Page 48 of Royally Promoted

Lucy looked up at a Malik, who took her breath away. He was in dark trousers with a white shirt and a bow-tie. Where the jacket of the tuxedo was, she had no idea—probably discarded somewhere.

The bow-tie would have meta similar fate, she was sure, had it not been for the solicitations of the dark-haired beauty he’d been chatting to who had helpfully put it back in place.

She watched with a jaundiced eye as he began to yank it off.

‘Damn thing’s strangling me.’

‘Oh, dear. Still, it’s a good ploy.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean it’s certainly a clever way to get the ladies here jumping over each other to straighten it out.’

A waiter swung by with a tray filled with glasses of champagne and Lucy quickly nabbed a flute and took a few sips, while glancing around her—anywhere but at Malik.

Her heart was beating so fast she could feel it trying to fly right out of her chest. She could breathe him in and his unique musky, woody, intensely masculine aroma made her nostrils flare.

‘This is all very magnificent, Malik. Your parents must have slaved day and night to put this all together.’

‘Or employed people who did. Are you okay?’

‘Of course I am! Why shouldn’t I be?’ Her champagne glass seemed to be empty.

‘You drank that pretty quickly. You’re nervous. I don’t blame you. Look, let me introduce you to a few people. You’ll find that they largely all speak fluent English.’

He half-turned but she remained put and he raised his eyebrows in a question.

‘You don’t have to tear yourself away from your own party to show me around, Malik. I’m fine making my way through the crowds.’

‘Don’t be silly. You don’t know a soul here.’

‘I know your mother.’

‘I thought that this might be a bad idea.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘It’s awkward for you, Lucy. I get that.’ He raked his fingers through his hair and whipped off the bow-tie completely, shoving it in his pocket.

‘Well,’ Lucy was appalled to hear herself say, ‘there goes that golden opportunity for an attractive woman to fiddle around with you...’

‘Lucy!’

‘I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. She’s very beautiful and she looks incredibly sweet.’

‘Are you jealous?’

‘No,’ she lied. ‘Maybe just a little. But don’t worry. It doesn’t mean that I’m not going to have a good time while I’m here, and you won’t have to be anxious that I’ve glued myself to a wall somewhere because I’m too timid to do the rounds.’

Malik looked at her in silence for so long that she began to fidget.

‘Well...’ She backed away and gave him an airy wave of her fingers. ‘I shall go and pay my respects to your parents and then disappear into the crowd.’

‘I doubt you’ll be able to pull off a disappearing act in that outfit,’ Malik ground out.

For the first time since he’d come here, he felt alive.

He could barely remember what the woman who’d playfully adjusted his bow-tie had looked like because he only had eyes for the woman standing in front of him. And that was a weakness he did not want to indulge.

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