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“So, let’s get right to it,” she said, taking a notebook out of her clutch.
Taken aback by her abrupt shift in focus, Henry’s eyes grew wide. “You brought a notebook?” he asked, surprised.
Bre nodded, “Of course. This is a working dinner where I can get to know more about your desires,” Henry perked up before Bre finished her comment, “For a wife. That is why we are here after all, correct?”
Henry conceded to Bre with a nod of his head. “Ask away,” he said, giving her leave to begin her questioning.
“What are you looking for in a wife?” she asked for what felt like the millionth time.
“Frankly, I’m not certain, ” he told her.
“If you’ve never considered it, then why are we here?” she asked at a loss.
“So that I may give you the name of the woman I plan to marry,” Henry told her.
“I’m confused,” Bre said, feeling as though she had whiplash. “I thought we were having this dinner for me to learn more about how to find you the perfect wife,” she said.
“I lied,” he told her acting as if it were no big deal. Bre smashed her teeth together in frustration.
“This is ridiculous,” she said. “Why am I here? So, you can play games?”
“I made a decision this evening,” he told her.
Bre snapped her notebook shut in frustration. “You could have called me,” she told him. “I made it clear I did not want to go to dinner with you,” she said.
“Honestly, Breanne, my sister called me with an idea as I left the manor,” Harry told Bre. She looked at him carefully, trying to decide if he was telling the truth or full of shit. “I thought perhaps we might discuss a plan of attack at this dinner. This particular woman might be difficult to get close to,” he told her.
Shock crossed Bre’s face. She knew Harry had a sister, but considering the girl lived overseas, she heard very little about her. It was shocking to hear her name brought into a conversation regarding Henry’s wife.
“Your sister suggested this?” Bre questioned.
“Astrid knows everything about everyone. For some reason, she’s acquired more dirt on the ladies of society than my mother,” he stated, shrugging his shoulders.
“I’m shocked,” Bre admitted putting her notebook back in her clutch. “It appears that you did my work for me.”
“Hardly,” Henry said, sliding his hand over hers on the table. “As I said, I still need your expertise.” The heat from his fingertips seeped into Bre and moved up her arm and into her breast. Her nipples tightened in her dress, much to her surprise.
“Don’t rush this. This is an issue of the utmost importance,” Henry whispered across her. His voice felt like a caress, and Bre tightened her thighs beneath this table. Their conversation moved from professional to intimate in a stunning fashion. Henry’s hand moved from her hand to caress her cheek and neck. The actions were innocent but seductive. Bre felt like Henry was undressing her right here in the back corner of the restaurant.
“What do you want from me?” Bre whispered over the blood, rushing to her ears as her mind blanking of everything other than Henry.
“I want everything,” he told her seductively. Bre’s heart nearly gave out at the words.
His words scared her. They thrilled her. They made her want more. Bre’s lust took over her brain, and in a moment, she was ready to allow Henry to do whatever he wanted with her.
Sure, there’d be nothing in the morning—no breakfast in bed, no pillow talk, no cuddles— but she wasn’t sure things like that mattered when someone promised you the best sexual experience of your life with little more than a look and soft touch. Before Bre could make the biggest mistake of her life, a waiter interrupted the pair, his voice clearing the sexual fog invading Bre’s brain and allowing her to think again.
* * *
The night remained strictly business. A part of Bre felt disappointed. The horny, depraved part, wanted Henry’s attention, but the sensible part knew she needed to get her shit together. After all, her job was to find the Duke a wife, not take him for a test drive prior to his wedding.
“What do you suggest our next move be?” Henry questioned during dessert. The night was quickly coming to an end, and Bre was surprised to discover she enjoyed herself. Henry was funny, sarcastic, and incredibly well-educated. Throughout the night, they discussed history and art but also talked about their favorite movies and music. She enjoyed getting to know him, and she could see why women fell so quickly for him.
“The first thing I’ll do is create a dossier for this woman. I’ll scour social media profiles, put together a more conducive list of likes and dislikes, and then from there you can decide how you’d like to proceed,” Bre said. She’d planned to do this with the woman from his mother’s list, and it appeared to continue to be the right move still.
Henry appeared contemplative, “I’ve vetted this woman already,” he told her.
“I understand that,” Bre said, “But, and I mean this with the utmost respect, you can’t find out information the way I can.” She could ferry out a scandal the way a dog could find a bone.
