In the end, reason won.Barely.
“I think...it would be best if I didn’t.”
“Until tomorrow, then.”
He dipped down and kissed her again—just a brush this time.But it lingered.Her fingers found his jaw and lightly skimmed it before drifting away.
“Until tomorrow,” she whispered.
As they pulled apart, she placed a hand on his chest.“Be safe, Zayn.”
Then she closed her laptop, tucked it under her arm—
And fled the room before she lost the strength to say no again.
Chapter 8
Azlyn smoothed her hands over her hips, eyeing her reflection in the mirror.
Was the dress too much?
It was just a simple black sheath dress, paired with classic black heels.Elegant, yes.But was it too formal?Normally, for a first date, she would’ve worn jeans and a flirty top—maybe a pair of high-heeled boots if she felt ambitious.
But this wasn’t a normal first date.This was dinner with aprince.
Arealprince.With power.And wealth.And...
And she didn’t give a damn about any of that.
In fact, she’d have preferred it if he didn’t have money or power.If he were just a normal guy, then she could text him.Tease him.Flirt with him the way she did when she wasn’t overanalyzing everything.
Was Zayn even the texting type?Would he enjoy clever back-and-forths?Or was he the kind of man constantly caught between life-or-death meetings and international strategy calls?
Her phone chimed, and she reflexively glanced down.For a moment, she hoped—stupidly—that it might be a text from Zayn.
But she hadn’t given him her number.
Of course, the man had a full security team.If he wanted her number, he’d already have it.Hell, if his team was even half as good as she was, they probably knew her address, blood type, and shoe size.
Snorting to herself, Azlyn reached for her phone and silenced the alarm she’d set.She was notorious for losing track of time, so she set alarms for everything.
Still doubting her outfit, she turned toward the closet to change into something more casual.But the doorbell rang.
“This is it,” she muttered, her heart skipping.
Navigating the hall in heels felt slightly awkward—she was more comfortable in flats or sneakers.But her job occasionally required her to attend galas and media events.She and Olivia were known as a team, and their chemistry on and off camera had even sparked rumors that they were romantically involved.That gossip always amused them both.
She stopped in front of the door, closed her eyes, and took a steadying breath.“Just a date,” she whispered.
Then she opened the door—
And her jaw dropped.
Zayn stood there, impossibly gorgeous in a dark, tailored suit with no tie.The crisp white shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, revealing just a hint of chest, and the jacket clung to his broad shoulders as if custom-built to worship his frame.
Someone moved.Maybe her.
She wasn’t entirely sure.
