hopeless romantic at all, but she definitely wanted to become Chevron Books' next bestselling writer of romance.

Jake considered what Van had said. "Did you happen to bring a copy of your manuscript with you?" he asked Annie.

"As a matter of fact, I did. A hard copy and a USB stick. They're up in my room."

"Good." The editor gave her a conspiratorial smile. "Why don't you and I go up there right now? You can give me the manuscript and I'll read it while we're here at the convention."

Annie couldn't think of anything she'd rather hear than that. "That's a wonderful idea, Mr. Campbell. I'd be very honored if you'd take the time to read my book."

But Van didn't like the idea at all. He gave them both a smoldering look. "Are you two intending to run out on me?"

Jake offered Annie his arm, and she slipped hers through it. She smiled sweetly at Van. "Oh, I'm sure I'll see you later tonight at the ball. I have no doubt you'll easily be able to find someone else to while away the time with until then."

Jake chuckled as they turned and walked out of the lounge, leaving Van to glare after them with a dark look in his eyes. "I don't think he's very pleased with your initial reaction to him, Annie. But beware. He won't give up easily. You're going to have to stay on your toes the next few days. He's one of those guys who is used to getting whatever he wants from life."

**

Coming! Van gets Annie alone in her hotel room and things steam up!

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