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No. She had to be mistaken. Anyway, he’d be kissing Edith. Not her.
But it had all started to feel so jumbled. He was calling her Beth now, not Edith. His lips would be caressing hers, not Edith’s.
He thought of her an amusement, nothing more, she told herself desperately. Men saw Beth as a pal, someone to confide in about the gorgeous women they actually desired. And hadn’t Omar asked her to give him romantic advice about the other potential brides?
But as he took her hand, a strange zing went through her. Her hand tightened involuntarily as she felt the strength and power of his larger fingers pressed between her own. With an intake of breath, she looked up at the dark embers of his eyes. Then her gaze fell to his hard-edged jaw, laced with five o’clock shadow, and his sensual mouth.
He leaned forward, and she breathed in his scent, of sandalwood and spice.
“Beth,” he said huskily, “I have a question I must ask. Even though I already know the answer.”
Had he figured out she’d lied about being Edith? Was her decision to continue lying all for naught? Her voice squeaked, “Yes?”
Omar’s gaze burned through her. Her heart lifted to her throat. Then he said, “Would you ever consider giving up your career?”
Was he—could it even be remotely possible that he—?
“Yes,” she blurted out without thinking. “For love.”
“Love?” His expression changed. “Is that important to you?”
“What’s more important than that?” she whispered, looking at him, thinking how easy, how completely easy it would be, for her to let herself fall.
“Love.” His lips twisted. “I’m astonished. You’d give up your research? Your lab? Your life’s work? For something as unpredictable as emotion?”
“Love is more than that—” Beth started to protest, then all the air was sucked out of her lungs as she realized she’d answered as herself, not Edith. There was no question that Beth would be happy to give up her minimum-wage job working in a shop, for a man she really loved, to raise their children and create a real home. What could be more meaningful than that? She cared about people, not work. Her job was just a job. Not a joy.
But Edith wouldn’t answer that way. She’d never give up her work. Not for love. Not for anything.
“I’m sorry, I... I misunderstood,” she forced herself to say. “I could never give up my work in the lab. Not for any reason. My work is my life.”
He gave a single, short nod. As he dropped her hand, his shoulders looked tight. “As I thought.”
There was a noise down the hall. Sia Lane, dressed in tight exercise clothes and carrying a water bottle, was coming down the hall, apparently returning to her room after a workout in the residence’s private gym.
“Miss Lane,” Omar greeted her politely. “Exercising? At two in the morning?”
“I believe in physical activity. At any time,” the movie star purred. She glanced down at Beth in her faux fur coat and blue silk gown with a smudge of chocolate at the neckline, and sniffed, “But then, I have discipline.”
Her cold blue eyes made it clear that she thought Beth was sorely lacking in that respect. After she passed by, continuing down the hall toward her room, Omar turned back to Beth.
“Well.” Silence fell between them, and he said in a low voice, “It was a pleasure to see Paris with you.”
Beth’s heart fell. This was the end, she knew. She told herself it was for the best. Even if she really had been Edith, it wouldn’t have worked out. Edith would never have chosen marriage, not even to a king, over her job. Not in a million years.
Tomorrow, Beth would return to Houston. She’d never see Omar again, except perhaps in news stories. She’d read about his wedding to one of the othe
r women she’d met here tonight.
She took a deep breath, fighting back tears.
Squaring her shoulders, she forced herself to smile and stuck out her hand. “You’re right. I guess this is goodbye.”
He took her hand. His dark eyes were unreadable. “Goodbye?”
“Good luck with your choice tomorrow.” She tried to ignore the sensation of her hand in his. She lifted her chin. “It was great meeting you. I know you’ll help your council make a great choice, whether it’s Laila or Bere or one of the others. Whomever you choose, I hope you’ll be happy together. I hope you fall in love with her.”
His lips curved arrogantly. “I told you—”
