SophiaTrying on the little black dress again created a wave of tingling to move across my skin. Seeing my reflection in the full-length mirror in the bathroom showed a whole other Sophia. Surrounded by expensive fixtures, marble tiles, and the sparkling surfaces, I felt like a princess about to meet her prince for the ball.Smearing one of my more daring shades of lipstick and adding another pop of color with my shoes, I felt a little more like a Southern lass. Even in this unreal situation, I had to be myself as much as possible. I didn’t intend on shedding my roots, but the more time I spent with Luke, the more I wanted to be a part of his world.Stepping out of the guestroom, I wobbled on my heels a little. My best friend Matt’s voice popped into my head, along with his smiling face. If he saw me, he would call me out on being a bit of a tomboy. Though going out with Luke, I would have to get used to wearing fancy things. At least in the UK. In Qatar, it was perfectly acceptable t

LukeI wasn’t sure if it was due to jet lag or how comfortable I felt sleeping next to Sophia, but after a repeat of the other night, we fucked twice before we both passed out, and then neither of us woke until early evening on Sunday.I awoke too late to get any real work done, but I called Maddox to figure out what needed to be done before I left again. Then I checked in with my father, who was still feeling good and energetic.While I took care of those responsibilities, Sophia insisted on preparing dinner for us. Having her in my house, flitting around the kitchen as if she belonged there all along was playing tricks with my mind. This was the life I wanted, but choosing this life was no longer an option for me.I tried to conceal my disappointment at that fact, while keeping it from Sophia. As much as I preached to her about being honest, she didn’t need to know about the worries going through my head. Forcing my insecurities upon her over and over might end this relationship bef

SophiaAfter Luke left his place, I fell back asleep for a little while longer. There was no rush for me to get out of bed when he was going to be at work for most of the day. I was no closer to writing a story about his family, especially when I was thousands of miles away from them. My initial research involved finding every article written about his family and him. I hadn’t left a stone unturned. Other than exposing this difficult time in Luke’s life with Erol’s illness, I had nothing that hadn’t already been reported on a hundred times.While that should have bothered me, the silk sheets and comfortable mattress aided in me falling back asleep and forgetting all my worries.When I woke again, it was an hour later. My stomach ached with hunger, and I reluctantly shoved the covers away and got out of bed. Wandering across the room to Luke’s walk-in closet, I stepped through the doorway, and the lights came on right away. Rows of suits hung on either side of me, along with a small co

LukeRegrettably, I couldn’t join Sophia for lunch again on Wednesday. After being away from the office so much recently, things had been piling up that needed my attention. And since I was going back to the palace at the end of the week, I wanted to square everything away for Maddox so he wouldn’t get overwhelmed. I had full confidence in him, but I also wasn’t going to leave him with work that I could do myself.Apologizing to Sophia over text, she said it was no problem. She wanted to go sightseeing today, and I informed her of my stash of cash in my home office. She refused to take it without repaying me, and I agreed, not wanting to get into that unnecessary argument. She could think she was going to repay me, but I would make it known that her presence was payment enough.While it didn’t please me to have her traipsing around the city by herself, I felt better that she had enough money for cabs or anything else she might need. She refused to allow me to call the car service, but

SophiaMy lips were swollen and hot from Luke kissing me. I wanted him to bring me over to the couch to make love to me, but with his mother’s phone call, I knew those plans were gone for good.My chest tightened as Luke picked up the phone and put his mother on speaker. That little gesture meant a lot to me. He trusted me with personal family business, and I could have kissed him for it if it were an appropriate time.“Hello, Mother?” Luke said into the phone.There was a long pause, and then a sharp inhale mixed with what sounded like a sob.My hand clamped over my mouth and tears welled in my eyes. Luke’s eyes didn’t move from the phone as his mother spoke.“Luke,” she said. “Your father passed away a few minutes ago.”Luke’s chest heaved with the effort of breathing. It was a good thing that my legs were still around him. If he passed out or something, then I could at least try to prevent him from smacking his head on the marble tile.“What happened?” he asked.“It was peaceful,”