I extend my hand out to her and introduce myself. Her eyes flitter from my face to my hand and back to my face. Gabe nudges her and she takes my hand. A zing of electricity goes through me as our hands touch. I hear her hitched breath and my eyes lock on her dark orbs. She immediately withdraws her hand.

“Sorry, static.” She gives me a shy smile, before pinning her dark gaze to mine.

“Is that right?”

I rake her entire form once again and smile to myself thinking that her head would barely reach my chin. There’s something about her that made me stop to look and I can’t stop looking now.

“Aaliya,” she says. I blink and she repeats herself, louder this time. “Aaliya Singh...my name.”

Her name whispers through my mind. There’s a flash of something imperceptible in my head, but it’s lost almost immediately.

“Damien’s my oldest friend and business partner,” Gabe announces, distracting me.

She nods, her eyes still on me.

“Also, Damien is His Grace, the Duke of Kittridge,” Gabe adds.

Her head snaps back to him and she arches a delicate brow. “Is that supposed to be relevant or is there a protocol to be followed while greeting a Duke that I have missed?”

Wow! She is bold. Either she has no respect for my title or she doesn’t know the importance of it. Most people are either awestruck when they are introduced to me or bloody damn respectful. So, her complete nonchalance is refreshing and intriguing.

Gabe shakes his head. “No, I just thought that you’d want to know whose charity function you’re attending with me tomorrow night.”

“Oh!” Her doe eyes widen as she looks from him to me.

Oh indeed! Gabe usually attends all these high society functions alone. He uses them as a source for networking with the movers and shakers of the English aristocracy. I’m curious to know how important this woman is to Gabe that he has decided to bring her along as his date.

Before I can ponder on that Gabe says, “Damien, I’ll see you later at work. I have to drop Aaliya first.”

With a quick wave, he escorts the girl, Aaliya, towards his waiting car. They cross the road and just as Gabe opens the door for her, she turns and her eyes meet mine. She stares at me for a few seconds before she blinks and leans forward to enter the car.

A small smile curves my lips. The gala certainly looks more promising now.

Aaliya