Page 11 of Is This Real or Just Pretend?

Lucien furrowed his brow. “Sorry.” Then he cupped the back of his neck with one hand and shoved the other in his pocket. “I only meant that you can be rather… intimidating.” He glanced at her through his lashes as he said the last word, as if trying to gauge her reaction.

“I see.” She had been told as much before by other people and still hadn’t the slightest idea what to do about it. “I suppose that would make it rather difficult for you to pretend to court me, then,” she added, steeling herself for disappointment.

“About that,” he began. “You said I would have the night to think things over, but news of our”—he waved a hand as he searched for the word—“ situation has spread through the household staff.”

Alex’s mouth dropped open. “Already?” Though she knew it had begun to spread among the guests, she hadn’t realized the staff would take such an interest. Though perhaps that was understandable, given Lucien’s connection.

She would need to be better prepared to anticipate all eventualities if they moved forward with this arrangement.

“Yes. My father asked me about it this morning.” Lucien’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “But that can’t be much of a surprise to you.”

Understanding dawned on her. “You think I did that on purpose?”

Lucien shrugged. “Well, it rather forced my hand in the moment.”

“I am not quite so desperate as that, thank you,” she said primly.

“Wait,” he said as she turned to leave. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to imply—”

Alex turned back to face him. “What? That I am so undesirable that not only would I need to find a fake suitor but would also have to force him into it?”

Lucien’s face fell. “I didn’t think—”

“No,” she snapped. “You most certainly did not.” She took a few steps before Lucien caught up with her.

“Alex. Please .”

It was the pleading note in his voice that brought her to a halt. No man had ever begged for her before. It seemed to trip something within her. A scenario she had never once considered.

And Alex found she rather liked it.

As Alex slowly turned around and crossed her arms, the movement had the unintended effect of drawing attention to her chest. Even still, Lucien made sure to keep his eyes firmly on her face.

The woman might dress like someone’s dowdy aunt, but her clothes were still expertly tailored to accentuate every curve.

This gown in particular had a neckline just below her collarbones.

Lucien had never given a thought to collarbones before, but since she was usually buttoned up to her chin, this was… distracting.

When Lucien first found Alex behind the tree tugging helplessly at her skirt, she had looked up at him with such desperation that it brought to mind a scene out of some horrible Greek myth, wherein he was the lusty god and she the flailing wood nymph.

But since this was Alex, the moment quickly passed before she resumed her usual stoicism. Still, the feeling had lingered even through his anger over her duplicity and any embarrassment over being caught without a stitch on.

He fully believed that she had inadvertently stumbled upon him because the idea that she might have intentionally followed him there was simply too silly and her own embarrassment far too obvious.

However, it was harder to accept that she hadn’t deliberately spread the news of their courtship for her own advantage.

Until he saw pain flash across her face.

It was perhaps the truest emotion he had ever seen from her.

As those fathomless dark eyes stared once again, betraying nothing, Lucien began to have an inkling of what lay beneath the mask she showed the world.

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

She scoffed. “You most certainly did.”

“Only that you did it with intention .” He ran a hand through his damp hair in frustration. “Nothing about you has ever struck me as desperate.”

Alex stared at him intently for a long moment, then seemed to conclude he was telling the truth. “Fair enough.” Then she lifted her chin. “So then, what have you decided?”

It was back to business as usual. He should have known their little moment of shared vulnerability wouldn’t last, and yet he still felt disappointed.

“I can put an end to all of this within an hour, if you wish,” she added at his silence.

Lucien took a breath. He didn’t know why he was even hesitating about this.

He needed a path forward, and right now Alex offered him the best option.

The only option. All he had to do was play the doting beau for a few weeks until Alex was satisfied.

That also meant he could be closer to Freddie than he would ever be allowed otherwise.

And if she really did decide not to wed that American fellow, Lucien would be in a prime position to declare himself to her.

He would have to explain his little arrangement with Alex, of course, but they would have a good laugh over it.

And Freddie would understand completely.

As if anyone would ever choose Alex over her.

And yet, something about this entire scenario remained vaguely unsettling.

Perhaps because you’re still a little frightened of Alexandra Atkinson.

He pushed the ridiculous feeling aside and extended his hand. “That won’t be necessary.”

Alex stared at it and looked up. “Excellent. I look forward to working with you.” But instead of taking his hand, she pulled something out from her pocket and placed it in his palm. “You’ll need to stay in London, of course.”

“That won’t be a problem,” he said as his fingers closed over the card. “I already planned to go there as soon as possible.”

“Good.” She gave him a stiff nod. “Come and see me on Monday. First thing.”

As she brushed passed him, Lucien turned over the business card she had given him.

It was made of expensive cardstock, but otherwise quite plain, with just her name and the address of Atkinson Enterprises embossed in black ink.

My God, the woman walked around her own home with business cards on her person.

“And Lucien,” she began as she looked over her shoulder. “You’ll need to make it look real.”

He drank in the hint of uncertainty in her gaze and tucked the card into his breast pocket. “I think I can manage that.”

She swallowed in response, another subtle betrayal of nerves, and his eyes were hopelessly drawn to the movement of her pale throat. Then she turned back and headed into the woods. Lucien watched until she disappeared from view.

No , he thought as the sense of unease returned. That won’t be a problem at all.