“Want to take a break?” Masoud asked.

Eloise did. She was having an amazing time dancing, but even though the dance floor wasn’t overcrowded and the space was airy, the Al-Zheran heat had her sweating. By unspoken agreement, they headed out the open side door.

Eloise expected to emerge onto the promenade again, but to her surprise, she found herself on a narrow brick path that led to a beautiful garden. The walkway wound through a maze of well-groomed bushes that were clearly thriving, despite the climate.

“Raspberries,” Masoud said, reaching into one of the bushes and withdrawing a little red fruit. He handed it to Eloise. “Try it.”

She did. It was perfectly ripened and sweet.

“We used to play out here when we were children,” Masoud said. “Me, Ahmad, and his sister, Nijah. We’d hide in the bushes and try to find each other. Or we’d play a make-believe game where we were all trapped in a labyrinth by an evil dragon.”

“Were you here a lot?”

“All the time. So many meetings are held here, and so many parties, and of course, the royal family always had to be in attendance. My cousins had it worse than I did. They were always expected to greet the receiving line, and sometimes I could get out of that. When that happened, I’d always wait for them here.’

“It must have been a magical place to spend your childhood.”

Masoud shrugged. “It was. But every place is magical when you’re a child, don’t you think?”

Eloise thought of her own childhood backyard. The grass had been patchy, the landscaping uneven, and it was prone to flooding. She remembered finding a piece of plywood and a stick and rafting her way across the yard over low floodwaters, pretending she was coasting down a powerful river.

“Yeah, you’re right,” she said, grinning with recognition.

He led her to the center of the garden, where white marble benches were arranged in a circle around a fish pond. Eloise leaned over to watch the fish open and shut their mouths greedily, wishing she had something to give them.

“Eloise,” Masoud said. “Come sit.”

She did.

“Are you having a good day?” His eyes were warm and serious, and she saw that he cared deeply about her answer.

“It’s been wonderful,” she said. “Thank you so much. For everything.”

“You don’t need to thank me.”

“No, I do,” she insisted. “I would never have seen the beautiful things I’ve seen today if it weren’t for you. I was in two different palaces today! And a secret passage! And now, I’m at a ball in the City Hall of Yahari in Al-Zhera. None of my friends back home will believe this.”

“And why not? It’s just City Hall.”

“And I’m just here with the sheikh.”

He laughed. “It’s not such a big deal, you know. My title.”

“Easy for you to say. You’ve always had it.”

“I’ve always known I would never rule,” he said. “As long as I can remember, I’ve known that. I suppose there was a time when I was in line for the throne, before Ahmad was born, but I would have been so little back then.”

“Did it affect things between you two growing up? Your relationship?”

“I don’t think so,” Masoud said. “Ahmad and I have always been close. Nijah and I have always been close. The three of us were best friends growing up.”

“It must have been hard for you to make other friends,” Eloise realized.

“That’s true,” Masoud said softly. “It was hard. It’s always been hard getting to know people outside my family. Even though they know I’m not in line for the throne, knowing me carries a lot of political capital. I can’t always be sure who’s interested in me as a person and who’s just interested in what my title or money can do for them.”

Eloise leaned her head against his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

His arm found its way around her, and he pulled her close. His shirt was thin, and somewhere along the way, she had set down his jacket, so her shoulders were bare. She could almost feel the touch of his skin on hers. She focused on the warmth of his arm and matched her breathing to his, feeling impossibly close.

“Full moon,” Masoud noted.

“Do you have legends about it? Back home, we talk about werewolves.”

He chuckled. “Sure, we have that one. But it’s also a kissing moon.”

“What does that mean?”

“If you kiss under the full moon, it’s good luck for your relationship.”

Relationship.

She shivered in his arms. This was so surreal, and it was happening so fast. If Masoud had been a commoner like her, if they’d both been from the same country and had a hope of seeing each other again, she would be moving to kiss him right now. She had no doubt.

The feelings were there between the two of them, and they were strong. They were overwhelming. The urge to chase her passion for Masoud wherever it would lead made Eloise physically weak. And yet, every time she felt on the verge of moving for the kiss, she held herself back.

You can’t, she reminded herself. This has no future. This is not a relationship. Enjoy it as much as you want, but you can’t fall in love here.

She looked up at the moon. It seemed to be focusing on them, illuminating their little garden courtyard as if it, too, was eager to see what tonight had in store. Stars spangled the sky in every direction, looking much closer and brighter than they ever did at home.

“I can’t get over how clear the sky is here,” she said.

“The desert is like that,” Masoud said. “It’s a stargazer’s paradise.”

It’s my paradise, she thought.

Masoud spoke, and she felt the deep rumble of his voice in his chest. “I have a gift for you.”

“Is it this entire day?”

He chuckled. “Something else.”

Eloise sat up. “What else could there possibly be?”

“It’s just a little thing. A gesture. My way of thanking you for one of the most wonderful days in my life.”

He looked her in the eye as he said this, and she shivered again. One of the most wonderful days of his life. He hadn’t just been escorting her around as a favor. He felt it, too.

Masoud produced a tiny blue box and handed it to her. Eloise popped it open to reveal a pair of teardrop earrings. Each one was lined in tiny diamonds around a large blue center stone she didn’t recognize.

“Oh my…these are gorgeous,” she breathed.

Masoud removed them from the box one by one and slipped them into her ears. She was impressed by his steady hand.

“You are gorgeous.”

“Is this what you were doing when you left the dress shop?”

“Yes. The jeweler was just down the street.”

She reached up and touched one of the earrings. “This stone. It isn’t sapphire, is it?”

“No. It’s a very rare gem, discovered only recently by miners in the western desert of Al-Zhera.” He smiled and touched her other ear. “You can’t get it anywhere else besides here.”

“It must be so expensive. I can’t…”

“You can. Please. Today has been so wonderful. I never dreamed that when I offered to show you around, the day would be so magical.”

“You weren’t always planning to bring me here?”

Eloise was surprised. The day had been so perfectly arranged, with each stop on Masoud’s tour leading so organically to the next, that she had at times been sure this was a standard route he took people through when introducing them to the country. She had wondered if the whole thing had been motivated by his need for a date to this ball. She didn’t question the fun they’d had—it had become clear that he was enjoying the day as much as she was—but he’d been so masterful about it. So deliberate. It had to have been pre-planned.

Masoud shook his head. “I was only planning on taking you to see the old town. But as time went on, I couldn’t bear to say goodbye.”

Eloise’s breath caught. “I felt the same way.”

It was miraculous to hear him give voice to the things that had been in her head all day long, to hear the feelings she thought had been hers alone be spoken aloud. It made the whole day seem like that much more of a fairy tale. She thought of her friends and family back at home and realized this was a memory she would never be able to convey properly. It couldn’t possibly come across in the retelling.

Masoud was watching her, his eyes searching hers.

“So you should have something.” He touched one of the earrings and let his hand rest there, his thumb behind her ear, fingertips grazing her cheek. “Something to commemorate our adventure together.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

With his eyes locked on hers like this, it was easy to forget that she was accepting an expensive gift from a man she’d known less than a day. It was easy to ignore the feeling that this was irresponsible, that she was imposing on his generosity. He wanted to give her this, she knew. She could see the sincerity written all over his face.

“Think of me when you wear them,” he said.

It would be impossible not to.

“I will.”

He withdrew his hand slowly, tracing the length of her jawline. Eloise struggled to control her breathing.

“How will you commemorate today, then?” she asked him. “Did you buy something to remember it by?”

“I don’t need to,” Masoud said. “Every time I set foot in the ballroom in my family’s palace, I’ll remember dancing with you. Every time I drive my car, I’ll think of your hair in the wind. And when I eat seafood, I’ll remember how you looked with butter all over your chin”

“Oh, God,” Eloise laughed, nerves jangling. “That isn’t how I want you to remember me. All messy with crab juice?”

“How about this, then,” Masoud said, his lips curving into a gentle smile. “Every time I visit City Hall, I’ll remember how beautiful you look in this dress tonight.”

Overcome with feeling, Eloise leaned in to hug him. He moved toward her at the same moment, and all at once, their faces were an inch apart. They locked eyes, and for the first time since she’d known him, Eloise thought Masoud looked vulnerable. Uncertain.

And then, he kissed her.

As his arms wound around her, Eloise thought of the kissing moon, the light of which she could see through half-closed eyelids. It gave radiance to Masoud’s skin. He had said it was good luck for a relationship. Eloise didn’t know if she believed in things like that, but it sounded like Masoud did. What did it mean, that he was kissing her now? Did he want more?

I want more.

She surrendered to the kiss, letting him lead her as he had when they were dancing, and slowly she began to lose track of their surroundings. His hands slid down to her hips, pulling her in close, and then began to rise up her back. He gripped the back of her dress by the laces and Eloise let out a soft moan.

He pulled back slightly, ending the kiss, but his hands tightened on her as though he couldn’t bear to break contact.

“We can’t do this,” he said, his words practically a gasp.

Her heart sank. This was the moment she’d been anticipating—desperately hoping for—all day. He had finally remembered who he was, who she wasn’t, and realized the incompatibility they faced.

Of course he can’t kiss me. I’m not a princess.

It sounded like such a cliché in her head. But wasn’t it the heart of the matter? She was below his station. She was inappropriate. No matter how much they were each feeling for each other, they would have to draw the line.

“I’m sorry,” she said. It seemed like the thing to do. “Of course we can’t. I got carried away by…by everything today. I didn’t mean to overstep.”

She started to pull out of his embrace. But, to her surprise, he tightened his grip, keeping her close.

“No,” he said. “I mean we can’t do this here.”

Eloise stared. Was he saying what it sounded like he was saying?

“Eloise, I want…I would like this to keep going. I still don’t want tonight to be over.” He was breathing hard. “But if anyone sees us here, there will be press, publicity, and I don’t know if you want that, and…” he swallowed. “If we continue, I don’t know how long I can keep my behavior appropriate for a public place.”

Oh my God.

Lost for words, she gripped his firm biceps and tried to control her own rapid breathing. “Can we go somewhere?”

“I think that’s a good idea,” he murmured, and kissed her again. And once more, she was swept away.

Eventually, they managed to separate again, and Eloise stepped out of his arms to allow herself to collect her wits.

“We can go to my hotel,” she said. “It’s close by.”

She expected Masoud to argue, to say they should go back to the palace because it was outside the city and because of the privacy it guaranteed them. She expected he would balk at the idea of walking into a hotel lobby with her, where they could easily be seen by guests and staff, and accompanying her to her room. Eloise wasn’t naive. She knew the rumors that were likely to circulate if a member of the royal family was spotted going up to the hotel room of an anonymous American woman. He wouldn’t risk that. Not for her.

But Masoud nodded. “Close by is perfect.”

He offered his hand. She took it and allowed herself to be led through the maze, not back toward city hall, but deeper and deeper until they emerged out a back exit. He didn’t call a car, and made no move to reclaim the one they had arrived in. Instead, he asked Eloise for the name of the hotel, and when he’d verified that it was only a few blocks away, he clutched her hand and started walking.

All Eloise could think was, Wow. This is really happening.