I didn’t need to give Sophia a half hour to get ready. As it was, we were already going to be late, but I needed the time to get myself composed. In our time together, we hadn’t been alone much. We had either been in a public place or on a plane with several staff members.

Standing in her doorway when she was on the cusp of stripping down to change had shifted something inside of me. Of course, I found her attractive. But we were playing our parts as boyfriend and girlfriend. If I had asked her to, I knew she would have kissed me right then and there. I saw the desire in her eyes, and I’d done a terrible job of hiding it myself.

Taking a cold shower was in order, but that only took ten minutes. I’d dragged it out longer than usual. I spent extra time picking through my clothes to find the perfect outfit.

While I knew I’d have to dress more traditionally for the banquet, I grabbed a suit that I had brought from home. It had faint gray stripes that were only noticeable if you were nearly nose to nose with me. More importantly, it matched the color of Sophia’s dress, and in my mind, it would show our solidarity.

I had intended to tell Sophia everything when I got the chance, but we were running out of time before she and Mother were to be in the same room for a long period of time. There was no way she’d embarrass her family during the banquet, so if she was going to pull out all the stops, it would be at dinner.

Opening up to Sophia was terrifying, partly because of her job, but mostly because it meant opening up a part of myself that I swore I’d keep hidden for as long as I could.

Stepping up to her door, I hesitated, holding my fist in the air. Leaning closer to the door, I didn’t hear anything. I hoped she wasn’t in the bathroom. Other than the plane ride, I didn’t know her primping routine at all. I hoped she wasn’t the type to take an hour or two to get ready. Mother already disliked her; we didn’t need to give her more reason to.

I knocked twice and stepped back from the door.

“Come in!” Sophia called from inside.

It wasn’t customary for me to enter a woman’s room unless we were wed. So, I opened the door and let it swing open while I kept both my feet in the hallway.

“Sorry,” she said, balancing on one foot. “Just getting my shoes on.”

Her hair fell in dark waves over her shoulders as she bounced on one foot while putting her shoe on. They were flats and would remain hidden under the long dress.

She stood up and adjusted the dress so that the hem fell over the tops of her shoes, just as I’d requested. Shoving her hair back over her shoulder, she opened her hands to me.

“Do I look okay?”

“You look perfect,” I said. “Shall we?”

She smiled, and my heart skipped several beats. Watching her walk over to me was the most seductive movement I’d ever seen. The dress hugged her curves, and I wondered if I’d made a bold choice.

We didn’t have time to turn back, so I looped her arm with mine as we headed down the hallway.

“I have to tell you something,” I said.

“You’re becoming king?” she asked.

“Ever the reporter.”

“I’m only teasing. What’s up?”

She didn’t put on much makeup, but her naturally pink lips made me want to take her here and now in the hallway for anyone to see.

I drove my hand into my pocket to keep myself at bay. “I’ve never said it before, but I was adopted.”

“What?” she asked.

I nodded. “Not many people outside of the royal family know.”

“But why? And how?”

“Early on in my parents’ marriage, they weren’t able to have kids the natural way. So, they went to a local orphanage and picked me up. I was six.”

“And no one questioned it?” I asked.

“Things are different here. There isn’t as much media, and some of the rules are quite lax.”

“So why isn’t Abir first in line to be the king? I mean, doesn’t it go by blood?”

“It doesn’t have to,” I said. Having the truth out there for Sophia to know was a weight lifted off my shoulders. Even Maddox didn’t know I was adopted. There was no reason for anyone to know and question the methods of the kingdom in my country. “And I doubt he’d want it.”

“So, neither of you want it, but someone has to take over?”

“That’s the sum of it,” I said.

Silence hung between us for most of the walk to the dining room. It was a lot to take in, and I wasn’t sure how ready I was for Sophia to ask more about the process of me becoming king. At the very least, I had a leg up on whatever questions Mother intended to throw our way.

Right outside of the dining room, two servants stood by the open doors.

A firm tug on my arm pulled me to the side. Sophia was much stronger than I realized.

Her eyes lifted to mine. “You don’t know your parents? Your real parents?”

There was pity in her eyes, but not the kind that made me want to clam up and forget the conversation ever happened. She appeared genuinely concerned. There wasn’t a recording device or my parents there to witness my “girlfriend” being kind to me.

“I don’t remember much of my biological parents,” I said. “To me, my parents are my parents, though. As much as I fight against their wishes, they are the only ones who matter. They saved me from a bad life. While I know I’m living a very different lifestyle now than I might have, I’m lucky to have them.”

She lifted herself up onto her toes and pressed her lips against my cheek. Her lips were soft, just as smooth as I imagined they would be. “Thank you for telling me.”

Squeezing my hand, she sent a reassuring pulse through my body. I took a deep breath, and we entered the dining room where fate was waiting for us in the form of three of the most important people in my life. We had to solidify our relationship in front of them so tomorrow wouldn’t be a struggle when we met with many more skeptical people.

Father and Abir stood up when we entered, more for Sophia than for me.

Mother’s hands were on her lap, and her eyes were lowered. I ground my teeth together but said nothing, hoping that the conversation over dinner would prove to her that I was “serious” about Sophia. Then, maybe she’d give me at least the hint of her blessing.

I helped Sophia into her seat and sat in the chair next to her with Father on the other side of me.

“Good evening, Sophia,” Father said, lifting his water glass to her.

“Good evening,” she said, placing her napkin in her lap.

The servants came out with the first course and placed it in front of us.

I touched Sophia’s hand to keep hers in place, and also, I wanted to touch her again. She had a voracious appetite, but it wasn’t until Father started eating his course that we were allowed to start our own meals.

When Father started on the first course, I lifted my spoon to signal to Sophia that it was time for us to enjoy our soup.

“I know you’ve most likely told the story more times than you can count,” Father started. “But tell us how you and Sophia met.”

I glanced at her, grateful that we’d nailed down this part of the story ahead of time.

“It’s not the most conventional way,” I said, glancing at Mother. Even though she ate her food, she still hadn’t looked up at any of us. “We met at a pub while she was on assignment in England.”

Mother clinked her spoon against the bottom of the bowl a little too loudly and let out a small disapproving sound.

Father glanced at her and then back to me, waving me on to continue.

I went on with the story that Sophia and I had fabricated. It was a version of the truth. Father wanted to know all the little details, and Sophia and I worked together to fill in the gaps. Between the two of us, we created a story that was fit for a romantic movie—not that I had watched many of them in my lifetime.

I couldn’t help but notice the stunned silence from Mother’s side of the table. She usually filled the room with her opinions, but today, her reactions—or should I say non-reactions—were startling. Though I supposed whenever I was home, she mostly talked about women she wanted to set me up with, making them appear as if they were the last woman on earth and my very life depended on marrying one of them.

“Enough about us,” Sophia said, after starting on the second course. “Tell me how the two of you met.”

Sophia directed the question at Mother. All of us looked in her direction. Her neck must have been sore from looking down for the entire meal.

Sophia chewed on her lip and continued with her food. A faint blush appeared on Sophia’s cheeks.

“It was arranged,” Father said.

I wished he wouldn’t feed into Mother’s childishness.

As Father gave Sophia a rundown of arranged marriages in our country, I stared at Mother, daring her to look up. I should have known that she wouldn’t. I hoped somehow that she’d feel the weight of my stare.

Several times throughout dinner, Abir and Father glanced at her, but neither engaged. I considered calling her out but didn’t want to start a fight in front of Sophia. Father would stick up for Mother, and I wasn’t about to split up the family when I had Father and Abir on my side about Sophia.

The conversation carried on between everyone except for Mother. It would have been the perfect evening if she had engaged with my “girlfriend.” Did she know she was about to lose her son if she continued in this way? I would never forgive her for how she acted, and I would be even more against her when it came to finding me a wife. I’d spend all the money in the world to keep the ruse going, just to piss her off.

Dinner couldn’t be over soon enough. I’d barely touched any of the courses as I’d been so focused on Mother and how she was acting.

I did finish dessert, desperate to put something in my stomach, but when the final plates were cleared, I stood up and motioned for Sophia to do the same.

Father pulled me aside before we could make our exit, lightly grabbing my arm. For the first time in a long time, his expression was tight, but it wasn’t directed at me. His eyes cut at Mother before he spoke. “How about you show Sophia around for the day tomorrow until the banquet? I’m sure with both of you having some time away from work, you will enjoy each other’s company for a little while.”

I nodded. It wasn’t Sophia’s company that he cared about. It was removing the both of us from the company of my Mother.

She remained in her seat, her eyes lowered to her plate. She hadn’t looked up once.

I had the urge to do something rash, like throwing my chair to the floor to startle her enough to look at me. Heat coursed through me as I glared at her.

“Take Sophia to her room,” Father ordered.

Mother’s cheek twitched. It was the only reaction she’d given the entire night. While I knew I didn’t need her approval—I outranked her technically—I didn’t want her to mess this up for me. Father and Abir were convinced. It was all I could do to keep that going.

I took Sophia’s hand and gave Mother the cold shoulder on the way out. Father probably expected me to say something to her, but I couldn’t wrap my tongue around any pleasantries.

All words failed me as I walked Sophia back to her room. I knew Mother wouldn’t approve, but I thought after I brought Sophia in front of her and my family, she’d at least try to be civil. Her actions at dinner were inexcusable. I knew I’d be angrier if Sophia had been my real girlfriend, but I was disgusted nonetheless.

“I’m sorry,” I said when we reached her door. It was all I could muster. Mother’s actions spoke for themselves, and I hoped that Sophia wouldn’t think that this arrangement was too complicated for her. It was only the first day, and Mother managed to ruin the entire meal with her hurt pride.

“It’s fine,” she said.

“It’s not—”

She touched my hand and twined her fingers through mine. I glanced down the hallway. There wasn’t anyone in sight.

“It’s fine,” she said. “I don’t take it personally. She’s watching her little boy dote on another woman other than herself. I can imagine it’s difficult.”

“Why are you saying this?” I asked.

“Because coming here with you, this place, that dinner, it was the best time I’ve had in a long time. Parents are supposed to embarrass their kids. I know you have a lot on your plate, and if I can be the one person you don’t have to worry about, let me be that person, okay?”

“Okay,” I said, relaxing my shoulders. She was right. I did have a lot to worry about. Hearing her understand that and take it in stride opened up something inside of me. While she was obviously attractive, there was something deeper growing between us. Whether she saw it or not.

I had the urge to kiss her again. I stepped closer to her as her gaze fell to my lips.

We were a breath apart before I muttered the words, “Good night.”

She blinked and stepped away from me, a forced smile stretching her lips. “Good night.”

When the door closed, I still didn’t move. The rustling sounds from inside the room were overpowered by the rush of blood in my ears, pumping to the sound of my heartbeat.

In her way, Sophia had latched onto my heart. In the past, no one brought out the myriad of feelings and emotions the way that Sophia did. She was kind, understanding, and intelligent. While we had come here on the pretense of being fake lovers, a large part of me wanted that to be true.

More than anything.