Page 21 of Ways To Ruin A Royal Reputation

“My behavior was wildly inappropriate, given my title and the fact I’ve hired you. I want to be clear that I expect nothing from you beyond the work I’ve commissioned from London Connection. If our contract is something you’d prefer to dissolve now, I would understand.”

Weren’t they the most civilized people on the planet? And why did it make her feel as though she was swallowing acid?

“We bear equal responsibility.”

“Do we?” He sounded so lethal, it struck her as an accusation. Her heart lurched.

“I’m not a victim.” Conviction rang in her tone. She refused to be one ever again. “I don’t think you are, either. Are you?” It took everything in her to hold his gaze and not shake so hard she’d spill hot coffee on her knee.

“No. On the contrary, I can have nearly anything I want.” He smiled flatly. “It’s up to me to exercise control and not take it.”

“You didn’t take anything I wasn’t giving. I’m not afraid to tell you no, Luca. I’ve done it before, I can do it again.”If I want to. The problem was, she didn’t really want to.

His expression shifted into something close to a smile, but his exhalation gave away his annoyance.

“What?” she asked caustically.

“It makes you even more attractive,” he said bluntly. “That toughness inside that angelic persona you project. I find it infinitely fascinating. Which I shouldn’t tell you, but we’re past pretending we’re not attracted to each other. Better to name the beast.”

Was it? Because something ballooned in her chest, cutting off her airways. She really was going to freak out and spill hot coffee all over herself.

“It’s not like we can do anything about it,” she reminded him. “You’re about to publicly tie yourself to another woman.”

His expression shuttered, and he didn’t sound pleased as he said, “True.”

“I think I’ve found a good fit.” Amy forced herself to plow forward.

“Oh?” Luca sat back, projecting skepticism. Reluctance, perhaps?

“She’s an actor.” She leaned forward to set her coffee on the table. “She plays a spy on that cold war series that’s streaming right now. Even if you haven’t seen it, people would believe you might have. It’s very popular, and they film all over Europe so it’s feasible you would have been in the same city at some point. We could say you were introduced by a mutual acquaintance who remains nameless. She’s very pretty.” Amy flicked through her phone for the woman’s image.

Luca took the phone long enough to glance at it before handing it back. “Why didn’t you suggest her yesterday?”

Amy almost said,Because she’s very pretty.

“I don’t know her that well. We met at a club a few weeks ago.” Amy had provided a shoulder while the woman poured her heart out over a man she was having trouble quitting. “I reached out last night with a very superficial mention of a potential ‘unique opportunity.’ She said she’d take a meeting. I’m waiting to hear where and when.”

“How much do you think she would want?”

“That’s why I think she would be a good fit. Obviously, she should be compensated, but I don’t think she’ll care about money or publicity. She generates plenty of both on her own. But when we met, she said something that leads me to think she would find it useful to be seen as being committed to a man of your caliber.”

His brows went up in a silent demand for more info.

“Romantic troubles. I don’t want to gossip out of turn. I’m sure she would be more forthcoming if you formed a liaison.”

He hitched his trousers as he crossed one leg over the other, looking toward the windows with a flinty expression.

Amy bit her lip, well practiced in giving a client time to process her suggestions. In this case exercising patience was especially hard. She was eager to please, but was so aware of their kiss—their mutual attraction—that it twisted her insides to suggest he even pretend to see another woman.

After a long minute, he said, “I hate this.”

Her heart lurched.

Did he hate that he was sabotaging his own reputation? Or that he’d behaved badly with her and the repercussions were still coloring their discussion?

Or was he harboring a secret regret, the way she was, that they had to relegate their kiss and any potential relationship firmly offstage?

“I have to do this,” he said, bringing his gaze back to hers in an ice-blue swing of a scythe. “You understand that? I don’t have a choice to put it off or...” His hand scrolled the air and it sent an invisible lasso looping around her, strangling her. “I can’t chase what I want at the expense of what is right. I couldn’t even offer you—It would beonce, Amy. Nothing more. And the window for that is already closing.”

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