The Sheikh’s Tempted Prisoner by Holly Rayner Page 0,14
candles in the center of the table. A gentle breeze blew around them, sending a shiver down Lily’s spine.
“Is it too cold for you? This is generally where I like to have my meals. I like being outside.”
Lily shook her head.
“Not at all. This is…lovely.”
Atnan nodded approvingly. He set the two plates on the table and stepped to one side before pulling out a chair. After a pause, Lily realized he was waiting for her to sit in it, and she nearly jumped into it, not wanting to get too close to him. Her feelings were wildly conflicting, and it made Lily uneasy. She set the wine and glasses on the table.
“You told me you weren’t going to lie. The palace obviously needs quite a bit of work,” he said.
He sat across from her, the candlelight complementing his skin and his suit, giving an eerie yet magical feel to the night. Lily glanced up to see a sky laced with stars before she looked back at Atnan, who was watching her.
Did she like that he was doing that?
“While we’re on the subject,” she replied, leaning in, liquid confidence flowing through her as a result of the wine, “why was this palace left here to rot? It’s clearly stunning under all the grime.”
Atnan sat back in his chair, gazing up at the constellations above them. When he looked back at Lily, his eyes were troubled.
“This palace is one of many that belong to my family. I remember spending my early summers here, when my parents desired a bit of drier heat.”
He glanced down and poured a glass of wine before he looked back up at her.
“I was five years old when my mother died. This was her favorite place. My father found the memories too painful to bear, so he boarded the place up. When he remarried a few years later, his second wife hated the fact that this place reminded him of her, so we never came back.”
Lily stared at him, a wave of sympathy coursing through her. She wanted to reach her hand out and grasp his, to let him know he wasn’t alone in the world. In that moment, in the flickering light, he looked so terribly alone.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, and he nodded.
“Yes, well, it was a long time ago. My memories of my mother are few at best, and my stepmother, while sometimes a jealous woman, is kind and loves my father very much. I couldn’t have asked for a better upbringing, given my situation.”
He took a breath and smiled.
“But here we are, about to let this perfect meal go cold. How can I accept a point deducted for temperature when you won’t stop talking?”
Lily laughed, happy to break free of the tense moment. Picking up her fork and knife, she cut a slice of the beef and dipped it in the sauce.
“You’re lucky that I just happen to adore anything that involves cheese.”
“Luck has nothing to do with it. Try a bite, and then tell me it’s terrible.”
Lily did, lifting her fork to her mouth and tasting the perfectly moist, delectable beef. She allowed the meat to rest in her mouth for a moment longer, just to savor the taste of real food. When she looked back up at Atnan, his expression was triumphant.
“Okay, fine. It’s amazing, all right?” she giggled.
The Sheikh laughed, picking up his own utensils and digging in.
They ate in comfortable silence, Lily savoring every bite. Paired with the wine, it was a perfect meal, and the cool desert breeze was welcome, the fresh air penetrating her senses, allowing her to relax fully for the first time in ages.
“I’ll take that critique, now, whenever you’re ready,” Atnan said, sitting back in his chair with a cocky expression.
“I already told you it was delicious. Do you always need your ego stoked?”
“No, but I haven’t received a compliment in a long time. Actually, I haven’t shared a meal with anyone in a long time, either, so maybe I just like conversation. If that conversation just so happens to be how great I am, so be it.”
Lily grinned at him, taking the last sip of her glass of wine. The bottle was empty, and she was glad. If she drank any more, she might do something she would regret.
“A-,” she said, sitting back herself.
Atnan frowned.
“What could possibly be lacking?”
Lily shrugged.
“You didn’t include dessert. It’s the most important part of the meal.”
“What! Of course there’s dessert. You have graded me unfairly and prematurely. Don’t move.”
He