: Ben took an unsteady step back, bracing himself against the balcony as Sally drew herself up and turned away. What had she just said?
He had a daughter?
How?
Okay, he knew how. He remembered how. Remembered every charged moment. Skin against skin, mouth against mouth, soft sighs and sweet gasps.
He’d never recreated that heady mix of longing and liking, laughter and lust. They hadn’t been able to get enough of each other on those long summer nights.
So, technically he guessed that although they had mostly been careful, it was possible that they had conceived a child.
But in that case, why hadn’t she told him then?
He inhaled slowly. A six-and-a-half-year-old daughter? Kept from him for all these years? Confusion whirled into anger and he spun Sally round to face him, noting incredulously that rather than showing contrition, she looked as furious as he felt.
‘You owe me one hell of an explanation…’
‘I owe you nothing! You had your chance, Ben Montgomery, and you blew it.’
And before Ben could say anything else, she whirled round and walked away, green silk swishing around her ankles, tendrils of red hair trembling on her long neck. Despite his confusion and anger, that same old desire throbbed through him, desire that had permeated every moment with her, every moment he’d thought about her since.
He stayed frozen in place for one startled second then took off after her, only to skid to a halt as he hit the ballroom.
The British Embassy was housed in a handsome mansion with huge reception rooms, and their balls and receptions were always well attended. And this ball, blessed with the presence of the king’s newly discovered daughter, Clem, was particularly busy. It took no time for Sally to disappear amongst the crowd. Ben took a frustrated step forward only to feel a firm hand on his arm holding him back. He turned slowly to find himself eye to eye with Akil Ortiz, heir to the oldest dukedom in the Asturian Kingdom and rumoured partner of Clem.
‘Let go of me.’
‘I don’t think the lady wants to speak to you.’
‘And I don’t think it’s any of your business.’
‘That’s where you’re wrong. Sally is Clem’s best friend, so what upsets Sally upsets Clem—and what upsets Clem upsets me.’
Ben glared at the other man but with a Herculean effort managed to keep his temper. This was an embassy ball celebrating trade between Asturia and the UK, trade he was tantalisingly close to having a large stake in. The last thing he should do was start an argument with the most prominent Asturian there. No matter how much he wanted to.
But just because he was going to walk away didn’t mean this was the end of the matter. Not at all. Ben felt in his pocket and extracted a card. He handed it to the Vicomte d’Ortiz
‘Tell her to call me. Tomorrow.’
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