“I suppose so,” he answered in a quiet voice. “I know I am heaping all this on you so soon. And you don’t have to say anything.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Should you ever return my affections, I know it will be when I am worthy of them.” His voice was like velvet, and her temperature spiked. “Goodnight, habibti, I will see you tomorrow.”
Unable to speak, she watched him in silence as he walked away from her. She wanted to say it back. Her heart cried out. Her wolf was desperately scratching at her. But the words wouldn’t come out. It felt disingenuous to say it to him, when she wasn’t all in. When she was still reminded of her feelings for Cross. Or what her feelings had been, because even now, she couldn’t even recall feeling so deeply for her friend.
She touched the spot on her forehead where he pressed his lips, an ache inside her growing. Oh, Karim. It was Karim, it was always him.
As his limo pulled away, her gut clenched. “No!” She trotted down the steps, but came to a halt at the end of the sidewalk as she watched the vehicle grow smaller in the distance. Too late. Her inner wolf howled in disappointment, and for once, she felt the same.
As she walked back toward her house, she realized she should have said it back. Oh, why did she hesitate? Hopefully tomorrow won’t be too late.
Chapter Nineteen
Deedee chewed her lip as she waited in the limo outside The Plaza Hotel. For most of the day, all she wanted to do was rush here and see Karim, but unfortunately, she had other things to take care of, like trying to salvage her career and snagging tickets to the most sought-after show on Broadway for her, Karim, and Amaya. Sadly, the latter was the easier of those tasks to accomplish. She had called up the front desk of his hotel, and surprisingly, they patched her through when she identified herself. But Karim was out, so she spoke with his personal secretary, Vahid, and told him what she had planned for tonight. The polite young man assured her he would take care of arrangements, and they settled on a time for the limo to pick her up.
And now, here she was, waiting nervously for Karim and Amaya to come. The limo went directly to the rear entrance so as to avoid any paparazzi. When the door opened, her heart jumped.
“Good evening, Desiree.” That smoky, velvety voice caressed her skin like mink fur.
“Good evening,” she managed to croak back. She scooted over to the other end of the seat to give Karim enough room. “Where’s Amaya?”
“She forgot something upstairs, but she’ll be along.”
They would have a few minutes alone before Amaya joined them. Would this be the time to talk? Lord, he was so distractingly handsome in his dark suit, and she noticed that his beard was now trimmed neatly. It made her want to reach out and touch his face.
“Apologies that we have to use this entrance.” His nose wrinkled at the dumpsters just outside the window. “We’re lucky tonight that there aren’t many photographers camped outside. It’s probably because that singer and Australian actor split up, and she’s supposedly hiding out at The Mercer Hotel with her new beau.”
“I didn’t know you kept up with the gossip rags,” she teased.
“Only to use them to my advantage.” He frowned. “And I know there’s already been talk of Amaya. They will probably think she is my love child or something even more salacious.”
“We don’t have to go out, you know. We could just stay—”
“No.” His hand covered hers, the warmth sending an aching desire straight to her core. “You are right. I cannot shelter her forever and keep her a prisoner. Princesses are usually not allowed to study abroad and have normal lives, but I would like her to have that choice someday. But I must also prepare her.”
“Prepare her?” She echoed. “How?”
“I was out today, meeting with a PR firm here in New York. In the past, I have let the press do and say as they want, but no longer. I have retained their services so that we can control the story. An official press release will be out tomorrow which introduces Amaya to the world so that there will be no questions as to who she is.”
“That’s a wonderful idea.”
“I’m also mulling the idea of having an embassy here.” His tone was quiet, almost … hopeful?
“I—”
The door opened again, and Amaya bounding into the limo made her start and Karim move away. “Hello, Amaya.”
“Deedee!” The young girl scrambled into the empty spot in the middle of the seat. She opened up her small pink handbag which matched the dress she was wearing. “Here.” She handed her an envelope.
“Thank you, Amaya.” On the front of the envelope was her name.
“It’s a thank you card, I made it myself,” she said proudly. “Karim said it would be a good idea.”
“Thank you, it’s lovely. I’ll open it later.” She tucked it away in her purse.
“Where are we going?” Amaya asked. “Karim said you had a surprise.”
“Yes,” she said. “You’ll see when we get there.”
The limo drove south toward the theater district, weaving its way through the traffic as it approached Times Square. When they got to Fifty-fifth and Broadway, they stopped outside one of the many theaters in the area. The marquee was lit up and the posters plastered around showed a young woman on horseback, a crown on her head as she stretched a bow in her hand.
“The Last Princess?” Amaya’s brows furrowed together. “What’s that?”
“This is a Broadway show based on a movie about Princess Arya.”
Her nose wrinkled. “And who is this princess?”
“She’s only the most amazing girl ever.” Amaya must really have been sheltered because The Last Princess was a classic animated movie that came out almost three decades ago. It was only last year that it came to Broadway and became a smashing success, so much so that it was booked out months in advance. However, with the right connections, getting the tickets hadn’t taken much effort.
“What makes this princess so amazing?” Amaya sniffed. Obviously, she was not impressed. Deedee wondered if she miscalculated. Maybe real princesses weren’t fans of fictional ones.
“I’m sure it is a good story,” Karim interjected. “Tell us more about this Princess Arya.”
“She can do anything,” Deedee declared. “She can shoot bows, fight with a sword, ride horses, outwit bridge trolls, and she even rescues a prince.”
“Rescues the prince from what?”
“An evil … er,” she shot Karim an apologetic look. “A dragon.”
Karim looked amused. “Sounds like an interesting show.”
“But dragons aren’t evil!” Amaya shook her head. “Why would a dragon kidnap anyone?”
“It’s just a story, little one,” Karim assured her. “You will enjoy it.”
“I probably should have picked another show.” Deedee rubbed her palm on her forehead. “Sorry, I didn’t think—”
“It’s a wonderful surprise.” Karim reached over and pulled her hand from her face. “Thank you. I’m sure the tickets must have cost you a lot, and I should—”
“No, they were free,” she said. “Don’t worry, I know the right people.”
The limo door opened, and one of the Almoravid peeked inside to let them know it was okay to get out. Karim alighted first and helped Amaya out. When it was Deedee’s turn, Karim offered his hand, which she took, but instead of letting her go once she was out, he tucked it into the crook of his arm and led her into the theater, and she found she didn’t really want him to let go.
As soon as they entered and she pulled out their tickets, the ushers led them upstairs to one of the private boxes on the balcony. When the curtain parted, an older woman was already there, waiting for them.
“Good evening, Your Highness.” The woman bowed her head. “Welcome to our show. I’m Evie King, one of the executive producers of The Last Princess.”
“Good evening, Ms. King. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to watch your show.” Karim gave her a curt nod.
“This is my sister, Her Royal Highness, Princess Amaya of Zhobghadi.”
“How do you do, Your Highness?” Evie bowed to Amaya. “I hope you enjoy the show.”
“She’s not too fond of the idea of evil dragons, Evie,” Deedee said with a chuckle. “And to be honest, neither am I.”
“I suppose not. Deedee, I’m glad to see you home.” Evie came over to her and enfolded her in an embrace. “We were so worried about you.”
“Uh, thanks.”
“How do you know each other?” Karim asked.
“Close family friend,” Evie explained. “My husband works for her father. And my family is pledged to New York.”
“Ah.” A gleam of understanding crossed his face. “Thank you for the tickets.”
“You’re very welcome,” she said. “We are honored by your presence. And I assure you, this box is very private.”
“Evie was the original voice of Princess Arya,” Deedee explained.
“That was thirty years ago,” Evie said with a chuckle.
“She’s a great singer, actor, and composer. She’s an EGOT, you know?”
“A what?”
“Hey, what’s shaking, Aunt Evie?” The curtain had opened behind them and Jacob walked in, Delacroix following behind. Though Deedee had ridden in Karim’s limo, her two shadows followed behind in their car as usual. Seeing as she wasn’t really in any danger, she wasn’t sure why they still insisted on guarding her, but she was already used to their presence. Also, it wasn’t like she could keep them away at this point. Last night, she had forgotten about them and locked her door before they could come in, but this morning she found them on her couch, Jacob eating the last of her cereal and Delacroix flipping through the channels on her TV.
“Hello, Jacob. I’m doing well. I had dinner with your mother the other night.” Evie kissed him on the cheek. “You should call her.”
“Awww …” Jacob scratched his head.
“Aunt?” Karim asked.
“My husband and Jacob’s dad are brothers,” Evie explained.
“Jacob was the one who got the tickets,” Deedee added. “Thanks, by the way.”
“Meh.” Jacob waved her away and then sank down in one of the chairs in the box. “What time does this thing end?”
Evie laughed. “The boys never did like Princess Arya. Not even my son was impressed, and he hated it when his classmates asked him for my autograph.”
“I for one, am happy to be here.” Delacroix sat down beside Jacob. “Thank you for the opportunity, Ms. King. I have never been to a Broadway show before.”
“Oh, you’ll love it,” Evie said. “All right, curtains up in ten, I should get backstage. Enjoy the show!” With a final wave, she walked out of the box.
“This really is wonderful.” Karim motioned for them to sit on the three front seats. “Thank you.”
“I hope you enjoy it,” she told Amaya. “It’s one of my favorite stories from when I was a kid.”
They sat down, making small talk until the house lights dimmed. Finally, the orchestra began to play the overture, and Deedee found herself humming to the familiar melody of the Princess Arya soundtrack. She smiled to herself, remembering how she would drive her father and brothers crazy, as she always wanted to play it all the time.
A sudden pang of guilt hit her—it had been days since she’d talked to her father and mother. By now, they should know Karim was here; after all, Jacob would have to report back to him. But they didn’t do or say anything. Were they giving her time, or did they simply not care anymore?
She felt as if someone was looking at her, and when she turned her head to the left, saw blue eyes staring into hers. Even in the dim light, there was no mistaking his gaze. She wanted to tell him now, in the intimacy of the theater, how she felt, but Amaya sat between them. So, she settled on giving him a shy smile before turning back to the action on stage.
Once again, she found herself enjoying spending time with Karim and Amaya. After the intermission, Karim convinced Amaya to switch seats with him since he was closer to the stage and she would be able to see better. When the second half began, Karim slyly slipped his hand over hers when they shared the armrest, then threaded his fingers through hers. It was a good thing Deedee had seen the show once before and the movie countless of times, because she could hardly concentrate when all she could think about was how warm his palm was and how good his hand felt. Her she-wolf heartily agreed.
When the finale came and the cast came out for their curtain call, everyone in the audience got to their feet for an extended standing ovation. Finally, the house lights came on again.
“Did you enjoy the show?”
“That was wonderful!” Amaya’s cheeks were flushed with excitement. “Did you see her fight the Black Knight? And he turned out to be the prince? Then those cyclops tried to eat them, and she shot each one of them in the eye with an arrow!” She jumped up in her chair and waved her hand around. “She’s the best sword fighter in all of Galadria! Karim, I want to take up sword fighting when I get back to Zhobghadi. May I, please?”
“Er, we’ll talk about it,” Karim said.
“I have another surprise for you, Amaya.” Deedee grabbed her purse and pointed to the door. “Evie asked us to be her special guest backstage and meet the cast.”
The little girl’s eyes went wide. “Really? I get to meet Princess Arya?” She shrieked, then hugged her. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
They made their way backstage with Jacob and Delacroix leading the way. As they descended the stairs, Karim sidled up to her. “I cannot thank you enough. I have never seen Amaya so happy as she is now.” He nodded at his sister, who was chatting with Delacroix and Jacob. The Cajun seemed to indulge her as she tittered on and on about the show while Jacob merely rolled his eyes.
“You’re welcome, but feel free to take back your gratitude when she starts singing the songs or plays the soundtrack non-stop,” she said with a chuckle.
His hand landed on the small of her back as he guided her away from the crowds going against them trying to exit the theater. “I could never take back anything I told you,” he whispered into her ear.
She shivered visibly, and her toes curled thinking of his words last night. Oh, why didn’t she plan a different evening? Something private, where she could tell him her thoughts and feelings?
“We’re here.” Jacob said when they reached the plain black door near the front of the theater. He pushed on the door and nodded at the man standing guard by the entrance.
“Your Highness!” Evie greeted as she ushered them inside. “Our cast is eager to meet you. This way.”
Evie led them into the backstage area, and she began to give them an informal tour. When they reached the stage area, the entire cast, still in their costumes, was lined up to greet them. Amaya was over the moon, and she got pictures and selfies with the cast and crew.
“I promise you, we won’t publicize the photos, Your Highness,” Evie assured Karim. “It’s only for my own personal scrapbook.”
“I don’t mind, Ms. King,” Karim said. “In fact, if you wouldn’t mind, I’ll have my people from Glaser and Baskins PR contact you in the morning for a few photos? I’m sure it would be nice to have them for the Zhobghadi Royal Family’s first press release.”
Evie beamed. “I don’t mind at all. I’ll be sure to send them what I have right away.”
They wrapped up the photos and autographs, then said goodbye to Evie and the cast and crew before heading out to the waiting limo which had been parked in the back alley. Although Deedee was happily nodding to Amaya’s excited jabbering, she couldn’t help but feel like she would burst any moment if she didn’t say anything to Karim. But when would she find the opportunity? Surely, she couldn’t do it while Amaya was around. An idea struck her, but she would have to talk to Jacob and Delacroix first.
“Go ahead,” she said to Karim and Amaya when they were in front of the limo doors. “I need to ask Jacob something.”
Turning around, she walked over to the pair who were keeping guard by the backstage door. “I need to talk to you guys.”
Delacroix cocked his head. “What is it, mon petite?”
“Er, I was wondering if tonight … you guys wouldn’t mind not coming into my house?” She felt her face go hot all the way to the tips of her ears. “I wanted to invite Karim in and—”
“What?” Jacob exclaimed. “Are you crazy—”
If it was possible, she got even redder. “I only need to talk—”
Delacroix grabbed his companion by the arm to silence him. “Say no more.” He winked at her. “I understand.”
“Hey!” Jacob yanked his arm back. “Are you serious?”
“I think if we do not give them some time alone, they will seriously combust with all the sexual tension between them.” The Cajun grinned at her. “We will stay away for tonight. It is obvious that the prince would chew off his own arm before he harms you. Come, mon ami.” He cocked his head back toward the theater. “We can go to Blood Moon, and perhaps we can find some fair and friendly companions, non?”
Jacob looked conflicted, but Deedee could see him crumbling, especially at the chance of a night off. “Fine. But we’ll be back tomorrow morning,” he warned her. “I don’t want to hear or see any shit when we come back in the morning, okay?”
“I said we’re only going to talk—” She shut her mouth when Jacob narrowed his eyes at her. Oh, who the heck was she kidding? “Fine. I’ll see you in the morning.” Pivoting on her heel, she went back to the awaiting limo and went inside.
“Everything okay?” Karim asked.
“Yes.” She swallowed the nervousness bubbling in her throat. As the limo lurched forward, it was like her stomach was left behind in that alleyway.
“Amaya, your nanny will take you upstairs to our suite,” Karim said to his sister as they approached The Plaza. “Say goodnight to Deedee before I take her back home.”
“But Karim—”
Daughter of the Dragon Page 20
