Page 27 of Sinister Games

That certainly explained all the odd looks and hopping about everyone was doing both at the museum and the restaurant as well as the cab driver’s reaction.

There was now absolutely no doubt in my mind that I was never going to see him again.

It just kept playing over and over in my head. A duke! A freakin’ duke!

What could a duke possibly see in a first-year fashion student at uni?

Nothing.

I bit my lip and blinked back the tears that were quickly forming. It was silly, of course. I had only just met the man. It was that he was just so… so… Mr. Darcy!

Not wanting to give away too much to Jane, I shrugged as I grabbed our mugs and headed to the kitchen. “Whatever. It was a fun pseudo one-night stand.”

Jane came up behind me. “This is the first guy you’ve shown the slightest interest in since I’ve known you and he happens to be the catch of the century and all of a sudden you’re acting like you’re not interested? Bullshit.”

Not wanting her to read my reaction, I kept my back turned and poured way too much dish detergent into my mug, watching as a mini volcano of suds erupted over the edge. “I can’t compete with all that,” I said, gesturing to the laptop she still held in her hand. “Let’s just leave it.”

Putting the laptop down, Jane grabbed me by the shoulders and ushered me out of the kitchen.

“What are you doing?”

Jane marched me into the bedroom and didn’t stop till we were both standing in front of my long mirror.

Nodding over my shoulder as she gave my reflection the once-over, she reflected, “You’re right. You can’t compete.”

“Ouch! Judge-y!”

“Because there is no competition! Girl, you have no idea how beautiful you are both on the inside and out. That man would be lucky to date someone like you. I don’t care if he is a rich duke who’s super tall and hot as hell.”

I turned and gave her a hug. “You rock.”

Wrapping her arms around me, she slapped my ass. I hid my wince since it was still a little sore from the kinky spanking Richard had given me the night before. “You’re a hot piece of ass, Lizzie. You’re just going to have to accept it.”

Laughing, I hooked an arm around her shoulders and turned toward my closet. “Help me pick out an outfit for today since you stole one of my favorite dresses already.”

We were halfway through picking apart my wardrobe when my hand flew to my mouth. “Oh, no!”

“What?”

“I never gave him my number!”

Jane’s mouth opened in shock. “What?”

“I can’t even remember him looking at his mobile the entire time he was with me. It was almost like he didn’t own one.”

“So, you didn’t exchange numbers? What about Facebook? Or Instagram?”

I shook my head no.

“I mean at some point I must have told him what street I lived on, although I don’t remember doing so. Still, this building has over fifty apartments, there is no way he’d know which one I was in.”

“Maybe he gave you his card?”

Shaking my head no, I said, “The only thing I remember is him saying he wanted to take me out to dinner tonight but I don’t know how that’s going to be possible if he can’t contact me to make arrangements.”

“Well, you told him what school you go to… maybe he’ll track you down that way?”

I half-heartedly agreed, not even trying to hide my disappointment. I really wanted to see Richard again, if only to see if the intense vibe I was feeling was real or imagined.

---