Page 52 of The Prince Who Loved Me

“We’d been together for a long time.”

“And?” Brandi prodded when he said nothing else.

Nick shrugged and tapped the sugar packet against the table. “I don’t know. We weren’t ready to get married. Breakingup seemed the thing to do.”

“Was it the thing to do?”

“I thought so at first. It’s been about six months.”

“At first?” Brandi apparently had turned in to a parrot.

Nick straightened up in his chair and pointed his finger. “Hey. I know the first rule of a date is to not talk about your last relationship.”

“Unless there’s a reason to. Which I think there is.” Brandi smiled her encouragement.

“You’re not going to post on your social media about the jerk who wouldn’t shut up about his ex girlfriend, are you? But then again, we talked about your relationship, too.”

“Oh, Sebastien and I were never in a relationship. Not a romantic one, anyway. I mean, we’ve been friends for so long that it would be weird, wouldn’t it? It would.”

“Are you trying to convince me of this?” Nick raised an eyebrow and went back to tapping the sugar packet. “He never wanted to? I mean, we’ve already established you’re hot. I bet you could have him if you wanted to.”

Brandi tried to laugh it off, but Sebastien’s face in her mind was inches from her own, their breath mingling in the air between them. A flutter settled in her belly.

No, no, no. What the hell was wrong with her?

“You’re beautiful even when your face is that alarming shade of red,” Nick said.

“You sure know how to sweeten a girl up.”

He leaned toward her, his voice resolute. “We’re thinking the same thing here, right?”

She doubted a naked Sebastien was flitting through his mind. “Why don’t you tell me?”

“You’re a great girl, Brandi.”

Part of her cringed at the beginning of the break-up speech, but the other part was singing.

“If I can sit across from a gorgeous, funny, interesting woman and still only think about my Kerry, I think that says something. I’m going to call her when I get home.” Nick tapped the table in front of her. “And who are you thinking of?”

“No one.” Her answer was so fast they both knew she lied.

“Right.” He settled back in his chair and took the last swallow of coffee. “I think you should call no one, too.”

Chapter 12

Sebastien put his phone on his nightstand after talking to Thomasina Wile, his mind swirling. An artist had thrown a fit about the way Thomasina was handling his show in a month and pulled his pieces.

Which left her with an opening.

That she wanted him to fill.

Now.

Instead of waiting.

He’d said yes, of course, but with the condition that he used a nom de guerre. The Casagnes name was too well known for him to guarantee that people would be honest if they discussed his work. Plus it would help keep this hidden from his parents. Thomasina had protested, but he wouldn’t budge.

Normally, he’d share this news with Brandi. His family had called his art his little hobby. While they appreciated the good publicity his donations got, calling himself an artist was another matter. But to have a show all his own…