When Luke and I finally peeled ourselves away from the bedroom, we settled on the couch. Armed with more coffee and two heavy blankets, we snuggled up together and watched television. The hours flew by with me snuggled up so close to Luke that I could count his heartbeats thrumming against my cheek.

In the time we’d dated, there hadn’t been many moments of us sitting still. I supposed without a kingdom or company to be in charge of, Luke was finally able to relax.

But I couldn’t turn my mind off. Seeing him was a pleasant surprise, and the sex we had last night was incredible, but what was going to happen tomorrow or the day after? Luke said he loved me, and I said it in return—in an appropriate amount of time—but were the problems that kept us apart still around? Did he plan on giving up the kingdom for me, or was this a proper goodbye?

My phone rang, and I was surprised to see that it was almost five in the afternoon.

“Do you have to get that?” Luke asked with a frown.

I grabbed my phone and nodded. “Just a minute.”

Carrie’s number flashed on my phone screen. With Luke returning into my life, I had completely forgotten about accepting the new job.

I picked up the call and said, “Hi, Carrie. Just a second.”

“Sure thing,” she chirped.

Luke’s eyes were on me the entire time I walked across the room and onto my small balcony. He didn’t seem threatened, but I knew I would have a lot of explaining to do when I returned.

“Okay, sorry,” I said into the phone. “I was, um, in the shower when you called.”

“Well, as you know from yesterday, I’m super impressed with your skills and qualifications,” she said, getting right down to it. “This is more of a formality, but I want to give you a final offer for the open position.”

“Wow,” I said, glancing through the window at Luke. He watched the television, but I knew he was aware of the secret conversation I was having. If I accepted the job right away, what would become of Luke and me? Would this be another thing standing in the way of our happiness?

“Speechless?” Carrie asked and then laughed.

I cleared my throat. “Sorry, yes. I’m so grateful that you’ve given me this opportunity.”

“But?” She was much smarter than I gave her credit for.

I didn’t know what Luke’s intentions were, and I wasn’t going to force it out of him less than twenty-four hours after he arrived. He wanted to prove something to me, and I wanted to hear him out entirely before I made any life-altering decisions.

He would only be here for a week. Surely, Carrie could wait that long for my answer.

“I hope this isn’t too forward, but I think I need some time to decide. I have several other interviews lined up.”

“You do?” she asked. “Of course, you do. This is a very generous offer, and I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to keep the spot open.”

“I just need a week,” I said, giving her the same deadline as Luke’s departure. This was my backup plan, and since Carrie wanted me to work for her, I hoped she would be able to give me the time I needed.

“A week,” she said. There was a hint of annoyance in her voice.

“Thank you so much,” I said. “I just need to be sure.”

“I understand,” she said. “I’m sure you will impress whichever other places you’re checking out, but I guarantee they won’t be able to offer what we are. I’ll send your contract over to your email for comparison.”

“Thank you,” I said again. She had no idea how grateful I was.

She was the first to hang up. I hoped I hadn’t pissed her off. I had made a good impression, but I was pushing my luck by not accepting right away.

I glanced into the apartment, and Luke was no longer on the couch.

I took the moment of silence to absorb what had happened. I had no other offers, but by lying, I was able to keep the door open at Dallas News. I didn’t have another interview, but I did have another position that opened. That was the spot at Luke’s side.

The conversation between us would have to happen in the next week, and I debated on telling him about the job offer.

Then, I thought better of it. It would only complicate things. If Luke knew I had another job lined up, he might be selfless again and push me to take it.

Reporting didn’t stir the same passion in me as it had before I met Luke, but I couldn’t give it up without knowing the real reason he was here.

Walking inside, Luke stepped out of my bedroom and settled onto the couch again. He patted the seat next to him. “What was that about?”

I licked my lips. “My friend, Carrie. She’s having issues with her husband.” I hated to lie, but it felt necessary. At least, that was what I kept telling myself. “I didn’t want to bore you with all that man-hating talk.”

He slipped an arm around my shoulder. “You don’t hate men.”

“Nope,” I said and kissed him.

My stomach growled, loud enough that Luke gave me a look. We had eaten some cereal before as I was too embarrassed to offer him the stale leftovers in my refrigerator. Though, he probably saw them when he grabbed the milk for the cereal.

“Do you want to stay in tonight?” he asked.

I winced. “Not really.” I wasn’t up for explaining why my refrigerator only contained old takeout and condiments. I wasn’t about to poison a king on his first day in the States. “To be honest, I haven’t left my apartment much in a month.” I couldn’t look him in the eye. I wasn’t playing the pity card, but it was the truth. If he was only here for a week, he was about to get a lot of honesty from me.

“Then, I will take you out,” he said. “Let’s get ready.”

“Let me guess; you’ve already planned something.”

He grinned. “You know me so well.”

“Since when?”

He blew out a breath. “Since this morning. It was more of a backup plan. One that I hoped you were going to choose.”

“I should shower,” I said, raking my hands through my greasy and sexified hair.

“Do you want company?” Luke asked. His eyes darkened dangerously.

As much as I wanted a moment to think about the job offer, I wanted Luke more. I wasn’t going to talk to him about everything just yet, so distracting myself with his wet, naked body worked for me.

In the shower, we could barely take our hands off each other. If we took it to the next level, then we would never get to dinner. Luke had the same idea because even though we were kissing and caressing each other, he pushed for washing up at the same time. His hands moving over me helped clear my head.

When we were done, Luke didn’t bother wrapping a towel around his waist, but out of habit or shyness, I did. I rarely walked around my apartment naked, but seeing Luke do it elicited crazy waves of tingling to move across my body.

Luke pulled on a pair of boxer briefs and came over to me before landing a kiss on my lips. “Sit down.”

“Don’t we need to leave?”

“Yes,” he said.

I raised an eyebrow but did as he said. I doubted wherever we were going would care if we were late. If they did, then Luke had enough wealth to pay for the inconvenience.

I sat on the bed, and Luke went over to my dresser and into my underwear drawer.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “What are you doing?”

“I love these,” he said, plucking out a pair of black lace panties.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. He grabbed a pair of black knee-high stockings and walked over to me. Kneeling down in front of me, he lifted my foot and slid the panties up my leg.

The touch of his hands on my body fired crazy nerves throughout me.

“What—” It was all I could manage before Luke grabbed my arm and stood me up in front of him.

He slowly pulled the panties up higher, smoothing his hand over my butt as he positioned them. They were damp within seconds.

If Luke noticed, he didn’t say anything.

He lightly pressed his fingers against my shoulders and pushed me down on the bed again. He did the same for my stockings, pulling them up to their place on my legs before leaving me wet and hungry for more while he walked over to my closet.

He picked out a red dress that he’d bought for me in England. It wasn’t appropriate for Qatar, so I never had a chance to wear it. It was the only piece that he bought for me that I had kept. I’d left the rest at his palace and apartment when he asked me to leave.

It felt like an eternity ago, and the sting of the breakup was far behind me. No matter what happened, I would have this time with Luke to look back on. I hoped that this week would be a happy one, a place where I could go when Luke finally realized that he couldn’t have me and the kingdom.

Luke helped me step into the dress, and he zipped it up, tracing his finger up my spine.

“If you keep going like this, I’m not going to be able to walk out of here,” I said. My breathing came quicker, and I was desperate for Luke to take off everything he’d just put on me.

Luke chuckled. “I’ll help you out of here, but I told you that I’m here to make everything up to you. I’m here to cater to your needs.”

I pulled a face, and he kissed away my pout.

“I’ll fulfill the rest of those needs later,” he said.

While I found a pair of heels, Luke dressed in a suit. He looked more at ease than he had in the past. The top buttons of his shirt were left open, giving him a more relaxed and casual look. This was the Luke that I’d fallen for. While being with his family had stressed him out, there was always a sense of calm when he was in Qatar, something he probably hadn’t noticed himself.

A black sedan waited outside my building to take us to Luke’s surprise. I peppered him with questions along the way about where we were going, but he was a sealed vault.

Eventually, I settled for looping my arm with his and leaning against him. I wanted to be as close as possible while I could, even though the inevitable clock ticked down the minutes until he would leave again.

The driver pulled the car up to a French restaurant in downtown Dallas. I had never stepped foot in the place, but I’d heard about it. It was exclusive and the type of place that required making a reservation months in advance.

“Are you serious?” I asked Luke. He always had a way of surprising me.

“I am,” he said, kissing the tip of my nose. “Serious about you, that is.”

I wasn’t sure what to expect when we walked into the restaurant, but I was a little confused to see that the only people in the dining area were us and a few staff members.

I checked the time. “Are we too early?” It was close to seven. Surely, there wasn’t a holiday I’d forgotten.

“We’re right on time,” Luke said, following the hostess into an empty dining room. Tables and chairs had been set up, but no patrons sat eating at any of them. Was there a food poisoning scare?

“What’s going on?”

“I rented the place out,” Luke said, standing next to a table set for two. Three red roses stuck out of a small vase in the center with a bucket of champagne next to it.

I looked around at the lavishly decorated space. “You what?” Renting out a restaurant for two people in a place like this must have cost an astronomical amount. I couldn’t even fathom the price tag.

“Tonight is about us,” he said.

“Other people might have wanted to eat here too, you know?” I said with a smile. No one had ever done anything this cool for me before. I was speechless but grateful.

I supposed it was something fit for a king. How the hell did I ever get so lucky? I never missed Luke more until that moment, and I vowed I would do everything I could to keep him in my life.