Page 56 of Out of Office Nights
Or that the outcome of the last few hours spent in a transformative state sketching page after page was something she wanted to share only with him. Even now, her very skin tingled with the almost out-of-body experience of it, and the decisions she’d made when she woke up in his bed, to just lay everything on the line—
‘What’s wrong?’
Sabeen jumped, her startled gaze rising from her plate to meet Eden’s shrewd green eyes.
‘And before you pull some excuse out of thin air, know that I’ve been in your shoes. I was covering by talking your ear off but, sweetheart, you look downright miserable. Another emotion I recognise, but I’m thankful to say is in my past.’
Sabeen gave up the pretence of eating, setting her cutlery down and startling again when Eden’s hand dropped down on top of hers, gripping it tightly in support before she let go.
‘I hope you know you can trust me.’
Sabeen swallowed, warmed by the friendship Eden hadn’t held back from their very first meeting. ‘Of course.’
Eden nodded, her gaze encouraging.
‘I think…’ she started then grimaced as tears prickled her eyes. ‘God, I’m a mess.’
‘Take your time.’
She inhaled slowly. Let it out. Then summoned a smile. ‘I’m grateful for all this. Sorry if I’m ruining it with my mood but—’
‘But I’m not the one you want sitting across from you at the table right now?’ Eden finished shrewdly.
Sabeen gasped then sighed. ‘Of course you can read me like a book.’
Eden smiled. ‘I told you I’ve been there. And that’s why I should tell you not to be like me. Don’t let whatever is bothering you stay an obstacle. Unfortunately, those gremlins have a way of growing roots and making you believe they’ll be impossible to dig out without pouring your heart out on national television.’
An unguarded chuckle slipped out. ‘You’re the queen. It’s only right your love declarations were epic.’
Eden grimaced, waving away the staff members who approached with more platters of food. ‘It’s great for everlasting love and all that, but I could’ve done with not becoming the world’s number one meme.’ She sobered. ‘Do you want me out of your hair, or can you manage another half hour so I can introduce you to the most divine dessert ever created?’
Her response was easy. ‘Dessert, please.’
She needed all the sugary rush of courage she could get to tell the Playboy Prince that she’d fallen in love with him.
Except courage was nowhere to be found when five minutes after the queen had departed, with a promise extracted from Sabeen to visit her in the palace proper before she left, Teo walked through the impressive mansion’s double doors, his face a fierce, unreadable mask.
‘We need to talk.’
For a moment, Sabeen wondered whether she should’ve kept the sordid details of her past with Nathan to herself. Whether Teo had hit his quota of dealbreakers with her. Finally.
She followed him across the breathtaking foyer with the familiar House of Domene coat of arms inlaid within the warm gold marble floor that led to a trio of hallways. The footmen who’d opened the doors smoothly closed them and quickly made themselves scarce.
The immaculately dressed butler, Fernando, who served them while the queen was present, stood out of earshot at a respectful distance.
The intractable look in Teo’s eyes froze her in place a second before her throat closed in alarmed realisation. Of course, they’d returned to the real world. He had a life and magic to create outside of their ephemeral bubble in Essaouira. She just hadn’t thought the end would be this abrupt. This soon after she’d thrown herself so shamelessly at him and, dear heaven, wanted to do so again—
‘I need to remain in Cartana. My father’s health remains concerning.’
Sabeen hated herself for the relief she felt that this wasn’t about her. About what they’d done last night and this morning. It prodded her into nodding and approaching because the need to be near him in his time of difficulty wouldn’t allow the distance. ‘I hope he gets better soon.’ Dear God, could she fail harder at disguising her yearning? ‘Did you get a chance to talk to him?’
He nodded briskly. ‘He clarified things,’ he said.
She waited for more, but he didn’t seem interested in elaborating. Instead the intensity in his eyes grew. She licked her lips. ‘Did it not go how you wanted? Is he—’
‘I don’t want to talk about my father, Sabeen. There’s a whole new set of issues that needs dealing with.’
Was he telling her their torrid little affair was over? Sabeen’s heart lurched. The last time she’d been in this situation she’d let herself down. It wasn’t happening again. As much as it hurt far worse this time, she lifted her chin. ‘Fine. I’ll let you deal with whatever it is. Guess I’ll see you when I see you?’
