without a missing a beat.
Luc looked more frightened than flattered. She wanted to give the guy a hug for bringing Princess Dimitra into his life.
“I apologize, Your Highness.” Dimitra turned, then strutted out of the room, followed closely by Nick.
Emily took a step out of the cabana, but Dylan stopped her. “We’re still filming.”
Luc removed his tuxedo jacket. Water poured from the sleeves. His white dress shirt was plastered to his chest, leaving nothing to the imagination.
Not that she hadn’t seen him before, but the wet, see-through fabric pressed against his skin, showed off his chest and abs. Talk about sexy.
Nick returned with towels. “I shouldn’t have left you alone.”
“Not your fault. Hers, either.” Luc dried himself. “She believed I was in Aspen with her. I’m sure someone was.”
“Your doppelgänger?”
Luc hesitated, wiped his face with a towel. “Maybe. Who knows? Some guy could have been feeding her a line.”
Emily could tell by the two-second hesitation that Luc knew more than he was saying.
“I’m going to shower, then I’ll be back for dinner. No reason to let the chef’s cooking go to waste.” Luc glanced around. “Everyone is welcome to join me. Emily?”
She was surprised he knew she was there. She peeked out of the cabana. “Sure. That’s the least I can do after setting up this dating disaster.”
“No one knew that Dimitra was here to rekindle a romance,” Luc said.
“We need to be more careful.” Nick cleaned up the towels. “I’m going to run background checks on Luc’s future dates.”
Emily agreed something more needed to be done to ensure Luc’s safety. “I’ll get you the information you need.”
“Be back shortly.” Luc walked into the villa.
Nick looked at Emily. “Do you think the woman is crazy or she really thought Luc was in Aspen?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out right now.”
And not only for her sake.
*
Thirty minutes later, Luc sat across from Emily on the terrace. He wasn’t disappointed how his date had ended, though he’d rather not have been pushed into the pool. Still, having dinner with Emily was worth it.
A server went to refill Luc’s wine glass. He cut him off once he saw Emily’s glass was still full. “No more.”
“Have another glass,” Emily said. “I don’t mind.”
But Luc did. “One glass is enough.”
“After the night you had?”
He wanted her to feel comfortable around him. He motioned the man away. “Brad said a drama princess is exactly what the show needed. The crew is thrilled with the footage.”
“Let’s hope she’s the only crazy one.”
“I know I’m in good hands.” Luc wished he could be touching those hands right now. He took another bite of halibut instead.
“Dimitra seemed certain she was with you in Aspen.”
Luc took another bite so he didn’t have to reply.
“I did an Internet search while you showered,” Emily continued. “Your older brothers and their families were in Aspen over New Year’s.”
Damn. Luc wiped his mouth. “They were?”
“Yes.” She set her fork on her plate. “I noticed something else. You look like a younger, taller version of the crown prince. Just as Princess Dimitra said.”
His stomach knotted. He reached for his wine glass only to remember it was empty. “She also said I was more handsome.”
“Princess Dimitra thought she’d been with you because Prince Bernard used your name instead of his.”
It wasn’t a question. “Emily—”
“That’s what you meant about not being in drug rehab.” Her lips parted, the gears in her brain turning like crazy. “It wasn’t you, but him. Your parents lied.”
Luc took a breath, then another. “Please. You can’t say anything. Bernard’s the next king of Alvernia. The people cannot lose confidence in him and the monarchy.”
“Someone with addiction issues and who cheats on his wife doesn’t sound like he’ll be a noble ruler.”
“Bernard’s
Luc looked more frightened than flattered. She wanted to give the guy a hug for bringing Princess Dimitra into his life.
“I apologize, Your Highness.” Dimitra turned, then strutted out of the room, followed closely by Nick.
Emily took a step out of the cabana, but Dylan stopped her. “We’re still filming.”
Luc removed his tuxedo jacket. Water poured from the sleeves. His white dress shirt was plastered to his chest, leaving nothing to the imagination.
Not that she hadn’t seen him before, but the wet, see-through fabric pressed against his skin, showed off his chest and abs. Talk about sexy.
Nick returned with towels. “I shouldn’t have left you alone.”
“Not your fault. Hers, either.” Luc dried himself. “She believed I was in Aspen with her. I’m sure someone was.”
“Your doppelgänger?”
Luc hesitated, wiped his face with a towel. “Maybe. Who knows? Some guy could have been feeding her a line.”
Emily could tell by the two-second hesitation that Luc knew more than he was saying.
“I’m going to shower, then I’ll be back for dinner. No reason to let the chef’s cooking go to waste.” Luc glanced around. “Everyone is welcome to join me. Emily?”
She was surprised he knew she was there. She peeked out of the cabana. “Sure. That’s the least I can do after setting up this dating disaster.”
“No one knew that Dimitra was here to rekindle a romance,” Luc said.
“We need to be more careful.” Nick cleaned up the towels. “I’m going to run background checks on Luc’s future dates.”
Emily agreed something more needed to be done to ensure Luc’s safety. “I’ll get you the information you need.”
“Be back shortly.” Luc walked into the villa.
Nick looked at Emily. “Do you think the woman is crazy or she really thought Luc was in Aspen?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out right now.”
And not only for her sake.
*
Thirty minutes later, Luc sat across from Emily on the terrace. He wasn’t disappointed how his date had ended, though he’d rather not have been pushed into the pool. Still, having dinner with Emily was worth it.
A server went to refill Luc’s wine glass. He cut him off once he saw Emily’s glass was still full. “No more.”
“Have another glass,” Emily said. “I don’t mind.”
But Luc did. “One glass is enough.”
“After the night you had?”
He wanted her to feel comfortable around him. He motioned the man away. “Brad said a drama princess is exactly what the show needed. The crew is thrilled with the footage.”
“Let’s hope she’s the only crazy one.”
“I know I’m in good hands.” Luc wished he could be touching those hands right now. He took another bite of halibut instead.
“Dimitra seemed certain she was with you in Aspen.”
Luc took another bite so he didn’t have to reply.
“I did an Internet search while you showered,” Emily continued. “Your older brothers and their families were in Aspen over New Year’s.”
Damn. Luc wiped his mouth. “They were?”
“Yes.” She set her fork on her plate. “I noticed something else. You look like a younger, taller version of the crown prince. Just as Princess Dimitra said.”
His stomach knotted. He reached for his wine glass only to remember it was empty. “She also said I was more handsome.”
“Princess Dimitra thought she’d been with you because Prince Bernard used your name instead of his.”
It wasn’t a question. “Emily—”
“That’s what you meant about not being in drug rehab.” Her lips parted, the gears in her brain turning like crazy. “It wasn’t you, but him. Your parents lied.”
Luc took a breath, then another. “Please. You can’t say anything. Bernard’s the next king of Alvernia. The people cannot lose confidence in him and the monarchy.”
“Someone with addiction issues and who cheats on his wife doesn’t sound like he’ll be a noble ruler.”
“Bernard’s
Similar Books
