Chapter 7
Tara stared up at the man who had haunted her dreams last night. His concerned gaze wreathed by those thick lashes melted her heart. And his offer to keep her safe, to allow her to stay here whenever she felt the need was exactly what she needed to hear.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” she gushed, letting the air fly out of her lungs as relief surged through her. “That’s very generous of you.”
He grunted, then glanced at the boxes again, thankfully releasing her hand. The skin where he’d touched her felt abnormally warm.
“Good. Now tell me how late you normally work each night.”
She shrugged, sensing another trap but uncertain what this one might be about. “I don’t know, Your Highness. It varies.” That was the truth. It all depended on when he finished his meetings for the night.
His intense gaze focused on her face, prompting Tara to swiftly suppress any hint of concern that might betray itself in her eyes. “You keep working after I’m done, don’t you?” he asked.
Her chin pulled back as if startled. “Well, of course. I need to type up your notes and ensure that everything is ready for you for the next day.”
He tapped the first box again, then stepped back “You need to hire three additional people to help you, Tara.”
Her mouth fell open and she stared up at him. “ Three ?”
“At least,” he confirmed with a firm nod. “Contact the human resources department and give them a job description. I want you to have help. And I apologize for not authorizing a whole staff for you before now. It was wrong of me to be oblivious to the long hours you’ve been working.”
She couldn’t form words. Three people? Was he about to fire her?
Tara stepped forward, her hands fisting the material of her dress. “I can handle the work load, Your Highness.”
He smiled gently down at her. “I know you can. You’ve been working for me for the past two years and you’ve done an exceptionally good job. But I hadn’t realized that you’re working even longer hours than I do. You need help.”
“But…!” she gasped, trying to figure out a way to convince him that she was capable of handing the requirements of the position. “I can do this, Your Highness! I’ve been doing it for more than two years! Have I ever let you down?”
“Never,” he replied, then perched on the edge of her desk. “However, tell me the last movie you watched.”
Tara blinked at him, so surprised by his question, it was almost as if he were speaking a different language.
“Movie?”
“Yes. What’s the last movie you saw?”
Tara groaned, a little annoyed by his patient attitude, but also amused by his question. She crossed her arms and glared right back at him. “What was the last movie you saw?”