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Out them? His gaze moved from her to the candlelit table with the rosebud and the stemware. What exactly did she want to happen this evening?
He cleared his throat. “You told them about us?” His voice dropped an octave. “What exactly did you tell them?”
Her eyes widened. “Not that.”
He breathed a little easier. Sure, the kiss wasn’t anything scandalous. Far from it. But he didn’t need any more sparks fanning the flames with the media. He had enough rumors following him about and not only did they conjure up horrific memories for him, but they also put his board on edge as it reflected poorly on the leadership of the company.
“Then I don’t understand,” Grayson said. “Why did you talk to them?”
“So they would leave us alone. I told them we are in negotiations over the South Shore property.”
“Oh.” That was so much better than anything that had crossed his mind.
“I know that it was presumptive, so I made it clear that no deal has been reached and that we are still in the negotiating stage.”
He nodded. “I understand. Did they go away?”
“Actually, they did. They seemed disappointed that it was all about business. Can you believe that? This is a huge deal for Mirraccino. I thought they’d be excited and asking for an exclusive, but nothing.”
Grayson’s mouth drew upward at the corners. “I think they were hoping for some romance and the promise of a royal wedding.”
She shook her head. “That’s not happening. Besides, my cousin just got married a couple of years ago. They don’t need another wedding already. I have other things on my mind right now.”
“You mean dealing with your father?”
She nodded. “But I don’t want to talk about that now. I’m hungry.”
He thought of what he’d discovered about the note, but he decided it could wait for a bit. Some food did sound good. He glanced over at the candlelit table and wondered if Annabelle was hungry for food...or was she hoping for more kisses?
* * *
Dinner was amazing.
Annabelle hated to see the evening end. This was the most enjoyment she’d had in a long time. Grayson had opened up more about his childhood in Ohio. She wasn’t surprised to find out that his IQ was genius level and that he’d grown bored of school. Her heart had gone out to him when she learned that his parents had done nothing to nurture his special gift.
With the dinner dishes cleared, every bit of crème brûlée devoured and the hour growing late, they headed inside. She noticed Grayson had grown quiet. Perhaps he was just tired. They had had a long day. Or perhaps he was still rattled by the paparazzi and the chase back to the palace.
Annabelle had made a point of avoiding the topic during dinner, not wanting to ruin the meal. But perhaps it would be best to clear the air.
“Grayson, about earlier at the university, I’m sorry. I hadn’t considered that the press would show up. I know I should have, but I was distracted.”
“It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have let it bother me.”
It did a whole lot more than bother him. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Grayson’s gaze didn’t quite meet hers. He shook his head.
“I understand.” She didn’t. Not really. “Have you decided what you’ll do about tomorrow?”
This time he did look directly at her with puzzlement reflected in his eyes. “What about tomorrow?”
“You’re supposed to leave. But I was hoping after the visit to the university that I’d convince you to stay and give the South Shore and Mirraccino more consideration. Of course, I hadn’t counted on the press messing up everything.”
He reached out to her, but his hand stopped midway. He lowered his hand back to his side. “They didn’t ruin anything. It was no big deal.”
She didn’t believe him, but she wasn’t going to push the matter. “Does this mean you’ll accept my uncle’s invitation to stay for the heritage festival?”
A small smile pulled at his lips. “How could I turn down an invitation from a king?”
