“Good morning, Alex,” he said easily as he rounded the table and approached her, unable to keep the idiotic smile off his face. He was just so blastedhappy. Even Freddie’s stories about her French fencing instructor had sent him into a fit of giggles outside. He moved to press a kiss to Alex’s check and felt her flinch. Very well. She wasn’t used to displays of affection in front of company. Lucien would act accordingly in the future.
“Good morning,” she murmured and seemed strangely hesitant.
He glanced over at Freddie, who was giving them a knowing smile. He returned it and pulled out the chair beside Alex. “We’ve already eaten, but I’m happy to keep you company.”
“And I will give you both some privacy,” Freddie said with absolutely no subtlety.
While out on their stroll, he had all but confessed that he and Alex had spent the night together and she had been terribly excited for them.
Alex said nothing but her gaze followed Freddie as she retreated. Once the door of the breakfast room swung shut, Lucien took her hand in his and nuzzled her neck. “Did you miss me last night? Because I missed you terribly.”
“Don’t,” Alex said as she slipped out of his reach.
Lucien gave her a frustrated smile. “Really, Alex. Freddie is gone and your parents are both already out for the day. I saw them leave myself.”
“It isn’t that.”
“All right,” he said easily. He could endure the ice queen act if that was what she needed until she grew more comfortable. “I thought we could go to Madame Tussauds today. Freddie said the new exhibit is great fun.”
She turned away. “I have to go to the office.”
“Oh. Well, then perhaps tomorrow?”
“Lucien,no.”
Something about her tone caused the hairs on his neck to rise. “Look at me.” Her lips pursed, but after a moment she reluctantly turned to him. “What is going on?” he asked. Though even as he spoke the words, he knew. He could read her so well now.
“Lucien,” she began in a placating voice, but he shook his head.
“At least have the decency to be honest with me,” he demanded. “You certainly don’t hold back with anyone else.”
He watched her swallow and look away, her pale face gone ashen. If he were a better man, he would have left then. The message was clear enough. But Lucien wasn’t leaving until she looked him in the eye and ended this. Until she said the words.
“I am sorry if last night confused things for you,” she began. “But this doesn’t change anything.”
He let out a harsh laugh that sounded foreign to his own ears. “Are you joking? This changeseverything.”
She turned back to him then and as her dark eyes narrowed on him, he suddenly regretted his earlier desire. “It was only intercourse, Lucien. I thought you understood that.”
Intercourse.
Leave it to Alex to use the least romantic term possible. But maybe she was right. And Lucienhadmisunderstood. An embarrassed flush crept up his neck. “I am not so untried as that. And you very well know it was more.”
“It was—”
“Tell me it was like that with Chisolm,” he demanded. “Tell me it waseverlike that with him. The man you supposedlyloved. The man you intended tomarry.”
Only when Alex looked up at him with wide eyes did he realize he had stood and knocked the chair over. Lucien inhaled through his nose and grappled with the anger coursing through him. He wasn’t used to losing control like this. Even when he learned of Rene’s deception, that his entire business was ruined, he had felt more disappointed thanangry.
“I don’t want to talk about Benjamin,” she said, frustratingly calm. “He has nothing to do with this situation.”
“Thissituation,” Lucien parroted. “You mean us.”
Alex flexed her jaw. “Thereisno us. There never was an us. It wasn’t real.”
Lucien turned away with a huff and placed his hands on his hips. “I knew I shouldn’t have let you break the contract.” If he just had a little more time to show her—
But now Alex was out of her chair, staring at him in challenge. “You didn’tletme. There was no further use for it once Freddie became engaged.”
