Chapter 22

Anna felt that the word our child had a certain allure that could not be ignored. She reasoned with herself that even if she married David, she would not be betraying the love that she felt for Allen because there would be no love involved in her relationship with David. She believed this to be true. Simple negotiations resulted in a deal that would spare her father's life and bring her the baby she had longed for.

"Anna, did you just give me a yes or a no?" Have we reached an agreement? David inquired, and while he was doing so, he tipped her chin with one long finger and said, 'You know that makes sense.' His voice was suddenly velvety deep and intensely black. "Marry me and have my child," He said to her.

Her abdominal muscles tensed up from the stress. She became hesitant as the sensation of his finger on her chin resembled the burning of a branding iron. David had previously explained to her that one must occasionally pick the option that is the "lesser of two evils," and after