Page 27 of Out of Office Nights (Royals of Cartana #2)

Teo’s head snapped towards the doctor who’d just entered.

He’d walked in here expecting another round of his expectations being disregarded, his emotions being turned to mincemeat with indifference.

Now he’d survived the fire. The core of his very being sizzled with…

rejuvenation. A rebirth that felt too big, too unwieldy to contain.

On stiff legs he went to the door and pulled it open. His brothers waited outside, concerned looks on their faces.

‘Teo?’

He turned back to his father, aware of his brothers listening in.

‘Whatever the reason is for you not being more…disillusioned with me than you are right now, you need to hang on to it.’

He frowned. Shook his head. ‘I don’t…’

‘ Sí , you do. It’s important. Perhaps the most important thing of all.’

He suspected his father knew every detail of what was going on in his sons’ lives, even from his sickbed.

Without answering, because he didn’t know how without shattering that ball of paradoxical dread and hope lodged in his middle, he shut the door behind him.

And turned to find his brothers eyeing him with varying degrees of censure.

‘He’s trying to make amends,’ Azar said. ‘You must hear him out.’

‘Is that a royal directive?’ he growled without heat. A great chunk of the answers he’d sought had just been provided. He didn’t know yet whether he was ready to forgive and forget. But a new, deeper urgency was rising. Demanding attention. Something to do with Sabeen.

Azar stiffened then exhaled. ‘Of course not. But as much as we want to deny it, our father’s time is running out. Don’t waste time you’ll regret.’

The ominous words ringing in his ears, he started to turn away.

‘Where do you think you’re going?’

Teo stopped, realising he was already halfway to the main entrance. ‘Did we have plans?’ Dios , he hoped not.

Valenti, eyes narrowed, accurately read his thoughts.

Azar beckoned to Teo. ‘If you’re hurrying back to your residence because of your…guest, I’m afraid I have been ordered to let you know that she’s busy right now.’

His chest cracked open with fury. And fear. And unfathomable oceans of jealousy. ‘What the hell did you just say?’

Azar’s hands shot up in mock surrender, even as a wicked glint lit his eyes.

‘Easy, hermano . My very pregnant wife, who’s carrying twins by the way and is therefore not to be denied anything her heart desires, insisted on having lunch with Sabeen.

Sabeen agreed. Eden told me not to expect her back until at least mid-afternoon.

I’m just saving you the trouble of incurring the queen’s wrath by interrupting her girls’ date.

’ His keen gaze sharpened. ‘But now I’m interested in what you think I meant because I could’ve sworn you were ready to rip chunks out of your king,’ he teased.

Frustration unleashed an unfettered growl before he could stop it, casting a fond eye at the exit as it ate him alive. A quick glance at his Vacheron Constantin watch showed it was just past lunchtime. Stewing in this urgency and dread building in his chest was hell.

He exhaled and turned from the door. ‘Two hours, then their date is over. Not a word out of you,’ he warned his faintly amused twin then stalked past them both as Valenti’s sombre demeanour reasserted itself.

‘Where are you going? Or is it a secret?’ Azar drawled.

‘To drink your most expensive cognac. I believe you’ve taken possession of a Henri IV Dudognon?’

Azar inhaled sharply, hurrying after him. ‘I dare you to touch that.’

Teo smiled without humour, the wild notion that he’d been rushing back to tell Sabeen about the conversation with his father, to seek her counsel about allaying the dregs of anguish and bewilderment within him because she alone could, escalating the churning consuming him.

Because he was beginning to learn what that truly meant.

And if that belief was valid, then he was in peril yet again. One that might utterly consume his heart and soul this time.

He was still stewing in that unsettling notion, sipping the finest cognac ever made when the niggle, powered by his father’s last words, finally solidified in his reeling brain, sending him jerking to his feet. ‘ Dios mio!’

Sabeen pushed her food around her plate, hoping Eden wouldn’t notice she had zero appetite.

That not even the presence of the pregnant Queen of Cartana beside her, the Michelin-starred chef Azar had sent along to cook their surprise girls’ lunch—one of a million ways he spoiled the love of his life—could make Sabeen not wish for a simpler meal back at her grandmother’s house. With Teo.

Or that the outcome of the last few hours spent in a transformative state sketching page after page was something she wanted to share only with him.

Even now, her very skin tingled with the almost out-of-body experience of it, and the decisions she’d made when she woke up in his bed, to just lay everything on the line—

‘What’s wrong?’

Sabeen jumped, her startled gaze rising from her plate to meet Eden’s shrewd green eyes.

‘And before you pull some excuse out of thin air, know that I’ve been in your shoes. I was covering by talking your ear off but, sweetheart, you look downright miserable. Another emotion I recognise, but I’m thankful to say is in my past.’

Sabeen gave up the pretence of eating, setting her cutlery down and startling again when Eden’s hand dropped down on top of hers, gripping it tightly in support before she let go.

‘I hope you know you can trust me.’

Sabeen swallowed, warmed by the friendship Eden hadn’t held back from their very first meeting. ‘Of course.’

Eden nodded, her gaze encouraging.

‘I think…’ she started then grimaced as tears prickled her eyes. ‘God, I’m a mess.’

‘Take your time.’

She inhaled slowly. Let it out. Then summoned a smile. ‘I’m grateful for all this. Sorry if I’m ruining it with my mood but—’

‘But I’m not the one you want sitting across from you at the table right now?’ Eden finished shrewdly.

Sabeen gasped then sighed. ‘Of course you can read me like a book.’

Eden smiled. ‘I told you I’ve been there.

And that’s why I should tell you not to be like me.

Don’t let whatever is bothering you stay an obstacle.

Unfortunately, those gremlins have a way of growing roots and making you believe they’ll be impossible to dig out without pouring your heart out on national television. ’

An unguarded chuckle slipped out. ‘You’re the queen. It’s only right your love declarations were epic.’

Eden grimaced, waving away the staff members who approached with more platters of food.

‘It’s great for everlasting love and all that, but I could’ve done with not becoming the world’s number one meme.

’ She sobered. ‘Do you want me out of your hair, or can you manage another half hour so I can introduce you to the most divine dessert ever created?’

Her response was easy. ‘Dessert, please.’

She needed all the sugary rush of courage she could get to tell the Playboy Prince that she’d fallen in love with him.

Except courage was nowhere to be found when five minutes after the queen had departed, with a promise extracted from Sabeen to visit her in the palace proper before she left, Teo walked through the impressive mansion’s double doors, his face a fierce, unreadable mask.

‘We need to talk.’

For a moment, Sabeen wondered whether she should’ve kept the sordid details of her past with Nathan to herself. Whether Teo had hit his quota of dealbreakers with her. Finally.

She followed him across the breathtaking foyer with the familiar House of Domene coat of arms inlaid within the warm gold marble floor that led to a trio of hallways. The footmen who’d opened the doors smoothly closed them and quickly made themselves scarce.

The immaculately dressed butler, Fernando, who served them while the queen was present, stood out of earshot at a respectful distance.

The intractable look in Teo’s eyes froze her in place a second before her throat closed in alarmed realisation.

Of course, they’d returned to the real world.

He had a life and magic to create outside of their ephemeral bubble in Essaouira.

She just hadn’t thought the end would be this abrupt.

This soon after she’d thrown herself so shamelessly at him and, dear heaven, wanted to do so again—

‘I need to remain in Cartana. My father’s health remains concerning.’

Sabeen hated herself for the relief she felt that this wasn’t about her.

About what they’d done last night and this morning.

It prodded her into nodding and approaching because the need to be near him in his time of difficulty wouldn’t allow the distance.

‘I hope he gets better soon.’ Dear God, could she fail harder at disguising her yearning? ‘Did you get a chance to talk to him?’

He nodded briskly. ‘He clarified things,’ he said.

She waited for more, but he didn’t seem interested in elaborating. Instead the intensity in his eyes grew. She licked her lips. ‘Did it not go how you wanted? Is he—’

‘I don’t want to talk about my father, Sabeen. There’s a whole new set of issues that needs dealing with.’

Was he telling her their torrid little affair was over?

Sabeen’s heart lurched. The last time she’d been in this situation she’d let herself down.

It wasn’t happening again. As much as it hurt far worse this time, she lifted her chin.

‘Fine. I’ll let you deal with whatever it is. Guess I’ll see you when I see you?’

His nostrils flared. ‘Meaning?’

‘Meaning I’m leaving. Isn’t that what you want?’

He frowned. ‘I didn’t make myself clear, it seems. We’re far from done. And you’re most definitely not leaving Cartana.’

Fire and ice fought for supremacy within her at his steel tone. ‘What does that mean? I’m not your prisoner.’