Royal Temptation: Protecting the Desert Princess / Virgin Princess, Tycoon’s Temptation / The Prince's Second Chance. Carol Marinelli

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      She didn’t. She moved into attack again and again, and suddenly they were game on.

      ‘I’m very thirsty, Mikael.’

      ‘Good,’ he said, refusing to allow her to distract him. ‘Shall I get up and run a tap?’

      She shot him a look and stood up. Usually nothing distracted Mikael, yet as she returned and repositioned herself a very ripe nipple might have done. Had he had his time again he would not have made the move that he did. Not that his face told her that, and he hoped she wouldn’t see the opening he had given her, but as he watched her fork him with her knight he realised she had.

      ‘Your phone is ringing,’ Layla pointed out as she sacrificed her queen.

      ‘So?’

      He let it go to voicemail as they played on, and soon her pawn had crossed the board and Layla had reclaimed her queen.

      She smiled at him, but it wasn’t returned for his phone was ringing again.

      ‘What the hell does Demyan want?’ Mikael’s voice was irritated.

      ‘How do you know it is Demyan?’ she asked as he stood.

      ‘He has his own ringtone.’

      ‘That’s sweet!’ she said, and watched as he took the call.

      The vague irritation in his expression disappeared and his face snapped to impassivity. She had a growing sense of unease as Mikael spoke in length to Demyan in Russian.

      ‘What did he want?’ she asked when he ended the call, and when he did not answer her straight away she knew that something was wrong. ‘Is it the baby?’

      ‘The baby’s fine,’ Mikael said.

      But just as she relaxed he took her hands, and she knew she was going to hear bad news.

      ‘Layla, Demyan and Alina were so curious about you that they looked you up. Your disappearance has just hit the press. The police are looking for you…’

      ‘No…’ she whimpered. ‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘They won’t find me here.’

      ‘Yes, Layla, they will,’ he said. ‘The staff at the hotel will recognise you, and the booking was under my name. This is serious now.’

      He let go of her hands, turned on the television and found the news.

      There she was: black eyes, black hair, and a face that was unforgettable.

      The police could be there in a matter of moments.

      ‘We need to get you back.’

      When she didn’t respond he elaborated.

      ‘Layla, it will be better for you if you return under your own steam than have the police find you.’

      ‘One more night,’ Layla begged. ‘Mikael, please, I just want one more night.’

      She was not manipulating him now; instead she was pleading.

      ‘Just one more night and then I promise that I will go back happy. I will never interrupt your life again, Mikael, if you will please just give me one more night.’

      ‘One more night…’ he said. ‘We’ll take out my yacht…’

      He was already loading a cool bag with supplies: champagne, fine food—anything he could think of to give Layla the very best final night.

      ‘Go and get dressed and sort out the clothes that you’ll return to your family in.’

      ‘Mikael?’ She frowned. ‘I’ll get changed here, tomorrow, after our night.’

      ‘We won’t be coming back here, Layla. If we’re going to leave then it has to be now.’

      It was the most horrible thing she had ever heard, and she simply did not now how to respond.

      ‘Layla?’ He was very calm; he could see how much she was struggling. ‘Come on,’ he said, deciding to find clothes for her. Just now it had nothing to do with her being a princess that she could not dress herself.

      She was simply trying not to break down.

      They were heading to his car in a matter of moments.

      ‘Mikael…?’ She said as he opened the passenger door for her.

      ‘You’re not driving.’

      ‘No, of course not.’ She was suddenly serious. ‘Tonight, if I tell you to make love to me, if I plead with you that I don’t care, please…’

      ‘You’ll be fine, Layla.’

      She would be—he knew that.

      But only for as long as she was in his care.

       CHAPTER THIRTEEN

      IT FELT LIKE the last night on earth.

      Mikael sailed the yacht till it was far enough from his home that he was satisfied they would not easily be found, and then dropped anchor in a pretty cove.

      He looked over to where she stood, leaning on the rail and looking out to the view, and he wondered how he could possibly give her the night of her dreams while knowing that tomorrow she’d be gone.

      She could feel his eyes on her as she looked out at the view, at the gorgeous red sky. The next sunset she saw would no doubt be on her way back to Ishla.

      Why had Zahid let her father know?

      Tears stung her eyes because she had not wanted to hurt her father.

      She remembered her threats to Zahid and Trinity that she would go to an embassy—she would never have done that, though. All she had wanted was a week.

      ‘It is beautiful,’ she said as Mikael came and joined her. But not even a sunset could soothe the hurt. Instead it made her want to cry. ‘Why did they have to tell my father? Why did the police have to get involved?’

      ‘I would guess they were very worried last night, when I didn’t text and say that you were okay until so late.’

      ‘I should have called and let you know that I was safe,’ Layla admitted. ‘It truly never entered my head. If I had had a phone there were a few times I would have liked to call you to tell you what was happening, but I don’t have one.’

      ‘I know,’ he said, and put his arm around her shoulders. He looked out to the night and wished he could take away their row.

      It had been no one’s fault—she didn’t know about public phones and, after all, he had told her not to ring him unless it was an emergency.

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