ZAYN
He watched her closely as the color drained from her face leaving her ashen. He didn't know why, but he hated hurting her like this. But he also didn't have the luxury of entertaining those feelings right now- they still had so much work to do. He shook this thought from his head and pulled out a briefcase. He slapped it open with a loud click and laid it on the table. Jenny glanced down at it and sat.
He reached into the case and produced a thick document. "Rafiq wrote us a backstory." He slapped the thick document down on the table with a loud thud. "Where we met, how I proposed etc. Memorize it. We don't want to make any mistakes. There's also information about my country and the history of my family, also..." he pulled out a gold plated, diamond encrusted Monte Blanc pen that glistened under the cabin lights.
"Half your salary upfront, the rest will be paid when you end our relationship. There's also a non- disclosure agreement I need you to sign. You are prohibited to speak about this job to anyone once it's over. Not a word about me, who you met, what my family and home are like. If you do, legal action will be taken. And I don't think we want that happening, do we?"
"I wouldn't want anyone to know about this anyway. Trust me." She signed the papers and tossed them back at him with such anger. Shit, he hated seeing her like this.
"There's just one more thing." Zayn dug in his pocket and pulled out a small purple ring box. "It belonged to my great, great grandmother, and it's been in the family for over four hundred years."
He opened the box. A large heart-shaped ruby, flanked by rows of pink diamonds, all set in rose gold stared back at him. It was an old ring and it had been privy to so many wonderful love stories over the decades. But this was clearly not one of them.
"I guess, will you marry me?" he took her hand in his and started to slip the ring on. He was immediately struck by how perfect the fit was and how much it suited her. The pinks and reds went with her hair and fiery disposition, the rose colored gold was unique and different, the shape was bold. It was perfect. As if it had been made for her.
Suddenly the air felt hot and thick and it became hard to breathe. Even though this engagement was nothing more than an empty promise, there was still something so undeniably intimate about putting a ring onto someone's finger, and he could see she felt it too. It was physically tangible and utterly spellbinding.
The exquisite awkwardness of the moment made Zayn's head hurt until it became too unbearable to handle and he pulled his hand away.
"I.. I...I... need to work." Jenny stuttered and pulled the document towards her. He could see she was shaking. She stood up quickly and walked all the way to the other end of the plane. He watched her intently, but something was bothering him.
She thought he was a despicable liar. He didn't know why, but this troubled him. He usually didn't care what people thought of him, but with her it was different. She was driving his crazy.
He didn't feel like himself at all and called for a strong Martini from one of the attractive hostesses. She smiled at him dreamily as he took it and gave him one of those looks. The kind of look that usually ended in one thing; him had him bending her over something. Only he didn't want to. He desire to rip that too-tight little blouse off her had completely left him, instead his thoughts were consumed by Jenny. What was it about her? He murdered the Martini in two sips, before putting his head back and closing his eyes. He was tired, which allowed the alcohol to take a hold and drag him under–
Suddenly he was standing on the cliff outside his palace, but he wasn't alone. He was flanked by his father and other relatives. He looked down and realized he was wearing traditional wedding garments. But who was he marrying?
The wedding march filled the air and rows of people materialized out of nowhere. Zayn recognized them; his mother and sister sat in the front row, his oldest childhood friend Nazim, as well as politicians, dignitaries and members of other royal families. In the distance, he saw a figure coming towards him.
He knew who it was immediately. She was smiling. And she was so, so beautiful.
But Jenny wasn't wearing a wedding dress; instead she was clad in beautiful, delicate white lingerie. A white corset accentuated her curves and breasts, while barely-there lace panties showed off her incredible hips and ass. This was what he would buy her he thought, as his heart started beating in his ears.
The closer she came, the more he was consumed by a feeling of total bliss. This feeling washed over him in slow rhythmic waves that built to a crescendo as they came face- to- face. Nose- to- nose.
He froze in awe. And then he kissed her.
The kiss was delicate, soft and slow. His tongue gently parted her lips and he entered her mouth. Her hot, wet mouth. When their tongues met for the first time, they both let out breathy, eager whimpers. The people disappeared as he cupped her face in his hands and pulled her closer. He buried his tongue deep inside her open mouth and his body quivered, he'd never experienced something so sensual before. Their tongues engaged in an erotic dance and he lost himself in the moment.
"Say it." She begged him breathlessly. "Say it."
"I love you, Jenny. I love you."
"AAAAAH!" Zayn woke with a loud jolt, his body was shaking and his breathing was fast and heavy. He clenched his clammy hands into tight fists and bit down hard on his lip. It took him a couple of moments, and a good few deep breaths to begin calming down and realizing where he was.
What the hell was that? He was officially shaken up. Big time! It was just a dream, he rationalized. Just a dream. Just his cruel subconscious toying with him in light of this crazy situation –one in which he had to pretend he was in love with, and engaged to, a woman that his body secretly ached for. Of course a situation so physically charged would impact his dreams. And the rather strong Martini he'd gulped down earlier probably didn't help much either.
He wiped the cold sweat from his brow and called for a strong coffee. The caffeine cut through the thick heavy haze in his brain and he felt slightly more normal. It also took an impossible amount of restraint not to look back at Jenny, so instead, he focused all his attention on the window. The sun had started to rise and the small island Kingdom he called home came into view. It had been years since he'd been home.
Whenever he saw his country from this vantage point, he couldn't help but admire its beauty. Floating in the warm, tropical Persiun Gulf it boasted some of the world's most beautiful beaches. His country was made up of five islands, varying in size. The biggest one was a mere 300 Kilometers in circumference and its capital was home to only 200, 000 inhabitants. Despite its size, the kingdom of Burmain was a fierce contributor to the world economy, boasting abundant gas and oil reserves. This had made it one of the wealthiest countries in the world.
He loved his country and it's people and knew that one day he would be King, but his father was only 50, and it wouldn't be for quite some time. His family had ruled over the peaceful country for more than 400 years now. But unfortunately, he also knew what being King really meant. That his personal freedom, his wants and needs would take second place to that of the welfare of his Kingdom. He had experienced this first hand, and it had been one of the most painful lessons of his life.
He hadn't been born the heir to the throne; instead he'd been propelled into the role reluctantly by a series of very unfortunate events. His uncle had been King and since he had three sons, Zayn and his father were only 4th and 5th in line for the throne, and the likelihood of either of them ever becoming King was almost zero.
Those early years had been the best of his life. He'd lived with all the perks of being royal, but without any of the responsibility. Most importantly, he had both of his parents actively involved in his life and he wanted for nothing. But then everything changed when his uncle tragically died in a plane crash, along with his aunt and all of his beloved cousins. Not only did he lose his best friends that day, but his family was suddenly catapulted into roles that none of them were prepared for – his entire life changed, and he was only 12 years old.
Zayn was immediately pulled out of the school he loved for security and logistical reasons and was home schooled. He no longer interacted with his friends and enjoyed the unencumbered freedom of being a normal child. They moved into the palace, which was built on its own island away from the mainland, and he was isolated from everything he knew and loved.
But worse than that, he felt alone and abandoned by this parents. Their new royal duties kept them permanently busy. For many years, his only companion had been his baby sister, whom he'd practically raised along with Rafiq, who'd come to feel more like a father to him than his own flesh and blood did.
That's why at the age of 18, having never even had a girlfriend or having never experienced any of the normal things a teenage boy is supposed to, he left home for University. He turned his back on his royal duties and decided to live a life of freedom while he still could. It had been very painful leaving his sister, but he knew he needed to get away. He also took Rafiq with him that day. Zayn wasn't in complete denial, though, he knew that one day he would be King, and that he would need to provide his people with a Queen and heir, but that was not in the near future. His dad had a good fifteen years left in him, which meant Zayn had fifteen more years of freedom.
So why had his father's ultimatum troubled him so much when he didn't even want to be king? It was the idea of Amir taking his place – surely it would have been a relief?
But Zayn was also a man who didn't like to lose, and certainly not to Amir. Amir had always been bitter about being 7th in line for the thrown, but with his Uncle and cousins dead, he was now 2nd after Zayn and this had made him very ambitious and manipulative. Over the years he'd watched as Amir had worked his way into his parents good graces, taking his place as the 'respectable son' even though he was ten years older than Zayn. He was sure his father secretly would prefer Amir to be King. But he refused to let that happen. He also didn't trust Amir, there was something dark about him that he'd never liked.
The sudden and severe turning of the jet ripped him from his thoughts, and he looked through the window to see the pilot lining up for landing. The plane touched down smoothly and Zayn was surprised at how eager he was to feel the soil under his feet. He glanced back at Jenny quickly and could see she was nervous. He hadn't thought it possible, but the anxious twitching of her mouth, the way she was biting on the end of her pen made her even more endearing. He wanted her in ways he'd never wanted anyone before...
And it usually wasn't like him to hold back. But before getting off the plane, there was something he needed to do first.