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“Why are you inked on my mind, Pepper?”
He leaned his forehead on mine. “I’m not the other woman, Connor. I can’t be what comes between you and your fiancée.”
He scanned my face while his hand glided down, tracing my cheekbones to my bottom lip. I clenched my eyes closed. A moment later, his hand left, then there was a click.
I opened my eyes to watch him walk away, leaving me in a tangled mess.
17
Connor
When she returned to the table, it was as though the kiss had never happened.
“You okay, Pepper?” Francesca asked, completely oblivious to what had just happened.
Guilt washed over me like an oil spill. I shouldn’t have put Pepper in this situation. Rather, I should accept my role of fiancé to the annoying woman beside me. But the way she looked up at me and the feel of her hand on my face was enough to push me over the edge.
“Yes, thanks,” Pepper said, smiling and not meeting my gaze. “They cleared the main dishes?” Pepper asked.
“I didn’t think you’d want the rest,” Jake admitted.
“But why?” Pepper stared at Jake, waiting for a response. When he shrugged and ignored her question, I wanted to reach over the table and shake him to his senses. Beside him was a devastatingly gorgeous, intelligent woman, screaming to be treated like a princess, and he was seriously ignoring her. I wondered what she saw in the limp dick in the first place.
“Who’s up for dessert?”
“No,” Pepper and I said at the same time.
Jake’s eyes widened. “Really? You’re always up for dessert.”
“Still not feeling great, that’s all,” she added, smoothing it over.
I watched Jake rest his arm around her neck and pull her into him. Her head fell to his shoulder awkwardly, and my muscles bunched as I balled my hands into fists on my thighs at the sight.
“Would you mind if I had something?” he asked her.
Pepper nestled into his chest further, and I did everything in my power not to reach over the table and pull him off her. “Sure, get what you want,” she admonished.
Excellent. “While you were on your phone call, Jake and I already chose the souffle and the frozen berry compote with the honeycomb bomb.”
“Okay, great,” I said, feigning some level of excitement.
Francesca repeated the order to the server, who dutifully took it back to the kitchen.
“Connor, how is it now that you’ve taken over from your father?” Jake asked, patting down his shirt.
“It’s great,” I said, not wanting to talk about my life, especially with Jake.
“Oh, don’t be modest.” Francesca patted me on the shoulder like a fucking dog. “He’s going to take this company into the modern age.”
I ran a hand through my hair, turning to Francesca. It was the first time she’d ever discussed my position, and now she was answering for me?
“What? That’s what Daddy says.” She stared at her manicure.
“And how does the Duke know what I’m up to?” My skin prickled with unease. “Oh.” I let out a sigh. His stake in Diamond Incorporated doubled the moment the announcement of our engagement went public.
“Sounds difficult,” Jake remarked, stroking Pepper’s arm. I noticed her still at the connection, which sent a warmth radiating through my chest.
I sniffed. “Does it?”
