his dark eyes hot on hers. The smirk disappeared, and he replaced it with an expression so deadly serious that it sped up her heartbeat.
“I thought I might find something in here,” she admitted into the silence between them. “But that plan’s probably out the window now. I’m sure you’ll have me thrown out.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “Why are you trying to steal food from the royal family? Surely there’s an easier way than crashing a party.”
Her heart snapped backward and sprung forward as if she’d put it on a slingshot. “I—I didn’t know.”
He arched an eyebrow.
“I didn’t,” she insisted. “I assumed it was a fancy party, but I didn’t know whose. I thought—” She stole a look around at the garden walls. “I guess I wasn’t thinking,” she finished lamely.
“How did you get here without knowing you were at the palace?”
She jutted her hip out a few inches, giving her throbbing left foot a break. “I was driving and ran out of gas out in the foothills. My phone—” This sounded ridiculous, even to her. “My phone’s battery died. I was only looking for help. I’m sorry.” She brushed her hair out of her face. She had to look windblown and disheveled, and here she was, standing in front of someone involved with the royal family. “I’m sorry,” she said again. “I should go. It’s best if I leave now.” Laila turned on the ball of her foot, ache spreading through the arch and into her heel.
“Wait.”
She stopped dead at the command and faced him. “If you point me in the direction of the gate, I’ll get out of here. I’m assuming—I know there must be some kind of punishment for people who crash royal parties.”
“I’ll see to it that no harm comes to you.”
She gave a nervous laugh, her stomach turning. “How can you promise that?”
That smile flickered onto his face again and left on the breeze. “My opinion is highly valued by the family. Wait here. I’ll get you something to eat.”
“Oh, that’s really—all right.” He was gone before she finished speaking.
Laila eyed the path behind her and bounced on the balls of her feet. She could run. But where was the gate? And—of course—she’d pulled it shut behind her. It was probably locked. The only thing worse than having him come back to find her gone would be having him find her somewhere else in the garden.
“Lamb skewers,” he said, reappearing around a corner she hadn’t noticed before. “Rice. If this isn’t enough, there’s plenty more.”
He held out a plate, and Laila took it without hesitating. Her stomach had folded in on itself and wept at the aroma of the spices. The plate sat heavily in her palms, and the silverware, she saw, was silver. At least it was heavy and substantial and gleaming in the moonlight. The first forkful of food nearly sent her to heaven. The second sent her even higher.
She couldn’t stop herself, couldn’t slow down, and half the plate was gone before she could take a breath. Finally, she managed to put the fork on the side of the plate and look him in the eye. “I know how this looks. I don’t think I’ve been that hungry since I was a kid.” She took another steadying breath. “For whatever it’s worth, this is not my normal.”
“If it’s not your normal, what is your predicament?” His eyes zeroed in on hers. “It sounds a bit like you’re running from something.”
A bit. Her pulse raced, still sparkling with adrenaline. No way out of the garden except through this man, so…why not?
“I am,” she said, pressure releasing. “My grandfather—I went to his house today.” The whole story spilled out of her, one word after another. A few tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. She caught them on her knuckle and flicked them away. Crying? No. She’d gotten worked up, that was all. “So,” she finished, “I had to get away before they tried to force me into an actual wedding ceremony. Now, I guess my options are to get out of the contract or get out of Raihan.” And all that money she’d spent on the little studio and the apartment would go to waste. She ate the remaining food on the plate in a few hurried bites. “Unless the contract isn’t really valid after all. It can’t be valid, can it?”
He frowned. “It was signed by the head of your family here in Raihan?”
“Yes.”
“Then the contract is legal