Page 16 of Forbidden Earl

He rubbed his forehead and looked at the prince.

Antonio asked, “Is there a problem?”

He held the paper close to his chest. “Is there a search history for my fiancée as well? Lady Cassidy Bright?”

“You’re marrying Cassidy? Ah. She must have sent you that refusal letter.” Antonio studied him.

“What?” Remington held his breath, waiting.

“Lady Cassidy is my IT Department,” Antonio said. “It’s her program.”

That explained the denial. She didn’t like him; she thought he was vain and shallow and a prankster. He released a rush of air and ignored the buzzing of his skin. “Does she have a search profile?”

Antonio typed and then hit print again. “Yes. Why—what does yours say?”

Right. Of course. He flipped the paper and placed it on the desk so that the prince could read the truth. “That we’re perfectly matched.”

“Now I’m curious.” A huge smile grew on the prince’s face. Remington turned and picked up the second sheet. Remington Burke, perfect match for Cassidy Bright. Antonio asked, “What’s hers say?”

“Me.” Remy showed the prince, then scooped both print-outs up. Even his hair felt electrified and he needed to talk to Cassidy, now.

He stood and the chair skidded on the polished oak floors. Antonio rose and offered his hand. “Sounds like it will be a lovely wedding.”

Remington shook the prince’s hand and took a moment to think this over. He and Cassidy needed to have a conversation. She should have told him this, not that it mattered. Love was an illusion but if he understood correctly, she believed in the emotion far more than he realized. “Thank you, Your Highness. I’ll speak to Cassidy about this tonight. She should have told me.”

The prince nodded. “Good afternoon and congratulations.”

“Thank you for everything.” Remington left the palace.

How Cassidy had kept this to herself was beyond him. She must have sent him the letter denying his request. He’d show her the print-outs before dinner with Grannie. Perhaps she had a good reason that he couldn’t figure out right now, but he’d at least ask.

If she believed they were destined for true love, though, they had a problem. Their marriage was a business deal, just as he preferred.

Chapter 7

Cassidy Bright blinked at her image in the mirror. Her hair now went just below the shoulders. She still had brown curls, but they were wavier and softer than her normal disaster. Not a single hair fell in her face.

This wasn’t good at all. She looked a little bit like her mother now. Her pulse sped up. Her mother had once been considered one of the prettiest women on the planet, and her modeling photographs kept food on the table when Cassidy had been young.

She couldn’t look like someone who never took responsibility seriously. Her skin felt jittery. She turned in the chair and stared at the blond, blue-eyed stylist. “Michael, make my hair as plain as you can before I go.”

His sigh exuded his disapproval, and he picked up pieces of her hair from the chair. “But this is the first step toward showcasing your beauty.”

Her choice was self-preservation. Remy didn’t need to see her as anything other than a partner to run their estates. She’d never want to live like her mother’s friends in California. It was better to be smart, but she couldn’t explain that to Michael. He’d not like her answer. She bit her lower lip and formed her argument. “I am living with Remington and I want him to be surprised on our wedding day. Tomorrow we’ll finish the second treatment. Then on my wedding day, when you style it, he’ll get to see the new me.”

Michael made another sigh, but this one sounded more like a concession. “I want everyone to know this masterpiece of hair came from me when it’s time.”

She smiled easily, happy to tell everyone who had helped her. If she had any say, his name would be under hers as the miracle worker that transformed plain into the glamazon her mother had once been. “Of course! Thank you for everything.”

Without waiting she wrangled her remaining hair and tugged it into a ponytail, not caring if she had bumps. Michael stepped back and stared at her with huge bug eyes. “This ponytail thing is so plain. Let me-”

“No.” She interrupted fast. The last thing she needed was to be stylish too soon. She jumped out of the chair. “Tomorrow, we’ll continue. For now, hand me those glasses.”

The color of his face changed and he stood behind her, pointing to her reflection in the mirror. “You don’t have to hide, y’know. Your fiancé might just approve of you more if you show him who you truly are.”

This wasn’t who she was. At least she wasn’t wearing makeup. A hair cut alone didn’t completely change her. She picked up an Angels baseball hat and tucked the ponytail into the back of it, covering half of her face. “Yeah, no. Right now, I want to look like I always did.”

Her phone rang. Michael picked it up from the stylist center and handed it to her. “Your sister is calling.”

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