She wondered what Abby’s take on that would be. She was halfway dialing Abby’s number then decided against it. She wasn’t ready to answer her friend’s questions. Abby would surely bombard her with them. Like, how was it a dinner with Daniel had turned into marriage plan overnight?
Charlotte wasn’t sure herself.
She was a bit annoyed that Daniel had ignored her demands about taking it slow. Then, Daniel had given her his reason last night.
A week from now, the pride would hold a large gathering in London. Everyone belonging to the pride would show up. Daniel wanted to use the opportunity to announce that he’d taken a mate.
The event was very important for him. Once the alpha took a mate, others would have to stop proffering up their daughters as a potential mate—one thing that Daniel had disliked so much for all these years. She could understand his reasoning.
Furthermore, Daniel promised to make it up to her for being pushy. If she wanted him to take everything slow and easy, it had to be after the gathering.
Charlotte texted Abby instead of calling her directly. That way, she wouldn’t have to explain things too much. Feeling tired and groggy, Charlotte decided to take a long hot bath to unwind.
Daniel called and said he’d be late for dinner. He asked if she’d already had lunch. She hadn’t. He told her to order room service. So she did. After lunch, she took a little nap and woke up a few hours later. She took another shower and donned her favorite Dr. Who shirt and frayed pants. Daniel told her to make herself at home. At ten after seven, Daniel returned. He smiled when he saw her outfit.
“Who makes the best Doctor?” he asked.
“It’s gotta be David Tennant, of course.”
“What’s so good about him?”
“He’s the coolest guy ever.”
Daniel laughed.
“Do you watch the series?” Charlotte asked.
“A few minutes. I had my assistant summarize the premise for me.”
“Do you watch TV at all?”
“Some news. I don’t have much spare time.”
“What do you do most of the time?”
“Work. There are so many things to be done and so little time.”
Charlotte shouldn’t have been surprised. She’d read somewhere that Daniel was a renowned workaholic.
Daniel studied her outfit. “Change your clothes. I’ve invited some people for dinner.”
“Do I have to come?” She didn’t feel like meeting new people.
“Yes. I want to introduce you to my brother and a few people from the pride. Anika will be there also.”
She liked Anika. Daniel’s sister was an interesting person. She’d never met a lioness before. She wondered what Anika would look like in her own fur.
Charlotte chose a dress from the new wardrobe Daniel had bought her and went to change in the bathroom. As she peeled off her pants, Daniel came in leisurely. She didn’t know how he did it. She was sure she’d locked the door.
“Hello? A little privacy here?” she said, annoyed.
“I missed you.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re all I think about all day. I couldn’t concentrate at all.” Daniel pulled her into him and kissed her like a starving man.
She felt lightheaded when he finally released her. Did he miss her that much? Suddenly, she was self-conscious about the state of her clothing. She was practically in her bra and underwear while Daniel was dressed in his impeccable business suit.