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Just A Lifetime Away
Chapter One
A golden red sphere set against the barren land, the sky above and around it laced with orange and red threads against the deep blue fabric, stars twinkling like sequences against it. The land it's self, under any normal conditions would be populated with gentle trees, pump red apples weighing the great branches down. Anastasia Crowe stepped off her front porch, her deep green dress matching the cold, poisonous green eyes against her heart shaped face. Her hair was a halo of fire, surrounding her face then cascading down her back. She narrowed her eyes, watching as a lone rider approached her home on the dreary drive.
"Who are you?" She asked once he had stopped in front of her. The man, his eyes like two shards of ice plucked from the North Pole, focussed on her, a grin tugging at his handsome face.
"I'm William Pruitt, I was wonderin', I'm looking-" "I am not interested in what you want, just get off of my property." She interrupted, William giving her a particularly dirty look.
"I was wondering if you would give me room and board." He said and took a step towards her on the porch.
"I noticed you had some work done, I could do some work 'round the house." He offered, regaining control over his temper. Ana regarded him coldly, her face the most perfect mask.
"Very well," She said with a wave of the hand after one long, drawn out minute. She easily drifted down the stairs, taking the reins to his horse and leading them to a small barn. "After you feed your horse come in and I'll feed you." She told him in the straightforward manner, her accent, distinctly German, thinned out by years of the Americas.
Thirty minutes later William, his long dark hair hanging at his shoulders, walked into the house. Ana, sat at the table, reading the post and sipping red wine. She looked up, her expression of trained control, absolute superiority over her home. "Mr. Pruitt, here is wine and fresh fruits, if you would like meat, slaughter your own cow or kill your own chicken." She said bluntly and returned to her reading. William regarded her a moment, tugging at his collar as it pressed against his neck, against the distinct scar searing his skin. "Where is the lord of this manor?" He asked casually, sitting across from her and reached out, picking up a ripe peach. Ana watched him over her reading as he, his eyes half shut as he gazed down at the fuzzy fruit, gently grazed his thumb over it's soft skin.
"There is no lord of this manor Mr. Pruitt, I am a widow." She said, flicking her eyes back down before he looked up, fixing her attractive face with his eyes. "And there isn't suitors calling on you?" He asked, knowing it could very well be an inappropriate question but, being a man known for being rude and inappropriate at times, was not bothered. She sighed and looked up at him, her vibrant, poisonous green eyes staring directly into his. "I will not be bothered by silly little boys, sir." She said with all the haughty arrogance she seemed to possess, yet another facet of the mask. William stared back into those green eyes with his own, careful not to loose himself in the green orbs, which seemed to glow on her ivory face. Instead a slow, one sided grin started on his face, his gaze not wavering.
Ana stared back defiantly, not planning on having the authority she had established challenged, especially by him. But, as she stared into those shards of ice, she started slipping, loosing herself and the foundation she had so carefully made begin to crumble, those eyes slowly breaking her. She blinked and looked away, looking down at the post and more than a little shaken as she regained her cool composure, not a simple task with his mesmerizing eyes sucking in every detail of her face.