Page 106 of American Royalty

Not Dani Nelson.

Duchess.

That’s who you are. That’s what got you here. And just like these people, that’s what you’re here to represent. So get it together and give them what they’re paying for.

Like standing beneath a waterfall, she let the persona flow over her.

“Hello, I don’t think we’ve met in person but it’s nice to finally meet you,” a petite woman garbed in a flowing navy blue gown, with long silver-blond hair, said in her distinctive voice. “I’m a big fan.”

Kay Morgan, one of the most successful and influential rock stars on the planet, and the woman who’d won the most Grammys to date, was a fan ofhers?

“Likewise,” Dani said to the superstar. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Hello, Duchess,” Carl Page, a Motown legend, said. “We met backstage at the AMAs a few years ago.”

“We did,” she said, leaning forward and greeting him with the two-cheek kiss. “It’s good to see you again.”

She recognized Bobby Worth, a British rock and pop star from the eighties and nineties, but they’d never met, and he only gave her a brief nod before turning back to the person at his side and resuming his conversation.

Looking around, she gave a charming grin. “So, what brings you all here?”

They laughed.

A playful voice behind her said, “How’s the other half of music’s newest royal couple?”

“Liam!” she exclaimed, giving him a genuine hug. She shook her head, smiling slightly. “What are you talking about?”

“According toUs Weekly, we’re dating.”

“I thought it wasIn Touch?”

“Us Weeklyhas actually confirmed the rumors.”

“Oh well, ifUs Weeklyconfirmed it...” She laughed. “How have you been?”

“Merely existing until I saw you. You look stunning, as always.”

She smiled at the appreciation in his hazel eyes. “I’m sure I’m not the first woman you’ve said that to this evening.”

“No,” he admitted. “But you’re the first one I’ve said it to that I actually mean it.”

“You know I’m immune to your charms, right?”

“That’s because you haven’t spent enough time in my company. I’ve got all week to change that.”

“Good luck.”

“Do I need luck? Especially if Grandpa Stone is my only competition.”

She slapped his arm. “Don’t say that. At least not out loud.”

“So, despite the fact that he made a beeline for you the second you walked in and the way he’s glowering at me right now, you’re not together?”

“Are you out of your mind? He’s an old white dude. Totally not my type.”

“What about young white dudes? Can we try?”

His suggestion wasn’t that outrageous.Us Weeklyand the articleNyla had mentioned wasn’t the first time they’d been linked. It would almost be easier if it was true. Liam Cooper understood her world and the role the media would play in it. He’d get what she needed to do for her image.