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“What?”

“Don’t call me Duchess, please.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re making fun. When he does it, he’s just being sweet.”

He was in my face again in a heartbeat, body covering mine, madness in his eyes, voice hitched low but furious. “He doesn’t get to be sweet with you. You need to get that through your head.”

Oh this again.

“Are you jealous because I said he was my friend?” I asked carefully. It was actually kind of sweet. “You can be my friend, too. It’s not a mutually exclusive thing.”

“For the record, I don’t want to be your friend,” he growled. “I want to make you come and watch your eyes roll up into your head. I want to fuck you until you can’t walk straight.”

I was blushing as I replied stubbornly, “You can do those things and be my friend.”

“Okay. Fine. That’s the kind of friendship I want, but you don’t get to have that with anyone else.”

I just blinked at him. “Well, of course not,” I replied simply.

It seemed to mollify him if the way he kissed me was any indication.

“What can I get you for your birthday?” he asked me some time in the night.

My mind shot to one idea immediately. It would make me vulnerable to ask him for something like that, I thought, mind moving furiously. It would hurt if he turned me down.

But if he said yes it would be worth it.

If he said yes it might change everything.

“I’d like you to start talking to me directly. No more Asha.”

He stared at me for a long time. “You want me to fire her?”

I shrugged. “I just want her out of my apartment. I wouldn’t be sad if you fired her, but if she just wasn’t in charge of me that’d be enough.

“And you really want to deal with me directly?”

“Yes. I want to deal with you directly.”

“Okay. If that’s what you prefer, that’s what we’ll do,” he said instantly.

Was it that easy? I wondered.

CHAPTER

TWENTY-NINE

The next day Asha was gone. She didn’t even bother to say goodbye, she just disappeared from my life. I wasn’t sad, just the opposite, though I did wonder briefly how I was going to figure out my schedule. I was off today, and I could recall perhaps the next two days’ schedule from memory, but after that I’d be in Paris, and I had no clue about my itinerary there.

I didn’t have to wonder long as Chester updated me as soon as he walked in the door. “I’ve taken over your schedule, Duchess. We can go over everything and enter it into your phone so you can keep track of it yourself, as well.”

I was good with that. And the pleasant surprises just kept on coming. Jovie just happened to have the day off as well, and Santi was free all morning. We binge-watched Goblin on DramaFever and at about 10 a.m., I received a text. A pleasant one. From my husband.

BANKS: I heard you had the day off. I hired a team to come over to pamper you and your friends. Happy Birthday, Duchess.

I’d no sooner read the text then there was a knock at the door. A small army of spa attendants were let in.