Page 24 of Royally Promoted

‘It’s clearly not. I don’t believe a word about a fictitious headache and, if it’s not the workload and it’s not boredom, then it’s what I said to you last night.’

‘I don’t want to talk about that. There’s no point. Of course we understand one another. Believe it or not, a little curiosity doesn’t add up to me trying to worm myself into your family unit.’

‘Why do you have to be so over-imaginative, Lucy? Did I mention anything about you trying to worm your way into my family?’

‘I don’t need reminding that I work for you. I know I work for you. I know you’re my boss and I’m just your secretary.’

‘So I’m guessing you were sulking about what I said.’

‘You hurt me, Malik!’

The silence stretched between them. She was bright red and already regretting the outburst. Chatting about diet fads, her family and her preoccupation with house renovation shows on the telly was quite different from...this. Feelings wasn’t a topic that had ever arisen between them. The conversation felt raw and dangerous, and her colour heightened.

‘I apologise.’

‘Do you? Are you really sorry that I was hurt by what you said? You don’t want me to meet your father because...because what? Because I might get it into my head that...?’

A quagmire of things that shouldn’t be said opened up at her feet and she gulped.

‘That what, Lucy?’

‘It doesn’t matter. I just... I was hurt because you... I suppose you put me in my place and...’ Her voice faltered.

‘I’ll finish what you started saying, shall I?’ Malik prompted quietly and Lucy stared at him, licked her lips, and tried and failed to find something to say in response.

‘I wouldn’t want you to get it into your head that, because you’ve met my family...’

‘I won’t.’

‘Sure about that?’

‘One hundred percent.’

Malik smiled. ‘Okay. Good. We’ll let that go. Actually, there’s another reason why it might not be such a good idea to tag along, at any rate not on a regular basis.’

‘Why is that?’

Danger averted.

What if he had come right out and warned her not to fall for him? Not to think that what they had was more than just a great working relationship? Her blood ran cold at the thought of him guessing just how attractive she found him. It ran even colder at the thought of him patiently telling her that meeting his parents wasn’t ‘meeting the parents’, with all the connotations the latter implied.

She would brush past this and find her sunny side if it killed her. She raised her eyebrows and then resumed getting ready to leave, pointlessly straightening one or two things on her desk whilst inching away from him.

‘My mother is in the process of arranging my suitable bride. Would you really be interested in joining in that particular conversation?’

‘Is she?’ Lucy momentarily parked her anger and her hurt, vaguely knowing that she would return to both in due course.

‘It’s an exciting time for her.’

‘Are you being sarcastic?’

‘There’s some sarcasm there.’

‘Is it an exciting time for you as well?’

‘It’s life. The inevitable arrived a little sooner than expected, but I can handle it.’ Malik grinned, eased himself away, stretched and then turned to look at her, hands stuffed in his trouser pockets. ‘As for exciting... Maybe not quite the adjective I would use on this occasion.’

‘I just don’t get it,’ Lucy confessed, anger and hurt very firmly shoved aside now. ‘Okay, maybe I do get the whole duty thing—sort of. Now that I’ve met your mother, I can see that life here for you is...a little different than it would be for a normal guy.’

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