Page 25 of Duke, Actually

“Well, it turns out I’ve been doing them wrong my entire life, so . . .” He shrugged. Because she was standing a step above him, they were eye to eye. “Live and learn.” He winked.

She was tempted to thank him for coming to the party with her yesterday, too. And for the drunken dinner. And for tucking her in—both last night and in the car. And for the story, which was making her think of another story, one that had been rattling around in her head for a long time. But she didn’t want to sound like she was fawning over him, so she just said, “Have a safe flight home.”

“Please don’t hesitate to be in touch if I can ever be of service.” He stuck out his hand for her to shake. She didn’t want to shake his hand, though. She wanted another hug, like in the park. But, she reminded herself sternly, that hadn’t been a hug. That had been him trying to keep her from landing headfirst in the snow. Any resemblance to a hug had been purely circumstantial.

So she shook his hand. Put her mittened hand in his bare one and squeezed—maybe a little harder than she should have.

“Merry Christmas, Dani,” he said.

“Merry Christmas, Max.”

Chapter Five

When Max landed in Zurich, he went directly to the palace in Witten. His family always spent Christmas with the royals, and it was close enough to the holiday now that he could get away with not going home in the interim. He told his parents that Marie and Leo needed him for some man of honor duties. The royal wedding was coming in handy as an excuse to be away.

“Max!” Marie was waiting for him in front of the palace when he got out of the car.

“Max!” As was Gabby, Leo’s little sister. For reasons that remained mysterious to Max, Gabby was turning into his biggest fan.

“Hello,” he said to Marie, and as Gabby tackled him, “Hello, poppet.”

“Did you do my deliveries?” Gabby asked.

“I did indeed.” He had been tasked with delivering gifts to a cousin and to her favorite former teacher. He wasn’t sure why she hadn’t simply mailed them, but he’d been happy to be her mule. “And,” he added with a great flourish, “here’s another question: Did I bring you anything?”

“Did you?” She was practically vibrating. Max had never considered himself a kid person, but twelve-year-olds, it turned out, could be rather pleasant, at least when one’s approach was to swoop in and shower them with gifts while other people did the hard work.

After gifts had been opened, Marie stole him away and gave him a cup of tea. But she only let him take one sip before she said, “I heard you went to Daniela Martinez’s work party.”

“Well. Word travels fast.”

“She and Leo talk almost every day.”

He raised his eyebrows.

“How can you be judgmental about that?Wetalk a great deal. At least when you’re not slutting around New York. And how isLavinia, by the way?”

Max hadn’t been objecting to the notion of Dani and Leo talking every day. He was merely surprised Dani had told Leo they’d been together. He’d gotten the impression that Dani was spending time with him against her better judgment, and he therefore hadn’t expected her to advertise the fact.

He was also a little surprised by the censure in Marie’s tone. She usually remarked on his “slutting around” with indulgent bemusement.

“Lavinia was fine.” He took a sip of tea. “And now I can say I’ve met her.” He performed a shudder that was not entirely put-on. “I enjoyed myself more with Daniela than I did with Lavinia or anyone else at the party, though.”

“You have to tread with caution, Max,” Marie said. “Dani can’t be one of your conquests.Especiallywhile you’re in town considering marriage to someone else.”

“I am. I did. We’re just friends.” Which, on the one hand, was a pity. But on the other, as he’d said, helikedDani. She was going to be around, given the wedding and her friendship with Leo, so that ruled her out for anything more fleeting, even if she’d been open to the idea. “And I’mnotconsidering marrying Lavinia,” he added peevishly. He got this kind of needling from his parents all the time; he didn’t need it from Marie, too.

“I’m not sure I believe you on either count.”

He set his tea down with a flash of irritation. “Honestly, you think I’m going to hit on Dani? She’s myfriend,” he reiterated. He hoped. He was looking forward to spending more time with her at the wedding. “And as for Lavinia, I merely wanted to meet her.”

“That’s not what you told your father.”

“That’s exactly what I told him. I used those precise words.”

“That’s not how he interpreted it.”

Max was aware. “Telling him I was going to Lucrecia’s Christmas party to meet Lavinia was a strategic move designed to prevent me from having to make a special-purpose trip to New Haven later to meet her. Can you imagine?Thatwouldn’t be awkward.”

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