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‘I work for the hotel,’ she said quietly. ‘Asking you personal questions isn’t within my job description, and it’s certainly not appropriate. It won’t happen again.’
He didn’t react to that. He stayed exactly where he was, completely still, like a sentinel, watching her, his eyes trained on her face in a way that made her pulse stutter.
‘I asked you to talk with me,’ he reminded her finally.
‘But I should have declined.’
‘Your job is to facilitate my needs, is it not?’
Her heart began to pound against her ribs. ‘Within reason.’
His smile showed a hint of something she couldn’t interpret. Cynicism? Mockery? Frustration?
‘Are you saying that if I ask you to come and sit with me again tonight, you’ll refuse?’
Her body was filled with lava, so hot she could barely breathe.
Her eyes were awash with uncertainty. ‘I’m not sure it’s appropriate.’
‘What are you afraid of?’
‘Honestly?’
He was watchful.
‘I’m afraid of saying the wrong thing. Of offending you. My job is to silently...’
‘Yes, yes, you have told me this. To escape notice. And I told you that’s not possible. I have already noticed you, Daisy. And having had the pleasure of speaking with you once, I would like to repeat that—with a less abrupt conclusion this time. Are you saying therefore that you won’t sit with me?’
Her chest felt as though it had been cracked open. ‘Um, yes, I am, I think.’ She dropped her eyes to the shining floor.
Because I enjoyed talking to you, too, she amended inwardly, fully aware that she was moving into a territory that was lined with danger.
‘But if you’re worried you offended me, let me assure you, I am not easily offended,’ he offered, and now he smiled, in a way that was like forcing sunshine into a darkened room. Her breath burned in her lungs.
‘Frankly, I’d be surprised if you were.’
‘Then you can bring me tea tonight. I have a dinner but Malik will send for you when it’s done.’
He had no idea what he was doing. The American woman was beautiful, but it had been a long time since Sariq had considered beauty to be a requirement in a woman he was interested in. Besides, he couldn’t be seriously interested in her. His duty was clear: to return to the RKH and marry, so that he could begin the process of shoring up his lineage. There were two women whom it would make sense to marry and he would need to choose one, and promptly.
Enjoying the companionship of his hotel’s concierge seemed pointless and futile, and yet he found himself turning his attention to his watch every few minutes throughout the state dinner, willing it to be over so he could call for a tray of tea and the woman with eyes the colour of the sky on a winter’s morning.
She had asked the kitchen to prepare tea for two, with no further explanation. And even though they had no way of knowing the Sheikh wasn’t entertaining in his suite, she felt a flush of guilt as she took the tray, as though surely everyone must know that she was about to cross an invisible line in the sand and socialise with a guest.
Calm down, she insisted to herself as the elevator sped towards the top of the building. It’s just tea and conversation, hardly a hanging offence. He was grieving and despite the fact he was surrounded by an entourage, she could easily imagine how lonely his position must be, how refreshing to meet someone who hadn’t been indoctrinated into the ways of worshipping at his feet by virtue of the fact that he ruled the land from which they heralded.
This was no different from the other unusual requests she had been asked to fulfil, it was just a lot harder to delegate. He wanted her. To talk to her. She couldn’t say why—she wasn’t particularly interesting, which filled her with anxiety at the job before her, but, for whatever reason, he had been insistent.
She knocked at the door then pushed it inwards. He was standing almost exactly where he’d been the night before, still wearing the robes he had been in earlier that day, though he’d removed the headpiece, so her heart rate trebled. Because he looked so impossibly handsome, so striking with his tanned skin and strong body encased in the crisp white and gold.
It brought out a hint of blond in his hair that she hadn’t noticed at first, just a little at the ends, which spoke of a tendency to spend time outdoors.
He walked towards her so she stood completely still, as though her legs were planted to the floor, and when his hands curved around the edges of the tray, it was impossible for them not to brush hers. A jolt of electricity burst through her, splitting her into a thousand pieces so she had to work hard not to visibly react.
‘I’m pleased you came.’
He stood there, watching her, for a beat too long and then took the tray, placing it on the coffee table.
