by Leslie North
“Long range cameras will show up to one mile in both directions, sir. Plus we have the CCTV cameras along the major routes we can access.”
“Good. Send what you have to Kaz, and if any car that you cannot identify enters within a five- mile radius, call Kaz immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
Jaymin nodded before turning to go back inside.
His next stop was the security room within the palace. Two guards were already reviewing the video feed. “Where are my father and brothers?”
“Crowned Sheikh is visiting the embassy, Masoud is at the dig site with his wife, and Adil is overseeing the collection in London.”
“Adil is in London?” Jaymin muttered angrily. “He didn’t tell anyone.”
“Your father made the arrangements for him and Mr. Summers,” the guard said quietly.
“Fine. When does he return?” Jaymin felt like he was slipping. Normally, his father didn’t make arrangements without his knowledge. Masoud and his father were well within driving distance, but Adil was a plane ride away, and he didn’t like that.
“Not until Friday, sir.”
“Call his security and let them know what happened. I want him on the plane and back in the country as soon as possible. Until we identify this threat, no one is to move without going through security first, do you understand me?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Kaz is following up on some leads. I want him back here as soon as he’s done. I have two guests within the palace walls who need twenty-four-hour security. Tamrin Lewis and her father, Sean Lewis, are not to leave without guards,” Jaymin said tightly.
“Yes, sir.”
“Keep me posted.”
Now that it was finished, he could see to his guests. And maybe he could get a few minutes alone with Tamrin to find out what was going on with her.
“Mr. Lewis?” Jaymin asked as he knocked on the older man’s door. “How are you settling in?” There wasn’t an answer, and Jaymin frowned. Turning the knob, he walked in to find the room empty.
“Looking for me?”
Straightening, Jaymin leaned out the door into the hallway. “Mr. Lewis? Exploring?”
“I am. I happened to wander into your library. Your book collection is absolutely stunning. I’ve never seen manuscripts as old as the ones you have behind the protective glass.”
Proud of his collection, Jaymin smiled. “It’s my personal collection. Our most used books are in the study downstairs. When you get a chance, you should look at those. Feel free to borrow some during your stay here.”
“You’re a collector of ancient texts?” Sean asked with a lifted eyebrow. “You don’t seem the academic type.”
“One could argue that it has less to do with knowledge and more to do with value,” Jaymin said vaguely.
Sean chuckled. “Says the man who threw a massive fundraiser to help pay for education. I’d say that you’re more interested in the academics than you want to admit.”
He was sharper than Jaymin gave him credit for. Unwilling to delve into his personal interests with a stranger, he decided instead to find safer ground. “I don’t want to keep you from your job, but I don’t want you or your daughter leaving the palace until we can get a handle on the situation. I’d be more than happy to vouch for your whereabouts. Where do you work?”
“No worries,” Sean said with a smile. “I’m a freelance consultant, so I can work just as well from here as anywhere else.”
Jaymin noted that he didn’t seem inclined to go into any personal details of his work. There was something off about the man that made him suspicious, but it wasn’t enough for him to pursue it. Yet.
“I’m going to check on your daughter. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Speaking of my daughter,” Sean said quickly. “What’s your interest in her?”
Jaymin squared his shoulders. “Excuse me?”
“I know you understood the question. I don’t want my daughter staying here if you’re putting pressure on her in any way. She’s a very independent woman, and she won’t take well to you throwing your weight around.”
Bristling, Jaymin faced Sean and narrowed his eyes. “I don’t throw my weight around. Your necklace was stolen on my property. You were shot within twenty miles of my palace. You and your daughter are now the responsibility of the Khalidizack family, and I’m the only one here right now. So I don’t know what impression you’ve gotten, but the only weight I’m throwing around here is the one that’s going to keep you and your daughter safe. And for the record, that is the only time I’ll allow you to speak to me in this manner, do you understand?”
“My apologies, but she’s my daughter. I’ll face off with anyone to protect her.”
“Fine,” Jaymin said tightly. “Don’t leave without security’s consent.”
“Tamrin went shopping. She took two guards with her, but she’s not here. When she’s nervous or upset, she shops. I imagine she’ll be gone for a few hours.”
Flabbergasted, Jaymin stared at him. “I’ve been gone for less than an hour, and she went shopping? How was she able to leave without my knowing?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “When my daughter gets something in her head, there’s no telling her what to do.”
“Enjoy looking at my collection,” Jaymin said dryly as he pulled out his phone. “I need Tamrin Lewis brought back to the palace right now,” he ordered when he reached her guards.
“Yes, sir.” There was a scuffle in the background, and he heard Tamrin objecting. “Put her on the phone.”
“Jaymin, I’m almost finished here. Just give me twenty more minutes.”
“Twenty minutes? Tamrin, you shouldn’t even be out shopping. What were you thinking? Someone just shot at you,” he said angrily. He barely knew the woman and already she was the most frustrating thing he’d ever come across.
“I have two guards with me, and they won’t even let me go to the fitting room alone. It’s overkill, and I’m fine.” Her voice softened. “You don’t have to worry about me.”
Jaymin closed his eyes as the sound of her voice washed over him. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but there was something about her that affected him. Gone was the cold woman who had entered his palace this morning. This Tamrin was the woman who had flirted shamelessly with him last night, and he found that he couldn’t deny her.
“Twenty minutes,” he said finally. “If the guards don’t call me to tell me that you are on your way back, I will send ten more men after you. Do you understand?”
“You are a doll! I can’t wait to show you what I bought,” she squealed as she hung up the phone. Jaymin sighed and rolled his head around on his shoulders. He was the next in line to be crowned sheikh, but he’d never felt as much pressure as he did right then and there.
Unable to stand still, he walked along the grounds and checked on security. Everything seemed to be in place. He sent another message to Kaz, who responded that he’d still be out for a few hours. He returned a few emails, and even though she was right on time, it still seemed like hours before she finally returned.
“Jaymin!” she said as she burst into his office. “The shops just down the street are absolutely amazing! How do you keep such a treasure a secret?”
He jumped from his desk and stared at her as she dropped the bags on the floor. “Never mind that. What were you thinking? Do you always go shopping when someone shoots at you?”
The anger in his voice surprised even him, and she stared at him. Gone was the pleasure from her face. Instead, she looked almost like a lost little girl. Clasping her hands in front of her, she took a deep breath. “I don’t know, Jaymin. I’ve never had anyone shoot at me before. Or, shoot at my father.”
Before the tears that were gathering in her eyes could fall, he was up and wrapping his arms around her. “I’m sorry, Tamrin. I didn’t mean to yell at you. I was worried.”
She returned his embrace and buried her head i
n his shoulder. “I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have left. It was all I could think about, and I needed something to distract me.”
“I’m going to protect you and your father, Tamrin. Don’t think about it, okay? Why don’t you show me what you bought?”
She sniffed and wiped her eyes with the palm of her hand. Pulling away from him, she grabbed the first bag and pulled out the first dress. In quick sequence, she showed him all the brightly colored dresses, some more scandalous than others.
“I think you’ll look beautiful in them,” he said softly. “Where are you going to wear them to?”
Giving him a coy smile, she pulled out a red dress that scooped low at the neckline and fell high along her thighs. “I was hoping you would invite me back out to dinner again,” she said softly.
“Dinner?” he asked, as he cocked his head. “Your father might have a few choice words to say about that.” He leaned back in his chair and regarded her with a curious gaze. He didn’t like her split personality, but he couldn’t help but stare as she swayed her hips when she walked toward him.
She leaned over the desk, and her shirt fell so that he could see a hint of cleavage. “Jaymin, I’m an adult woman. I don’t answer to my father, and if you take me out to dinner again, I’ll get a chance to show you just how adult I can be.”
Swallowing hard, Jaymin nodded. “How does eight o’clock sound?”
“Let’s go with nine. I want to make sure my father is asleep when we get back so there is nothing else that might hinder me from doing what I want,” she said seductively. “Or from what I need.”
He didn’t trust himself to respond. As she bent down to collect her things, he stared at her curves. If he had his way, he wouldn’t even wait for dinner.
But his father was calling, and she was already out the door to her room.
6
Jaymin waited for her at the bottom of the stairs. Tamrin’s heels clicked on the tile and echoed off the walls as she slowly descended. She’d wanted to start the evening with an impression, but she couldn’t lie to herself. The way that he watched her created a small flutter in her chest.
The red dress fit perfectly, wrapping snugly around her figure and showing more than a little cleavage. The opaque stretchy fabric stopped teasingly just above her mid-thigh, but there was a thin veil of fabric that tied around her waist and swept over one side. She’d bought red heels to match, and she’d curled her hair and swept it over one side to bare her throat.
As she watched his Adam’s apple bob with each hard swallow, she couldn’t help but think of the kiss they’d shared a couple nights ago. Although she’d played it cool, it was heart stopping for her.
She hoped he was thinking the same.
“You look beautiful,” he said hoarsely as he held out his arm.
“Thank you,” she said demurely as she hooked her arm through his. “These are my dancing shoes, so I hope that there will be some music involved in our dinner.”
“You didn’t ask for dancing. You just asked for dinner,” he teased.
She mocked indignation as she stared at him. “Oh, Jaymin, I know you’re an intelligent man. Surely, you can tell what a woman wants.”
His beautiful mouth twisted into a smile. “I didn’t say there won’t be dancing. I’m simply pointing out that you didn’t ask for it.”
Jaymin held the door open for her, and she laughed as she walked through. The man never ceased to surprise her. Outside the front steps was a limousine with two dark cars waiting in front of it and another two behind it. “A limousine?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. “I was thinking tonight would just be informal and fun.”
“It can be. However, this limo has bullet-resistant glass. I might have agreed to dinner, but I’m not taking any chances. When we go out tonight, we’re not going alone.”
Tamrin exhaled slowly. The memory of the shooting was still fresh in her mind, and even though she was trying to pretend that it didn’t get to her, she was happy for the extra protection. Her plan hadn’t included a shooting, but that didn’t mean she was about to abandon it now.
“As long as I have the illusion of being alone, I can’t complain.”
“Will it be an illusion if I’m right there with you?” he whispered in her ear while the driver opened the door.
Tamrin turned her head and was tempted to steal a kiss from him. Instead, she smiled. “Admittedly, I’ll be much happier when I really am alone with you. I think you will be too.”
Chuckling at his wide eyes, she slipped into the limousine and waited. She’d hoped that he’d sit right next to her so she could put her hands on him, but he picked the seat across from her instead. She crossed her legs slowly so that his gaze could follow the movement.
“Champagne?” he offered, as he pulled out the bottle and two glasses.
“Lovely. Tell me, Sheikh, what do you do for fun?”
“Fun?” he asked as he handed her a glass. “I review paperwork and give speeches.”
Laughing, Tamrin shook her head. “Fine. Don’t answer the question. Tell me about your brothers. Adil has always had a reputation for being a playboy, and yet he’s settled down. Is that your father’s doing? Trying to leash the scandalous one?”
“Hardly,” Jaymin growled with an eye roll. “The only person who can leash Adil is the woman he married. Samine and Adil are a match of love. He’s smitten, and that works well in our favor. If I need Adil to do something, all I have to do is ask Samine.”
“Adil in love? That’s one for the books. Do he and Masoud live in the palace? I didn’t see them.”
“Yes, but we’re a busy family. You may not see them very often, and I’ll make sure that you’re not disturbed. Besides, we all have our own suites within the palace. You and your father are in the guest suites. My father has the biggest suite on the west side. Masoud lives in the suite on the east. Adil lives in the suite adjacent to yours.”
“And where do you live?”
“I prefer a little more privacy. I reside in the apartment that’s a quarter of a mile south of the palace.”
“Really?” Tamrin asked with a raised eyebrow. “I figured you for the man who liked to be in the middle of the action.”
“I do, and my office is right next to my father’s, but when I sleep, I want to be as far away from my brothers’ drama as possible.”
“Drama?” she laughed and drained the rest of her champagne. The bubbles were warm in her belly. “That sounds more like a palace of girls than grown men.”
“Do you have any siblings?” Jaymin asked dryly.
Tamrin opened her mouth before snapping it shut. “No.”
“Then you have no idea what’s it like.” He held up the champagne and she let him pour another glass. Normally, she didn’t drink all that much, but she could handle her alcohol, and she felt like she needed a little extra liquid courage. Jaymin made her a little nervous, and she didn’t like it. Normally, she was calm and collected around men.
The limousine stopped, and she glanced out the window. “Jaymin? We’re in the middle of a field.”
“Courtyard,” he said with a smile as the driver opened the door. Confused, she took his hand and let him pull her out. Between two lit arches was a dinner table adorned with fresh flowers. Truly surprised, she looked to see two staff members standing quietly in the corner with a cart full of covered trays.
Below the hill were more tables and a dance floor. There were quite a few couples dancing as the laughter and music floated from below. “This is amazing,” she said honestly. “Where are we?”
“It’s a pavilion owned by the de Luca restaurant. They only host private parties in the courtyard, but I’m allowed to crash whenever I like. This is the VIP area,” he said as he swept his arms out. “And believe it or not, it’s an easy area to protect.”
“Jaymin, I’m not easily impressed, but this takes the cake,” she said softly as she reached out for him. He took her hand and led her to the table where he pulled a ch
air out for her.
When she sat down, he leaned down and surprised her again when he kissed her bare shoulder. Biting her bottom lip, she cocked her head and hoped for more, but he only brushed a finger down the curve of her throat before he sat down across from her.
“I ordered both the chicken and the fish because I wasn’t sure what you’d like.”
“Both please,” she said with delight.
“Why does that not surprise me?” he said as he shook his head. Reaching his hand up, he signaled for the servers who immediately came forward with the wine. Tamrin wasn’t used to being waited on hand and foot, but she tried to act natural. After a while, all she could see was Jaymin.
He was sweet and charming. There was no talk about the necklace or the shooting, and she didn’t ask. For tonight, she wanted to feel special. She wanted to forget all about the damn amulet and feel like a woman on a date. Jaymin seemed to understand that.
“You know; you’re supposed to be the most uptight of the brothers. No one has ever seen you out on a date,” she said as she fingered the stem of her wineglass.
“Is that a question?”
Narrowing her eyes, she leaned forward. “Do you date?”
“Not in the traditional sense. I take out women when it serves my purpose. That includes daughters of powerful figures who visit our country,” Jaymin said easily.
“Do you date for fun?”
With a sigh, Jaymin softly rapped his knuckles on the table. “Tamrin, when I want the company of a woman, I go out.”
“You’re worse than your brother,” she said with a laugh. “At least he owned up to his playboy ways. So, if you only go out when you need to, does that mean that you’re only out with me tonight because you want the company of a woman?”
“I’m out with you tonight because you asked.”
Feeling like she’d just been stung, she sat back and looked down at her hands. “I see. Well, that’s what I get for prying.”
A shadow fell over her, and she looked up to see Jaymin standing over her with his arm outstretched. “Dance?”