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‘That’s fine.’ The King recovered from the moment a lot quicker than she did and yet again Regan got the impression that he affected her a lot more than she affected him. ‘You didn’t interrupt anything important.’ He moved away from the table and sat in the seat opposite her. ‘What have you got for me?’
‘The agenda for the day.’ Tarik handed them each a one-page document. ‘There have been a few amendments made to yours, sir, that I need to run through with you.’
Jag poured himself a short black coffee and held the pot aloft in question to Regan. She shook her head, hoping that she wasn’t blushing in the process. She really had to stop letting him feed her.
‘Okay, Tarik, tell me what I need to know.’
The older man ran through a list of morning meetings Jag was required to attend that made Regan feel exhausted just listening to it. ‘After the round-table meeting on international banking reform, you’re supposed to open the new sports complex at the local primary school followed by a tour of the facilities to drive more economic investment in the area. Unfortunately we’ve had to reschedule the meeting on foreign policy and counter-terrorism, which you shouldn’t miss either, and there’s no chance you can do both.’
Jag paused and poured himself another coffee. By the sound of his schedule he’d need to have a jug of the stuff on standby. Regan glanced at her own schedule, which consisted of another day of pampering in preparation for another dinner that evening. She frowned. ‘Excuse me, I don’t like to interrupt but is there any way I can help out?’
Both men looked at her as if she’d grown an extra head.
Regan rolled her eyes. ‘Surely, as your supposed fiancée, I can be of more use to you than window dressing and keeping other men’s wives at bay.’
His lips quirked at her attempted joke. ‘What did you have in mind?’
‘Well, I am a teacher. Is there any way I can do the school tour so that you’re free to attend the other meeting? I mean, I would offer to attend the counter-terrorism meeting but other than just tell everyone to love each other I’m not sure what I can offer.’
He shook his head at the incongruity of her comment, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
‘What do you think, Tarik?’ he surprised her by asking the older man. ‘I broke with protocol last night. Would this be stretching it?’
‘Not really,’ Tarik said slowly. ‘I mean, if Miss James were really your fiancée it would be highly acceptable, even delightful, for her to take on a task such as this. It’s not as if she needs to contribute anything specific. And her presence would add credence to your pet project, given that you’re unable to attend.’
The morning sun glinted off the King’s tanned face and made his blue eyes seem impossibly bright. ‘Are you sure you want to do this, habiba? You know if I’m not there all the attention will be on you and you alone.’
Regan shook her head. ‘Pretty much all the attention was on me last night anyway—as you knew it would be. But, as you can’t be in two places at once, I’m happy to do it. Seriously, there are only so many times you can get your nails and hair done, and I’m not used to having so much time on my hands. It doesn’t sit well with me.’
‘If you’re sure, then...thank you.’ Something sparked behind his eyes, some emotion that Regan couldn’t identify but then he blinked and it was gone. ‘Tarik will accompany you. If at any time you think it’s too much for you, tell him and he will return you immediately to the palace.’
* * *
Jag paced around his room and checked his watch for the hundredth time in half an hour. Regan should have been back an hour ago. Tarik had sent him a text saying they were on their way. So what was keeping them?
About to contact the security detail he had sent along with them, he heard quick footsteps racing down the marble hallway and knew immediately who it was.
Regan burst into the room, her cheeks rosy with exertion, Tarik hot on her heels. They were both laughing at some shared joke and his eyes narrowed. ‘Is either one of you aware of the time? We are expected downstairs at the dinner in thirty minutes.’
Immediately Regan stopped smiling. ‘It’s my fault,’ she assured him. ‘Tarik told me that I had to finish up earlier but it was really hard to leave.’
‘Miss James was magnificent, Your Majesty.’
Jag watched her roll her eyes at his aide in mocking rebuke. ‘That’s not true. If anyone’s magnificent this man is. I can’t believe he’s seventy years old. He was kicking a soccer ball around with ten-year-olds.’
‘As were you, my lady.’
‘I’m just glad I wore flat shoes for the occasion,’ she said, pulling the band from her ponytail and letting her glorious mane of hair swirl around her shoulders. ‘I’m dead on my feet after today.’
‘You’re hardly going to be any use to me dead on your feet, Miss James.’
Stark silence greeted his blunt statement and, as Jag became aware that he was experiencing an unexpected jolt of...jealousy...at the obvious camaraderie between his aide and his temporary fiancée, his agitation levels rose. ‘I don’t remember seeing soccer on the itinerary.’
‘It wasn’t,’ she said demurely. ‘Again, that was my fault. We were touring the new gymnasium and sports grounds, which are incredible by the way—hats off to you because I know it was your vision to provide such an amazing space for the kids—and one of the boys rolled the ball my way. I returned it and noticed that the girls were sitting on the sidelines and I encouraged them to join in. Before we knew it we were all playing.’
Tarik was looking at him oddly and Jag drew in a deep breath. ‘It’s fine. Regan, you need to go and get ready for the dinner. We have...’ he consulted his watch ‘...twenty-five minutes before it’s due to commence.’
‘Oh, right, of course.’ She ran a hand through her hair, tousling it more. ‘Oh, Tarik, if it’s not too much of a bother, do you mind providing me with the postal address of the school? I have a lot on my mind but I don’t want to forget.’
