His Duchess [Completed]

Chapter 2-Shopping [E]

Getting ready in her bedroom for their outing with their mother that afternoon, Annie knew was running behind schedule. She spent too long working out in their in-home gym and lost track of time. She took a quick shower and practically ran to her dressing room sporting a slim tight light blue jeans, a loose silk peach colored blouse, and Tory Burch flats that were great for walking for their shopping adventure.    

As she was putting the finishing touches to her make-up, her sister Cici, strode in wearing a white short skirt, and a 3/4 long sleeve black shirt with high heeled Valentino shoes. Her step-sister had beautiful shoulder length, straight blonde hair, porcelain skin looking like a human version of a Barbie with a lean fit body and sky blue eyes lined with thick long lashes.

Cici was the more eccentric one with a care free attitude and bubbling personality.

"I'm ready!" She declared, seating herself on the lounge chair across the room and started going through the magazines on the table. "You better hurry up. Mom doesn't like to wait."

"I'm almost done just me give me a minute." Annie told her as she applied a light peachy colored lipstick.

"I'm dying to tell you something huge!"  Cici said out of nowhere, replacing the magazine and spreading her hands up in the air. "I'm going to be engaged!"  She squealed, barely able to sit still as she hopped on her bottom in excitement.

Annie's gaze shifted slightly from the mirror to catch her older sisters grin in the reflection. She continued explaining she and Anthony were in love and was he planning to ask their parents for her hand in marriage. Annie's eyes widened and she couldn't help but stand there speechless. Suddenly, Cici sprang from the chair and jumped in excitement like a little child.

The envy she felt could not be ignored.   When was my Prince Charming coming? She pondered silently in her head. She couldn't help but wonder.  Ready to take the next step in her life and share it with another–finding the one was harder than what was portrayed in fairytales.  It was more than showing up on her doorstep and sweeping her off her feet. 

Annie, Cici and their brother Michael all worked with their father in his shipping/building business for the last several years. After a while, working full time just wasn't enough. Making millions felt meaningless. Her outlook on life changed. The loneliness began to form and take shape in the empty hole inside her.

She was missing more.

She, like everybody else in the world, hoped to find her soul mate someday. Someone to share her life with. Someone she could look forward to waking up next to. A man who was strong and confident-a leader, an alpha. A man who didn't want her for just her looks. She wanted someone who respected her and treated her like a human being and not some doll waiting to be complimented or some prize to be won.

The Taverron's were very traditional family that valued a woman's reputation, forbidding intimacy before marriage.  Abstinence was not commonly followed in modern days as it was but the Taverron women were brought up to follow this one very important rule. It was a family custom that dated back generations. It made them rare in the eyes of the beholder and the most sought after women amongst the elite families.

Even her brother Michael had someone to love him despite how obnoxious and tedious he acted. Now, it looks like Cici did too.

Shaking herself awake from her trance and composing herself, she glanced back at her sister. Thankfully, Cici was still daydreaming in her little world.

"Let's hope dad doesn't kill him first!" She teased and laughed at the horrified expression skidding across Cici's face.

"Oh God, you don't think he'll do anything to him, do you? It's not like he would say no, right?" She asked worriedly. "Dad can be dramatic."