Nothing to do about it other than tough it out. So instead of standing there like the coward she was, Rachel lifted her chin and walked slowly, steadily across the room. Pouring herself a cup of coffee, she picked it up, then took the porcelain cup out of the saucer since it was shaking so badly, it was rattling.
“Nervous?” he asked when she sat down across from him.
She debated lying to him, but took a deep breath and nodded. “Terrified,” she confirmed.
“About what?”
“About this conversation. Are you going to fire me?” she asked. That was probably for the best, she thought. Being fired would at least get her away from him. She didn’t need to have feelings for a man so completely out of her league.
“No! I’m not going to fire you. There’s no reason to fire you and you’re the best project manager I’ve ever worked with.”
“Oh,” she whispered, startled by his praise. She’d vaguely hoped that she’d been doing a good job over the past few weeks. But he hadn’t said anything. “Um…thank you.”
“You know that you’re outstanding. You’re excellent with details and regularly see things that I missed. So, don’t ever doubt your worth, Rachel. You’re good and you should know that by now.”
Wow! That was incredibly high praise!
Cradling her coffee, she stared across the coffee table at him. “So…what’s this conversation about?”
“It can’t have missed your attention that I want you.” He stated that so clearly, as if the statement wasn’t like a bomb that had just been dropped into the room. “Sexually.”
Woah! “Um…!” Rachel lowered her eyes, feeling her cheeks blossom with burning color. “That’s…!” Amazing! Exciting! Shocking! Oh and terrifying too! Yep, totally terrifying!
“Give me your honesty, Rachel. I need to hear how you feel about me.”
She looked up, directly into his hazel eyes. “Your…”
“Rachel, I had my hands all over your body last night and I put you to bed.” He paused, letting that image settle between the two of them. His voice deepened as he said, “I’m hoping to do the same tonight, but I’m also hoping that I’ll be in that bed with you this time. So, it’s way too late for you to use my title now. It’s past time for you to use my first name.”
Rachel looked at him, contemplating her answer. “How about this. I’ll use your first name when we’re in private, but when we’re out in public, I use your title.”
He leaned back against the sofa, stretching his arms out across the cushions as he contemplated her for a long moment. “So, you want to hide our relationship?”
She shifted slightly, shaking her head. “At the moment, we only have a professional relationship.”
Those too-knowing eyes narrowed on her. “You and I both know that’s going to change. Today.”
“I don’t know that at all,” she countered, her green eyes challenging now. “Last night, you…touched me. But that’s nothing new. We’ve been working closely together for the past…”
“Don’t,” he interrupted. “You and I both know that last night was different. And if you are going to sit over there looking lovely and tempting, then I’m going to have to head over there and prove to you that things have changed. That we’re both aware of the sexual intensity that literally throbs every time we’re in the same room.”
She nibbled her lip. Should she be honest with him? But if she did, would there be anything left? And…would he laugh at her? He’d said that he wanted her, but for how long? She wasn’t the kind of woman who held a man’s interest, especially not someone as intense and powerful as Prince Tarin!
And yet, as she watched him, debating how to respond, Rachel knew that she had to be honest with him. “Yes. I feel it. But I don’t think we should pursue a personal relationship.”
Instead of becoming offended or angry, as another man might, Tarin simply tilted his head to the side. “Why not?”
Rachel set her cup down on the coffee table. “Because I’m not made that way. I don’t do casual relationships. You might be able to do that. But with me, relationships are very personal. They have to be, otherwise, I’m not interested.”
His eyes brightened as if she’d just confirmed his suspicions.
“So, you’re saying that you already have feelings for me.” It was a statement, not a question.
Rachel swallowed, looking down at her hands folded in front of her. “I…don’t know.” That was about as honest as she could be at the moment. “You scare me…Tarin.” There! She’d said it! She’d used his name!
Wow, it felt…liberating and terrifying, both at the same time!
“Feels good, doesn’t it?” he teased.
“No!” she countered. “You are a scary man, Tarin. I don’t think I could ever fit into your world. And that doesn’t make me feel good about contemplating a relationship with you.”
He moved over to sit beside her. “Okay, so you’re scared. So am I,” he told her, taking her hand.
She snorted, shaking her head. “That’s a lie. You’ve never been scared of anything in your life. Admit it.”
He shrugged. “I’ve always been bigger than most of my peers. But my older brother used to scare me.”
She rolled her eyes. “I doubt it. What could your brother possibly do that would scare you?”
“He draws.”
Rachel heard him, but the terrifying Sheik Amit el Raminar…drawing? “No way!”
“Yep. When he’s stressed about something, he just picks up his notebook and draws anything and everything. He used to draw monsters and scary stuff, and would leave the pictures on our beds.” Tarin shook his head. “Scared the sh…I was scared,” he finished with a chuckle. “My brother has an
