A lie.
She doubted she’deverbe ready for a man like Crown Prince Zayn Al-Sintra.
But then again, she had one thing working in her favor—an ace he hadn’t seen yet.
Because Azlyn wasn’t just background.She wasn’t easily dazzled.And she definitely wasn’t unarmed.
She had questions—sharp ones.Ones that wouldn’t make it to air, maybe, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t get answers.And those answers?They could very well turn into something more.A new project.A deeper story.
And then there was the matter of secrets.He’d offered to spill whatever he knew about future guests.Who knew what kind of goldmine that could turn into?
She looked up at him, unaware of the spark in her blue eyes or the challenge brewing beneath her calm expression.
“Okay,” she said, voice clear.“Let’s go.”
He chuckled, deep and low.“Good.I’m starving.”
Azlyn headed for the door, her stride confident.But the question slipped out before she could stop it.
“Starving for what?”
Chapter 4
Zayn led Azlyn out to the sidewalk, more fascinated by the moment.Yeah, he knew that his bodyguards were livid he allowed himself out in the open like this.He’d never had the freedom to just walk down the street like an average citizen before.
But how could any man turn down an opportunity to spend time with a woman like Azlyn?She was…even more beautiful out here in the sunshine.He wanted to wrap an arm around her shoulders, to protect her from passersby on the street.However, Azlyn clearly knew exactly how to move to get them out of her way.Her steps showed a confidence that screamed, “I’m in charge!”
It was hot!He wanted to slow down just a little and watch her walk, enjoy the show.But there was no way he would give up the position beside her either.
Thankfully, the restaurant she’d suggested was only two blocks away.Since it was after the normal lunch rush, the shop was relatively empty.There was no line, so Azlyn walked straight up to the ordering counter and put in an order for a cheeseburger, fries, and a drink.He hid a smile at the request for diet, and ordered an identical meal, trusting that she knew what was best here.
He turned to pay, but Azlyn was faster.He blinked in surprise, more used to women who not only allowed, but expected him to pay for their meal, but she ignored this, sliding her credit card into the payment slot.They had to step back and wait briefly while their order was readied, and he took that moment to stand behind Azlyn and look down at her.Literally.She was shorter than he’d realized.Why was that?Maybe because she had such a big personality on the sidewalk?
He looked down at her black boots, wondering what sort of lingerie she usually wore.He pictured her in…black lace.
No, that wasn’t right.Black was too harsh for her pale skin.Azlyn would look better in…pink.Satin?No, something to highlight how delicate her skin was.Lace.Yes, pink lace.
“What’s that face about?”Her eyes narrowed as she eyed his expression.Their order was announced and Azlyn went to grab it.When she came back to him, handing him one of the cups for soft drinks, she asked, “What were you thinking about?”
Zayn chuckled and shook his head.“I guarantee that you don’t want to know.”
For a moment, her cheeks warmed, a beautiful shade of pink flushing up from her throat, and she looked away.“There’s a table by the corner.We’ll sit there.”She went to claim the table, handing off her cup to Zayn after saying “diet, please”.He poured an iced tea for himself and a diet soda for her.
By the time he reached the table, she’d pulled the burgers out of the bag and opened the bag of fries between them.
“Thank you,” she said, not looking up when he placed the drinks in front of their burgers and sat down.
“You’re welcome,” he replied, just as formally.“So, what do you want to know?What damning tidbit have you dug up from my past, but didn’t ask about during the interview?”
Azlyn looked at him, savoring her first fry.“What’s Kaitlyn Wilsonreallylike?’
He grunted, shaking his head.“An absolute a pain in the ass!”he groaned, rubbing his face with both hands.“The date was a publicity stunt.”Zayn told Azlyn about how the famous actress had abused the restaurant staff, whined when they wouldn’t make her something off menu, ordered a salad, then proceeded to steal half of his meal off his plate.
Azlyn laughed throughout the tale and Zayn felt as triumphant as if he’d just won an award.Azlyn’s laugh was a potent aphrodisiac!But that was nothing compared to how turned on he got when she got into the serious questions.
“Why does Lativa need all this positive publicity suddenly?”She unwrapped her cheeseburger with a happy sigh.It absolutely dripped with grease and extra cheese.Perfect!
“It’s a powerplay,” he admitted candidly, explaining how the country of Ashtilla, a country along their southern border was building up a military presence.“We’re not sure why, because while Ashtilla hasn’t necessarily been an ally, they haven’t been our enemy either.We’ve always coexisted peacefully.”
