Page 52 of His Highness's Hidden Heir

“You jerk,” Josh grumbled as he squeezed her. “You made me so nervous, knowing you were in the audience.” He had his hair dyed red for his role and wore traces of his stage makeup, but he gave her a second hug, picking her up and crushing her like a long-lost relative.

“You were amazing,” she assured him. “But put me down so I can introduce you to Magnus.”

“Excellent performance,” Magnus said politely as he shook Josh’s hand.

“A far cry from pretending to pick you out of garbage disposals, isn’t it?” Josh joked to Lexi. “Ooh, let’s start rumors of a reboot.” He pulled his phone from his robe pocket.

“Wait. Let me do it on mine.” Lexi wrinkled her nose. “Magnus has to be in it or the trolls will claim I’m having an affair.”

“Please. I’m out and proud these days, Lex. If anything, they’ll think I’m after your husband. Oh! Come to our party tonight! Meet my partner, David. You’ll know so many people. I’mdyingto hear why you left X-Calibur. And you have ababy?”

“We do have a son and we have to get back to him,” she said smoothly. “But here. Magnus will take the photo and I’ll send it to you. Post it whenever you want, butpleasesay something boring. You have no idea what I’m going through.”

“Babe, I was outed by a podcast host so they could boost their ratings. I have some idea.” Josh slid his arm around her waist and tilted his head against hers, smiling wide as Magnus used his long arm to snap the photo of the three of them. “Did you really drop out of the project with Bernadette Garnier? It’sBernadette Garnier, Lex. And that role would be perfect for you.”

“I know, but...” Lexi shrugged that off as she glanced at the photo, then asked for Josh’s number so she could send it to him. “Even funding it is an issue. I believe in the story, but the trolls are finding the topic too darned salacious. Guard my number with your life, please. Otherwise, I’ll have to change it and we’ll lose touch again.”

“I will.I miss you.” He hugged her again.

She kissed his cheek and they said their goodbyes.

When they were in the car, Magnus asked, “Text him for the address if you want to go to the party. I don’t mind.”

“It’s not worth it. The trolls will turn it into me abandoning our son and accuse me of falling back into drugs or something.”

“Lexi. You can’t keep living around what strangers are saying about you, especially when it’s said in bad faith. If you want to see your friend, do it. If you want to keep a foot in acting, let’s talk about how to make that happen.”

“I don’t.” She looked to him with puzzlement. “That part of my life is over.”

“What part? The happy part?”

“I’m happy,” she defended.

“Don’t lie to me,” he snapped.

They didn’t speak again until they were back in their suite at the hotel on the Thames. Rolf was down for the night so Lexi took the baby monitor and dismissed the nanny.

“Why do you think I’m not happy?” she asked as they changed from their evening wear.

“Because you looked happy tonight in a way I haven’t seen in weeks. Or were youactinghappy? Because it was either him or being around actors that made you light up like that. If it’s acting, and you want to go back to it, then we should talk about it.”

And add bad reviews to her already full plate of negative feedback?

“Josh and I grew up together. He’s like a brother to me. But he’s always been gay, Magnus. If you think there’s something between us—”

“I’m not jealous,” he said pithily.

Ouch.

“Good,” she claimed. “Because you don’t have any reason to be.”

“But I can’t be your whole life,” he added.

“You’re not. Rolf is.” She was stooping to being mean, but he was standing right on her heart.

They glared at each other, but she looked away first.

“Do youwantme to go back to acting?” she asked with trepidation. Was this his way of pushing her out of his life now that she’d produced the heir he needed?

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