Page 17 of The Duke's Virgin

As I watched, an odd tension fell away from her, and I realized I’d pegged her wrong.

She wasn’t aloof at all.

She was just…shy.

She hid it well, but she was shy.

Seven

Stacia

The chaotic whirlof the party had my head spinning. Making my way down the hall in search of a restroom and a few minutes of privacy, I tried to decide if I was enjoying it.

“It’s definitely not one of Mom’s little soirees,” I told myself.

“Excusez-moi??”

The sound of the voice had me jumping.

Abashed, the security guard came closer, holding out a hand. “Pour s’excuser,” he said, smiling reassuringly.

“No,I’mthe one who’s sorry. Wandering around here, talking to myself,” I said, responding to him in French. “I wasn’t paying attention. I just wanted to get away from the party for a few minutes.”

He nodded in understanding. “Of course.”

I could tell he recognized me, but as he went to offer assistance, I waved him off. “I’m fine. I just wanted some quiet.”

Two more turns led me to a private restroom in a hall deeper in the residential wing occupied by Aeric, one that had been cordoned off, keeping the partygoers away. One thing about being Aeric’s cousin, I didn’t have to worry about that. I wasn’t likely to be granted entrance to his personal office, but shy of that, none of the staff worried much if I went wandering around the palace.

Slipping inside the opulent restroom, I leaned back and closed my eyes. Just being someplace nobody would see me was a welcome respite. Giving myself thirty seconds to appreciate it, I focused on smoothing out nerves left raw by the stress of being social. It was something my mother had never understood—and never would.Social anxietywas a made-up concept in her mind, and she claimed I was being overly theatrical when I tried to explain how much it stressed me out to attend all the functions she tried to foist on me. The coping mechanisms I’d developed to deal with her world had saved my sanity more than once.

Aeric’s party was nowhere near as bad, the people far less rigid, and none of them seemed to be intent on watching my every move, although that was because I wasdefinitelyone of the least interesting people here. I had no doubt of that.

I’d seen K-pop stars, social media icons, a couple of fashion designers that I knew mostly because of my mother’s influence, no less thantenmovie and TV stars in attendance. I knew there were several others who were royalty, ranging from the UK to the Middle East.

If I could have seen Meghan and Prince Harry, I would have been ecstatic, and I would have demanded an introduction from my cousin, but it hadn’t happened.

Pushing off the door, I checked to make sure it was locked before taking a look around. I’d been in five-star spas in New York that weren’t as luxurious as this restroom, with the plush aubergine carpet and the divan, several shades deeper, tucked against the wall, in case a guest had need of it. The walls were decorated with a design that was clearly hand-painted, and closer inspection made me think the golden coloring used wasn’t justgolden colored, butreal gold, and not the gold leaf that just mimicked the effects of the metal.

Amused, I shook my head and wandered deeper into the bathroom. There were various toiletries and high dollar makeup in more shades than I’d seen offered in some New York boutiques, all of them brand new and untouched. In case a guest needed to touch up her makeup, of course.

Curious, I pulled out the tray of lipsticks and studied the shades, selecting a deep rose, caught between pink and red. Trying it on, I studied the effect, then slid it into the small, cross-body purse.

The color looked good, I decided on a lengthier study. Better than good, really. It was a bolder shade than I normally wore, which made me like it even more.

Reaching for a wide-toothed comb left on a silver tray, I tidied my hair, then selected one of the products displayed on a shelf, smoothing down the frizzies that inevitably happened to curly hair after a long day.

“Well, you’re not going to compete with a Kardashian,” I told my reflection. “But you look good.”

I felt calmer, too, just getting away from the noise for a few minutes.

Getting away from the curious eyes.

And getting a few minutes away from…him.

That thought alone had my calmed bellyuncalming, although the jumping inside was for entirely different reasons now. I’d seen him approach the recessed seating area where I’d been sitting with Aeric, and as unobtrusively as I could, I’d watched.

He must be a regular at Aeric’s house because Blanche had let him in without pause, and I’d been paying attention to how things operated at the party. Most of the guests were briefly questioned by either the head of Aeric’s security team or one of her men.

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