Page 16 of The Rejected King
They peered at each other for a moment, then she remembered herself and the entire reason she was in the king of Enderlin’s office.
“Your rating isn’t great, but I think we can change your public image with proper management of the Promenade.”
His lips twisted into a slight smile, and instantly her eyes dropped to them. His top lip arched perfectly, and although she could only see a glimpse of his teeth, they were annoyingly straight and white. She wondered what his full smile would look like.
What are you doing, Emree? What are you doing? Get control of yourself!
She shook her head and looked down at the folder in her lap, anything to avoid eye contact. “Your objective at the briefing is to be charming and charismatic.”
But she couldn’t look at her paper forever. That would be weird. So Emree looked up, and she instantly regretted it. There was a glint in his brown eyes, and something about his handsome face shot a spark of excitement through her chest.
“Then...uh...” She couldn’t remember what she’d been talking about. Her brain had evaporated under the heat of his stare.
“I need to be charming and charismatic...” His hand rolled over and over in front of him as he reminded her what she had been saying.
“Right.” Emree swallowed, trying to collect herself. “You’ll want to start with the Council of Essentials and then move into talking about the Promenade.”
She noticed the slight stubble on his cheeks, reminding her how his face had felt against hers.
“Overall...you need to...um...be likable.”
“Are you nervous, Miss Dutson?”
She hated his smug expression.
“Of course not.” She scratched the side of her ear, sitting taller. “Should we talk about the Promenade itinerary?”
The king gestured for her to continue. “By all means.”
“The women will arrive a week from now. I’ve planned a dinner for that evening, where you will have the chance to be introduced to all sixty women. Keep track in your mind of any women that might stand out to you.”
“There’s no way I’m going to remember all their names.”
“You don’t have to rememberallthe women. Just a few that you would like to get to know better during individual activities.”
King Davin gave her a pointed look. “Individual activities?”
Emree started to get annoyed. Surely the king knew how the Promenade worked. “Yes, individual activities. That’s what the Promenade is. You’ll go on three one-on-one activities each day so you can have some privacy.”
He rolled his eyes. “They’re not entirely private.”
“No. A few newswriters will accompany you to share your experience with the public as well as myself and whatever guards you require.”
“That sounds romantic,” the king deadpanned.
Emree shifted in her seat. “It will be romantic while also showcasing what a great king you are. I’ve planned for your activities a picnic, a visit to a school, volunteering at the new hospital, cooking meals for the poor, reading at a local book store, a candlelight dinner, and my favorite, the opening of a pre-Desolation safe that they found a few days ago at Enderlin’s cattle ranch.”
King Davin nodded. “I like that one.”
“I’m glad you approve,” she said.
“Well then, it sounds like you have it all under control.”
Emree gave him a curt nod. “Yes, I think so.”
Davin
Davin’s gaze fellon his new employee. Emree’s dark brown hair—hair that was almost black—was slicked back into another tight bun at the nape of her neck. At the Morreck Inn, her hair had been down, ending a few inches past her shoulders. Davin remembered the feel of the silky strands in between his fingers. Even from where he sat at his desk, her dark lashes and dark eyebrows stood out, complementing her creamy skin, but Davin pretended not to notice that. He also pretended not to notice the dimples that appeared on her cheeks whenever she smiled or did anything expressive with her face.
