wish she could sink into it like a blanket. Speaking of the room—was there any air in it left at all? Her pulse fluttered in her temples. “But we are. And for all its trouble, Raihan is one of the most beautiful places on Earth.” The crown prince held up a hand, and Laila held her breath. He brushed a lock of her hair gently away from her face, his eyes tracing its path before settling back on hers. “You’ll come to appreciate its splendor.”
Laila gulped in a breath, catching the sunlight scent of his cologne. “Will I?” Will everything be all right?
“I’ll see to it.”
She felt herself leaning into him at the same time she held herself back, the tension singing through the room so powerfully it hurt her ears. Kiss me, she thought wildly. Kiss me now. And then marry me. But kiss me first.
Zayid didn’t kiss her.
But when he dropped his hand, he brushed all the way down the side of her neck, shoulder, and wrist, leaving a trail of heat as he went.
6
Laila’s mother, Sadia, couldn’t take her eyes off Laila’s new apartment—the “princess consort’s” suite, she’d been told. Her mother stood in the center of the vast sitting room and soaked everything in—the high ceilings, the towering windows overlooking the city, the exquisite furniture.
“This is quite something,” she said softly. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Neither can I.” Laila pushed her hair back from her face. It was more than a little surreal, having her parents in her royal apartments in Raihan. The royal apartments where she had staff. Three assistants worked on finalizing the seating chart for the wedding now, as she greeted her parents. “It’s a dream come true.” The lie tasted sour on her tongue.
“It’s been so long since we were here,” said her father, a tall blond man who had to have all his suits tailored to fit his lean frame. “I never expected to see you in the palace.”
“I know.” Laila gave an exhausted laugh. “It’s been a real whirlwind.”
Her mother clasped Laila’s hands in hers, then brought her in for a hug. “I’m just so happy for you, darling.” Sadia’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. “A prince. You deserve it. You’ve been so brave.”
“I haven’t, really,” Laila murmured into her mother’s shoulder.
“You’ve always been brave,” laughed Sadia. “I spent so many sleepless nights wishing you’d be more cautious.”
Laila patted her mom on the shoulder and straightened up. “Life works in mysterious ways.”
“Does it?” Jacob milled around the room, eyes falling on different pieces of furniture and darting back to the picture windows overlooking the city. “Are you satisfied with those mysterious ways?” Jacob turned to look her in the eye. “You can be honest with us, you know. If this isn’t something you want to do, you only need to say the word. We’ll take you home today.”
Part of her longed to rush into Jacob’s arms and tell him the whole story, but Laila held herself back. That was an old, childish thing, and she’d given it up by the time she hit kindergarten. “I want to be here.”
Jacob sighed, as if he couldn’t stop himself from speaking. “There are ramifications to marrying into the royal family,” he tried again. “Are you sure—”
“Dad.” Laila did to go to him then, putting an arm around his waist and drawing him to the window. “This is my choice.”
“A choice you made two weeks ago, and now the wedding is tomorrow.” Worry sharpened the edges of his voice. “That’s too much of a whirlwind for my taste.”
The whole story danced on the tip of her tongue, and Laila swallowed it back. There was no need for them to worry about her grandfather. She had it handled. She knew he was worried that she’d feel hemmed in by palace life, but part of being independent was making her own choices. She’d always done it, and she wouldn’t stop now.
“I promise this is what I want. And if it doesn’t work out, Raihan allows for divorces. But you know that.” She nudged him gently with her elbow. “Come on. Mom married you after a short engagement, and it all worked out.”
“That was different. We knew each other.”
“And I know Zayid.” Her chest thrummed with the want to know him more. “It’s going to be wonderful. All you need to do now is enjoy yourself.”
“Right,” said her father, sounding no less worried than he had before. “That’s right.”
The imam paused for a moment of prayer after