by Holly Rayner
The silken lace gown was so light and airy it felt like she was draped with a soft cloud. The designer opened the door once again, but before she let Rachelle out, she closed it ever so slightly.
“Wait. One last thing,” she said, opening a drawer and picking out a small vial.
She opened it, revealing a scent that resembled lilacs, but was even sweeter, and dabbed a small amount of it on Rachelle’s wrists.
“There. Now you are ready for a night on the town. I hope you have a wonderful time!”
“Thank you so much,” Rachelle breathed, hardly able to believe that an hour before, she had been soaked and disheveled.
The woman waved off her thanks.
“It’s nothing. This is what we do!”
Rachelle was going to reply when Darian stepped out from behind another door. Her mouth hung open slightly at the sight of him, before she caught herself and closed it.
Tall, dark, and stunningly handsome, Darian was dressed in an impeccably fitted navy suit. After a moment of staring, she looked back at his face, and realized that he had also been taking her new appearance in.
“Chantilly, you never cease to amaze me. Thank you.”
He embraced the designer, who beamed at the praise.
“It’s what I do. Enjoy your night out,” she said.
“Just send the bill to my apartment.”
“Always do!” she called out as she made her exit back through the room they had come from.
Darian held out his arm to Rachelle, the sight of him burning into her memories as she did her best to capture every element of that moment. Placing her hand gently on his arm, he leaned down, his cheek nearly brushing her own.
“You smell delectable.”
“You’re not so bad yourself,” Rachelle said.
He led them back out onto the street, totally transformed. Rachelle couldn’t help but grin as a passersby watched them with admiration.
“I think we might be a little more popular now that we’re all dressed up,” Rachelle mused.
“I think you’re underestimating just whom everyone is admiring,” he countered.
Rachelle’s face felt hot, and she held onto his arm a little tighter. When was the last time a man had complimented her in such a way? It was certainly something a woman could get used to.
Rachelle had opted to keep the black heels she had been wearing earlier, which fortunately matched the dress. They clicked on the stone pavement as the couple made their way to an upscale restaurant. When they stepped inside, the whole waiting area was packed full of well-dressed people.
“I suppose it pays to have a reservation, huh?” Rachelle said, wondering just how Sheikh Darian would get them out of this one.
“It certainly does,” he agreed, heading straight to the host.
A young man in a black suit looked up and grinned.
“Your Highness. It’s a pleasure to see you here again. The usual table?”
“Yes, please. Thank you,” Darian said as the man placed a call on a black phone.
Moments later, a waitress arrived, also dressed entirely in black, and gestured for them to follow her. Darian led the way as they headed toward a back room that had been sectioned off.
“What is this, the VIP lounge?” Rachelle joked, admiring the stunning artwork showcased around the whole establishment.
Darian chuckled.
“Something like that,” he said.
They reached a staircase, and Rachelle was surprised when they were led up the stairs to a closed door. When it opened, they were led onto a private terrace, enveloped with vines.
“I thought you didn’t have much greenery here,” Rachelle said, gazing about them in wonder.
“I said we didn’t have many green parks around here. We still have our own share of oases.”
“So it would seem,” she breathed.
A small, private table was already laid out, and Darian held out Rachelle’s chair for her before taking his own seat across the table. Rachelle felt a gentle buzz from the inside of her purse, and she pulled out her phone ever so briefly.
She had a missed call from Phoebe.
Rachelle hesitated for a fraction of a second before replacing her phone back inside her purse. It was the first time, possibly ever, that she had ignored one of her assistant’s calls. Phoebe never called unless it was important, but in that moment, Rachelle didn’t want to think about work. It was an interesting change, and one she didn’t want to consider as she looked back up at the man sitting across from her.
“Well, you certainly know how to be an exceptional tour guide,” Rachelle said. “You should write the guide book to Zaradi.”
Darian laughed as he took a sip of chilled cucumber water.
“Perhaps I should, though I can’t imagine many people can really afford to see the country as I do, and I’d prefer not to have tourists buzzing about all of my favorite, secret places.”
“That Ferris wheel isn’t going to be easy to hide,” she teased, and he grinned at her.
Good lord, the man was sexy.
“They can have the Ferris wheel, and the delicious treats one can find along the way. These are the places I like to keep very much to myself,” he said, glancing around them.
A waiter arrived, and Darian ordered them a bottle of champagne.
“Are you trying to woo me, showing me how to enjoy the high life?” Rachelle teased with a twinkle in her eye.
Darian feigned confusion.
“The high life? I thought this was simply how people lived?”
“Yeah, right.” She laughed.
The champagne arrived quickly, and two flutes were filled as Rachelle relaxed into the ambiance of the scene, candlelight glowing around them as the sun set, cooling off the scorching heat of a desert day. Darian held up his glass.
“To new connections,” he said. “May our companies find success through unity.”
Rachelle clinked her glass with his, taking a sip.
“Funny, for a moment I forgot all about our work.”
“Me, too. Would you like to talk about it again?”
“Would you?”
“No.”
“What would you like to talk about?” she asked.
He leaned in, his eyes combing her face as he considered his answer. Rachelle felt vulnerable and exposed, even though she was fully clothed. What was he seeing in her, that he was looking so close?
“Tell me about your love life,” he said, finally.
Rachelle laughed, taking a sip from her flute as she tried not to feel uncomfortable. It was certainly not her favorite topic.
“What about it? I’m afraid there’s not much to tell.”
“How can that be so? Are you really so devoted to your work?”
“Yes,” Rachelle said, honestly. “My work has gotten me to where I am today. It matters to me more than anything else in the world.”
“Anything else?”
She hesitated, watching him as she considered her answer. The truth was that the answer she had provided had been true on many levels. Sitting at the private table with Darian, she had to admit to herself in that moment that it was no longer true.
“Perhaps not. I’ll have to let you know on that one.”
Her words were loaded with meaning, and Darian’s lip twitched as he sipped his own champagne.
“Please do,” he said.
As his eyes continued to caress her face, Rachelle felt the alcohol melt any resolve she would have had against being romantic with Darian. If only the night could never end!
Chapter Five
Their meal was exquisite.
Darian ordered a wide variety of local dishes, and as each one arrived, he was able to expertly explain why it was of significance to the culture of Zaradi.
“Zaradi, which is currently under threat of usurpation?” Rachelle asked.
She had found it more than curious that he was able to so easily brush off the obvious discord within the boundaries of
his home country. Darian shrugged.
“You watch the news in your home country. Do you often believe that it will crumble within a week, as your media so often seems to predict?”
Rachelle considered that for a moment.
“I suppose not.”
Darian nodded.
“So, you see why it is important to focus on the things that make life beautiful, rather than those that stain it?”
Rachelle took a sip, fully feeling the effect of the champagne. She felt relaxed and comfortable, and a little bit brave.
“So, why don’t we talk about happier topics? You asked me about my love life, but you haven’t told me anything about your own.”
Darian watched her over the rim of his glass, his eyes warm in the flickering candlelight. It was enough to send shivers of awareness up and down Rachelle’s arms, and she resisted the urge to run her hands along them. In all honesty, she enjoyed the sensation immensely.
“As you said, there’s not much to tell,” he dodged.
“But there must be something. I mean, look at you,” she said, gesturing to him from across the table. “You’re successful, you’re connected, and you’re handsome. You can’t honestly tell me that you haven’t had romance in your life these past years.”
Darian lifted an eyebrow, the edge of his mouth tipped upward.
“You think me handsome, hm?”
Rachelle felt the blush heat her already glowing cheeks.
“You know you are. Let’s not mince words about that. So, why haven’t you been scooped up?”
Darian sat back in his chair, considering his answer. He released a breath.
“Honestly? All of those things you mentioned matter a lot more to the people of my country than the one thing that actually should. No one who has come my way has been able to look past my royal ties, my ability to experience the best life has to offer. Yes, my face is pleasing to some, but someday that too will fade and I will be only myself, behind the mask of old age. If anyone were to care about me then, it would likely only be for my money.”
Rachelle stared at him. In that moment, he looked so vastly lonely that her arms begged to wrap about him. She held back, instead of leaning in to do just that.
“I think you’re a lovely person, and if I may be so bold, I would spend all the time in the world with you, even if you were the poorest man on earth.”
Darian’s eyes burned as he watched her. The air between them sparked with tension, and she wondered if he would kiss her then. The waiter arrived with the bill, giving their moment a pause.
“Will that be all, Your Highness?” the man asked.
“Indeed,” Darian said, checking his watch. “My goodness, it’s gotten late. You must be exhausted.”
Checking her own watch and seeing the time, Rachelle felt it instantly. She didn’t want to feel it. She wanted to spend the rest of the night with Darian and have the sun never rise to another day. This one was far too perfect to ever end.
Darian paid their bill and stood, holding his hand out to her, as he had from the beginning. Rachelle placed hers in his, savoring the feeling of connection between them. It was so much like a dream.
“Can I walk you back to your hotel? The heat should be long gone by now.”
Rachelle gazed up at him, leaning in a little bit closer.
“I’d like that,” she agreed.
They exited the busy restaurant and headed back outside, where the hot sun had set, replaced by a cool desert breeze. Rachelle shivered, and Darian removed his suit coat, placing it around her shoulders.
“Thanks,” she said, breathing in the scent of him as she wrapped herself in his warmth.
“Of course,” he replied, taking her hand back into his as they continued their stroll through the streets of Tara.
What had Rachelle said earlier that day? That all cities were generally the same? Gazing around them, she had to admit that she had been terribly wrong about that. There was a magic, a slowness about Tara that had her mesmerized. Perhaps the gentleman beside her had some impact on that opinion as well, though she knew in her heart that they were somewhere special.
They strolled in comfortable silence, enjoying the ambiance of the city. Before she knew it, they were stepping up to the front lobby of her hotel. How had the time passed so terribly fast? Darian stopped, and Rachelle faced him, tilting her head up to meet his gaze.
“Thank you. This might have been the best day of my entire life.”
Darian ran a hand along the edge of her face, cupping her cheek in his palm.
“It doesn’t have to end quite yet,” he breathed, dipping his face towards her and taking her lips with his own, tasting her.
Rachelle wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, falling head over heels as she allowed herself to be thoroughly and passionately kissed by the handsomest man in the world. When he finally pulled back, both of them were breathing hard.
Rachelle was going to invite him up. She couldn’t imagine being parted from him. She could very much imagine what it would be like to make love to him, and she wanted to experience it firsthand.
“Rachelle! Where have you been?”
Stepping back slightly from Darian, Rachelle stared as Phoebe stumbled in her direction, clearly plastered. She tripped and nearly fell, Rachelle stepping forward to hold her steady.
“Whoa, what are you doing, Phoebe?” she asked, worried and annoyed.
She cast an embarrassed glance up at Darian, whose expression was unreadable. Looking back at Phoebe, she watched as her assistant struggled to focus on her.
“I tried to call you a couple of times. They were running a crazy good deal at the bar, and you’ll never guess who showed up there! Our man, Ban Abdul! He was unbelievably handsome…”
Phoebe broke into a series of hiccups then, and the laughed after each one. Turning toward Darian, Rachelle’s expression was apologetic.
“It would seem I have some business to attend to, in caring for my wayward assistant here. I’m really sorry,” she said, and she meant it. She had wanted nothing more than to spend the night with Darian.
His smile was wry as he nodded, taking a step back, and Rachelle reluctantly removed his suit coat and handed it back to him.
“I understand. Here,” he said, reaching into one of his jacket pockets and pulling out a business card.
He pulled out a pen and wrote on the back of the card before handing it to her. She took it, not breaking eye contact with him.
“That’s my contact information. If you find yourself in need of another tour tomorrow, I would be more than happy to oblige.”
“Duly noted,” she said, grinning up at him.
Darian cast a glance back at Phoebe, who was too busy checking out her reflection in a hotel window to notice them at the moment. He tugged Rachelle’s hand and drew her back to him, kissing her one last time. Rachelle cupped his strong jaw between her palms, savoring the moment, trying to draw it out for as long as she could.
When he finally stepped back again, the crushing disappointment threatened to overwhelm her.
“Goodnight, Rachelle. I hope you sleep well.”
“Likewise.”
“Oh, I imagine my dreams may be a bit…agitating,” he said with a wink.
“Indeed,” Rachelle agreed.
They smiled at one another before he nodded and turned, heading down the street and around the corner. Rachelle watched his retreating back until he was no longer in sight before she turned back toward Phoebe, who was watching her with a knowing gleam in her eye.
“All right, you. Let’s get you hydrated,” Rachelle said, her tone businesslike.
“Who was that?” Phoebe breathed as Rachelle took her arm and guided them in the direction of the elevator.
“Just a man,” Rachelle said, not wanting to give too much away.
Phoebe looked down at Rachelle’s hand, where she still held Darian’s card. Swiping it, she deftly stepped aside, holding it up so she could read it.
“Darian Al-Adain, CEO of VELO Media. Hey, I remember that name! Look at his handwriting, Rachelle. It looks like something out of an ancient textbook!”
“All right, you’ve had your fun. I look forward to the morning, when you remember all this and feel the acute embarrassment you deserve.”
They rode the elevator up to Phoebe’s room. Phoebe struggled with the key card until Rachelle took it from her and quickly opened the door, both of them stepping inside.
“Come on, Rachelle. Spill! I’ve watched you brush aside every advance ever made toward you. I’ve never seen you this way, in all the time I’ve known you! You have to tell me something!”
Rachelle stared at her, debating with herself. On one hand, she had just had the most amazing day of her life. On the other, Phoebe was a colleague, and Rachelle never, ever mixed her work associates with her love life…or lack thereof.
But she had to tell someone!
Breaking her rule, she burst into a smile and plopped onto one of the hotel beds, Phoebe joining her. She went through the entire day, from how she met Darian to the amazing time they’d had on the Ferris wheel and getting personally fitted for a private evening out.
“That sounds amazing! I’m so happy for you, Rachelle. You deserve someone who will make you happy. And a holiday romance! What a better way to spend time than at the conference! And with a man who is what, like a king’s nephew?”
Rachelle laughed.
“Something like that.”
Phoebe sighed, lying back on the bed.
“It’s a shame you two won’t get more time together.”
Rachelle frowned.
“What do you mean? We’re still here for a couple of days.”
Phoebe slapped her forehead, sitting back up.
“Of course, you didn’t check your phone because you were all swept up by Mister Princey. While you were out, the conference committee issued a warning that all attendees should leave the country in the next twenty-four hours due to the heightened risk of a coup taking place in the next few days.”
“What?” Rachelle asked, shocked.
How could Darian have acted so nonchalant when the threat was this large? Rachelle thought about the Zaradian woman they had spoken with at the conference who had also seemed unaffected. What could it all mean?