Salim took a moment to digest that. He’d never had to work hard to attract a woman who interested him. He tried to imagine concocting such an elaborate plot when instead it was women who schemed to be near him.
His brother had enjoyed manipulating people. Salim preferred to be direct. If he wanted a woman he’d tell her, not lie about needing her expertise, or use his power to his advantage.
His nostrils flared in distaste. ‘You think this is a hoax? That there’s no job and I contacted Ms Best as an excuse to see you again?’
She flinched and colour streaked her cheekbones. Salim was intrigued to feel his ribs tighten around his lungs as their gazes meshed.
‘No, I... No. But it’s an amazing coincidence that we should meet again this way.’
She was right. But he couldn’t let her believe he’d engineered this meeting to pursue an affair. The last thing he needed was a woman haunting his every move, getting in the way while he had so many important matters to juggle.
‘Let me assure you that I had no idea the woman I met at Alistair’s party was linked to Ms Best. Did you even work for her at the time?’
She nodded. ‘I was just starting. Marian was supposed to be at the party but was held up in the States so I went in her stead.’
Now it began to make sense. ‘As a representative of the company that brought Alistair and Leonie together.’
It had been Alistair’s mention of the successful and utterly discreet matchmaking service which had prompted Salim to try the company himself.
Rosanna MacIain opened her mouth then paused. ‘I couldn’t possibly say. Marian simply asked me to attend to wish the happy couple well, and to make the acquaintance of some of the guests.’ Her eyes widened and she hurried on. ‘But not you. Neither of us knew you’d be there.’
Salim nodded. His visit to Scotland had been brief and low-key, out of the public eye. He’d been finalising some crucial and sensitive business deals in Europe and North America before flying home to Dhalkur.
He eyed the woman before him, admiring the way she hadn’t taken the easy option to admit Alistair had been one of her company’s clients, though he knew it to be so. Such reticence spoke of true discretion, the one absolute Salim insisted on in this whole archaic process.
‘You’re saying you had no idea who I was when we met in Scotland?’ he murmured.
Salim worked to keep his private life out of the limelight but he wasn’t naïve enough to believe women weren’t interested in his royal status. Even when he’d been a mere prince, there was a definite cachet attached to the title. Not to mention wealth and power.
He watched something ripple across her features. What was it this contained, oh-so-professional woman fought to hide?
‘Absolutely not.’
Her tone indicated that if she’d known she wouldn’t have come near him. Why did that rankle?
‘You’re in the habit of giving yourself to a total stranger, Ms MacIain?’
Even as he said it he berated himself for stirring trouble. But there was something about her cool dismissal that he didn’t like. As if what they’d shared had been easily forgotten.
Hehadn’t forgotten. Possibly because in the last six months there’d been no time to relax with a woman. His life revolved around an overfilled schedule of royal duty. That had to be the reason why the memory of their brief interlude seemed so fresh and appealing.
‘I didn’tgivemyself to you!’
‘It felt like it.’ His gaze shifted to the tight set of her mouth, remembering her fiery, luscious kisses. ‘You didn’t hold anything back. If we hadn’t been interrupted—’
‘Your recollection of the evening is rather different to mine.’ Her gaze pierced him and he was reminded of the acres of burnished steel weapons in the armoury downstairs, swords, knives and lances all honed to lethal sharpness. ‘I remember it being fun and—’ she shrugged ‘—pleasant.’
‘Pleasant.’ Salim tested the word on his tongue and found it wanting. He shook his head. ‘You underestimate yourself, Ms MacIain.’
That brought a rush of bright heat to her throat and a flare of something in her expression that might have been arousal. Or temper.
Either way, Salim discovered he liked it a lot better than her crisply businesslike attitude.
What was it about this woman that made him want to tip her off balance? He’d never been one to tease a woman, except to heighten her pleasure while making love.
He drew himself up, disturbed by the direction of his thoughts.
‘Someone at that party, someone I trust, recommended your company. As I now find myself in want of a wife, I approached Ms Best. I had no idea of your connection to her.’