Page 74 of To Tango, with Desire

But I’d decided—apart from my gorgeous sewing room—that the kitchen was my favorite part of the house. From the marble counters and gold handles on the drawers to the large windows that allowed the winter sunlight to stream through, there was something about the kitchen that made me feel at home. Despite the large space, it was warm and welcoming.

I glanced at the kitchen island which was impeccably neat. No bits of mail or trinkets littering the counter, no scraps of ribbon or hair ties.

It wasn’t clinical by any means, and thanks to Isabella’s redesign, the bowls and vases of flowers only added to its chic.

“I half-expected to find an army of staff here today.”

“I had chef prepare and freeze a few dishes this week so we could enjoy our time in private. But I made the shakshuka.”

I sampled the egg and tomato, moaning as I took a bite. “You cooked this?”

“I did. I’ve been trying to add to my skills over the years. Now that my business is established.”

I swallowed. “Established? Zane, you run a freakin’ empire. How much more established do you want to be?”

He shrugged, coming back with my cup of coffee. I inhaled, taking a moment to appreciate the smell.

“There’s always ways a business or, in my case, businesses can evolve. I’ve reached a point where I’ve set myself up well. Now I’m just diversifying.” He sat in front of me.

“Diversifying how?”

He spoke of the new ventures he was exploring, the way his business had progressed with technology. How he was interested in investing in startups. But more than that, he found himself eager to head back to the Middle East, to work in small villages, fixing schools and building infrastructure.

I blinked at him, taking it all in.

“Do you travel over there very often?”

“Not as often as I’d like, but I’m hoping to change that. I’d like to be there to help.”

“That’s really decent, Zane.”

“It’s important to do good work. I’ve the means of donating large amounts of money, which I do, but not many people are willing to lend a hand. I don’t just want to be a businessman who throws his money around. The charity I’ve established is important. I want to be there to help. To understand what’s really needed from those who struggle the most.”

I found myself fascinated by this side of him, intrigued by his perspective. He was easy to talk to, and up until this point, I didn’t think I’d appreciated the fact that we actually were well suited.

“Your dad seemed in good form last night.”

“I think the new medication is working really well.”

But after the meeting with his cardiologist, it was clear that dad needed to manage his cholesterol. He’d been getting back to old habits of late and I was worried that all the beers and fatty meat would only make his condition worse. I could only hope that now that the wedding was over, Dad could focus on his health again.

“I meant the physiotherapy. He looked like he was moving about easier.”

I smiled, remembering how Dad danced the whole night. “I couldn’t get him to sit down. It was a great reception.”

“Everyone seemed to think so, but I’m happy you enjoyed it.”

“So, are you in the office today?”

He looked at me like I was crazy.

“Amira. It’s the day after our wedding. I’m off the whole week.”

“Oh.”

He grinned. “Aren’t you?”

I shifted, toying with the rim of my coffee cup. “I have orders that I wanted to process,” I admitted guiltily. “I just assumed since this was an arranged marriage—”