Page 10 of The Duke's Brother

She hadn’t looked particularly focused on anything but Jorge last night. He bristled. “It’s just a dinner between old friends, but I can see you’d rather not. That’s cool. Maybe I’ll see you on the slopes, or in training.” He pushed with his poles and tore down the mountain in the direction Charlie had gone. Their heli would pick them up at the bottom and hers would as well. Probably for the best she didn’t seem interested. He needed to focus.

Chapter 6

Jenneca watched Tripp go as frustration welled inside. Men and their crazy competitive pride. Well, she wasn’t about to spend her evenings with him just because he asked. She had work to do and last night she’d seen what happens when you start mingling with the after-crowd. She refused to be a groupie.

Especially with Tripp. She would be lost in love forever if she wasn’t careful. He’d already captured a portion of her young girl heart all these years. And you never knew with these royals. They were always happy to enjoy the company right in front of them. So he could be prideful all he wanted, but she was not going to join all the other women who pined for a tiny piece of his attention.

She spent the rest of her heli trip practicing her turns and focusing on her form. The snow at the bottom had less powder and felt more like it would in the practice runs. If she kept at it, she would be back on her game. She got better every day. Except, she reminded herself, her mother needed her at the bakery.

Tripp and Charlie climbed into their helicopter just as Jenneca skied down to the flat open space where hers also waited.

Tripp lifted his hand when she stopped. He had been watching for her. She waved back and then clicked out of her skis and marched over the snow in her boots.

That night she hid in her room. And her own pride at refusing Tripp came back to haunt her. She was bored. And lonely. And even though her muscles were tired, she wasn’t ready to sleep. So she threw a book in her bag, stepped outside of her room, and went in search of a snack or something to do. Truly she went in search of Tripp. But she wasn’t ready to admit that, not yet. Not out loud. She searched all the common areas, poking her head in on the third floor hot tubs. She breathed out in relief he wasn’t there with another girl, a groupie. Then she made her way to her favorite spot in the hotel. A smaller lobby area on the business floor. A roaring fire warmed the area, the fireplace, made of the rich rock of Austria, rose to the ceiling. A small setting of chairs welcomed her and she picked the coziest one to rest herself.

Pages into her book, the air shifted. Something felt different. When she looked up, Jorge stood in front of her. “You’ve found my favorite spot.”

She resisted rolling her eyes, finding it hard to believe she and Jorge shared a favorite spot. “Just looking for a quiet place.”

He came to sit beside her.

She was happy the chairs were so far apart.

He stood and moved his closer. “How was your day? I didn’t see you on any of the runs or in training.”

“Great. I went somewhere else today.”

“With me.” Tripp approached, eyeing them.

Jorge’s eyebrows rose to his hairline. “Really?” He looked from one to the other. “I’d love to take a few runs with you, Jenneca. I didn’t know you were open for company.” He ran a finger down the skin of her hand.

Why was this happening? How could Jorge be at her side again when Tripp showed up? She couldn’t figure out a way to ease things. So she sat helplessly while Tripp joined them at her other side.

At least he didn’t leave. Her heart picked up. “Tripp. I got so bored in my room after all and needed something to do.” She wanted him to know this wasn’t what it looked like.

“And I see you found something.” His face seemed passive enough but his eyes were firm.

“Yes, I love a good book by the fire after such an epic day skiing.”

“Especially with good company.” Jorge reached for her hand and folded his fingers around hers.

She tried to loosen his grip but he held on, gently, but in such a way it would make it twice as awkward to free herself. She watched his face, but Jorge was staring at Tripp.

Tripp watched Jenneca. He waited to the count of four beats of her pounding heart, and then he stood, nodded at Jorge and left.

She shook off his hand. “What are you doing?”

“Just letting him know where I stand with you.”

“Where you stand? You don’t stand anywhere with me. We aren’t a thing.”

“But I’d like to be a thing. Come on, can we go get drinks or something?” His eyes sparkled with the confidence of a man who was used to women saying yes.

“No.”

“That’s it? Just no?”

“Exactly. I would rather sit here and relax.”

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