quieter CEO type. From the sure way he stood and the calm way he regarded her, she would never mistake him for an office worker or an adjunct, no matter that he wore black slacks and a plain white shirt rolled up at the wrists.
"Good evening," he said. "Do you need some help?"
There was something about his voice that sent chills up her spine. Before she thought about it, she smiled at him warmly.
"I suppose I could," she said. "I don't suppose you could direct me to the dining room, could you?"
"I suppose I could," he said, with a grin that made her feel a little warm inside. "What will you give me for it?"
She grinned, because she knew this game well, and though she didn't care to play it right then, there was something about him she liked.
"If you take me, I won't tell the son of the Sheikh that you were so disrespectful to his sister-in-law."
"Oh, well, I can't have that, can I? I have a position to maintain. Come along, I'll get you where you're going."
Despite his words, she noticed that there was absolutely no nervousness in him at all. He led the way with an assurance that reminded her of some of the most powerful men she knew, and then she put it together.
When she did, she froze in her tracks, allowing the man to get a few steps ahead of her before turning back to look at her quizzically.
"Are you all right?" he asked, but she was watching him with wide eyes.
"You're … you're Mikal, aren't you?"
His smile was slight, but it revealed the bare edge of his white teeth. For all that it was a friendly look, there was a predatory glint to it that made her alternately want to step forward and run.
"I was wondering if you had figured it out," he admitted. "Then I started to think that you knew from the beginning, and well …"
He shrugged, and then perhaps she could see the shy young man in him, the one who had watched her walk by with his green eyes wide and who had been too terrified to speak to her at all.
"You must think me awfully rude if I would just walk up without saying hello even if I knew you," she started, and he quirked an eyebrow at her.
"I would never accuse Viviana Johns of being rude, but yes, actually, I think I could see you doing just that."
She winced a little, nodding.
"All right. You've not known me since I was sixteen, so I probably deserved that. Was I really so horrible to you?"
"Horrible," he echoed, "No, that's not something that I would say, no. You were … regal, let's say."
Viviana laughed at that. "Well, that was the most polite way to say that I was a little stuck-up, I guess. Am I forgiven for that?"
"I think you are," he said. "You weren't an evil queen … maybe a little evil, but it was all in good fun."
"Ah, you did know me," she said with a grin. "I am glad that you seem to have fond memories of me."
Something flickered across his face, but it was gone before she could really read what it was, before she could really ascertain that it was there at all.
"I do. But anyway, I believe I have teased you enough," he said. "Shall I take you to dinner?"
"By all means."
She expected him to lead the way again, but this time, he offered her his arm. There was something elegant and courtly about it. She knew instinctively that if he had tried to do it as a teenager, it would have come off as affected and ridiculous. As a full-grown man, however, one that seemed to exude power and a kind of old-world charm, it enchanted her.
She took it with a graceful inclination of her head. Viviana had spent the better part of her life judging men's reactions to her, and she could see his eyes tracing the line of her neck and the elegant curve of her shoulder. She had no cleavage to speak of in this dress, but she liked to think that she hardly needed it.
When they got to the dining room, Charlotte and Aladdin were already seated, chatting as Aladdin held his daughter close over his shoulder. They both looked up as Viviana and Mikal entered.
"We were about to send out a search
"Good evening," he said. "Do you need some help?"
There was something about his voice that sent chills up her spine. Before she thought about it, she smiled at him warmly.
"I suppose I could," she said. "I don't suppose you could direct me to the dining room, could you?"
"I suppose I could," he said, with a grin that made her feel a little warm inside. "What will you give me for it?"
She grinned, because she knew this game well, and though she didn't care to play it right then, there was something about him she liked.
"If you take me, I won't tell the son of the Sheikh that you were so disrespectful to his sister-in-law."
"Oh, well, I can't have that, can I? I have a position to maintain. Come along, I'll get you where you're going."
Despite his words, she noticed that there was absolutely no nervousness in him at all. He led the way with an assurance that reminded her of some of the most powerful men she knew, and then she put it together.
When she did, she froze in her tracks, allowing the man to get a few steps ahead of her before turning back to look at her quizzically.
"Are you all right?" he asked, but she was watching him with wide eyes.
"You're … you're Mikal, aren't you?"
His smile was slight, but it revealed the bare edge of his white teeth. For all that it was a friendly look, there was a predatory glint to it that made her alternately want to step forward and run.
"I was wondering if you had figured it out," he admitted. "Then I started to think that you knew from the beginning, and well …"
He shrugged, and then perhaps she could see the shy young man in him, the one who had watched her walk by with his green eyes wide and who had been too terrified to speak to her at all.
"You must think me awfully rude if I would just walk up without saying hello even if I knew you," she started, and he quirked an eyebrow at her.
"I would never accuse Viviana Johns of being rude, but yes, actually, I think I could see you doing just that."
She winced a little, nodding.
"All right. You've not known me since I was sixteen, so I probably deserved that. Was I really so horrible to you?"
"Horrible," he echoed, "No, that's not something that I would say, no. You were … regal, let's say."
Viviana laughed at that. "Well, that was the most polite way to say that I was a little stuck-up, I guess. Am I forgiven for that?"
"I think you are," he said. "You weren't an evil queen … maybe a little evil, but it was all in good fun."
"Ah, you did know me," she said with a grin. "I am glad that you seem to have fond memories of me."
Something flickered across his face, but it was gone before she could really read what it was, before she could really ascertain that it was there at all.
"I do. But anyway, I believe I have teased you enough," he said. "Shall I take you to dinner?"
"By all means."
She expected him to lead the way again, but this time, he offered her his arm. There was something elegant and courtly about it. She knew instinctively that if he had tried to do it as a teenager, it would have come off as affected and ridiculous. As a full-grown man, however, one that seemed to exude power and a kind of old-world charm, it enchanted her.
She took it with a graceful inclination of her head. Viviana had spent the better part of her life judging men's reactions to her, and she could see his eyes tracing the line of her neck and the elegant curve of her shoulder. She had no cleavage to speak of in this dress, but she liked to think that she hardly needed it.
When they got to the dining room, Charlotte and Aladdin were already seated, chatting as Aladdin held his daughter close over his shoulder. They both looked up as Viviana and Mikal entered.
"We were about to send out a search
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