He guided her down the hallway with a light touch to her lower back. She looked over her shoulder and met his eyes. His smile revealed that he knew exactly what he was doing to her. He said, “I’m not supposed to be in the women’s quarters, and you can’t sleep in my suite until we’re married. This week can’t pass fast enough for me.”
Me either.
See, that’s not helping.
I have to be stronger than that.
We need to stop this before one of us forgets how impossible this situation is and that we are wrong for each other.
They didn’t make it to the end of the hallway before Rachid stopped and backed her against the wall. “One last kiss to tide me over.”
His lips swept down and claimed hers again. She wrapped her arms around his neck.
I’m definitely going to set him straight.
Later.
Chapter Twelve
“I told Abby you didn’t want to be rescued!” Dominic cursed for a long, colorful moment. One side of his face was red, and there was a beginning of a bruise developing around one of his eyes.
Rachid stood beside Zhang, his hand still resting lightly on her lower back. Tension held her muscles tight, the only indication that his future wife was uncomfortable in the face of Dominic’s anger. Rachid said, “Calm yourself, Dominic.”
“Was a phone call too much to ask for? I don’t care what you do with your life, Zhang, but you had everyone upset.”
Zhang said, “Dominic, I’m—”
Feeling fiercely protective suddenly, Rachid said, “The fault is mine, Dom.” He took a deep breath and reminded himself of his friend’s good intentions. “I do appreciate your loyalty to Zhang.”
Something in his tone reached Dominic. He said, “You can thank me by telling these goons to put their weapons down.”
Rachid nodded at the guardsmen and they reluctantly pointed their rifles to the floor. He studied his friend’s face and said, “You’re lucky you didn’t get killed. These men have orders to protect the royal family at all costs.”
Dominic rubbed his swelling face and glared at one of the guards. “Some enjoy that job more than others.”
Rachid made note of what Dominic said. He would talk to the head of security later. “Leave us,” he said to the guards.
They hesitated.
Rachid repeated the order. “I said—leave us.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” one said, and the others echoed his words.
As the guard on his left passed, Dominic’s fist flew up in a backward blow that connected with the man’s face and sent him stumbling to the side. The two other guards jumped in reaction but were halted by a command Rachid issued in Arabic. “This man is a guest and one who has not been treated well in his short stay. Do not confuse the volume of my voice with leniency. I have more of my father in me than you know. You would be wise to remember that.”
His warning gained the respect his mere presence should have. The guards bowed in apology and made a hasty retreat.
Zhang shook her head and said, “I have to learn Arabic.”
Dominic brushed a speck of something off his jacket arm as if he were brushing off the offensive presence of those who had left. He said, “Some things don’t require translation. At least now I know he wasn’t acting on your orders.” There was still an angry light in his eyes. “That doesn’t make us even though, Rachid. You went too far this time.”
Rachid met his friend’s anger with confidence and spoke from his heart. “I went exactly as far as I needed to go, Dom. I’m fighting for my family here. You can help or you can leave, but be warned that I am capable of going much further if the situation requires it. When it comes to protecting those I care about, my morality is—flexible. This is something you should understand well.”
Dominic appeared to weigh this new side of a friend he thought he knew. “Is it safe to bring Abby here? Because there is no way she is not going to want to attend your wedding.”
“My security will be at your disposal,” Rachid assured him.
Dominic touched the growing bruise on one of his temples and let the action express his faith in how that would work out for him.
Rachid said, “There will be no repeat of today. I’ll make sure of that. If told to, my men would die to protect you.”
Dominic nodded but added, “I’d still like to bring a few of my own people. Just in case.”
“Of course,” Rachid said. “I will have a section of the palace prepared for you. You may set it up with whatever security you wish.” A thought occurred to him and he asked, “You came alone today?”
Dominic merely smiled. “Yes, this was personal.”
Rachid laughed. “You are one crazy bastard.”
Dominic smiled. “Hey, I’m not the one marrying Zhang. Do you know she sent a squadron of men with machine guns to my island?”
She what? He’d heard bits and pieces of that story at the wedding but hadn’t made the connection to the small woman at his side. It was difficult to reconcile the image of her gloriously naked and playfully laughing with him on his plane, with the knowledge that she was one of the few people on the planet who had ever taken Dominic on directly. It’s likely she would have won had Abby not called her off.
Zhang smiled up at his frown as if she knew his thoughts and was enjoying his moment of discomfort. He unleashed his change of temper on his friend. “You will speak of her with respect, Dominic, or you will not be welcome in my home.”
Dominic’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “She’s not that easy to offend.”
Rachid’s hand dropped from Zhang’s back and he stepped toward Dominic aggressively. “I am.”
Zhang asked, sounding somewhat amused, “Is this really necessary?”
Absolutely.
Rachid said, “This doesn’t concern you, Zhang.”
“I’d say it does,” she said sarcastically.
Rachid deliberately invaded Dominic’s personal space and said, “Dom and I are clarifying a few things.”
Dominic held his friend’s angry look, then his face relaxed into a smile and he put a hand on Rachid’s shoulder. “Okay,” he said and nodded.
And just like that, the storm passed.
Rachid mirrored his gesture, then stepped back and said, “Come, Dominic. My father will want to meet you.”
He returned to Zhang’s side and guided her down one of the hallways. He felt her glance at him repeatedly and knew she wanted to say something to him. He bent to her level as they walked so she could share without being overheard.
She said, “I don’t need you to protect me.”
His hand caressed her lower back as she spoke. “As my wife, you will always be under my protection. Your honor is my honor. Dominic understands that now.”
She stiffened beneath his touch. “And if I want to fight my own battles?”
Rachid smiled. “Then we will spend many nights making up until you understand our ways.” The thought sent a wave of excitement through him. “Which may not be a bad thing.”
Zhang glared at him, but he saw the answering passion behind her mask of strength.
He handed her off to one of the guards, who he instructed in Arabic to bring her back to her quarters. “It’s not necessary to lock her in,” he added and found his own directions reassuring.
In English, he said, “Zhang, there is a phone across the hall from your room. You may make all the calls you require.”
He wasn’t sure what to think of the smile she flashed him as she said, “How kind of you.”
He watched her walk away, mesmerized by the gentle sway of her hips, and told himself he wasn’t disappointed that she didn’t turn around one last time before she disappeared around the corner.
Dominic rocked back on his heels thoughtfully and said, “You’re playing with fire with that one, Rachid.”
Rachid glared at his amused friend. “I know what I’m doing.”
Dominic shook his head and put a supportive ha
nd on his friend’s shoulder. “I’m becoming quite reflective as I get older, and I just realized that love and loss share some of the same stages. You are definitely in denial.”
“I’m not in love,” Rachid said curtly.
Dominic laughed. “Famous last words. Come on, let’s go see your father. I have a honeymoon to return to.”
As they walked, Rachid said, “You’re wrong this time, Dominic.”
Like the rest of the palace, the king’s suite was a combination of old-world workmanship and modern luxury. He was a wealthy man who used part of his private quarters to entertain political leaders from around the world, so his sitting room was a cream-and-gold showpiece. He smiled when he saw his son and waved for Rachid and his friends to enter. “I see you have brought me more company,” Amir said, gesturing toward the other men in the room. “I would have ordered entertainment had I known the celebrations were starting this soon.”
Rachid said, “Father, I should have told you . . .”
His father dismissed his son’s concerns with a wave of his hand. “Don’t worry, Son, I am finding each guest more interesting than the last.” He sat and encouraged the group to take seats. Only one did. Amir gestured to the older man who had taken the seat to his right. “Mr. Andrade and his son, Stephan, are here to discuss a possible business opportunity. Mr. Walton says that he received a disturbing text from a friend he thought was in danger, but who I see now is . . .” He paused as he took in the bruises on Dominic’s face, then added, “No longer a point of concern.”
Dominic scowled at Jake. “It took you long enough to get here.” When he saw the half-eaten plate of fruit in front of his business partner, he asked sarcastically, “How was lunch?”
Jake didn’t look bothered by his friend’s irritation. “I was in London when I found out you’d come here. You’re lucky that I was already on my way when I received your text.”
“Lucky?” Dominic asked. “My version of a rescue mission doesn’t include a snack.”
Jake smiled. “Diplomacy, Dominic. I wasn’t leaving without you.”
Dominic turned to the blond man in the room and boomed out another question: “Did you come to save me, too, Stephan?”
Stephan took a moment to study the marks on Dominic’s face and his mouth twitched with humor he tried to contain. “I was invited. I’m not sure what happened to you, but my visit has been quite pleasant so far.”
Dominic reached forward and grabbed the man by his shirt collar. Instead of cowering as some might have, Stephan burst out laughing. “Dominic, I can’t . . . I can’t pretend the idea of you being held by Najriad’s royal security isn’t funny.”
When Dominic’s left hand pulled back to punch the humor out of his old adversary, Stephan only laughed more and raised one hand in a mockery of defending himself. “Remember your sister, Dom. She doesn’t like it when we fight.”
With a grunt of frustration, Dominic shoved a still-smiling Stephan away from him. “You’ll push me too far one day, Stephan.”
Stephan straightened his clothing, not looking the least bit concerned. “Is it my fault that you’re so easy to bait?”
Jake moved between the two men. “This isn’t helping anyone.”
Stephan said, “Five minutes ago you found humor in the situation. Don’t pretend you didn’t.”
Rachid stepped into the mix. “Perhaps we should move on to a less exciting topic.”
Jake said, “Like what we’re all doing here? I left Lil in London, but she’s worried about Zhang.”
Rachid said, “There’s no reason for anyone to be concerned. Zhang and I will marry this weekend.”
Jake said, “I’d like to see her if it’s possible.”
Dominic said, “I met with her. She’s not doing it under duress.”
Rachid’s father said, “Of course you are all welcome to attend the wedding to see for yourselves.”
Stephan said, “Are you sure Najriad can handle two visits from Dominic?”
Dominic made an ugly sound in his throat. “Rachid, let Stephan meet your security. Please.”
Rachid laughed.
Victor Andrade entered the testosterone-filled conversation from his seat, gently admonishing his son. “Stephan, enough. King Amir will think I raised you with no manners.”
The king laughed in sympathy with his fellow father. “I have two sons. If no blood is spilled, I’m not usually concerned.”
Victor joined his laughter. “Isn’t it difficult to turn the reins over when they still sound like schoolboys at times?”
Amir met his son’s eyes across the room and said, “I admit to moments of concern in the past, but my son impresses me more with each passing day.”
Feeling much younger than his thirty years, Rachid straightened with pride. For the first time since his father had summoned him home, he began to think he might save Najriad after all.
A short time later, Stephan and his father stood and shook hands with the king and Rachid. Stephan said, “Thank you. We have all of the information we need, and we’ll send you over some proposals based on what we discussed earlier.”
Victor said, “We don’t expect a quick response since this is sure to be a busy week for your family. Please contact either of us if you have any questions.”
As Stephan passed Dominic, he said, “Do you need a ride home?”
Dominic shook his head and said, “Say hello to Nicole for me.”
Victor shook Dominic’s hand warmly and said, “Will you return to the States before the weekend?”
Dominic said, “I’ll be joining Abby in London for a few days.”
Rachid called two guards over to walk Stephan and his father out.
Lil Dartley answered her phone on the fourth ring, sounding as flustered as she normally did, which was oddly reassuring. Parts of Zhang’s world might be entirely upside down, but Lil was proof that some of it was still intact.
“Lil,” Zhang started but was quickly overridden by her friend.
“Oh, my God, Zhang! Are you all right?” Lil raised her voice and said loudly, “Abby, it’s Zhang!”
Zhang groaned. “I was hoping to speak with you privately.”
Lil made a dramatic correction to her sister. “No, no, I didn’t say Zhang. I said . . . Stan?”
Zhang heard Abby say, “You are the world’s worst liar, Lil. If that’s Zhang, can you ask her if she’s okay? Then I’ll leave you alone to talk to her.”
Lil said nothing for a moment and then said, “This feels like one of those trick questions. If I ask her how she’s doing you’re going to know it’s Zhang.”
Abby said, “I already do.”
Lil’s voice deepened with irritation. “She wants to talk to me privately.”
“What if she needs help and only has one minute to tell us before they catch her?”
In a rush, Lil said, “Oh, shit, I didn’t think of that. Zhang, are you okay? Say something.”
Zhang smiled into the phone. “I miss you two.” She rolled her eyes in resignation. “Put me on speakerphone.”
Abby said, “Dom and I were in South America when we saw the photos. What happened, Zhang? The news said that you were taken against your will. We tried to contact you and when you didn’t answer your phone I knew something was wrong. Dominic sent me to London to meet up with Lil and went on to Najriad.”
Lil said, “Jake should be there by now, too.”
Zhang said, “I only saw Dominic.”
Abby said, “And he’s fine? He was so angry I was afraid he was going to do something dangerous and get himself killed.”
Zhang remembered the bruises on his face but kept that to herself. Abby would only worry more. “He and Rachid were going to see his father when I left them.”
Lil said, “Knowing Jake, he is probably having lunch with the king.” Zhang had to admit that Lil’s guess was probably right on target. If Jake was in Najriad, he would be smoothing things over.
Too late to save her, but sweet
nonetheless.
Abby said, “I hated to see him go, but I’ll never forget how you came for me when I needed you.” She paused, then asked, “If you’re not in any danger, why didn’t you answer your phone?”
Lil reluctantly added, “I have her phone.”
Abby’s voice rose as she asked, “You have her phone and you didn’t tell me? Wait, why do you have Zhang’s phone?” She directed her next question to Zhang. “Why does she have your phone?”
Zhang opened her mouth to answer, but as usual, the Americans supplied their own answers. Abby said, “Lil, what did you do?”
Lil said, “I may have dared her to kiss Rachid.”
Abby sighed. “Lil, how could you?”
Lil defended herself. “I just said ‘kiss.’ I don’t know what they were doing in that photo, but none of that was my fault.”
Zhang cut in. “Abby, don’t blame your sister. I took the dare. I left with Rachid. Neither of us noticed the photographer. Lil’s idea just got a little out of hand.”
“That’s nothing new,” Abby said. “Lil, you ruined my honeymoon.”
Lil didn’t sound contrite when she answered, “You can afford another one. How many chances was Zhang going to have to kiss a hot sheikh?”
During the ensuing pause in the sisters’ conversation, Zhang said, “I am sorry about your honeymoon, Abby. I know this will delay it even further, but I’m calling to invite both of you to a wedding dinner on Saturday.”
For one blissful moment, both women were quiet. Then Lil burst out, “Are you getting married, Zhang?”
Zhang almost laughed at the excitement in the young woman’s voice.
Abby sounded much more cautious. “Is this what you want, Zhang? If it’s not, we can fix this. I don’t know how, but I’m sure there is something we can do.”
Lil said, “I have to hear how he proposed! It must have been amazing for you to say yes.”
Abby said, “Lil, she didn’t know him before our wedding. Do you honestly think they are in love?”
Lil defended her enthusiasm. “You decided to marry Dominic after a week.”
The Legacy Collection Box Set Page 46