“Right. The fabrics,” I say, biting my lip as I look her directly in the eye. “I’ll get it done.”
“What?”
“The fabrics. Don’t worry about it.” I hold up my hand when she tries to open her mouth, saying, “Don’t say no. Just let me fix it. I promise I will.”
She leans back in the chair, and says, “All right. If you say so.” She doesn’t seem at ease, though.
“What’s wrong?”
“I was hired by Mrs. Adallah. If she finds out what happened today—”
“She won’t,” I interrupt. “I promise your job is safe. I won’t let her fire you over something like this. It’s my fault, so I’ll take the blame.”
She nods a few times. “So is she okay with us busting in here?” she asks.
I laugh. “Yeah, she’s used to it. This is still my go-to spot to hide from the press. They never discovered it.”
“Aha … smart.” She winks and smiles back, and her gaze drifts off to the pond in front of us. “So what now?”
As my eyes gloss over her body and follow her gaze toward the water, a devious grin spreads on my face. “How about a swim?”
“A swim?” She snorts. “You’re joking, right?”
“No, c’mon,” I say, grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the chair.
“But I don’t have a swimsuit,” she sputters.
“Who cares? Saida has towels. We can dry off after,” I reply.
She tries to fight me, but I drag her closer and closer to the edge.
“But I don’t—”
“Stop making excuses and let’s just have fun,” I say, laughing as she digs her heels in the sand.
Too late, though, because I can just about manage to push her into the water. A splash follows her loud squeal, and I jump in after her.
The cold water immediately wakes me up. God, I love this so much. I used to do this all the time with Faiz when I was still young. It’s been years, and I honestly miss this. But I have to say, her being here with me makes up for it big time.
“My clothes!” she screams, making me laugh. “Everything is wet!”
“Everything?” I joke, raising a brow.
The glare she gives me is priceless. I don’t know why, but I just love getting under her skin. The fire that blazes in her eyes is inextinguishable, and it sets a hunger ablaze inside me I didn’t even know existed.
“You know what I mean,” she says, folding her arms. “Are you having fun yet?”
“Oh, yes,” I say, smirking like a motherfucker.
“Glad one of us is,” she says. She frowns, but it won’t stop the smile she’s so desperately trying to hide from appearing on her face.
Suddenly, she splashes me with water. I blow out a big breath, rubbing my face while she’s laughing hysterically. I love the sound of that.
Still, I can’t help but throw some water right back at her, covering her too.
Now that we’re on even ground, the fight only intensifies, and we both do our utmost best to get each other even wetter. But she’s fierce and won’t back down, and I’m gasping for air, begging for mercy.
“I give in!” I say. “I yield!”
She laughs and splashes the water onto my face a final time. “That’s for throwing me in.”
“I deserved that,” I say. However, only now do I notice just how close together we are in the pond. And just how sexy she looks with wet clothes sticking to her body, accentuating all her curves.
Instinct makes me wade toward her. I can’t help myself. I want to push her buttons. I want to see her explode. And I want to touch her … in every spot she keeps to herself.
I want it all.
Maya
One minute, we’re dunking each other in the water, and the next, he’s so close I can almost whisk the droplets from his skin. The water droplets roll down his face and chest, exposing the thick muscles underneath his thin shirt. Just looking at him makes me gulp with need.
I don’t even know what I’m feeling right now except that I find it hard to resist touching him.
Apparently, I’m not the only one.
Before I’ve realized it, his hands have already snaked around my waist to the small of my back, pulling me close. I suck in a breath as his sultry eyes settle on mine with an intense gaze, one that could melt panties in the blink of an eye.
I can’t look away, no matter how hard I try. Can’t stop my body from gravitating toward him, despite my brain telling me no.
He’s a prince. He’s way out of my league. We’re from two different worlds. This couldn’t ever—
Right then, his mouth crashes into mine.
Every thought, every worry instantly disappears.
Sparks run all the way through my body, filling me with a desire I didn’t know I had. And I kiss him back.
His lips taste like sweetness and sin wrapped in a heavenly package. Everything I shouldn’t crave, and everything I need at the same time.
He sucks on my bottom lip, and my mouth draws open as he forces his tongue inside, claiming my mouth as though it already belongs to him. I’m powerless to stop it. Defenseless against the onslaught of emotions and lust coursing through my veins.
Only when I hear someone giggle behind us do I come back to reality.
My eyes flash open only to find the lady who owns the house hiding her smile behind her hand. She caught us.
“I see you’ve already found a way to cool down,” she says, sniggering.
My cheeks start to glow, but Amir doesn’t even seem to notice she’s interrupted us. All he can focus on is me.
However, a sudden sharp pain makes me shriek. I look around me.
The lady almost drops the two drinks she was carrying as she puts them on the table.
“What’s wrong?” Amir asks, clutching my arms.
“My leg!” I squeal, trying to run past him while simultaneously kicking everywhere. “I think something just bit me!”
That’s when I see it slither past us through the pond.
A snake.
Chapter 8
Amir
I apologize to Mrs. Saida and immediately take Maya to the hospital. The poor woman only just managed to put some blankets around her before I lifted her off. We don’t have any time to lose right now. This could be serious. Dangerous. Deadly.
We don’t know what kind of snake it was. It could’ve been anything. And if it’s venomous … I don’t even want to think about what could happen then. In this country, the chances are very high, which is why I’m rushing her to a cab right now.
Even though my clothes are still soaking wet, I get in too and give the driver some cash. I don’t care that he recognizes my face, and mumbles, “Your Hi-highness.”
“Just drive,” I say.
“Of course, Your Highness, sir!” he rambles, clearly flabbergasted that the prince just stepped into his cab. “Where to?” he asks.
“Hospital. As fast as you can.”
“Yes, My Prince,” he replies, immediately hitting the gas.
“I’ll give you more cash if you get us there safely and without alerting the press.”
“Got it.”
As we race to the hospital, I ask her, “Where’s the wound?”
She holds up her leg and points at the two marks.
I rip a piece off my clothing and wrap it around her leg. “Keep that on tight.”
She nods, beads of sweat trickling down her forehead as the blood seeps through the compress.
I’m feeling anxious too. My heart is pounding in my chest, and I keep glaring out the window, wondering how much longer it’s going to take. Every second is too long.
“Are we there yet?” I growl.
“Almost, Your Highness,” the cabby answers.
“Go faster,” I snap. I know I’m an asshole, but being nice isn’t on my top list of priorities right now, knowing what just happened. She could be in serious pain … or worse.
Snake bites are deadly, but I’m
not about to let her die. Not on my watch.
I’ve been through that once. It won’t happen again.
When we finally get to the hospital, I immediately ask the ER for help. Showing them my passport is enough to speed things up. I know I’m not supposed to abuse my power as a prince, but I can’t let this girl wait in line. Not when we don’t know what bit her.
So they bring her to a private room and put her on the bed, immediately checking her over.
I sit in the chair next to her bed and wait until the doctors leave for a few blood tests. Meanwhile, she seems to have calmed down a lot. I haven’t, though.
“Doctors say it’s probably not venomous,” she says, smiling. “Otherwise I would’ve felt something by now.”
“We don’t know for sure until the test results are back,” I say, biting my nails.
She smiles and reaches for my hand. “It’s okay.”
“How are you so calm?” I ask. “You could …”
She shrugs. “I’m in good hands.” Both our eyes shift toward our hands, which are clasped together. I gently caress her with my fingers, wishing I could do more.
“You look worried,” she says.
I nod. “Snake bites … terrify me. It’s what killed Faiz.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have—”
“It’s okay,” I interrupt, smiling. I don’t want her to pity me. I want her to focus on her own health. It’s far more important to me.
“I can’t fix what happened to him. I can’t bring him back, but I can take care of you,” I say.
Her face turns strawberry red, and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in a long while. Everything fades when she’s around. This hospital. The fact that I’m a prince. Or that she’s not even from Dakai. None of it matters anymore.
All I know is that I want to be close to her. Now. Tomorrow. Any day is fine. As long as I get to be in her vicinity.
I know our time is limited, and that she’ll go back to her country someday, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the time we have right now. And I intend to enjoy it to the fullest.
Maya
When the doctor comes back and brings the good news that it wasn’t a venomous snake and that it was just a bite, I breathe a sigh of relief. They bandage my leg, and I thank them thoroughly for their hard work.
Amir hasn’t left my side, and he’s even helped me get out of bed and into a wheelchair. I never expected him to be this worried about me. He’s really attentive to people’s needs. Even though he’s buttery smooth toward the nurses, chatting them up, he always follows up with a gentle touch to the arm and a compliment. It’s not just to charm his way into people’s hearts. I get the feeling he genuinely cares about the people. His people.
He’s a prince, after all, and one day Dakai will probably be his.
And what am I? A random girl from America. I’m totally out of place here … and totally out of line for kissing him.
What if the paparazzi find us again? Or worse … his father?
I don’t have to wait long to find out, though, because the staff are already on high alert, bouncing around the hospital as though there’s a medical emergency.
Except there isn’t.
The king has just arrived.
My jaw drops the moment I spot him and his entourage as they barge through the doors. Everyone stops their work and bows or greets him with great enthusiasm. People seem to honor him like some kind of god, or maybe they’re terrified, but I have no way of knowing. They probably wouldn’t ever tell a stranger what they really think. It could be dangerous.
But what’s even more dangerous is the fact they’re coming straight toward my room.
My eyes widen, and I clutch my wheelchair tight as if that will help me escape faster. Not that I’d ever get out of here without a reprimand or worse. They might even throw me in jail for what I did with the prince.
Oh God, I hope not.
Sweat rolls down my back as the bearded man approaches me, his stature and way of walking making me feel small and unimportant. Especially when he sets his gaze on me after glaring at Amir for just a second.
Amir suddenly places himself between me and his father, standing in front of me so I can’t even see him look.
“Amir,” his father barks. “What are you doing here?”
“Taking care of someone,” Amir says, folding his arms.
“Who? This girl?” His father casually leans sideways to peek at me, but Amir follows his movements, blocking me from his sight again.
“She got injured.”
“That is not your business to deal with,” his father replies. “Have you any idea what kind of ruckus you’ve caused?”
Amir seems taken aback. “I apologize, Father, but the paparazzi were following us, so I had to act quickly.”
“You brought this upon yourself the moment you stepped outside the palace wearing that … that,” he hisses, eyeing him like a hawk. “Whatever that is.”
“They’re just clothes,” Amir replies.
“Why do you lower yourself so much?” his father gripes. “You are a prince. It’s time you started acting like one.”
“But I’m a human too, and I need fun too,” Amir says, a bit defeated.
Without thinking about the consequences, I grasp his hand. I want him to know I’m here. He doesn’t have to take on his father alone. And from the way he briefly glances over his shoulder at me, I know he can tell my intentions are sincere.
His father doesn’t seem too pleased. “It’s all over the newspapers … you and that girl over there. What is she doing with you anyway? I should have her thrown in jail for how she’s made you behave.”
“Her name is Maya, and she’s not made me do anything. This was all my choice. Leave her out of it,” Amir growls. “And for your information, she was hired to design my clothes.”
“A commoner? You’re hanging out with a commoner?”
“She’s not a commoner. She’s American,” Amir replies.
The guards accompanying the king seem on edge. “So? That only gives me more reasons to put her on a plane and send her back to wherever she came from.”
Uh-oh. This is going downhill fast. Should I do something? But what?
“You can’t just do whatever you please. You’re a prince of the royal family. Our reputation is on the line. You have duties. Rules to follow.”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” I suddenly say, trying to push past Amir with my wheelchair. “It was not my intention to steal him away from the palace.”
“Don’t say a word, Maya,” Amir interrupts.
“Indeed,” his father says, snorting. “I didn’t ask you for your opinion, girl.”
“I am only here to fulfill my job, and that’s it. I won’t take up any more of your son’s time, I promise,” I continue.
Amir turns around and grabs my arms. “Stop. For both our sakes. Please.”
The way he says the word “please” almost has me on my knees.
If I wasn’t in this damn wheelchair.
Instead, I nod. I wish I could do more. He doesn’t deserve this.
Amir turns toward his father again. “It’s not her fault. I’m taking full responsibility.”
“About time,” his father says, turning around as he flicks his fingers. “Come. Time to go back to the palace where you belong.”
Amir follows behind him, glancing at me over his shoulder with a smile. But as he leaves with his father, I realize I might not see him again. Ever.
Chapter 9
Maya
The wound in my leg healed within a day, so I’m back at work again. However, the lecture I got from Mrs. Adallah wasn’t so pretty. Apparently, the king had spoken to her, expressing his distrust of me. He almost fired me on the spot, but Mrs. Adallah put in a good word for me, so luckily, I got to keep my job.
But it’s not without caveats. I’m not supposed to talk to the prince anymore. At least, not unless it’s business
related. So I can make his clothes and show them to him, but that’s it. I have to keep my mouth shut otherwise.
I guess I should be happy they’re not sending me home. This is a big opportunity, and I don’t want to ruin it. So I’ll keep my head down from now on and focus on my work. No matter how hot he is or how delicious his kisses are, I have to stop thinking about him.
Too bad the moment I step into my workshop, I’m greeted by a gigantic bouquet.
And a whole stack of fabrics.
What the …?
Confused, I place my bag on the table and smell the lovely flowers. Tucked within is a card with gold letters engraved onto it.
Please forgive me for stealing your time yesterday. I hope the fabrics and flowers please you.
Amir
Please you. I can’t stop reading those two words. And I can’t stop the dirty images from appearing in my mind along with it too.
Crap.
I shake my head. I really have to stop doing this. And he needs to stop being so charming.
I give the flowers some water and then go through all the fabrics he bought for me. They’re from that shop in the middle of town where we saw each other. He really did honor his promise.
Smiling, I pick up the ones I love the most and check them out. Bright purples, some with reds, a lot of white and black. Soft and velvety. Oh, yes … I can definitely work with these.
Days later
When I arrive at the palace, I go through the screening process and then go straight to Amir’s room. The guards have already been alerted because they immediately let me in his room. Not without a stern look, of course, but I ignore it.
The room’s empty. Well, except for all the luxurious furniture, lavish closets, carpets, drapery, and other things that belong to a prince.
But he’s not here. Is he coming later, or did he forget?
Not that it matters. If he’s not here, I can always show Mrs. Adallah the clothes I’ve created. Even though I’d much rather have him wear them first. I need to know if they fit. But maybe he’ll be here later.
Unprofessional Bad Boys - Boxed Set (Contemporary Romance) Page 47