Page 17 of Redemption of a Prince

“Love you, too.”

Walking back downstairs to his office filled him with dread. He had no idea how this meeting would go.

And he really didn’t want to find out.

But he had no choice.

* * *

The staircase loomedin front of Nikki, but she had a hard time convincing herself to take the first step up.

Finally, she did.

It couldn’t have been as long as it seemed in her mind, because no one came to ask her what she was doing or why she was staring up toward the executive offices.

At the top, she was greeted by a member of security who pointed her toward Prince Ezekiel’s outer office.

“Ms. Major?” his assistant asked as she walked in.

“Yes. I’m here for my appointment with Prince Ezekiel.” She clutched the handle of her attaché case with both hands.

“His Royal Highness is waiting for you.”

Was she late? No. Even with her hesitation a minute earlier, she shouldn’t be. “Thank you.”

After another deep breath, she opened the door to his office.

“Please have a seat, Ms. Major.”

He didn’t sound anything like the Zeke she remembered.

She perched on the edge of one of the chairs across from him and set her attaché case down. “Good afternoon, Your Royal Highness.”

That made him glance up, a shot of pain crossing through his baby blue eyes, though he tried to mask it as quickly as he could. “Thank you for meeting with me.”

“I’m told we’ll be working together on this project for a while, so it makes sense we get on the same page.” She tilted her head. “But it seems a bit odd that your brother has been taken off of this and you, the crown prince, put on it just when your father is ill.”

The prince stared at his hands where they rested on his desk. “There are reasons.”

“What reasons?” she pressed, going against her better judgment.

This time, he glared at her. “What reasons do you think?”

Nikki shrugged. “I have no idea.”

He stood and walked over to the window. Staring out of it with his hands clasped behind his back, he didn’t speak for several minutes.

“Who was the first king of New Sargasso?” he finally asked.

“What?” How did the history of their country matter?

“What was his job title prior to becoming king?” the prince pressed.

“He was the royal governor of New Sargasso.” She answered the question, but had no idea where he was going with this conversation.

“Who appointed him?”

“The king of Islas del Sargasso.” Wasn’t that obvious?