Page 8 of Royally Promoted

He was sitting on one of the grey chairs clustered round a circular glass table and was frowning at whatever he was reading on his phone. His long legs were stretched out and he had undone the top three buttons of his white, hand-tailored shirt.

She stopped dead in her tracks and stared for a few seconds. Her heart picked up speed. She had signed up to going away with this guy for weeks and she had no real idea what that was going to entail, aside from the fact that it would, supposedly, work as usual.

With the small technicality of him interviewing a suitable wife. So, in other words, not really working as usual, was it? Because, as he had pointed out, she was going to be around, so whatever fascinating interview techniques he got up to, presumably she would be in the vicinity with a bird’s eye view of what was going on.

Maybe he foresaw these interviews being conducted during working hours. She pictured herself scurrying around with cups of tea and coffee for an array of women sitting outside his office, sprucing up their CVs and anxiously rehearsing answers to possible questions.

He glanced up suddenly and she blushed, fussed with her skirt and made her way over to him as he simultaneously rose to his feet, six foot four of sinful perfection.

‘Right. Ready for me to answer those tons of questions you have?’ He smiled.

‘I should have made a list.’

‘I can’t imagine you need a list to fire away, Lucy. I’ve phoned ahead and there’s a table waiting for us at the French bistro a couple of streets away. I’ve made sure to ask them to sit us somewhere relatively quiet.’

‘Don’t you need to reserve that place months in advance?’ Lucy fell into step, very much aware of him next to her as they left the glass building and emerged onto streets that were busy with after-work crowds keen to make the most of whatever fine weather was left of summer, which wouldn’t be much.

Where was she going to live? Was she even going to like it there? What if she ended up lonely and miserable, hiding away in her bedroom?

‘I can hear you thinking, Lucy,’ Malik murmured with wry amusement, leaning down so that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her ear which made her shiver.

‘Can you blame me?’

‘I’d be surprised and disappointed if you didn’t have anything to ask.’

Lucy was frowning and going through a veritable hornet’s nest of scenarios which had been noticeably absent when she had airily accepted his offer a few hours ago.

The adventure aspect was beginning to nudge elbows with the fear factor, but she reminded herself that it was hardly going to be a life change set in stone, signed in blood and lasting years. Furthermore if she did end up feeling miserable and lonely—which was highly unlikely, because why would she?—then she could always leave. She wasn’t going to be manacled to the office desk, after all.

The bistro was already heaving by the time they got there but they were ushered to a quiet table at the very back of the room.

‘I’ve never been here before.’ She looked around her appreciatively. It was very modern with clean lines, a black-and-white tiled floor and interesting framed black-and-white photos on the walls of places and people she didn’t recognise but felt she probably should.

Her mind was pleasantly diverted from her rising stress levels until her gaze landed squarely on the guy sitting opposite her, at which point she remembered that this was the very guy she had agreed to accompany abroad for an indefinite period of time.

‘Wine?’

When Lucy looked, it was to find that a bottle of Chablis had been delivered to the table, along with some nibbles in a pewter dish.

‘Sure.’

‘Shall we order before the inquisition begins?’

‘It’s not going to be an inquisition.’

‘I reserve judgement. The fish is extremely good here. How is it you’ve never been when it’s ten minutes away from the office?’

‘Perhaps you haven’t checked the prices,’ Lucy said kindly. ‘Slightly out of my price range for a quick bite after work.’

‘You’re extremely well paid, Lucy. I personally handle all your salary increases and bonuses.’

‘Yes, well...’

‘And, in case I’ve never told you, you deserve every penny of those salary increases and bonuses.’

‘Thank you, Malik. I appreciate that.’

Malik grinned. ‘Now.’ He sat back and flung his arms wide without taking his eyes off her face. ‘Fire away.’

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