Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66062 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66062 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Zain heaved a sigh. “Considering the rumors, Gadiel can’t be seen alone with an attractive man. My presence would eliminate any suspicion. Don’t look so excited. I’m hardly excited to waste my time on this, either.”
“Fine,” Aiden said. Frankly, he didn’t mind that Zain would be there. His presence would make Gadiel behave. He had no idea what to expect from Gadiel. At least Zain was familiar. “Where are we going to meet him?” He glanced down at his clothes. “Can I go there in these clothes? I don’t exactly have anything fancy.” Zain’s people had brought him some clothes, but they were simple and didn’t fit all that well.
Zain frowned and looked him over. “We’ll meet Gadiel at a restaurant. You’ll need to change into something decent.” He stood and headed out of the room. “Come.”
A little confused, Aiden followed him. Only halfway to Zain’s room did he realize that he hadn’t even questioned Zain’s order. That was more than a little alarming. Surely he hadn’t already been brainwashed into thinking that this man could order him around, right? Right?
Aiden had still been mulling it over when they finally reached Zain’s room.
Zain strode over to the walk-in closet and opened it. “Pick something to wear. My clothes will be a little big for you but should be better than what you have.”
Aiden entered the closet, fully expecting to see rows upon rows of traditional Arabic clothes, but while there really were plenty of them, an entire section of the closet was dedicated to regular clothes he was used to. Granted, upon examining them, Aiden had to revise his opinion. There was nothing regular about these clothes. Everything here was designer and ridiculously expensive. But of course it was.
Aiden stared at those sharp suits and suddenly imagined Zain putting them on: buttoning up a shirt, buttoning the cuffs, his long tawny fingers making quick work of the buttons before knotting a tie around his tanned neck.
Biting his lip, Aiden shook the weird thought off—why was he even thinking about such inane things?—and reached for a blue shirt and one of the gray suits.
Aiden quickly changed and examined himself in the mirror.
Zain had been right: while the suit was clearly made for a taller, bigger man, he still looked… good. People would obviously be able to tell that he’d borrowed someone else’s clothes if they paid attention, but he wouldn’t stand out in a fancy restaurant as much as he would in his T-shirt and sweatpants.
He wasn’t sure how he felt about wearing Zain’s clothes though. The mere thought made his stomach squirm funnily. It made him… uncomfortable, reminding him of the owner and what the word made him feel. Wearing Zain’s clothes felt like another mark of ownership. Zain’s ownership. Him being Zain’s.
Christ, why was he fixating on it so much?
“Hurry up,” came Zain’s impatient voice from outside the closet. “I have business in the city before our meeting with my brother. You have half a minute.”
“Half a—I’m ready, Jesus!” Aiden said with a scoff, striding out of the closet. “Why are you always so bossy? And what kind of business can you possibly have on a weekend?”
Zain didn’t reply, just looking at him strangely.
“What?” Aiden said, glancing down at himself. “I thought I looked pretty good?”
“You look passable,” Zain said, already turning away and striding out of the room. “Let’s go.”
Aiden glowered at the back of his head all the way to the helicopter. Even being allowed to go outside for the first time in what seemed like forever barely registered. Passable? No one had ever called his looks passable. Aiden might not have liked his pretty-boy looks growing up, but he knew he looked objectively good. But of course His Highness wasn’t impressed.
“Is there a reason you’re attempting to bore a hole in me with your eyes?” Zain said a few minutes after the helicopter took off.
“What’s your business in the city?” Aiden said, quashing the bizarre urge to demand that Zain admit he looked good. He didn’t even know why the passable comment bothered him so much. He’d never fished for compliments in his life. Christ, what was going on here?
“I have a date, but I’ll have to cut it short to chaperone you and Gadiel.”
Aiden stared at him. “You have a date?”
Zain raised his eyebrows. “Why are you surprised? You know I’m no virgin. Did you expect me to keep a harem of concubines instead of dating?”
Aiden chewed on his lip. He wasn’t even sure what he had expected. But the thought of Zain dating someone was just… bizarre. Unfathomable. Wrong for reasons he couldn’t even explain.
“I just can’t imagine anyone actually wanting to spend time with you,” Aiden said. “The mind positively boggles. She must be a gold digger. Or a doormat. Or most likely, both.”