Page 61 of The Duke's Virgin
He offered his arm. “How about I take you around the big top, pretty lady? Show you the sights?”
Twenty
Luka
“You didn’t eat much.”
I looked at Geraint where he sat across the table, his plate of food all but scraped clean. “You ate enough for us both.”
He took a sip of coffee and gave me a pensive look, eyes slightly narrowed. “That’s about the third time this week you’ve spent more time pushing your food around than actually eating. What’s going on with you, Luka?”
“Not a thing.” I sipped my coffee and directed my attention back to the tablet in front of me. I had it open to theNew York Times, scanning it more out of habit than actual interest.
Lack of interest had plagued me for the past two weeks, and I could no longer blame it on worry for Emmett. He had been discharged days ago and was expected to make a complete recovery.
I needed to get my head in the game, but it was proving to be harder than it should be, yet one more sign of my distraction.
I had to get past it.
So, do it already, I told myself.
I blew out a rough breath and cleared my mind.
“You want me to believenot a thingis wrong.” I flipped my brother off without looking at him. “Keep that up, and I’ll tellMamanhow poor your manners have gotten.”
“Keepthatup, and I’ll tellMamanyou were sneaking off to Katrina’s suite while she was visiting.” I wouldn’t. Neither would he. But brothers had to fuck with each other. It was a rule.
“You’re smiling, you dick.”
I shot Geraint a look. “Am I?”
He laughed and shook his head. “I’ve got a meeting in a few hours. I need to get going.”
As he left the room, I refilled my coffee cup and focused back on my tablet. The stock markets were going crazy. It had been like this for the past couple of years. Luxembourg wasn’t in any danger. Our economy was stable, and even if things outside our borders devolved, it wouldn’t affect much here.
Still, it was concerning. A true leader, my father had always told me, didn’t just concern himself with those directly under his leadership, because the reality was that we were all connected.
I believed he was right.
Annoyed with the headlines from the front page from one of the world’s largest papers, I went to exit, but a voice distracted me.
“Is there anything else you’d care for, Your Highness?” Marta, one of the kitchen staff, stood in the doorway, a smile on her round face.
“No.” I smiled in return. “I’m fine, thank you. I’ll just sit here and read.”
She nodded and disappeared through the door.
Looking back at the tablet, I went to exit as planned and froze.
Two familiar faces stared out from the screen, a thumbnail image down on the side. “What the…”
I tapped on it and the link opened.
Emmett and Stacia.
I stared at their faces, the smiles, for a long, long moment before shifting my attention to the headline below.
Emmett Finch, Formula One Driver, and New York City Native Stacia Harden Enchant Children at Local Event.
