“Good answer. Let’s go.”
Samir al Qadi loved women,but he was usually very careful in selecting his partners. Any relationship he entered into required a level of discretion, a respect for his position with the royal family, and so he took great care when deciding whom he wanted to take as a lover. Usually, there were discreet dates and a thorough investigation by his security officer and close friend, Rami.
But tonight, the raven-haired beauty with the enormous eyes and ambivalent expression had called to him from the moment he’d seen her. She was a contradiction. Confident and intelligent at the same time as frail and somehow vulnerable. She spoke to his inner-warrior, to the part of Samir that craved to rescue those in need, with her vulnerable eyes and thoughtful lips. She was also incredibly stunning, and he desired her strongly enough to want to push aside all his usual scruples.
The latter had won out, and as she walked down the alleyway, he had to fight an urge to lift her over his shoulder and move faster, faster, towards his limousine.
At the edge of the street, she stopped walking, hesitating a moment before looking up at him. The vixen was gone, the vulnerable wraith was in her place.
“Is something the matter?”
She hesitated, then shook her head slightly. “I just wanted to thank you.”
“What for?”
“Getting me out of there,” she said softly, with a rueful half smile.
“If you hate events like this so much, why come?”
“I told you—,”
“To support a friend, yes, you did. But surely if the person is a true friend, they would want to avoid putting you through something that pains you?”
“They don’t really know,” she said with a lift of her shoulders. “But I’m glad to be leaving.”
His eyes narrowed as he considered her words and then, he tilted his head slightly, a small gesture, but it was sufficient to draw the attention of Rami, who began to move the car into position. It was seamless, as all things in Sheikh Samir al Qadi’s life tended to be. While he didn’t bear the duty of reigning, he was still accorded with the life of royalty, his position in the government one of birthright and skill. He was also singularly wealthy, his investments as a young man having paid off, so independent of his royal life, he had accrued billions of pounds.
“That’s impressive,” she said, of the car’s rapid appearance, drawing his gaze back to her face. His grin was spontaneous.
He hadn’t come here expecting to meet anyone. In fact, after a slightly public affair recently, he’d intended to take a break from dating altogether. But this woman was…different. Besides, what harm could come from one night?
Inside his limousinewas just as sumptuous as she might have expected. Luxurious black leather seats, tinted windows, wood panel interior and plenty of space, only, with this large beast of a man beside her, it didn’t quite feel like it. She was conscious of his every move. Conscious of his breath, his weight, his size, his woody, masculine scent. Conscious of the way her blood was rushing too fast and her heart beating too loudly, her mouth too dry. Now that she was in the car, she couldn’t believe she’d escaped the art gallery opening with a stranger.
Well, not even a stranger, worse, someone her brothers and cousins knew well.
Aprince!
Panic briefly took the edge off her rush of pleasure. For someone who assiduously avoided being photographed, going anywhere with a man like this was a recipe for disaster. What if they were snapped together? It would stir up weeks of speculation—exactly the kind of thing Cora desperately tried to avoid these days.
“Where are we going?” She asked, pleased when her voice emerged calm, despite the sudden torrent of nerves.
“My hotel.”
She bit into her lower lip. That was bad news. Hotels had lobbies. Elevators that other people used. And with a famous Sheikh in residence, no doubt some lurking photographers and busybodies.
“Problem?”
Her brows furrowed. “My place would be better,” she said.
“Why?”
“More private.”
His brows lifted but then, with a small nod, “What’s your address?”
She gave it to him, and he passed it to the driver. Silence fell.
They looked at one another, her pulse racing, his grin spreading, so that it caught at the corners of her lips and suddenly, she was smiling too.