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“I’m breaking it off, Julian. It’s not fair to us. This is the twenty-first century for God’s sake. I should have done it years ago.” Her throat worked convulsively. “After the thing with Peter happened, I was too afraid to compound my sins by breaking off the betrothal, to rain further disapproval on my head from my family. It wasn’t fair to tie you down to something our fathers agreed on without our consent. I knew you were a gentleman and would not dream of breaking it. But it is not fair,” she finished bleakly. Recalling some of the whispers she had heard from the staff, Julian was quite the ladies’ man. She had always wondered why he didn’t break off the betrothal. “Why didn’t you?”
He gave her an enigmatic look. After several seconds, he said, “Perhaps I was just waiting for you to grow up.”
“Wh−what?” she stammered.
“Have your affair with Fernandez, Lexie. You have led a very sheltered life. After you have gotten him out of your system, come to me and we’ll take it from there.”
Lexie had to take a moment to wrap her mind around what Julian had just said. He was giving her permission to conduct an affair with Nic? He wasn’t releasing her from their betrothal? Thankfully, he excused himself to answer his mobile phone that must have been vibrating insistently. Or maybe Lexie just didn’t hear it ring, her astonishment at the Duke’s pronouncement rendering her momentarily deaf. No chest beating and turning he-man and claiming his stake on her as his intended? She couldn’t imagine Julian ever wrinkling his bespoke suit to land a punch on a guy who was bothering her. The most she could imagine was him commanding his bodyguards to do the dirty work for him. Lexie frowned. How urbane, she thought, how civilized. She had a sudden vision of her married to Julian, being the perfect, poised, placid wife, and then one day because she couldn’t bear being perfect all the time, she would snap and throw a hissy fit and Julian would gape at her and wonder who the hell he had married.
After a few minutes, he came back and reached for her hand across the table. Lexie was too surprised by the unexpected gesture to pull her hand away.
“Julian, what are you doing?” she whispered, conscious of the other diners.
With a devilish glint in his green eyes, he drawled. “I was hoping to get him out of your system sooner. Don’t look now, but Fernandez is just about to walk in the restaurant.”
* * *
“I’m with the Princess Alexandria,” Nic growled at the unfortunate maître d’ who had asked if him if he had any reservations. The poor man looked cowed. He was in no mood to be civil, especially after Blair sent him a link of a photo of Lexie and the Duke taken just a few minutes ago.
He spotted them in the corner of the restaurant, Walkden’s blond head bent towards Lexie’s darker one. He made his way towards them. Several conversations stopped. The tinkle of cutlery and glasses died down as necks craned discreetly to follow his progress across the room.
They were fucking holding hands. Across the table. Both heads looked up as his shadow fell and blocked the light from behind.
Lexie pulled her hand away abruptly. She appeared flustered. Walkden was as always unflappably cool. In fact, it almost seemed as if he was expecting him.
Walkden rose, all aristocratic, languid elegance. Nic wanted to smash his face in, duke or not. The caveman in him was never far behind with Lexie and other men around.
“It’s so good you’re able to join us, Nic,” the Duke’s eyes were amused but calculating. With marked affability, he extended a hand. “Lexie told me she wasn’t sure what time your meeting would end.”
“Well, it’s quite fortunate that it did end earlier than expected,” he said sarcastically. He shook the duke’s hand perfunctorily. He didn’t trust Walkden on the polo field or off it, especially around Lexie. ”Otherwise I would have missed this very cozy dinner with an old friend, hmm?”
“Actually, we were just done.” Lexie stood jerkily, almost knocking over her water goblet in her haste.
Nic cupped her elbow. “Perfect! Now we can have coffee a few blocks down the road. Pris recommended this new place.” The Duke didn’t protest, merely looking entertained at his eagerness. Arrogant prick! He started steering her across the restaurant, Walkden falling into step beside her. When they stepped out, the bright lights from several flash bulbs popping simultaneously blinded him temporarily. He pulled Lexie closer to him as they retreated behind the restaurant doors, bracing himself for the walk back to his parked car. Walkden’s curt voice halted him midstride.
