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She couldn’t control her dreahts And while she acknowledged he had never seduced her—he didn’t have to; you threw yourself into his arms, into his bed, she ree in her et he didn’t even have the coed him for was all they would ever have

Juliana wrapped her ar settled in the pit of her stoht after his Zakharian agents had left—her heart breaking, her dreaain how the gentle prince she’d known for years, the tender lover who’d made her ith ecstasy, could be the saift as if she had been a whore—used and discarded without a second thought

No Even if he could explain why he’d sent agents instead of telling her hirading, soul-destroying words that had accompanied it Never

Chapter 6

“Cut!” the director ordered

“Save the lights,” sohts were mercifully shut off Juliana took a deep breath and expelled it slowly, evenly, letting the tension out at the same time She wanted to wipe her forehead, but she knew better The ently at Juliana’s face, blotting the perspiration beading beneath her fluffy bangs Soave hirateful smile before she drank thirstily Work on her went on even as she drank—ned to her fussed over a streak of dust that had soht blue velvet skirt A few feet away Dirk was being given the same treatment

The director caood, but not quite what I was hoping for Let’s try one more take, okay?”

“Sure,” Dirk said

“And this time, Dirk, see if you can add a little ives you I mean, this is the first child whose paternity won’t be questioned The first child after Eleonora was ransomed Not to mention neither of you were sure Eleonora could even havethat happened to her”

Dirk was quiet for a ave hi”

After the director walked away, Juliana waited until everyone else had walked off the set, too, then said softly, “You okay?”

Dirk’s smile faded, and the eyes he turned on Juliana were bleak “It would be easier to express euphoria over Eleonora’s pregnancy if I wasn’t praying Bree would”

“I know” She put her hand on Dirk’s ar she knehat to say to him “It would be easier for you to understand if you were a wo “When a woive hiive hih to pay, not even her own life” She breathed deeply, searching for sos from Sabrina’s point of view

“But that’s not all,” she said eventually “To feel another life growing inside you, knowing it was created from the love the two of you sharethis is what Bree is experiencing I know it Not that she doesn’t want to live,” she added, blinking hard against the e to ruin her ift means that no matter what, your love will live forever”

Dirk stared down at her, an arrested expression on his face “I didn’t think of it that way I just Thanks” He lifted her hand and kissed it “Coo find Bree and tell her I understandfinally”

Juliana and Dirk took their places on the set When she turned her head she was startled to see Andre standing in the shadoatching, his face hard and cold, one of the bodyguards who followed hi has Andre been there? she wondered And why is he upset?

She thought about what she’d just told Dirk The words had somehow poured out of her, and she realized she hadn’t just been talking about Sabrina She’d been talking about herself, too, about the way she’d felt toward Andreonce upon a ti his child with an intensity she hadn’t really understood until she found out it wasn’t going to happen But then she’d told herself it was probably for the best, that there would be other chances for them