A frown came to his face at the thought. Her self-doubt was, in part, his fault. Which was unfortunate. Freed from her academic disguise, she was truly lovely. Her mind was exacting, and yet she was humble. She had withstood shock, devastation and, if he were being honest, mild humiliation with grace and those squared shoulders of hers. If only she had the ability to hide everything she was feeling, she might have the makings of an excellent queen.
They dined al fresco, on a patio overlooking the island’s small bay, falling into what was quickly becoming a pattern of easy conversation.
“That water in the bay looks divine,” she said, and sighed, closing her eyes.
He smiled. “It’s warm, too.”
“I’m definitely swimming. Or not...” Words that had started high ended low.
“Why not?”
“My swimsuit is back at the plane.”
Zayn shook his head, laughing. “There’s probably a selection for you to choose from in your closet.”
It only took her a moment to recover from being taken aback this time. A sign she was adjusting to royal life. That was good.
“It’s odd to think of it as being mine.”
She still needed to work on that earnest forthrightness, though. Otherwise, sooner or later, she’d be skewered. The thought irritated him.
“Well, I’m sure it will sink in eventually.”
The words came out sharper than he’d intended, but she merely glanced at him before turning back to the view, and he was glad. Let her focus on relaxing. She didn’t need to know she was tying him up in knots.
CHAPTER NINE
BYTHEENDof her massage she was a human puddle in all the best ways possible. Each and every muscle in her body had been seen to, and after the dancing, the emergency landing, the hiking, and...other things, each and every muscle in her body hadneededseeing to.
She was beginning to see a pattern in Zayn’s communication with her. He might be presumptuous and autocratic, but he was tender and thoughtful at the same time. Relaxed and pleased, she asked staff to direct her to their rooms.
Not finding him there, she detoured, exploring the closet prepared for her by the summer palace staff. They’d provided a selection of items for her for every possible island activity she could imagine. Spying the tasteful lingerie among the neatly stored clothing, she added emphasis to the wordevery.
For the moment, she thought, she wanted to feel comfortable, but also...pretty. Instead of shoving the urge away, she let herself wish for them—for the frivolous things she’d shunned for so long. She wanted to look pretty when Zayn saw her.
And, as if her life had truly turned into a fairy tale, she found what she was looking for in a cashmere lounging set, with an off-the-shoulder top and silk ribbon drawstring pants in a rich, creamy ivory color. The slippers she found were decadently soft, each step a mini foot-rub.
Successfully finding clothing that was both comfortable and pretty, in her own closet, had to be one of the more positive novelties of her new life. And, taking in her reflection in the full-length mirror, she had to admit to herself it definitely had a confidence-boosting effect that was almost magical.
Feeling as soft and decadent outside as she felt inside, she looked for Zayn in his office next, locating it after one wrong turn and a second request for directions, only to find it empty.
She didn’t find him in any of the spas, theaters, lounges, libraries, gardens, or patios she checked either. It was only when she stood with her hands on her hips in the foyer, at her wits’ end as yet another idea turned up with a gorgeous room but no sign of her husband, that a maid stepped forward quietly and tapped her shoulder.
“If you’re looking for His Majesty, Your Majesty, you won’t find him here. He’s down on the beach.”
“Thank you,” Mina said to the woman, before heading down to find him.
Beside the front door was an assortment of styles of sandals. She chose a simple thong sandal before making her way to the beach. There she found a small blanket and towel laid out, but no sign of the King.
Scanning a horizon that was growing ever more golden with each passing hour, with her hand held up to shield her eyes from the glare of the sun off the sea, she saw him only when he crested the waves in a powerful butterfly stroke, the sunlight glinting off the bright tan of his broad shoulders, which were balanced with perfect strength and symmetry. His whole body looked weightless for a heartbeat, before he disappeared once more beneath the water.
He was as perfect and natural at sea as he was on land. She wondered if there was any landscape he wasn’t the master of. He certainly never seemed to lose his footing. Perhaps that came with being born a future king.
Taking a seat on his blanket, she was content to watch him as he swam, his body appearing and disappearing in the surf, which crashed with soothing power and rhythm. On the beach, with the waves lulling her heart, perfectly safe here on a private island—as improbable as that was—watching her gorgeous husband swim, she let go of the last of the grief for her broken dreams.
She had achieved everything she’d set out to do. Not many people could say that. And if the triumph hadn’t lasted as long as she had imagined it would, she was not so lacking in gratitude that she couldn’t be thankful that this was where she had landed after the fall.
There were a lot worse things to be than Queen.