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?

She felt a sudden pang of guilt at ignoring Phoebe’s calls. Had she answered, she might have gotten a very different response from Darian. Then again, she likely wouldn’t have. He seemed entirely determined to live life in his own way, even if it meant ignoring the clear and obvious risk present in his country.

Phoebe nodded, continuing on as she sobered up.

“I called to let you know that I’ve booked us a flight back for tomorrow morning. We can leave just after breakfast.”

Rachelle stared out at the room, absorbing that information. She felt Phoebe slide Darian’s card back into her hand. When she looked at her assistant, the woman’s face was a mask of empathy.

“I’m really sorry, Rachelle. I know how hard it is for you to make a connection with someone. He must be really special. Still, you have to see that our safety has to come first, right? Perhaps he can come visit Chicago. Did you two talk business at all?”

“We did,” Rachelle answered, somewhat robotically. “I think he is very interested in doing business with us.”

Phoebe brightened at this piece of news.

“That’s great! There’s no need to frown, then. I’m sure you can continue negotiations from the safety of home.”

“Yes. I suppose we’ll have to. I’ll leave you to your devices, Phoebe. If we’re going to leave early in the morning, we might as well get a couple hours of sleep.”

“Agreed. Have a good night, Rachelle. I hope to hear much more about your adventures during our long flight home.”

“Yes, well, that might be the time to catch up on sleep before we hit the ground running in Chicago again. We made a lot of great connections today and yesterday, but we need to make sure that they last longer than a greeting and a promise.”

“Absolutely. We’ll be good to go then. Until then, get some sleep.”

Rachelle smiled as her drunken assistant gave her an order. Phoebe had always blurred the lines between business and friendship, but she was a good worker, and Rachelle secretly enjoyed her blunt honesty and ability to see past any barriers she put up.

Phoebe had somehow managed to become a good friend—just one who also happened to get paid to do whatever Rachelle needed her to do. Not having much time for her other friends, Rachelle supposed it might be the closest she would ever come to regular female companionship.

Bidding her assistant goodnight, Rachelle walked a few doors down to her own hotel room and opened the door. She held the back of her hand against her nose, the better to catch the lingering scent of Darian. If Phoebe hadn’t interrupted them, he might have been with her in that moment, kissing her, holding her.

Rachelle’s body tingled at the thought, and she sat in a plush sofa facing her window. The city glittered in the dark, casting a glow across the darkened room. Staring out into the night, Rachelle wondered how differently the night would have gone had she known that she would be leaving so much sooner than anticipated.

What would she do when she got back to the States? Would she call him, only to let him know that she was already long gone? What would he say to that?

Rachelle sighed as she realized that her dream was over. Rising, she made quick work of changing into her pajamas and washing up for bed. A tidal wave of exhaustion washed over her as miles of walking in the burning heat finally took its toll. Cuddling into her pillow, she imagined Darian’s arms wrapped around her.

To imagine more would be foolish. When morning came, it would be back to reality.