Tempted by the Prince (The Raminar Family Book 4) by Elizabeth Lennox (10 ebook reader .txt) 📗

have to be so tenacious?  Couldn’t he just let an uncomfortable subject drop?

No, Rachel accepted.  Tarin didn’t like unsolved mysteries.

Draping the napkin over her lap, she felt…tight.  Her shoulders were tense and every muscle in her body rebelled at the thought of admitting this to him.  But she couldn’t lie or dismiss the issue.  So honesty was what she gave him.

Looking down, she shrugged her shoulders ever so slightly.  “My family prides itself on being very honest with each other, Your Highness,” she explained carefully.  “So, back to these architects…”

Tarin understood exactly what she was doing and he debated whether to allow her to change the subject.  Personally, he thought her laugh was sexy as hell.  So maybe he should let her go on believing that she shouldn’t laugh.

Perhaps for the moment, he’d let her get away with the change of subject, but circle back to the issue of her laughter at a later time.

“Fine.  Tell me about their innovative building ideas.”

He watched as her eyes lit up, banishing the pain he’d seen moments before.  Whatever she was about to say, it was something she was truly passionate about.  Leaning forward, he was fascinated by the change in her.

“Well, I’ve been reading about alternative building materials.  Traditional steel and concrete are fine, obviously, but there are so many other building options available!  And since you’re planning to build an entire university center, wouldn’t it be a good idea to try some of these innovations?  Test them and see if the students can improve upon them?  I mean, just imagine it!  This university could become a center for innovation and experimentation in the science and technology industry!”

He smiled, thinking once again how beautiful she was.  Her huge eyes and that quirky smile that curled higher on one side when she smiled made her look gamin and fairy-like.  When she wasn’t smiling, Rachel was delicate and elegant.  But when she smiled…damn, she was stunning!  Plus, her auburn curls literally vibrated with the energy she barely managed to contain in such a petite package.

“Tell me more,” he said, waving to the serving staff who immediately brought in the first course.

“Have you ever heard of nanocrystals?” she asked.  He had, but he didn’t react, allowing her to explain them.  “These crystals allow light to filter in, just like regular glass, but they block out all heat, making windows much more efficient!  Just think about how much that could reduce cooling costs here in Izara, where the afternoon temperatures get up to a million degrees.”

He laughed at her hyperbole, waving his fork towards her plate.  “Eat while you talk,” he ordered.

She stabbed a piece of chicken.  “There are also wool and seaweed bricks.  These materials allow…” she stopped and grimaced.  “Okay, those are more effective in cold climates,” she continued, tilting her head to the side as another thought occurred to her.  “There is also something called synthetic spider silk.  It’s stronger than steel by a huge measure, but can make acoustic building tiles and other spaces.” She stopped and frowned thoughtfully.  “I don’t know if it is lighter though.  So, I’m not sure if it would be useful here.  Nor am I aware of how it would hold up in dust storms.”

She shrugged and stuffed the bite of chicken into her mouth.

Over the course of the meal, they debated various building materials, their benefits and uses in a hot climate, where the temperatures could rise and fall over seventy degrees on a daily basis.  The afternoons in the summer months were normally in the triple digits while the nighttime temperatures dipped into the fifties and sixties, cool enough to warrant a sweater.

The whole time, he watched her face, fascinated by the changes.  When she concentrated, her full lips pressed together.  When he countered her idea with one of his own, her lips softened as she absorbed and processed the new information, comparing that data to what she already knew.  Her eyes were huge and she took off her glasses, setting them to the side, which made the green of her irises almost glow with excitement.

As the waiters took the empty dessert plates away, Rachel was startled by how much she’d eaten, but also at how comfortable she felt in Tarin’s presence.

“You’re not as scary as everyone thinks you are,” she teased, standing up and placing the linen napkin on her chair.

“Oh, I’m very scary,” he replied, standing as well.  “Never doubt it.  I’m one of the scariest of my brothers.”

She laughed, then quickly pressed her lips together.  “No, that title goes to Sheik el Raminar.  Now that is one scary man!”

“Eh, he’s a pussycat,” he countered, putting a hand to the small of her back.  “Come, I’ll take you back to your apartment.”

She pulled back, jumping slightly from the heat coming from the touch of his hand.  Before, his touch had felt comforting in an oddly tingly way.  But now, maybe because of the half a glass of wine she’d consumed during the meal, she felt…alive!  Alive and alert and…much more tingly than before dinner.

“You don’t have to see me home, Your…” she stopped at the warning in his eyes.  But instead of saying his name, she pressed her lips together, fighting back a smile.  Finally, she said, “I can walk home.  The apartment is just around the corner.”

“Nonsense.  It’s late at night.  I’ll walk you home.”

Walk her home?  Prince Tarin?  Out in the open?  “You can’t!” she gasped.

“Why not?”

“Because you’re a member of the royal family.  You can’t go out in the streets unprotected.”

He laughed softly.  “Yes, I can.  I do it all the time.”

She rolled her eyes.  “No, you don’t.  You have a herd of personal guards surrounding you at all times,” she gestured to the two men standing just outside the dining room.  “Right there.”  She moved a foot away from him.