by Leslie North
Jual sat down across from her and almost chuckled at her stunned expression. “Eat up, beautiful. We have a long day ahead of us.”
Sonya looked down at her plate, then at his. Food! Right. Food, breakfast. Start of the day! She could do this!
She lifted her hand and wrapped her fingers around the fork, but it was still a chore. All she wanted to do was…well, THAT. Again!
Shaking her head, she focused on his words instead of the throbbing need inside of her. She couldn’t think about THAT. What would he say if she told him she wanted to experience the same bliss once again? No, not good, she admonished herself. Focus!
Finally, his words started to make sense. “What do you mean about the day? What’s going to make it a long day?” She took a bite of the scrambled eggs and sighed with happiness. “Oh my, these eggs are amazing!” Closing her eyes, she savoured the creamy eggs with a spice she couldn’t immediately identify.
He was watching her, his own fork frozen halfway to his mouth. “If you’re going to continue to eat like that, we’re going back to my apartment,” he told her in that same husky voice he’d used back in the hallway.
Sonya opened her eyes, startled by his comment as well as his voice. “What am I doing?”
She didn’t even know, he realized and his body hardened to such a painful level, he almost chucked breakfast completely.
He shook his head, trying to get himself back under control. Something about Sonya didn’t seem right. There was a mystery to her, an innocence, that he didn’t understand. How could a woman who was so sensually erotic one moment, look at him with wonder and amazement in her eyes, then be blind to the impact she had on him?
Jual leaned back in his chair, contemplating the woman in front of him. A mystery! He loved unwinding mysteries!
He had to slow down, to tell himself not to scare her off. She was beautiful and erotically innocent, but she was also shy and timid.
Changing the subject seemed like the best course of action. Eventually, she would understand.
“We’re going back to the hotel,” he announced. That hadn’t been his plan today. He’d been thinking about taking her up to the mountains, to a retreat he had hidden away in the rocks and boulders. He’d planned on being alone with her, treating her to the sunset from that height so that they could watch the sun change the horizon into dramatic, shifting colors.
But sitting across from her now, his mind changed. Something about her wasn’t making sense and he had an innate need to figure out all secrets. It was one of the reasons he was so good at protecting his country and his brother. His mind worked like a chess master, moving the pieces, figuring out what the other players were going to do five or ten moves before they even knew they were going to do it. He loved anticipating trouble and dissolving the threat.
The decision was made but he couldn’t stop the gut-slam when her soft, blue eyes looked over to him. The worry in her eyes called to him. He was a natural protector and the distress affected him more than he wanted to admit.
“Eat up,” he urged. “You’re going to need your strength today.”
Sonya looked down at the food that had previously been the best she’d ever eaten. But the idea of going back to the place where she’d been shot made her stomach roil with nausea. She had to do it though. If Jual needed her help, she’d do whatever she could to give him answers.
And then she’d go back to her home. Back to the safety and security of her job and her normal life. Her normal, boring life.
No! Her life wasn’t boring! She had her students to fill her life with happiness. She loved teaching and loved the excitement on her kids’ faces on the first day of school or even the last. They were all bouncing around, anticipating their summer vacations and heading to the pool to play in the water with their parents.
Sonya sighed and moved the food around on her plate. She’d been excited about her vacation. She’d saved up all year for this trip and look how her dream had turned out. Wounded and trapped, with a man she didn’t understand who seemed angry with her only moments after giving her the most incredible pleasure she’d ever experienced.
She wanted to go home. She wanted to run away from this experience and never think about it again.
But Jual needed answers. So no matter how terrified she was of going back to that place where all she remembered was the pain of the bullet slicing through her side, she would do it. She could do this.
“I’m ready,” she announced several moments later.
Jual looked up, startled by her words. “Ready? But you haven’t eaten your breakfast.”
Sonya looked down at her plate. “I’ve eaten enough,” she told him.
He shook his head. “No. You’re still recovering. You need to eat more.”
Sonya once again looked at the food and knew she couldn’t eat another bite. She felt sick to her stomach but she had to be strong.
“I’m fine,” she repeated. “Not very hungry.” And if she could just get this trip over with, she could, hopefully, give him the answers he needed and then get home. The fact that she would never see Jual again, well, that would be fine. Well, it would eventually be fine.
She’d make it fine!
Chapter 3
Jual watched Sonya as the armored SUV slowly approached the entrance to the hotel. It was one of the biggest in the city which was why the conference had been organized here. Industry leaders from all over the country had attended the conference in order to hear Najid speak.
She was nervous. He watched her carefully, feeling something inside of him that he didn’t like but wasn’t going to define. The urge to pull her onto his lap and hold her close, to shield her from everything struck him but he kept his hands to himself. He wasn’t going to touch her. Not until he figured out her secrets. Damn, but she was beautiful, even though her face was pale and her lips trembled.
Even though he could see her anxiety, he refused to tell his driver to turn around. This had to be done. He had to get answers and maybe he could help her, be with her while she faced her fears. “Do you need help walking?” he asked when the SUV pulled over to the curb.
His security team had already cleared the area in anticipation of this visit. He wanted things to be as similar to that day as possible, but he wasn’t risking another shooter in the distance. He wouldn’t risk Sonya’s safety.
“No. I’m fine,” she told him and stepped out of the vehicle on the opposite side from him. He wanted to tell her to stop, to exit from his side which was more protected but she was already out and slamming the door shut before he could get the words out of his mouth.
He hurried around the vehicle and pulled her to his side, wrapping his arm around her as if he could somehow protect her. At first, she stiffened against him but moments later, he felt her soften, relax slightly.
“What do you remember?” he asked, feeling like beating his chest in victory at that softening. She was starting to trust him.
Sonya looked around, trying to ignore the heat that was already building even though it was still early morning. The sun was shining in her eyes and she remembered that she’d had sunglasses that morning. She remembered slipping them on, feeling free and brave because she’d travelled to a foreign country on her own.
“It wasn’t this hot that morning,” she finally said. Leaning against him, unconsciously using his strength to get through the moment. “I remember being happy,” she told him. Not looking up at him, she thought back to that day. “I was happy to be here. Happy to be on my own. Curious about the mosques and the history of the country.”
She shielded her eyes and looked across the street. “There was a coffee shop across the street.” She thought about that. Something wasn’t right, now that she thought back to that morning. “A coffee shop.” Pulling away from Jual, she walked a few steps towards the side entrance.
“You mentioned the coffee shop the last time we talked. What’s so significant about that coffee shop?” he asked her. They were both loo
king across the street. There were pedestrians walking along, people milling about. He noticed that her eyes were squinting and he reached up, whipping his glasses off and nudging them over her eyes.
She smiled her thanks, briefly looking up at him but she moved her gaze back to the street. “Something isn’t the same,” she told him, still staring at the coffee shop.
“What isn’t the same?” His team had researched the area, trying to find clues. Everything seemed the same according to the pictures of the crime scene. More people, of course.
“No. Something isn’t right,” she said, shaking her head.
His body was alert and he squinted around at the area, trying to see it through her eyes. He called out to one of his guards and immediately a file was put into his hand. Opening it, he looked at the pictures, rifling through them, comparing the scenes in the pictures to the reality of the day in front of him.
“Everything is the same, Sonya,” he reiterated. “The shops are open, just as they were that day. The vendor across the street has different items in his store window, but…” he rubbed his chin, looking at the pictures, then around at the reality in front of him. “Everything else is the same except for the people around.”
She stood very still, her mind going over the details in her mind.
He watched her carefully and knew that she was on to something. What that detail was, he couldn’t fathom.
“Think back, Sonya,” he coached. “What had you eaten for breakfast?”
She closed her eyes and he automatically reached out to hold her steady. Sonya tried to remember but something wasn’t right. “Coffee,” she told him. “I’d just had a cup of coffee while reviewing the map of the city.”
That admission bothered him. “Why didn’t you eat something more substantial?”
Her smile softened as she looked up at him. “Because I’d read that there was a fabulous falafel vendor over by the coast. I was going to have that for lunch and didn’t want to spoil my appetite by eating a big, hotel breakfast.”
He knew of the vendor. The food the guy made really was good. “So you were thinking about lunch. A street ven…”
“That’s it!” she interrupted. Looking away from him, she scanned the area. “There was a coffee vendor over on the corner. I remember thinking that the coffee shop owner would probably be angry that there was someone invading the corner, stealing customers.”
Jual stiffened, his hand tightening as he looked in the direction she was pointing. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. Positive. The man was over there and serving coffee.” She looked up into his eyes, craning her neck since he was still holding her close beside him. “Remember yesterday I was asking if the coffee-shop coffee would be better than the hotel coffee?” She didn’t wait for his nod. “Well, there was a street vendor over there. The push cart was green. Or blue. Or maybe a bit of both,” she said, closing her eyes and trying to think back.
Jual took his hand away from her waist so he could flip through the pictures once again. There was no coffee vendor in any of the pictures. Not on the corner or even some guy pushing his cart away from the area.
He turned to one of his guards, telling him to go through the video footage taken from the banks and various shop owners with security cameras. “Look for a vendor pushing a cart. Get me an ID on whoever it was.”
There was activity all around her now and Sonya wrapped her arms around her waist, nervous and fascinated.
Jual pulled her closer again, wrapping his arm around her waist and kissing the top of her head. “That’s great, honey. No mention of a street vendor came up in our investigation.”
She looked up at him, worried. “I hope it is the piece you’re looking for.”
He nodded his head. “I do too.” He lifted her into his arms. “Come on,” he urged, knowing she was still nervous. “You never got to experience Abdel’s falafel. It’s just as good as everyone says.”
He gently tucked her into the SUV and then climbed in after her. Giving an order to his driver, he relaxed, his mind sifting through the details. There was a flurry of e-mails coming in to him, but he ignored all of them, trying to work things out in his mind.
This was good. She’d given them another lead to follow, something that they’d missed before.
He’d known that she’d be instrumental in figuring this out.
Now he just had to figure her out.
He should be a gentleman and send her home. But he wasn’t that good of a man. Besides, something was telling him that she was still needed. Yes, he couldn’t ignore that instinct inside of him that told him to keep her near. He would definitely listen to that voice in his head. The only times he’d ever gotten in trouble was when he’d ignored that instinct.
He wouldn’t do that again.
Chapter 4
“Oh my, this is good!” she laughed as she took another bite of the falafel. The spicy mustard and tangy citrus flavors on top of the fried garbanzo bean patty were amazing! She sipped the local wine, savoured the taste as well as the glorious sunshine. “I can’t imagine a more beautiful day than today,” she sighed happily. “Thank you for taking me here.”
Jual leaned back in his chair. He’d bought her a pair of sunglasses and taken his own back. The pair she was wearing now fit her delicate features better but he might have done himself a disservice. The sunglasses shaded her eyes from the sunshine but they also kept him from seeing those pretty, blue eyes of hers. He liked seeing her eyes. She was so open, so trusting.
So why did he still think she was hiding something from him? There was definitely a secret. She wouldn’t be glancing away from him if she were telling him everything about herself.
“Are you ready for our next stop?” he asked.
She looked up at him. “Don’t you have to work?”
“Who says I’m not working now?” he came right back.
She laughed. “Because you’re relaxed. And I suspect you don’t relaxed very often.”
He was startled by her observation but still took her hand, leading her out of the park and back to the line of SUVs. “You’re not afraid of heights, are you?” he asked as the vehicles pulled away from the curb.
The SUV drove through the city and she wondered where they might be heading now. “No. I’m not afraid of heights. Are you going to clue me in to where we’re going?”
He smiled slightly but shook his head. “No. You’ll just have to sit and wait.”
When the SUV drove through the gates of a private airfield, Sonya wasn’t sure what to think. Off to the side of the airfield, a massive helicopter that stood, ready and waiting. That definitely wasn’t what she’d been expecting.
“Come,” he said and took her hand. “Can you walk?”
Sonya nodded. Her legs were getting stronger all the time. “Yes. I can walk, but not as fast as you,” she admitted. Her legs were tired after the morning’s activities, and she blushed just thinking about that time in the alcove.
Thankfully, there were guards all around them, several stepping into the helicopter while others stood guard with their backs to the massive machine.
She stepped into the thing and took a seat, impressed with the soft leather. She’d always pictured helicopters to be the military type with mesh seats supported by metal frames, equipment all over the walls and floors. This one was luxurious and quiet. The helicopter took off and Sonya held on, fascinated and excited as the earth pulled away from them. Moments later, they were moving forward at a fast rate, the earth far below and just a blur as they sped through the air towards some mysterious destination.
The flight was longer than she’d anticipated but they finally touched down in a strange looking building that she hadn’t even seen until they were almost upon it. The walls of the fortress were camouflaged by the rocks and boulders, the mountain jutting out in certain areas, making the walls seem to be almost a part of the earth.
When they stepped out, she was weak with the excitement and Jual simply l
ifted her into his arms.
“I can walk,” she told him, trying to be strong but her voice sounded breathless, even to her own ears.
“I know. But I like carrying you.”
She almost laughed at his serious expression but contained herself. He carried her through some doors and down a long hallway, the air almost cold now. Were they underground?
But then he walked out into the sunshine again and Sonya gasped at the beauty around her. He carefully set her down on her feet as they both stared out at the horizon. There were mountains on all sides, the blue of the sky almost blinding against the red and black mountains. Jutting boulders and plateaus added a surreal feeling to the landscape. And silence. Absolute silence!
“It’s beautiful here,” she whispered, not wanting to disturb the quiet.
“I come here to unwind.”
She looked up at him, saw his hard profile as he looked out towards the mountains. This was a man she could easily fall in love with.
The thought startled her so badly, she jerked away from him, causing his gaze to shift from the mountains to her face and she turned away.
Love? She couldn’t fall in love with this man! It was a horrific thought!
Sonya would never do something so stupid as to fall in love with a man she’d known for a little over twenty-four hours. This man moved through the world as if he owned it. And he most likely did own a great deal of the world.
Meanwhile, she was a schoolteacher. She lived a humble life, enjoyed her job and planting flowers each spring. That was her life. Not this desert prince. She would return home, most likely tomorrow, and go back to the real world. Her small house was probably a mess after being neglected for so long. There would be dust everywhere, laundry to wash, lesson plans to…
Jual kissed her. And God help her, she couldn’t pull away. There was just something about him that called to her, made her need him in a strange way that she didn’t completely understand.