Page 19 of The Duke

“What are you doing? Do you even have service up here?”

“Calling the helicopter.”

“You want to go? Trane, let’s talk about this.”

His eyes had turned icy. “What is there to discuss. I discovered all I need to know. I’m giving everything I’ve got to us. And you’re still not sure if we even matter.” He wandered up a few boulders and began a conversation. Soon he pocketed the phone and kept climbing, leaving her alone, staring out over the country of Torren. She had never been more relieved and devastated at the same time when she saw the circular blades touch down on a large flat outcropping.

Chapter 10

Trane resisted the urge to haunt Phina’s rooms at the palace. He knew she left. What good would it do to sit in her empty rooms while the staff cleaned? He walked by the couch in his own rooms, his eyes lingered on the piece of rug that caught him when he fell. He turned to the door she stood in, power emanating off of her in great femininity. He couldn’t believe how much he put himself out there, focused all his attention on her, on the potential of them. Only to have it reciprocated in such a nonchalant uncaring manner. To think that not only did she not put forth the same effort, but that she might be using him to get a story, might try to expose them all with some twist-of-the-truthangleshe would dream up.

A sane voice inside reminded him that she had been simply on the receiving end of his experiment, that she hadn’t committed to him, only accepted his attentions. He groaned and fell down onto his couch, scooting over to be far away from the end where his lips had explored hers.

“Oh, don’t be so pathetic.” Lucan stood in his doorway, Tripp at his side.

Tripp shook his head. “Leave him alone, Lucan. He wants to mope. It makes him feel better.”

“Shut it, you two. I don’t expect you to understand.” He frowned. “And Lucan if you so much as smirk an I told you so…”

His brother held up his hands. “I’m not even thinking it. I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Trane eyed them both and asked the question that had been pounding around in his mind. “So, should I still take her as my date to the ribbon cutting?”

Lucan sat in the nearest chair. “If you remember, you were supposed to stay close to her, keep her near…”

Tripp joined him on the couch. And he began to feel a little bit surrounded.

“What, are we having a meeting?”

Tripp’s hand gripped his shoulder. “Lucan’s going to ask you to do something hard.”

Trane leaned his head back against the couch. “When has he not?”

“I need you to get back together with Seraphina.”

He opened one eye and felt a sick sense of exhilaration. What was wrong with his masochist brain? Did he need more torture in his life? “Why?”

“Well, for one, we need the press all over her. We need her at your side as your date at the ribbon cutting, and she may not go with you if you are still at odds.”

“You still want to keep her close, keep tabs on her.”

“Of course.”

“I’m not that heartless that I could do such a thing. What beats in your chest? Feelings are involved here.”

“Well, mother is of the opinion that you guys will eventually end up together so this is really just aiding you along.”

Trane lifted his chin to Lucan. “But brother here thinks she’s in league with terrorists.”

“No, just friends with terrorists. That’s different from being in league with them.” His small smile grated.

“I won’t do it. I’m not going to pretend to be anything with Phina. But I will ask her to still be my ribbon cutting date.” He stood. “She’ll come. Best seats in the house.”

* * *

Seraphina closedout her email window on the laptop. Trane’s assistant had begun emailing her the itinerary for the ribbon cutting, where she needed to be and when. From the looks of it, she was still Trane’s date. That simplified a few things with their planning. But Trane had not reached out since the helicopter dropped them off on the helipad behind the palace. He had nodded to her, thanked her for a lovely outing, in a very business-like voice, and then turned and walked away.

She opened up a word document. Writing always helped to calm her thoughts, organize her emotions. She couldn’t be letting her own emotional preferences rule the day here. She needed to focus. The EcoFresh group let her know of some interesting leads she would check out this afternoon and before then, she worked on the beginnings of an article.

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