Page 15 of Royally Promoted

‘That’s where I live. It’s a nice enough box. But, now that I’m here, what happens about breakfast and lunch and dinner...?’ Her mind played with the alarming thought of sharing those times with him then she told herself that that would actually be the last thing he would want. That dinner he had taken her to before he’d left had been a one-off for purely practical reasons. Making a habit of it wasn’t going be on the agenda—thank goodness.

‘They’ll be provided for.’ His voice bordered on bewildered. ‘My place isn’t in the centre of the city. Of course, I have a suite of rooms there, but where we’ll be staying is on the outskirts. You won’t be able to stroll in for a baguette every lunchtime.’

‘I wouldn’t expect there to be baguettes for lunch, Malik.’

‘I have staff. They’ll be in charge of everything. They take care of everything to do with the palace and personal chefs handle the food. Some work will be done on the premises, of course, and as I’ve said everything is in place in that regard.’

Outside, the car was eating up the miles. Questions could wait a while. He nodded to the city as they approached it and began giving her some historic information about it. Lucy listened and stared out at a flashing panorama of soaring glass skyscrapers and pavements so clean she could probably have eaten her dinner off them.

‘I know a bit about the history of the area,’ she said, more to herself than to him, because she was squinting outside into fast-fading light.

‘You do?’

‘One of my sisters studied history at university, and Sarastan was one of the countries she focused on.’

Silence fell, which Lucy only noticed as they city began disappearing behind them, consumed by vast open space and the darkness of dunes as mysterious as the ocean.

‘What does said sister do now?’ Malik asked mildly. ‘Lecturer?’

‘Gosh, no. That’s my mum. Jess became a lawyer.’ She stifled a yawn. ‘I’m beginning to feel the toll all this travel has taken,’ she murmured, closing her eyes. ‘I’m not accustomed to this. All far too exciting for me.’

‘And what about your other sisters?’

‘Law, accountancy, medicine... My dad’s a doctor.’

Lucy was barely paying attention to what she was saying. Exhaustion was settling over her like a cloud, stifling her thoughts and making her limbs heavy and lazy.

Her sharp consciousness of him next to her was fading under the weight of her own tiredness.

‘And you?’ Malik asked softly. ‘Never tempted by university?’

Lucy’s eyes flew open. She straightened and looked at him.

Just like that, the sun seemed to explode into sunset and then disappear into darkness. She was gazing out of the window, and his dark, deep voice was actually quite lulling as he told her about his country. Her body felt slack and the coolness inside the car was making her drowsy.

When he began to explain about his centuries-old culture, it was natural to confide that her sister had mentioned some of it to her on their shopping spree. Jess had been fascinated and envious and had asked her to try and get hold of some souvenirs. She was half-smiling at the memory of the conversation as she chatted to him. But his question shook her right out of her drowsiness. ‘Sorry?’

‘All your sisters went to university, so why not you? I don’t believe you ever told me.’

His dark eyes glittered, and Lucy could feel hot colour creep into her cheeks.

She thought about her broken heart. She thought about the pain of everything that had happened that had made her walk away from the life that had been set in stone for her.

‘Well?’ Malik prompted. ‘Don’t tell me it’s because you’re not as clever as the rest of your family. I know what you’re capable of.’

‘I don’t have to tell you anything, Malik.’ Lucy’s voice was sharp and cold.

Even in the dark, she could see his astonishment at the sharpness of her voice. It was so uncharacteristic of her. For once, she felt the true gaping differences between them. She might joke but she worked hard. She might challenge him but always within limits, and she was always ready to back away should she, as he sometimes told her, ‘go beyond her brief’.

This tone of voice was a first. She had no idea how to break the impasse as the silence stretched between them to breaking point. One thing was for sure—she wasn’t going to delve into this slice of her past. Not with him, not with anyone. It was her dark, sad secret and not one to be shared.

Would she ever share it? Maybe one day. Maybe if she found someone she could trust.

‘You...you never said...’ She cleared her throat and gathered her scattered wits. ‘How does your father feel about returning to...er...work? Is he as much of a workaholic as you are? You, well, you never said...’

For a few seconds, she wondered whether he was going to answer. She could feel his lazy, intent stare burning a hole through her composure. She had to fight the urge to babble on about something and nothing just to put an end to the charge that had suddenly gathered in the space between them.

He did her a favour when he lowered his eyes.

---