Giving up any hope of getting more work done until after she’d had lunch with Dima, Jenna shut down her system and stood up. “For your information, His Highness and I are not dating. We are not sleeping together, and if I hear anything to the contrary, I’ll know exactly who to yell at.”
Not that Jenna was known for yelling, but hopefully Skylar would take note that in this case, she would be more than willing to.
The younger woman gave Jenna a disbelieving look. So, not intimidated. “I don’t think I’m the only one who hasn’t left for lunch who’s wondering the same thing.”
“You’ve got no sense of self-preservation, do you?” Dima asked, his own tone disbelieving.
“What? Jenna isn’t the type of boss to bury me under bad assignments because I irritated her. She’s not like that.”
Jenna didn’t mind the confirmation that she had a reputation for being fair-minded and practical. However, she didn’t like knowing her editorial assistant thought that sense of fair play meant Jenna wouldn’t come down on her like a ton of bricks. Because she so would.
“Good to know,” Dima said calmly. “However, I am a man who takes my privacy very seriously, and I am not nearly so forgiving.”
Jenna knew she could trust Dima with her life, and still she wouldn’t have liked being on the receiving end of that look.
This was the ruthless prince that few had met, but those who knew him even remotely well would assume lived under his urbane exterior.
No way could Dima have done some of the deals he had since taking over the New York office for Mirrus Global if he didn’t have a deep and well-utilized ruthless streak.
“It’s not like I was going to spread any rumors,” Skylar assured them hastily, her expression not nearly so sanguine. “I was curious, that’s all.”
Dima didn’t look like he bought it. Jenna wasn’t sure she did either. This particular young editor was known for how much she liked to gossip.
Showing a recently wakened sense of self-preservation, though, Skylar gulped, gave a weak smile, and took herself off.
Jenna grabbed her purse and cardigan. “I think you intimidated her.”
“I am a prince. She should have been intimidated from the moment of meeting me.”
“I can’t tell if you are serious or not.”
“Why wouldn’t I be serious?” He sounded genuinely curious. “Most people are awed to some degree by royalty.”
“I guess that’s reason one hundred and fifty-nine that I’m glad my BFF is the queen and not me.”
What looked like satisfaction flashed in his gray gaze. “You are unique, Jenna. You have never been awed by my family. I remember when you called my brother King Yummy.”
Jenna laughed. She still called him that sometimes, to tease Nataliya. To tease a king who seemed to take life more seriously the older he got.