‘You mean, they want a virgin?’
She shrugged.
He watched the hint of colour appear in her cheeks as she met his gaze, though her narrowed stare looked disapproving. Did she think him one of those? Perhaps she thought his country so traditional that no one other than a virgin would be considered.
Either way, Salim felt a niggle of distaste at the assumption. She hadn’t called him hidebound, she was too adroit for that. But otherwise, why raise it?
Then he swallowed a huff of wry amusement at the idea of setting Ms MacIain to ask potential wives if they were virgins. It would serve her right if he did.
‘We’ll leave the issue of sexual experience aside for now. What else?’
After a pause she began to reel off a list. Did he have a time frame? Advisors to help him make his decision? Would he travel or meet women in Dhalkur? Would he meet them together or separately?
‘You plan to parade them before me?’ He’d thought himself prepared for this process. Now he wasn’t sure.
‘Certainly not. This isn’t a beauty pageant,’ she snapped, and Salim felt a flicker of relief.
‘Good. I want to get to know them, spend time with them, before I make any decisions.’
How he’d find time to do that with his current schedule remained to be seen. But this was important so he’d find a way. He had no intention of saddling himself with a woman who was a total stranger.
‘Once I have your answers to those, and a few other questions, I can proceed. I’ll need a contact in your office to ensure anything I arrange fits with your schedule.’
‘Taqi, my assistant, will meet you to discuss options. He’ll be the one making arrangements, not you.’
‘But I—’
‘That’s not negotiable, Ms MacIain. You can pursue your contacts but arrangements to meet these women will be made via my office.’ When she made to respond, Salim raised his hand. ‘Unless you fancy yourself an expert on royal protocol as well as matchmaking?’
Again that spark in her gaze, turning dark grey irises to startling silver. Salim had always thought grey a cool colour but he now associated it with fire and restrained temper. Fascinating.
It would be petty to enjoy having the last word. Instead he moved to business.
‘The time frame is as soon as possible. You’ll report directly to me. No one else will be involved.’ He imagined marrying a woman chosen by committee and shuddered. ‘I don’t want this to become a matter of speculation in Dhalkur.’
Especially if the search failed.
‘I won’t travel beyond my borders for the next few months though I’m not averse in principle to seeing someone in their own environment.’
‘I see.’ She surveyed him carefully. ‘That will make the task more difficult.’
‘Just tell me if you’re not up to it, Ms MacIain.’
There it was again, that flash of temper, quickly hidden. Salim shouldn’t enjoy provoking it, yet he preferred it to that coolly assessing stare of hers, as if her only interest in him was as a business client.
That’s all you are now, remember?
You walked away from her the night you got the news your father was dying. Whatever you thought you shared is long over.
It didn’t feel over. It felt real, that simmering stew of desire in his groin, that hyper-awareness.
Salim drew a deep breath, steepling his hands under his chin, forcing his thoughts back to the task in hand.
‘You mistake me—’
‘Then youdofeel up to managing this task? Good. As for it being difficult, yes, I agree. That’s why I was persuaded to hire in your particular expertise.’
He paused to let her digest that.