The Duke's Runaway Princess Page 0,37
the situation.”
Zarah bit her lip and wondered how she could get out of this situation. A part of her really wanted to see him again tonight. But another part of her, the sensible part, knew that she was getting in deep with Derrick. She was going to get hurt if she didn’t pull back from their relationship. “Suzanne really….”
“Don’t go there, Zarah,” he said softly with a laugh. “I saw Suzanne at the coffee shop about twenty minutes ago and she said you didn’t have any plans for the evening.”
Zarah sighed with frustration. “What time?” she asked belligerently as she accepted her fate for the night.
He didn’t take offense. In fact, he laughed at her frustration. “That’s my girl. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
She loved his laugh and smiled in response despite her irritation at the way he’d cornered her into seeing him tonight. “I can get there on my own.”
“No way. If I leave you to get here, you will find some way to get out of the evening. Wear something nice. Suzanne said you have a whole stash of clothes that would be appropriate, which I’m guessing is a story in itself that I’ll have to coax from you at some point. Thank you in advance for your help tonight and I’ll owe you.”
With that, he hung up the phone and Zarah glared down at it. She hurried back into her bedroom and surveyed her wardrobe options. At the moment, she simply pulled on a robe because she still wasn’t sure what she wanted to wear to what seemed to be an important dinner for Derrick.
She thought about calling Suzanne to demand to know why she’d left her hanging like that but the woman walked into the apartment at that same moment and Zarah turned her glare from the phone to her friend. “Why didn’t you back me up and tell Derrick I had plans tonight?”
Suzanne froze, her purse and bag halfway between her shoulder and the chair she was about to dump everything into as she stared back at Zarah with a confused expression. “Derrick? Who is Derrick?”
Zarah rolled her eyes. “You know exactly who he is and don’t play dumb with me. The Duke of Waren? Derrick Huntington?”
Sudden understanding dawned on Suzanne’s face and she let her bags fall into the chair. “I honestly didn’t know his name. Everyone simply refers to him as The Duke. I know he has several close friends around town but they never reveal any personal information about him. He’s a very nice man,” she said as she opened the fridge and to pull out the already opened bottle of wine then took down a glass to pour herself some. “Why are you upset? He’s a gorgeous guy, he’s extremely nice, has a reputation for taking huge companies that are in trouble and making them healthy again…what more could you want in a guy?” Her grin was wide and mischievous as she added, “I bet he’s fantastic in bed too! With a body like that, one has to wonder!”
Zarah knew that Suzanne wouldn’t really understand. She herself didn’t completely grasp what the issue was with Derrick. The man just made her uncomfortable. And after this past week, she was terrified of being alone with him again tonight. She flopped onto the couch and took several deep breaths, trying to clear her mind of all the erotic thoughts that popped up whenever she thought about the man under discussion.
Things had gone from casual and fun to something….more. She didn’t want to define whatever she was feeling, knowing that it wasn’t in her future.
She closed her eyes and leaned back against the sofa cushions. “He is great in bed,” Zarah groaned, then her eyes popped up to look at a stunned Suzanne, realizing what she’d just revealed.
“Oh no you don’t!” Suzanne said as she spotted Zarah’s attempt to back track from that statement. “Details!” She hurried over to the sofa, crossing her legs underneath her at the opposite end and stared at her roommate expectantly.
Zarah’s shoulders slumped because she knew that Suzanne wouldn’t relent until she had the whole story. “I sort of went for a swim earlier in the week down at that lake behind the Fisher’s house.”
Suzanne’s curiosity increased and showed on her blond features. “You mean the Duke’s lake? The one he reportedly swims in all the time?” she clarified.
Zarah slapped her palm against her forehead after hearing Suzanne’s comment. “Well, I wouldn’t have gone there myself if someone