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He knew he should not have left Upton Falls in such a rush, but Natalie had gotten under his skin, and he’d needed some distance.
Not that it had helped.
He’d not had a drink in nearly a month, not touched another woman; he hadn’t even socialized.
He spent his evenings working the club. Him. Working. It made his lip curl in distaste. Or was his chest puffed out in pride? Who could say? Not him. He had moments where he liked the man he was becoming and others where he hated the person he felt himself changing into. This was not what he’d wanted. What had Red done to him?
Not Red—Natalie. Sweet Natalie with her sparkling eyes and her gorgeous hair and her gaze that begged him to show her the other parts of life.
He remembered every detail of the night of the ball, from the feel of her in his lap to the way she tasted, and he relived them over and over.
Most of all, he replayed the sound of the word yes on her lips. What else might she have said yes to if he’d stayed?
Not that he wanted to destroy what was innocent and good about her. Well…he wanted to take a little of that innocence.
But more than he wanted to destroy, he wished to…protect. She should have someone that allowed her to bloom, to speak freely, to be sassy, someone to keep the world from breaking her down and molding her into a shadow of a person.
Next to him at the theater, his friend and longtime companion in debauchery also surveyed the scene. The Duke of Upton’s appearance was completely opposite from Ethan’s. While Ethan’s blond hair and blue eyes lent him the air of sparkling charm, Upton had dark looks and craggy features that always appeared as if set in a frown. Or perhaps he just frowned all the time. Ethan had never asked.
“What the fuck are we doing here?” Upton rumbled.
A woman and her daughter walked by, the daughter ducking her head at Upton’s deep voice, the mother snapping her fan in front of her face and glaring at Upton.
“Apologies.” Ethan gave them both a wink before he turned to his friend. “We are watching fine art,” he answered, as though he hadn’t understood the question. He had. Other than business at the club, he’d not spent much time with Upton since his return. Upon receiving Ethan’s invitation, Upton must surely have thought that Ethan had been asking to join him somewhere far more…illicit than the Drury Lane Theater.
Upton glowered at him, not even deeming Ethan’s comment worth answering for several seconds. Finally, his lip curling he dipped his head closer to Ethan’s, he said, “You’d better give me a better answer than that. You’ve been a prissy bloke since you returned to London.”
How did he answer that? He couldn’t possibly explain all that had happened with Natalie, nor had he shared with his friend any of his struggles with his uncle.
But before he could find the words, a shock of auburn hair caught his gaze…Natalie. He didn’t need to see any other part of her to know it was her. He recognized the color, the thick, silky strands anywhere.
Her mother stood next to her and on her other side…Kingsley. He knew it. He knew that’s why the viscountess had not accepted his invitation. She had a bigger fish on her line. A growl of dissatisfaction moved up his chest, settling in the back of his throat.
“What?” Upton asked, squaring his shoulders. “What’s wrong?”
“Come on,” he said, starting to push through the crowd. Upton would understand soon enough.
A head taller than most, Ethan moved with decent ease through the crowd, stopping a few feet from Natalie and Kingsley. The viscountess and the marquess chatted amicably, Natalie standing silently by his side, her chin tilted down.
That was not how Red should look. This time, however, when he used her nickname, it was not because he was attempting to keep some distance between them. It was because…she had a fire in her, and she should be letting it burn.
“Good evening,” he said, louder than necessary, startling all three of them. He pasted a charming smile on his face as he gazed at each of them in turn.
Viscountess Northville looked irritated, Kingsley surprised, and Natalie…she gave him a wary stare in return, her lips pressing into a thin line. Well, as thin as those lush lips would allow.
“Lord Somersworth, what a surprise.” The viscountess gave him an overly bright smile.
“Really? Because I also invited you to attend the theater with me this evening.”
“Oh. That’s right.” The lady gave a quick look at Kingsley before she answered. “We’d already accepted an invitation.”
“I’m sure,” he said, likely showing far too many teeth in his smile. He felt like a wolf. Like a man ready to pounce. Ready to fight for the woman he— He stopped. The woman he wanted to pretend to be involved with.
“Good to see you again, Somersworth.” Kingsley gave a quick nod of acknowledgement. “And Your Grace. Always a pleasure.”
Upton grunted as the viscountess’s gaze lighted on the duke. “Your Grace.” Both she and Natalie dipped into curtsies, giving him an excellent view of her lush cleavage. He drank in the sight like a starving man.
When she rose, her eyes met his once again. “How has your stay in London been?” Natalie asked, looking more irritated than he’d ever seen her. He loved it.
