Page 56 of The Duke's Virgin

Now Luka stared out the window at the four men, all clad in black suits with earpieces curling up over the left ear with a resigned expression. “It’s probably for the best,” I told him softly, touching his arm. “I don’t know much about Montreal overall, but it would seriously suck if something were to happen. I mean, I’d feel bad.”

“You’d feel bad,” he said, chuckling. “Then, for your peace of mind, I’ll be gracious.”

I gave him a sunny smile as Ricky climbed out, moving to greet the men waiting. He hadn’t unlocked our doors, so unless I wanted to crawl into the front seat, we were stuck there. I watched, unsurprised, as Ricky checked IDs, comparing each picture to the man who passed it over before returning the credentials.

“Your driver takes his duties seriously.”

“He does.” Soberly, I added, “He’d feel bad if something happened too.”

“I’m touched.”

Ricky unlocked the doors, turning toward us, but Luka had already shoved the door open, climbing out. The protective detail moved forward to greet him, but he shook his head. “I wish to see my friend first. If you want to discuss other matters, we can do so after I’ve seen Mr. Finch.”

I wouldn’t have been surprised to see them snap out a salute in response to his firm, commanding tone.

Trailing in his wake, bracketed on both sides by stern-faced men in suits, I wrapped my arms around my mid-section. I hadn’t thought to ask what was going to happen after we got here. I probably should have. I didn’t want to intrude but leaving him here before knowing what his plans were, whether his assistant had made arrangements, felt wrong.

We all crowded into the elevator, and I tried to catch Luka’s eye, but he was focused on the digital display of floor numbers, and the doors slid open.

Fifteen feet down the hall, I saw a uniformed officer standing outside a door, and I knew without asking where Emmett was.

I started to say Luka’s name, but he quickened his pace until I had to trot just to keep up. The guard at the door went to stop him, but the suited cop on Luka’s right waved him off.

“Luka—”

He looked back at me, an expression on his face like he’d forgotten me.

It stung.

“Thank you for getting me here, Stacia,” he said, voice formal and polite, exactly as it had been when he’d spoken to the protective detail and when he’d greeted Aeric and his family. Polite. Formal. Distant.

Thatreally stung.

“I need to see my friend,” he said, inclining his head.

“Ah…” Blood rushed to my cheeks, a sharp retort rising to my lips, but I bit it back. I wasn’t going to embarrass myself just because he’d been cool to me. Taking a page from my mother’s book, I cocked a brow and gave him a polite nod. “Of course, Your Highness. I’ll leave you to it. I’m going to visit a friend while I’m in the city. Ricky will make sure your luggage is dealt with. I’m sure your assistant will make satisfactory transportation arrangements for you from here on out.”

He went to speak, but I turned, not wanting to hear anything else.

I’dstupidlylet myself start to feel something, even after telling him last night that everything would go back to normal today.

The time forjust Luka and Staciahad already ended. I just hadn’t realized it.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Eighteen

Luka

The flickerin her eyes almost made me apologize, even with these four strangers standing around us, but I bit the words back. Still, if she hadn’t turned and walked away when she had, I doubted I would have been able to hold back a second time.

Before I could give into the temptation to say her name, I turned and strode into the hospital room.

It was better that she left. I knew that.

I needed distance between us. I never should have slept with her again, shouldn’t have spent hours laughing and talking with her.

I hadn’t realized just how stupid those actions had been until we’d reached Montreal and I’d found myself thinking something so incredibly tempting, so incredibly impossible that I discovered how foolish I’d been.

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