Page 103 of Modern Romance May 2026 Books 1-4
He shook his head. ‘The least I could do when it was entirely my fault. And anyway, the crowd were boring me. I didn’t see you arrive. I would have noticed you, dressed so uniquely.’
The confirmation that her new-found confidence and stylehadmade an impact was eclipsed by the fact that Caius’s bare chest was seriously distracting. She wanted to ask him to put on his jacket. But she didn’t want to draw attention to the fact that she found him attractive. And lounging in his open jacket with no shirt on could be even more disturbing. As it was, with hisZorro-style mask, he looked utterly roguish.
He leant forward with a hand out. ‘I’m—’
‘I’d really prefer if we didn’t exchange names,’ Poppy blurted out. Her face got warm under his narrowed gaze. He must suspect she knew exactly who he was but if they didn’t exchange names then she could somehow pretend that what she was doing here was sanctioned.
He pulled his hand back and regarded her for a long moment. ‘OK, no names.’ He was clearly intrigued.
Poppy cursed herself. She didn’t want to intrigue him. She’d seen enough of the man to know that everything that had been said about him was true.And the part about him being so solicitous and attentive?The contradiction stuck under her skin like a burr. She wasn’t being entirely fair. He made her uncomfortable. And she should let him know who she was.
She opened her mouth to put an end to this subterfuge when there was a knock on the door, signalling that someone was back with her shirt? Or a new one? To Poppy’s shame, her first reaction wasn’t relief, it was something more complicated.
Caius went to the door, unashamedly naked from the waist up, and opened it, admitting a staff member from the hotel. He looked like a manager. Poppy stood up. The man came in with other staff who were carrying trays and she also saw an ice bucket with a bottle of sparkling wine.
She watched as they set out an array of small bites and glasses of water and tall flutes. The man bowed to Caius and Poppy and said to her, ‘Madam, we will have your shirt returned as soon as possible, in the meantime please enjoy our hospitality.’
To Poppy’s mortification, her belly rumbled a little. She hadn’t eaten much that day and the sight of the delicious bites was too tempting. The staff left the room and Caius sat down again, handing her a plate. She dithered for a moment, knowing she should put an end to this, but, instead of putting an end to it, she took the plate and sat back down, asking herself what harm if she had something to eat first? She put some food on her plate and saw Caius loading up his own plate. He obviously had a healthy appetite. He glanced at her and commented, ‘You didn’t eat much today either?’
She shook her head, feeling guilty. ‘No, meetings all day before I came to the party.’ She had no need to feel guilty, she had actually met some French trade ministers to discuss business.
‘Me too,’ he said, then he put a hand to his mask and said, ‘Do you mind?’
‘No,’ she said faintly and watched as he took it off, revealing his face in full. She felt another jolt of electricity. He truly was astoundingly good-looking. Feeling a bit stiff, she said, ‘I hope you don’t mind if I don’t…remove my mask.’ She’d already removed her shirt. Her mask felt like a necessary barrier to…this onslaught on her senses she hadn’t expected.
‘Not at all, whatever makes you comfortable.’ He put some food in his mouth, utterly at ease, even half naked, with a total stranger.
She wondered if he really had been in meetings all day, but then Poppy supposed it was a bit unfair to imagine that he’d been lolling around in a bed with a lover. After all, he had taken enough time out of partying to make his own fortune and to be crowned king.
It struck her then that she was rarely in a room with someone who was going through similar challenges to her and that she could even ask him about what it was like to go from crown prince to king, but then she’d have to reveal her own identity and she didn’t want to know what kind of look he’d have on his face if he knew she washer. The woman who wasn’t his type.
She tried to eat and not be distracted by his bare torso or the fact that even sitting down there wasn’t a roll of excess flesh. He was as tight as a drum. He opened the wine and held up her glass in question. Something reckless moved through Poppy. ‘Yes, please.’
‘What do you do?’ he asked as he poured wine and handed her the glass, and Poppy had to remember what he was asking her.
She said, ‘Um, I’m in the civil service.’ Just at a very senior level. She took a generous sip of wine. ‘What do you do?’ she asked, curious as to how he’d respond.
He swallowed his food and smiled at her. ‘Similar, and I’m also in finance.’
She couldn’t help smiling. There was something a little exhilarating about being in the lion’s den like this. Playing this game.
Another knock on the door and the staff reappeared to take away their food and a young man arrived with Poppy’s shirt, impeccably washed and dried and ironed, on a hanger. Instantly she felt a sense of deflation. Their time was over.
Chapter Two
CAIUS WATCHED ASthe woman stood and took her shirt from the hotel staff member. He couldn’t recall a time when he’d met someone so…reticent. Reluctant to make themselves known to him. She had to know who he was. He wasn’t being arrogant, it was just a statement of fact.
Since he’d been crowned king, the press had been even more voracious in their appetite for following him. But this woman didn’t seem remotely interested or impressed.
She could be playing a game. Feigning disinterest.It had happened before. Women trying to get Caius’s attention by any means. But this time, he hated to admit it, if it was her agenda, it was working. Because he was intrigued. Even more so when his shirt had never looked so sexy on him as it did on her.
Did she realise that she’d buttoned it up haphazardly so he could see tantalising glimpses of her lace-clad breasts through the gaps between the buttonholes?
And she didn’t want names exchanged. He found that somewhat refreshing. Even though he felt almost certain she knew who he was, it was nice to not feel the weight of his title or name or history for a moment.
The staff member walked out and Caius stood too and she looked at him. Her dark hair was coming loose from its knot and he had an urge to undo it completely and spear it with his hands, tilting her face up so he could cover her mouth with his and see if she tasted as tempting as she looked.
The mask was lace and seemed to enhance her features. Drawing the eye to those magnificent cheekbones. Her eyes were dark, long lashes.
