JENNY
Jenny wasn't exactly a frequent flyer. In fact, this was only the second time she'd flown and the way the small plane was swaying from side-to-side as it approached the runway, was unsettling, to say the least.
She'd just spent the last eight hours reading through the massive document that had been given to her. She was desperately trying to memorize all the information it contained, information that was imperative if she was going to pull of this "job". She already knew more than she ever wanted to about Zayn; his favorite food were oysters (she hated them, well, she'd never eaten them. Far too expensive. But if she did, she'd definitely dislike them.) He was 26 years old, turning 27, he liked to sleep on the left side of the bed (how that would come up in conversation though, she had no idea.) He liked watching Tennis, he hated watching rugby (the one thing on the list she actually liked, being a girl from the farm.) He had studied fine arts at university (This surprised her. He was probably just going through his 'arty girl' phase.) He proposed to her on his private yacht and they had been dating for six months. Her made up history was very interesting and illuminating too...
She slipped the book into her handbag and got up when the plane finally came to a stop. She looked around, Zayn was nowhere to be seen. She walked towards the exit and was immediately hit by the heat. The heat! It was nothing like she'd ever experienced in her entire life. It smothered and engulfed her and a fine sweat broke out across her skin instantly. It felt suffocating and the air buzzed and prickled at her flesh like a million ants crawling over her body. She walked down the stairs onto the tarmac where a black limo was waiting for her. She wiped her arm and her hand came away wet, she knew it was hot in this part of the world, but this was ridiculous. How did people survive out here?
She glanced at the limo, she didn't fancy the prospect of a long drive in such a confined space with him. Speaking of him, where the hell was he? She turned and looked back at the plane and that's when she saw him emerging and her jaw dropped.
She didn't think it was possible for him to look any better than he had, but clearly it was.
He'd changed out of his previous outfit and was now wearing a long white crisp robe. His feet were sandaled underneath it. She glanced up at his face, he was wearing a long red and white scarf on his head, a black ring that balanced on the top of his head held it all in place. She'd never seen anyone dress like this in real life, she knew that it was a traditional Arab outfit, but she'd only seen it in pictures.
She also would never have guessed that a man wearing something like that would look so good- but he did. It gave him a regal and polished air. It made him look exotic and otherworldly, like a man you could only dream up in your wildest imagination. She tried to look away, but couldn't. Her eyes zeroed in on his and she couldn't tear them away, no matter how hard she tried.
He also didn't seem to walk in the outfit, he seemed to float, only adding to the surreal quality of him. He glided down the stairs, as if the heat meant nothing to him. He looked cool, as if cold air was being blown on him by an invisible air conditioner. He slipped his dark glasses on and looked in her direction as he walked onto the tarmac. Jenny cleared her throat and finally willed her eyes elsewhere. She looked down at her feet- which she was sure were about to melt into the ground.
"Good flight?" he asked coming up to her, still smelling like he'd had an altercation in a fragrance store because she couldn't put her finger on one scent, instead he seemed to be a mixture of everything that smelt good in this world; early morning rain, toasted marshmallows, dark coffee, sandalwood and breath mints. God, this arrogant man unnerved her. For a second she felt so drunk on his scent that she almost forgot she hated him. But she did.
"Uh... so, okay..." Jenny stuttered, still looking at the ground. "I've read through the document and I think I'm as prepared as I can be, under the circumstances."
"Good." Zayn said, sounding pleased with himself.
"What about you?" Jenny felt another sting of anger she couldn't hold back. "Shouldn't you have also been reading up on me and getting to know me, your fake fiancé? Instead of sleeping the entire flight away." It had bothered her that he'd slept. How could someone sleep under the circumstances, clearly he had no conscious, because what he was doing was something that would keep her awake at night. She looked him square in the face and although his dark glasses kept his eyes out of sight, she could feel them boring into her.
"Probably." Zayne said with a smirk.
"Probably? Probably? Probably?" She repeated the word a few times for added effect. "You should really consider doing your side of things too, if this is going to work. It's irresponsible of you not to."
Zayn's smile grew, her sarcasm and anger seemed to have the opposite effect on him. It was highly infuriating. He took a step closer. He pulled the glasses from his face and the sight of those green eyes stopped her dead in her tracks. They locked onto her and the green haze was back. The floating feeling she got when looking into them. The feeling of being able to get lost in them and never finding herself again, was all back.
"Besides," Zayn moved towards her like a predator, "I've got plenty of time to get to know you." His voiced oozed with sex and charm it was a very, very dangerous combination.
Jenny shook her head and stepped away from him. "No. No Outside of this job, you and I are not sitting around having chats with each other like some kind of long lost friends. I will stand by your side and smile and do what I need to do, but that's it."
"That's very professional of you." Zayne's voice had a teasing quality to it. She didn't like it.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I'm just glad I hired a professional for this job. That's all."
"Had I known what this job was, I would never have taken it. Trust me. There's nowhere I would rather not be that here...With you." Her words came out laced with venom.
At that, Zayne's shoulders tensed and his demeanor changed completely. "Well, you did take the job, Jenny, and I happen to be paying you a hell of a lot of money to do it. And now that you are here, you better take it very, very seriously!" His words came out cold and harsh and they frightened Jenny. But she was also offended by his implications.
"Hey! I take all my jobs very, very seriously." She spat. "I never go to an audition without researching the character and knowing exactly what I'm going to do. I always do my research and I do whatever it takes to get it right and make it believable, even if I don't like the role or my character. And that's why I need to do this..."
ZAYN
Suddenly and unexpectedly, she kissed him. It was only a small peck on the lips, but it was more than he could handle.
She pulled away and he touched his stinging lips that now tasted of her. "What was that for?"
"If we're going to be convincing as a couple, we need to have at least done that. Otherwise when we do, it'll look awkward and our cover could be blown."
"Well in that case..." without any more hesitation, he grabbed Jenny's face in his hands and pulled her towards him. His lips were burning for hers and he needed more. She had simply teased him with a taste, a small starter, now he needed his main course and his dessert.
He kissed her and it felt right. Every fiber in his body screamed for her, and best of all... she didn't resist. At first their lips locked in a gentle embrace, but soon his hunger overcame him and he parted her lips with his tongue, forcing his way inside. He ravenously pulled her closer, pressing his body against hers not caring that he was rock hard. She let out a little breathy whimper against his mouth that drove him mad and suddenly he felt her hands on his arms, her fingers digging into them. He deepened his kiss, until there was no space between them at all, but then...
He felt the sting of a hand across his face.
"Don't you dare." She shouted while backing away from him. "Don't you dare think you can take advantage of this situation. Just because you're paying me, doesn't mean you can do what you like with me. If you ever touch me like that again—"
"Hey, you kissed me first, and then you kissed me back." He was holding his stinging cheek, not entirely an unfamiliar sensation. Woman had slapped him before. Normally he found it vaguely amusing, but this time he didn't for some reason.
"No I didn't!" she snapped back at him going red in the face.
"I suppose I imaged that little moan then."
"I didn't moan." She fired back, going even redder in the face.
"Say whatever you like, Jenny. You kissed me back. You wanted that as much as I did. Admit it."
"I admit to no such thing."
"So you were just acting then your tongue was in my mouth and your fingers were digging into my arms?" he knew she was lying, but he was enjoying teasing her. That red-faced, deer in the headlights, panicked look she had going on right now was driving him mad and it made him want her even more.
"Are you always like this?" she asked with a tremor in her voice.
"Like what?"
"So awful." She spat the words at him with total disdain and they hurt more than he could explain.
"Did you know that striking a member of the royal family is a criminal offence, I could have you arrested for this." He saw the fear well up in her pretty blue eyes and he regretted saying it the second the words were out his mouth. Why the hell had he said that?
Jenny's manner changed. Her jaw tensed, her blue eyes narrowed and a deadpan look washed over her once animated face. "Please accept my sincere apology, Your Majesty." She turned away from him and climbed into the car.
He'd never heard those words "Your Majesty" spoken with such disdain. And it cut him to the quick.