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‘Still, if we know in advance we can generally arrange anything.’
‘RKH food cannot be easily faked.’ He winked. ‘Better to stick to chefs who prepare it as a matter of course, rather than try to imitate it.’
‘You sound incredibly patriotic,’ she murmured with a small grin.
‘I’m the King—that’s my job.’
‘Right.’ The King. A curse filled her brain as the enormity of what she’d done flooded her.
‘Don’t run away.’ He spoke quietly, but with that same tone of command she’d heard from him a few times now. It was instinctive to him—a man who’d been born to rule.
‘I’m...not.’
‘You were thinking about it.’
She didn’t bother denying it. ‘It’s just...you’re a king. I can’t...even imagine what your life is like.’ She looked around the apartment, a small frown on her face. ‘I guess it’s like this, but on crack.’
‘On crack?’
‘You know, to the nth degree.’
He followed her gaze thoughtfully. ‘My palace bears little resemblance to this apartment.’
‘No?’
‘For one thing, there is not a ceiling in the palace that is so low.’
A smile quirked his lips and her heart stammered. He was teasing her. She took another bite of the dinner, this time sampling the fish and okra. He was right. Now that she paid a little more attention, she could taste the difference. The spi
ces were unusual—unlike anything she’d ever known. She doubted even the kitchens in this prestigious hotel could replicate these flavours.
‘What is it like?’
‘The palace?’
‘The palace, the country. I know very little about where you’re from,’ she confessed. ‘Only the basics I researched prior to your arrival.’
‘Is this a normal part of your job?’
She nodded. ‘I research what I think might be necessary before any guest’s arrival. Sometimes that’s just their favourite foods or hotel habits, other times it’s who they have restraining orders against.’ She smiled. ‘It depends.’
‘And for me?’
Her stomach squeezed as she remembered looking at his photo on the Internet. Even then, she’d desired him. ‘The basics,’ she said vaguely. ‘But nothing that told me of your country or your duties.’
He nodded, apparently satisfied. ‘The RKH is one of the most beautiful places you could ever see. Ancient, but in a way that is visible everywhere you look. Our cities are built on the foundations of our past and we honour that. Ruins are left where they stand, surrounded by the modernity that is our life now. High-rise office buildings mingle with stone relics, ancient tapestries hang proudly in these new constructions—a reminder that we are of our past.’
A shiver ran down her spine, his language evocative. ‘We are of our land, shaped by the trials of our deserts and the faraway ocean. Our people were nomadic for generations and our desert life is still a large pull, culturally. It is not unusual to take months out of your routine to go into the desert and live nomadically for a time.’
‘Do you do this?’
‘I cannot,’ he admitted. ‘Not for months at a time, but yes, Daisy, for days I will escape the palace and move into the wild, untamed desert. There is something energising about pitting myself against its organic tests. Out there, I am just a man; my rank counts for nothing.’
His eyes dropped to her breasts and she felt, very strongly, that he was a man—all man. Desire slicked through her, and her knees trembled beneath the tabletop. She pushed some more food into her mouth, not meeting his eyes.
‘Our people were peaceful for centuries, but globalisation and trade brought a new value to resources we took for granted. The RKH stands on one of the greatest oil sources in the world, and there are caves to the west that abound with diamonds and other rare and precious gems. The world’s interest in these resources carried a toll, and took a long time to adapt to. We were mired in civil war for a hundred years, and that war led to hostilities with the west.’ His face was tense; she felt the weight of his worries, the strength of his concern.
‘My father was instrumental in bringing peace to my people. He worked tirelessly to contain our armed forces, to unify our military under his banner, to bring about loyalty from the most powerful families who had historically tilted for the rule of the country. He commanded loyalty.’ He paused, sipping his water. ‘He was...irreplaceable.’
