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A chill swept into her heart. Because she realised then her questioning had another agenda. She’d been gearing up to ask ifheforgave her. Whether they could, at the very least, part without acrimony.
If nothing good came of his time here, then he still believed she’d taken that time from him. He’d lost a year with his grandfather because of her.
Hot tears prickled her eyes, a tumult of emotion building and building until she feared everything would come tumbling out.
But...perhaps that wasn’t a bad thing? So much had happened between yesterday and today. Dared she plead her case one more time?
Before she could chicken out, she rose from the blanket. ‘Tahir, I’m sorry.’
He frowned, then jerked upright from where he’d leaned against the boulder. ‘You misunderstand what I meant, Lauren. I’ve changed my mind because there’s nothing to—’ He paused as footsteps approached.
When a disembodied voice spoke in low, urgent tones, Tahir frowned and answered.
Lauren wanted to shout at the intruder to go away. She needed to hear what he’d been about to say.
But striding forward, Tahir picked up a silk wrap, again conjured seemingly out of nowhere, and gently draped it over her shoulders. For a taut few seconds, he simply stared at her, questions teeming in his eyes. But she recognised the moment he shut them down.
‘I’m needed on an urgent call. But this conversation isn’t over. We’ll pick it up when I’m done, yes?’
Even more bewildered, she nodded jerkily, her heart leaping wildly in her chest as he tugged her close and brushed a soft kiss on her forehead.
Then he was striding away, his magnificent towering figure disappearing before she took her next breath.
He must’ve given instructions regarding her because, a handful of minutes later, Nesa and another attendant appeared, and she was ushered back to her suite.
Thankfully, they left her when she insisted she could dress herself.
After rinsing off and donning fresh clothes, hair brushed and the lightest make-up applied more for fortitude than anything else, she was about to head out onto her terrace for some much-needed head-clearing air when she recalled that the hourglasses were in Tahir’s suite.
She debated leaving them alone, but it seemed essential that they finished what they’d started.
She was now familiar enough with the hallways on this level to navigate her way to his private quarters. Expecting a hovering aide or attendant who would let her in to retrieve the hourglasses, Lauren was surprised when she found the hallways empty.
Approaching Tahir’s doors, she tentatively knocked. To no response.
Biting her lip, she turned the handle and entered.
The first time she’d entered these quarters, it’d been through the secret passage. When she’d left it, she’d been far too distracted to see which way Tahir took. Now, she saw that within the quarters were three smaller hallways, each shooting off into more rooms. She bypassed an elaborate sunken living area and went down a corridor that turned out to be guest bedroom before retracing her steps. The second led to an immense kitchen and sleek gym.
The third revealed the master suite she sought.
Heat billowed inside her as she took in the rumpled sheets and discarded clothes. The half-finished bottle of wine Tahir had opened after they’d made love the first time stood on his bedside table.
She turned a full circle in the room, desperately etching every corner of it in her brain so she could draw on it when the future grew too bleak.
When her gaze landed on the hourglass on top of a hand-carved cabinet, her eyes widened. Had they really only been gone just over an hour? She went towards the tray, her heart hammering with each step.
After this she would only have a turn or two before midnight struck. Three if she was lucky. She would continue to advocate for Matt, of course.
But didn’t she matter, too?
She wasstillin love with Tahir.
Did she not owe it to herself to fight her own corner? Her own happiness? To lay all her cards on the table?
What if he rejects you?
Her fingers trembled against the filigree casing of the hourglass. But she raised her chin. She’d just been reminded,by Tahir, that she had hidden strength. Wouldn’t it see her through?
