Protecting His Princess. C.J. Miller
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Название: Protecting His Princess
Автор: C.J. Miller
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Короткие любовные романы
Серия: Mills & Boon Romantic Suspense
isbn: 9781472015914
isbn:
The man looked between her and Harris a few times. She stepped closer to Harris, unsure if the man was considering mugging them or stealing the shoes. It struck her as odd, since the shoes weren’t remarkable or expensive. Whatever the nameless man was thinking, he decided to leave them alone and hurried in the direction of the shoe stall.
“That was strange,” Laila said.
Harris made a noncommittal sound.
Was that conversation some coded exchange of information? “You bought those ugly shoes—” The guard was hanging on to every word, and Laila stopped her train of thought.
Harris’s eyes widened slightly. “Hey, they are not ugly.”
For a moment, she worried she’d offended him. Then she saw the amused gleam in his eyes. What good were ugly shoes? Was he trying to smuggle something inside them? Laila hadn’t seen him pick up anything and put it inside the shoes. Did he have a gun stashed somewhere? Would he risk it, knowing they’d be searched, and if caught, they’d be in danger? American spy movies had her imagination running untamed.
“Whatever you say,” Laila said. “Don’t think you’re wearing them to the wedding.”
“But I bought a pair for you so we’d match.”
She scrunched up her face. “Gee, thanks. I’ll return the favor sometime. Maybe you’d like to wear matching head scarves.”
Harris let out a bark of laughter. “Perhaps. I wonder what your family would think of that.”
They’d think he was crazy. His blue eyes shone in the sun. He was a beautiful, captivating man. One who could make her think he had feelings for her, who could make her believe their romance was real. No matter how Harris looked at her or how he treated her, she had to keep their objective at the front of her mind. He was in Qamsar to find and stop a terrorist. He wasn’t interested in falling in love, least of all with her. “If you dressed like a woman, my family would have questions,” she said.
Harris grinned at her and molten heat rolled through her.
“I’m ready to leave whenever you are. The heat is getting to me,” Harris said, plucking at his shirt.
Based on his nonchalant response, she was alone in feeling the chemistry between them. She refocused on the mission. If Harris had been in the souk for information, except for his strange and brief interaction with a man offering to buy the shoes, Laila hadn’t seen anything unusual. She couldn’t have explained the purpose or reason for the interaction if questioned.
If anyone asked her what she and Harris did in the souk, she could tell the truth. He’d bought presents for his family, a bracelet for her, a gift for her mother and ugly shoes. The driver would corroborate her story.
“I’ll call my mother and see if she’s ready for our visit,” Laila said.
Laila took out her cell phone and dialed her mother.
Her mother answered on the second ring. “I was hoping you would call again. I missed your first call by ten minutes.”
Laila’s chest filled with happiness at the thought of seeing her mother. “Harris and I are finished at the souk. Are we too early for dinner? I wouldn’t mind extra time to visit with you.” She and her mother had kept in touch over the phone and with almost daily emails, but talking in person was better.
“I can’t wait to see you. I’ve been calling you, but the calls went straight to voice mail,” Iba said.
“The signal is sometimes weak here,” Laila said.
“I’d love to have you over, but didn’t Mikhail tell you?” Iba asked.
Laila’s stomach knotted. “Tell me what?”
“He’s invited guests in town for the wedding to the compound tonight. He has a special announcement. I don’t know what it is. I was getting ready to leave now.” Her mother sounded reserved and tense.
A special announcement sounded ominous. Maybe it was something to do with the wedding, or maybe it was another opportunity for Mikhail to make a declaration about how he planned to keep his family under his thumb. More monitoring. More check-ins. More rules. “Okay, then we’ll see you there.”
Dread and worry heavy in her stomach, Laila said goodbye to her mother and disconnected the call. “Change of plans. Mikhail is having a dinner and making a special announcement tonight.”
The corners of Harris’s mouth turned down. He addressed the driver. “Sounds like we need to return to the compound.”
The driver glanced at his watch and nodded. “It would be offensive to be late.”
Why hadn’t Mikhail mentioned anything when he’d stopped by her room earlier in the day? If the news was bad, maybe he didn’t want to give her a chance to run. What if Mikhail’s special announcement was her engagement to one of his lackeys?
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