Dressing for dinner with royalty was more than a little nerve wracking, Lauren decided as she held two outfits up to herself in front of the full-length mirror in her room. She really wished that she had brought more clothes with her, but at least she’d packed two good black dresses that were more work appropriate, but would do for dinner.

She chose the longer dress, with an A-line skirt and a lace overlay covering the bodice. She left the belt that she normally wore with the dress off, deciding it looked less like she was dressed for a work meeting without it.

Black heels, diamond stud earrings, and a small gold pendant rounded out her outfit. She might not be tabloid material, but at least she wouldn’t embarrass herself.

Lauren was confident in her ability to interact with anyone; after all, she’d been eating dinner with CEOs and the California elite since she was a teenager. But dinner with royalty was a whole new ballgame. Plus, the fact that it was Hakim’s parents.

When she met Hakim in the front entryway of his home, he stopped short to look at her. Lauren felt herself blush under his appraising gaze. The appreciation in his eyes was gratifying, and Lauren took a moment to admire him as well. The man definitely made a suit look good.

“Shall we go?” Hakim held out his arm to her.

Lauren took it and let him escort her to his car. As Hakim walked around to the driver’s side, she fidgeted in her seat, impatient to find out if the night was going to be delight or utter disaster.

Hakim must have picked up on her nerves—the entire drive over, he told her funny stories about growing up in the palace. One involved a young Sadira and Hakim sneaking out to the gardens to watch a meteor shower after being told to go to bed. They had fallen asleep watching the stars.

When morning came and the children weren’t in their beds, an alarm was raised in the palace. Their parents and the palace guards looked everywhere and just when they were going to call the police, fearing the children had been kidnapped, Sadira and Hakim wandered in from the garden, blades of grass stuck in their hair.

Lauren laughed when Hakim imitated his sister asking, “What’s going on?”

“How long were you grounded for?” she asked.

“Well, they decided that grounding us wasn’t going to work—we’d just go play in the garden, and that was fine with us. So, my father contacted the head of the planetarium at the university and we went to work for him for a month. He said since we were showing such a passion for learning about the stars, we could do so under supervision.”

“Oh, that’s brilliant,” Lauren said.

“It was actually. We didn’t do anything more than hand out programs and take tickets, but everybody knew who we were. Still, we did learn a lot.”

Lauren felt more relaxed by the time they got to the palace, but her nerves came rushing back as the car pulled up in front of the most elaborate building she’d ever seen.

The palace sat up on top of a small hill, so you could see it easily. The circular drive in front was cobblestones and there were three flights of stone steps leading up to a very impressive portico. Columns held up the roof, which was decorated with colorful mosaic tiles in intricate patterns.

Two assistants opened the car doors for them, and another two opened the grand main doors. Guards stood at various intervals along the front of the building. Light spilled from every window and the air smelled like fresh flowers.

Lauren had to stop for a moment and take it all when they crossed through the doors. It was elegant and beautiful, unlike any other building she’d ever been in. Hakim watched her look around.

“What do you think?” he asked.

Lauren didn’t miss the note of hopefulness in his voice. Unless she was mistaken, he wanted her to like his home.

“It’s beautiful,” Lauren said as sincerely as she could. “It’s a little overwhelming, but I’ve never seen anything this stunningly gorgeous.”

“And this is just the entryway.”

Lauren turned to him, eyes wide. “The rest of it is more impressive than this?”

Hakim smiled and shrugged. “I just think of it as home.”

Lauren tried to nod. “Oh, sure. All my friends grew up in honest-to-goodness castles, so you know, this is no big deal.”

He laughed and held out a hand. “Come meet my parents.”

Which is how they came to be holding hands when Hakim’s parents found them in the hallway. They exclaimed delightedly when they saw Hakim, embracing him in turn, his father shaking his hand, his mother kissing his cheek.

Hakim kept his arm around his mother and turned her toward Lauren. “Mother, Father, may I introduce you to Lauren Sanders? Lauren, these are my parents Tarana and Musheer Khalif.”

Hakim’s mother held her hands out to her. “My dear, it’s such a pleasure to meet you and we’re delighted that you could travel with him this weekend. We were so worried that our darling son would never bring a young woman home with him.”

Lauren gave Hakim a slightly panicked look and Hakim winced. “Ah, Lauren’s just a friend. We’re not dating.”

Tarana Khalif fixed her son with a penetrating look and Hakim shrugged. “Sorry to disappoint, Mother.”

Hakim’s mother sighed as only a long-suffering mother could. “I live in hope for the day.”

Lauren tried not to smile as Hakim nudged his mother’s arm. “You have a grandchild now. Isn’t one enough?”

That remark got him another sharp glare.

“You wait until you’re a grandparent and tell me if one if enough. Of course, you’ll need to become a parent first…”

The implication was clear and Hakim mouthed “Save me” at Lauren over his mother’s head, which made Lauren choke as she attempted to hide a laugh.

“Pay no attention to them, Lauren. This is an old conversation, one I’m sure you have with your family, too.”

Instead of explaining that, no, her mother was more interested in business than in grandchildren, Lauren just smiled and took Musheer’s arm when he offered it. Hakim escorted his mother into dinner behind Lauren and his father.

The dining room—or grand hall, because really, if ever a room was meant to be called a hall it was this one—was stunning. Lauren glanced around, noting the elaborate decoration and huge windows scattered across the stone walls.

Musheer leaned toward her. “It’s a bit much, isn’t it?” he asked conspiratorially.

Lauren wasn’t quite sure how to answer, but the twinkle in his eye reassured her that he was teasing.

“It is certainly not like any place I’ve ever eaten dinner.”

“Well, I hope you won’t be disappointed then. Instead of a formal meal here, Tarana and I thought we’d eat in the family dining room.”

Lauren gave him her best smile. “That sounds wonderful. I’m sure it’s just as beautiful as this one.”

Two minutes later, she was struck by how true her words were. This room was smaller, but no less magnificent. Instead of stone, a dark wood paneling covered the walls. The floors were a beautiful tile, covered in antique woven rugs that Lauren was certain belonged in a museum.

Footmen waited to hold chairs for each of them at the round dining table. Lauren thought she would not have been surprised if the table were a thousand years old. The table and chairs looked like they came straight out of a fairy tale.

As one of the footmen poured wine, Hakim’s father asked, “Lauren, tell us a little more about yourself. Do you work with Hakim?”

Lauren carefully didn’t look at Hakim as she answered the question. “I’m the CEO of a production company in Anaheim. My path crossed with Hakim’s at one of our events and we became friends there.”

As she said it, she realized it was true, at least from a certain point of view. Lauren considered Hakim a friend, of a sort anyway. She still thought about wanting more, but pushed that thought away for the moment, though she did catch Hakim giving her a look she couldn’t quite decipher.

Tarana asked, “Are you from California?”

“Yes, ma’am. I was born in Los Angeles and moved to Anaheim when I was a teenager, after my parents divorced. I’ve been there ever since.”

Hakim added, “In addition to being an outstanding CEO, Lauren also participates in theater.”

Musheer nodded approvingly. “It’s good to have interests outside of work.”

“It’s fun for me, and honestly, in a way it’s good to focus on the creative process. The business side sometimes forgets what that’s like.”

“Did you start the company?” Musheer asked.

“I did, three years ago. I followed in my mother’s footsteps, if not in the same industry.”

Hakim hurriedly switched the topic. “By the way, we went to the hospital today to see Sadira, Bahir, and the baby.”

“We must have just missed you. Your mother was up there at the crack of dawn this morning.” Musheer said.

Tarana slapped a gentle hand at her husband. “Hush, you. You didn’t want to leave when it was time for our darling granddaughter to go to sleep.”

“I regret nothing,” Musheer said with a wide grin.

Lauren laughed. “You should have seen this one. He sat with baby Nyla for the longest time, just chatting about everything.”

Hakim echoed his father. “I regret nothing.”

They all laughed and Hakim continued. “Babies are meant to be fussed over. I wish I could stay longer and spend some more time with her.”

Tarana patted her son’s hand. “You’ll just have to come back again soon.”

The first course was served, and their conversation turned to Hakim’s business and what Lauren had seen earlier in the day. As nervous as she had been before the meal, Lauren was surprised how freely conversation flowed and how quickly the time passed.

They were a small family, but they made up for it in presence. Tarana and Musheer obviously loved each other deeply, and it was just as clear that they were exceptionally proud of both their children.

When talk turned to business, Hakim talked about one of Lauren’s most successful projects to date, almost bragging about her accomplishment in securing the major client. Lauren tilted her head at him and narrowed her eyes just a tiny bit in question. He answered with a small lift of one shoulder. She assumed he’d done some research on her over the last week since he hadn’t known much about her before the auction.

Lauren loved how warm and loving the whole dinner turned out to be. It wasn’t like anything she’d expected, especially when she was fretting over eating with royalty. Hakim’s parents were kind and generous, and they treated Lauren like she was part of the family.

It was nothing like her dinner with Patricia every month. Lauren knew her mother loved her and was proud of her, but the way she showed it couldn’t be further from the warmth Lauren experienced with Hakim’s family. She thought she could get used to dinners like this one.

They moved to a balcony outside for coffee and dessert. Lauren asked about the plants in the garden and Hakim offered to walk her through and show her everything before they made their way back to the car.

So, after dessert, Lauren bid Hakim’s parents good night. Tarana hugged her and kissed her cheek. “Come back again, my dear. We’d love to see you another time.”

Musheer shook her hand. “Lauren, it was a real pleasure. Promise to visit again, and encourage our son to come home more often, too.”

He laughed heartily as Lauren smiled and promised, and then Hakim all but dragged her away from his parents. Breathless and laughing, Lauren pulled him to a stop when they reached the garden.

“Your parents are wonderful,” she said.

Hakim shook his head, but smiled fondly. “They are, even if they’re a bit much sometimes.”

Lauren put her hand on his chest to get him to pay attention to what she was saying. “Hakim, your parents are really wonderful. Thank you for insisting I be here tonight. I wouldn’t trade meeting them for anything.”

Hakim covered her hand with his, and Lauren was startled by the shock of electricity that went through her at his touch. “Thank you, for being here. It meant a lot to me, you meeting them.”

Lauren held his gaze; she was looking for something that would give her a clue to where they stood. He hadn’t wanted her in Al Asaab to work for him; he’d wanted her there to be with him. And she wanted it too, in spite of everything. So, where did that leave them?

She saw the second he decided not to pursue the moment any further, instead taking her hand in his and pulling away.

“You wanted to see the gardens, right? Come on, let me show you.”

Lauren let herself be pulled along as he narrated a tour of the truly spectacular gardens. Hakim told her about how he and Sadira used to put on their own plays in one of the hidden alcoves that formed a natural stage, and how his mother cultivated jasmine and roses. How his father sat reading out loud to all of them as they ate picnics on the lush grass.

It was a window into his life and she held it as the special gift it was. Lauren had no idea how he’d turned from this man into the cold businessman he was back in California, but she liked this Hakim even better.

After spending an hour or so in the garden, Hakim reluctantly checked his watch. “We should go. We have an early flight tomorrow.”

Lauren shook her head. “Not yet, please? Can’t we stay just a few more minutes?”

Hakim laughed once, almost to himself. “How can I say no to that request?”

She picked out an ornately carved wooden bench and sat down, then pointed up. “Look at how bright the moon is tonight.”

“It’s lovely.”

Something in his tone made Lauren look back at him to see that he wasn’t looking skyward at all. Hakim sat on the bench, as close to her as he could get without touching her. Lauren felt the urge to lean back into his arms, but she held herself still.

The garden was quiet except for the splashing of a nearby fountain and a slight breeze stirring the leaves on the trees. Lauren didn’t want to break the spell of the moonlit moment because once she did, she would have to go back to her reality. This night was their last together and even though she understood more about him now, she didn’t think it was enough to change anything about their situation.

Finally, Hakim stood and held out his hand. Lauren took it and intertwined her fingers with his. They walked in silence to the car and didn’t speak all the way back to his house.

Lauren cast about for something to say when they walked inside, but it was late and he seemed to be just as lost as she was. All she could think of was to say goodnight.

She took a deep breath. “Thank you, Hakim. For this trip, and for this week.”

Hakim stood a few steps away, quiet for a long time.

“Thank you, Lauren. I wish… Well, I wish a lot of things were different.”

Lauren nodded. “Me, too. I’ll see you in the morning?”

Hakim took a step forward and for a second, Lauren thought he might kiss her. But instead, he simply brushed his hand over her arm and stepped away.

“Goodnight, Lauren.”

She got ready for bed, feeling torn. Part of her was happy to be going back to her regular life—as interesting as this week had been, it had also been stressful. But the other part of her was going to miss seeing Hakim every day.

She didn’t expect to sleep much, so it was a bit of a surprise when she woke up to the same bright sunshine as the day before, and this time knew exactly where she was. But the only thing she felt was sadness.