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“You’re so young, Lexie. You are just confusing sexual chemistry with something else.” His tone was sure, patronizing, but he couldn’t meet her gaze.
First Walkden, now Nic telling her that what she felt for him was just sex?
She should have just dropped the issue, but she was still smarting from his avoidance of her after the photo shoot. “That something else you were just saying, Nic?”
His posture stiffened and he sensed danger. His blue eyes were wary.
She decided to take a chance. “That something else is how I feel about you.”
The total silence after her declaration was oppressive. There were no sounds coming from outside the house to break it.
Then suddenly he shattered it. “Just promise me,” Nic said in a rough, low voice. “Promise me you’ll let me know if there are consequences.” His voice shifted to impersonal, as if she hadn’t said anything of consequence a few minutes ago. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at 7 for Butler’s party.”
Not waiting for her to reply, he quickly walked out of the kitchen, leaving her to deal with feelings that were sadly and humiliatingly unreciprocated.
* * *
Lexie’s strapless bottle-green silk dress stole his breath away, but it wasn’t until they were at the foyer of Butler’s Beverly Hills mansion where he got hit by the full effect. She was a few steps ahead of him as she eased the cashmere wrap off her shoulders and let it drop to her arms. Fuck! On her creamy shoulder blade, he caught a glimpse of the tattoo of his name. Damn if it didn’t make him go hard in seconds.
Up ahead, Tansy Butler was welcoming other guests, but her smile grew sly when she spotted them hovering a few feet from the front door.
“Lexie, wait up.” Nic didn’t exactly know why, but he didn’t want other people seeing the tattoo. It felt very personal and private and so intertwined with his memories of the way she was that night that he wanted no one else to see it but him.
She halted, lifting her head to him questioningly.
He none too gently grabbed the shawl and lifted it higher around her shoulders. Seeing her surprise, he said the first thing that came to mind. “You might get cold.”
She frowned. “No, I won’t,” and shrugged the shawl off. He pulled it up once more.
Her next attempt to push it down was aborted by Tansy, who approached them tottering in skyscraper-high stilettos. She appeared halfway pissed and in real danger of spraining her ankle.
“Good evenin’, Your Highness.” Her cloud of heavy perfume assaulted Nic’s nostrils. “You’re lookin’ very lovely. Are you wearin’ Valentino?”
Lexie smiled, and Nic felt some perverse satisfaction in the fake one she flashed Tansy. “It’s an old gown, but thank you. You look lovely as well.”
Tansy preened, puffing her big hair with a hand. She then turned to him. “And here’s our naughty Nicky.” Her tone was light but her eyes were hard. “Sweepin’ the Princess off her glass-slippered feet. A girl could just bawl her eyes out at how romantic it all is. ”
Lexie slipped an arm through his. “Yes, he is quite the romantic.” Tilting her head up, she gazed smilingly at him. Nic smiled back and then frowned. Her lovely lips were tilted up at the corners, but there was something different about it. It didn’t reach all the way to her cat eyes. For a second, he couldn’t believe he was actually on the receiving end of it. Fuck! She was giving him the same artificial smile she had just flashed Tansy. Remorse and hurt tightened his chest but he convinced himself it was better this way. When it was time to part, there would be no messy emotional confrontations to clean up. But if she was pregnant−
A gasp snapped him back to the present. Tansy’s gaze was fixed with something akin to fascination and horror on the area of Lexie’s shoulder. The shawl must have dropped when she had tilted her head to look at him, and there was no guessing why Tansy was reacting with shock. The tattoo was clearly visible on Lexie’s smooth, fair skin.
A society matron hailing Tansy from across the foyer distracted her enough so they were able to make their escape. She shot Nic a virulent look, and he knew it wasn’t over.
