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Even in some enchanted world where Eric could shield and protect her, they weren’t in love. They weren’t even a couple. It was so casual they may as well be poker buddies.
“Alice? Alice?”
Saskia startled and looked up, still not used to the name she’d chosen. “Yes?”
Every time he called herAlice, she felt as though she were digging the knife into him a little deeper.
“Is something wrong?”
God, he was so genuine and sweet. He deserved all the good the world had to offer him, and Saskia wanted nothing more than to inhabit that world with him. But there were too many lies and too little true attachment between them. He was just having some fun. And why shouldn’t he? It was his birthday.
The music stopped, and the woman who’d been singing spoke into the microphone to wish Eric a happy birthday. Her words blended into the background as Saskia realized she was going to be late to the meeting. She wanted to be late for her meeting with Lachlan even less than she wanted to see him again in the first place.
“Eric, I’m so sorry, but I have to go.” She’d never see him again.Don’t cry, Saskia. Just don’t be an idiot and cry.
“What’s the rush?” He winked at her. “Is your car going to turn into a pumpkin? If you’re secretly poor as a church mouse, I won’t judge you. We can skip the whole shoe drama and just move ahead to the happy ending.”
He didn’t realize how close he was to the truth—or how much his light-hearted joking hurt.
“I’m sorry, I have an early day.” Saskia pulled away from him.
Another slow romantic song began to play and he tried to draw her back in for another dance.
“Alice, stay.”
God, please stop calling me that.At least she was stealing from someone who deserved it and not Eric or his family.
“I really can’t.”
“I’ll call you, tomorrow?” he said. It was a question, not a statement.
The number will be changed, and I’ll be long gone.
“I’d like that,” Saskia said, just to get him to release her. “Happy Birthday.”
“Hey, thanks.”
Unexpectedly, he pulled her in for a kiss. Warm, soft, gentle—the promise of all the things that life didn’t seem to want to give her. But it was already too late to escape the path she’d set in motion.
A few whistles and catcalls rose from around the ballroom. Ericwaskissing her in front of nearly sixty people, after all.
“By the way, you look so hot in those glasses,” he whispered. “Kind of a nerdy sexy librarian.”
She blushed. “Thanks. I had a great time tonight, but I really have to go.” Saskia turned and left the party without looking back. In another life, maybe. But unfortunately, not in this one.
“You’re late,”Lachlan said.
Saskia stood tense in the darkened study, the tube with the painting slung over her shoulder like luggage. The only light in the room came from the flickering fire and the illuminated laptop screen Lachlan sat behind. The fire made shadows on the wall that seemed to jump, startled each time his deep voice pierced the silence.
He closed the laptop and rose from behind the desk. He’d dressed more casually tonight. Dark jeans and a lemon yellow polo shirt. His feet were bare. Lemon yellow and bare feet—only Lachlan could make that intimidating.
“Well?” His hand extended impatiently, greedy for the painting.
All at once, she began having second thoughts. What the fuck would he do if he caught her trying to con him like this? Was she sure her new forgery was that convincing?
Lachlan raised a brow, and she handed it over, trying to mask the tremble surging down her arm. She expected him to turn some lights on so he could inspect the painting, but the two of them remained shrouded in semi-darkness.
“Marcus will sit with you while I scan and compare this to the known forgery.”
