“What? How come you didn’t tell me any of this?”
“I didn’t have the opportunity. I wanted to tell you later, after the party.”
She withdrew, her shoulders dropping a notch. “You’re not hiding something from me, are you? Some kind of evidence that could hurt your new position as king?”
“No,” he said quickly. “I see why you’d think so, but trust me, I’m not hiding anything.”
A flicker of confusion gleamed in her eyes. “Great. Then when is John Williams going to find him? I want to go with him.”
“You can’t go. It’s in a remote part of the country, so it’ll take a few days to get there. I can’t be away for that long, and I sure as hell am not letting you go out there without me.” The simple idea of Izzy spending her nights away from him brought a sour taste to his palate.
“I don’t know this John fellow, but I doubt he’s really invested. How can you guarantee he’ll pick up the man? If he’s got any brains, he’ll run. Whereas if I go, I can question him before he bolts.”
“Izzy, no. Not happening.” The idea of his Izzy in the middle of nowhere with another man lassoed his gut, looped around, and tightened some more.
“But I—”
“You didn’t come to my country to go on a crazy search that could be dangerous. You came here—”
“To fuck you at your beck and call,” she said, raising her voice, throwing each word at him like a blade.
“Well, that’s settled, then,” his mother said behind him, her voice acidic.
Oh, fucking great. He turned to his mother, who was lifting her brow at Izzy. “This is a private conversation.”
“Not if she’s yelling for anyone to hear,” his mother said, folding her arms.
Nassor glanced around them, and a few guests turned their heads a bit too quickly, as if they had been watching them or at least trying to pay attention. He drew a breath, annoyed.
“I apologize for raising my voice,” Izzy said, her gaze trained at his mother. A trace of defiance leaked in her voice, hinting she wouldn’t fold. That’d been a strategic apology, nothing else.
A wave of pride washed over him. Izzy walked to the beat of her own drum, and he loved that about her. Loved her smart way of dealing with situations. Loved…
“Thank you,” Kesia said, and the waiter pulled a chair for her. “Why didn’t you tell me you were bringing your friend, Nassor?”
“I don’t need your approval.”
His mother tossed her braids to the side. “No, but it would have been nice to be prepared.”
“For what?”
“For hearing it from an assistant,” she said. “In a matter of weeks, Ms. Lima will go back to her life in the United States. But you, my dear, will stay here, and you need to remember your job.”
“She won’t go back,” he said, his lips unleashing a storm his brain quite hadn’t worked out.
“Pardon?” His mother’s mouth dropped, and her manicured brows furrowed together. “You can’t be serious.”
“Mother, I love you and I appreciate your concern. It’s my kingdom now and I can assure you I’m performing my duty well. Improving people’s lives is my main goal. I’m sure it’s their main concern too. Not whom I sleep with,” he said, then took a sip of the scotch, “or marry,” he finished, looking at her square in the eye.
…
Izzy tucked a wavy strand of hair behind her ear, wishing she could mentally transport herself to a different place. Her heart drummed so loud, she looked sideways to make sure the band hadn’t started playing.
What the hell did he mean she’d be staying?
He’s using me to piss off his mother. Why else would he imply she wouldn’t be going back to the States? She glanced at his mother, who drummed her fingers on the linen tablecloth. Nassor leaned back, and for the first time during the past few minutes, the contours of his face loosened.
“You know the laws here. A man with multiple wives must be faithful to them, otherwise they can sue him for public offense.”
