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“Of course.” Her tone was a little sharper than intended. She softened it with a smile, but it was too late—the King was looking at her with that focus again, in a way that made her cheeks heat. “I’ll explore the site and start working on costings, while you’re gone.”
“Good,” Salvatore nodded as he stood. Sofia followed suit, but the King stayed sitting, his eyes lingering on Sofia’s chair a moment longer than after she abandoned it.
“We’ll leave in an hour,” he said, a moment later, standing and extending his hand to Ares first, and then Sofia. She hesitated briefly before putting her own in his, and she couldn’t put into words how grateful she was not to be included on the hiking trip. For many reasons, but principally this: she didn’t trust anyone who threatened her equilibrium. In the past, when she met someone who inspired any kind of strong, instant reaction, she’d run a mile, because it terrified her to think of succumbing to that kind of temptation.
Not that she’d ever be stupid enough to succumb to someone like a King. Heaven help her. And not that he’d even be interested in her. It was all the stuff of hypotheticals. But her awareness of King Ares as amanwas unsettling. She was beyond relieved for the reprieve of a few days, in which she could simply focus on the job at hand.
“You have to go with him.”Salvatore clutched the edge of the bed as though he were on a rocking boat.
Sofia stared at him, aghast. “My God, what’s happened? You look dreadful.”
“I suspect food poisoning,” he grimaced.
Sofia’s jaw dropped. “It can’t be.”
But she stared at him, remembering the kebab he’d bought as they’d left the airport.I get one every time—it’s tradition.
“Oh no,” she swallowed. “You can’t be…”
Before she could even finish the sentence, Salvatore was reaching for the waste paper basket and leaning over it, emptying the contents of his stomach in a loud, immersive way. Sofia took a step back automatically, wrinkling her nose, before realising that her dear friend was ill, and she was the only one there to help. She crossed to the en-suite bathroom quickly. Sofia and Salvatore had been installed in identical guest apartments in the palace, though she noted absent-mindedly that her view was superior—she had a panoramic outlook of the ocean in the distance.
She moistened a face washer and wrung it out, carrying it back to the bedroom where, blessedly, Salvatore had finished. She pressed the flannel to his forehead; he winced.
“I can’t leave you like this,” Sofia said, not entirely because she relished the thought of remaining to be his nurse.
“You must. You heard what Ares said —it’s three days to convince him we’re the people for the job.”
“There’s no way he’d want me to go in your place.”
“True,” Salvatore admitted. “But he’s way too polite to say that.”
Sofia’s jaw dropped again. “You’d seriously inflict me on one of your closest friends, to get the deal across the line?”
“Need I remind you who our competition is?” Salvatore implored. “If it was anyone else…”
“But the Valentinos,” she grimaced. She knew enough of the history between the two families, particularly how devastating the loss of the acquisition of Acto Corp to the Valentino family, had been to the Santoros, to understand how deeply personal this was. To all of them.
She closed her eyes on a small wave of surrender because Salvatore was right. The King had handed them an extra bargaining chip, a small advantage in this race, because he was granting them an extra opportunity to win him over.
“I can’t leave you like this. You look awful.”
“I’m fine.”
“You arenotfine. Drop the tough guy act. You’re literally cradling a bucket of vomit.”
Salvatore pulled a face. “Iwillbe fine. But I can’t leave the palace, obviously, until this passes.”
“I agree. But my original point stands: the King askedyouto go with him, not me.”
“But youcango, in my place.”
She closed her eyes on a wave of panic, because she was torn. Like Salvatore, she was determined to get this deal across the line. To best the Valentinos and win King Ares’s business. Three days hiking with him would certainly give her a chance to work on him, to sell the Santoros at every chance she got. Didn’t she owe them that much?
“Hiking, though?” It was not something she’d ever done, nor thought of doing. Though, as a girl, she’d adored the outdoors and had spent her days running wild in the countryside, rolling down hills, climbing trees, walking for miles. She didn’thatethe idea of hiking in this stunning country.
“You’ll love it.”
She rolled her eyes, even when a part of her wondered if she might. “I have nothing that’s suitable to wear.”
