Desert Rogues Part 2

by Susan Mallery

  She shifted slightly on the leather seat and her hair caught the light. Soft curls cascaded down her back. A few tendrils teased her ears and her neck, although she’d piled most of her hair up on her head. Her dark blue eyes seemed to glow with feminine secrets. And that dress. He swallowed hard and did his best not to notice the transparent fabric and the way only a few brushstrokes of color and paint concealed her curves from view.

  He would not be able to eat, he thought grimly. How on earth could he sit across from her in a public place and act as if nothing was wrong? He was Prince Jefri of Bahania, yet with Billie he was little more than a man humbled by a woman.

  “What are you thinking?” she asked. “If you were some kind of wild animal I would swear you were stalking dinner.”

  “You are not far wrong,” he said and lightly touched her bare arm. “You are most desirable prey.”

  She shivered, but didn’t look away. Long lashes shielded her eyes. Earrings glittered and dangled.

  “Have I told you how beautiful you are?” he asked in an attempt to keep from claiming her right there in the car.

  “You mentioned it a couple of times, but it’s not a topic of conversation that’s going to bore me.” She smiled. “It’s not the sort of thing I hear that often.”

  “Then the men you know are blind fools.”

  “You got that right.” She laughed. “And I appreciate how kind you’re being. I’m just part of the staff and you’re going out of your way to make me feel like a princess. I know you usually date movie stars and heiresses.”

  Kind? She thought he was being kind?

  Before he could tell her that he had no kindness in mind, they pulled up in front of the restaurant. Billie leaned toward his side, the curbside.

  “Wow. Look at all those people. Is there something going on here?”

  Jefri followed her gaze, then swore.

  “What?” she asked. “Is there a problem?”

  “Not one that can be fixed. I am sorry. I did not think to tell my assistant to make reservations in another name. I am sure he did not think of it either.”

  She was close enough that he could feel the heat of her body and inhale the sweetness of her perfume. Both were a temptation.

  “I don’t understand,” she said, apparently oblivious of her amazing charms.

  “These people are with the press.”

  “Really?” She leaned past him to look at them through the window. Several had crowded around the limo. “Who are they waiting for?”

  “Us.”

  She straightened and stared at him. “What? Oh. Right. You’re the prince.” She clutched her impossibly small purse to her chest. “I’m going to be something of a disappointment.”

  He shook his head. “Somehow I doubt that.”

  Billie’s lack of awareness delighted him. Not only had she been unaware of why the press were there, she seemed blind to her own appeal. So many women he took out were secretly thrilled to be photographed for tabloids.

  “So what happens?” Billie asked. “Do you go on ahead and then I sneak in through the back?”

  He stiffened. “You are with me. We will walk in together.”

  She eyed the jostling crowd. “This really isn’t my kind of thing. I hope I don’t trip.”

  “Would you prefer to return to the palace?”

  She hesitated, then glanced down at her dress. “I did sort of go to a lot of trouble to get all fancy. Will it be crazy inside?”

  “No. The photographers won’t be allowed in the restaurant. We’ll be shown to a private table where we will dine just like any other patron.”

  He could see her weighing the possibilities.

  “You decide,” she said. “Let’s do what you want.”

  Not a possibility, he thought, as his wants and desires had very little to do with dining in a restaurant.

  “The food here is excellent,” he said, as he nodded at the driver. “You will enjoy it. We will even order a special entrée for Muffin.”

  Billie tried to focus on food and her dog as the rear door of the limo opened and Jefri stepped out. The explosion of flashbulbs caught her unaware and temporarily blinded her. She slid along the leather seat until she could step out in front of the restaurant. A second barrage of bright lights left her totally unable to see.

  Someone took her hand. She knew instantly it was Jefri and she allowed him to lead her toward the restaurant. She had a sense of the crowd pressing close. People called out questions, but she couldn’t discern one voice from another.

  Stay calm, she told herself. Think happy thoughts. She didn’t want to see herself with a “deer in the headlights” expression on the front of some supermarket tabloid.

  They made their way into the restaurant with only a few more flashes in her face. Once inside, the elegant and quiet atmosphere instantly calmed her.

  “Prince Jefri,” the maître d’ said with a smile. “Thank you for dining with us this evening. We have your table ready.”

  Jefri nodded for her to follow the man. She leaned close and whispered, “What? They’re not going to put our names on a sheet of paper and then call out when our table is ready?”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Restaurants do that?”

  She grinned. “You need to get out more.”

  He chuckled and took her hand.

  Billie liked the way he laced his fingers with hers as they walked into the dining room. They wove through the well-dressed patrons seated at beautifully set tables. The smell of the food made her mouth water.

  “Will this be acceptable?” the man asked.

  “It’s fine—” Jefri started before Billie interrupted with a soft shriek.

  She stared at the table next to the empty one where the maître d’ held out a chair.

  “You’re not here,” she said, both furious and humiliated.

  Doyle picked up his glass of wine in a salute. “Hey, kid. You should try the house salad. It’s really good and you know I’m not much of a salad guy.”

  She couldn’t believe it. Her brother? Here?

  “You have no right to do this,” she told him, careful to keep her voice low.

  “Is there a problem?” Jefri asked.

  “Yes. Him.” Billie pointed at Doyle and wished she could incinerate him with her gaze. “He’s spying on us.”

  “She’s right,” Doyle said, sounding amazingly cheerful. “I called your assistant and asked where you two were having dinner.” He put down his wine. “Just so you don’t behead him or anything, I told him my sister had asked me to check because she has food allergies and wanted to make sure there was something she could eat.”

  Fury filled her, making her mad enough to spit. “I do not have food allergies.”

  “I know.” He grinned. “I was being creative.” He motioned to their table. “You two should have a seat. The food here is great and the wine list is impressive.” He winked at Jefri. “You probably know all this, don’t you? You come here a lot.”

  Billie glanced from her brother’s table to Jefri’s. They were barely two feet apart. Doyle would hear everything she said, which was probably his point. While intellectually she understood he was trying to protect her, emotionally, she was outraged.

  “We could ask them for a different table,” Jefri said. “Or would you prefer to leave?”

  Billie thought of how the patrons would be watching them through the entire meal and how she would be aware of Doyle sitting so close.

  She sighed. “I’d rather go back to the palace.”

  Doyle’s gaze narrowed. “Billie—”

  She cut him off with a shake of her head. “Stay out of it. You’ve already done enough.”

  “You know why.”

  “That doesn’t excuse it. I’m all grown-up, Doyle. It’s time to let go.”

  An hour later Billie and Jefri sat on the floor of her suite, leaning against the sofa and looking over the leftovers brought up from the king’s formal dinner the previous evening.r />
  “Better?” he asked as he poured her a glass of wine.

  Billie stretched out her bare legs and wiggled her toes. Okay, even though the dress had been great, she was far more comfortable in shorts and a T-shirt.

  “Much. Although my hair and makeup is a little overdone for the setting.”

  Jefri, who had also changed into more casual clothing, looked her over. “I would say you’re exactly right.”

  She grinned. “You do have a way with words. Do princes have special classes in that sort of thing? Charming women and dealing with annoying photographers?”

  “We are taught many skills. Being charming is one of them.”

  “You’re not all that,” she said.

  He leaned close and smiled. “Too late. You have already admitted to being impressed.”

  “Maybe.” She grabbed a shrimp and dipped it in the sauce. “So does the press usually follow you around?”

  “Not as much as they used to. I would guess that you were the attraction tonight.”

  “Hardly. Why would they care about me?”

  “They would be interested in my latest interest.”

  “Ah.” Is that what she was? His interest? Was that like dating? She desperately wanted to know but was afraid to ask.

  “When I was younger, the press trailed me everywhere,” he said. “My father was able to exert some control here, but when I was in Europe or America, things could be difficult. We were given peace only when we were at school.”

  “Must be tough being so popular.”

  “There are compensations.”

  “Sure. Like access to any available female you want. Kind of makes you wish there was still a working harem in this place.”

  He picked up his glass of wine. “You exaggerate my reputation.”

  “I don’t think so. Are you telling me anyone has ever said no?”

  She happened to be looking at him as she asked the question. For a split second something dark flashed through his eyes. Then he smiled.

  “I would never tell you that,” he said.

  Interesting, she thought. Something from his past. She might have to do some checking on the Internet and find out if there had been a woman Jefri had cared about. She couldn’t imagine anyone leaving him, though. Not just because he was a prince, but because he was a great guy and someone any woman would enjoy being with.

  “What about you?” he asked. “What are your romantic secrets?”

  Billie froze in the act of offering a piece of chicken to Muffin. Her Yorkie took matters into her own paws and jumped up to grab the morsel.

  “Secrets?” Billie asked, hoping she sounded casual rather than nervous and faintly foolish. “I don’t have that many.”

  Jefri’s dark eyes seemed to see into her soul. “You must have some. While I applaud your brother’s concern, I believe it stems from more than fraternal worry. I think there is a reason he keeps such close watch on you.”

  “I…You can’t know that.”

  Jefri shrugged. “We were to dine in a very public restaurant tonight yet Doyle felt it necessary to be there to watch over you. Why is he so afraid for your safety?”

  She debated telling him the truth for all of eight seconds, then sighed.

  “I had a couple of bad experiences when I was younger,” she admitted without looking at him. “When I was nineteen, I went out with a group of pilots we were training. It was the first time one of my brothers hadn’t tagged along. Everybody drank too much, except me. Even though I was above the drinking age, I hadn’t developed a taste for anything really alcoholic. Even now I really only like wine, so I barely ever even get very tipsy.”

  He touched her bare leg. “Billie, as entertaining as I find your stories, perhaps tonight you could stay on topic.”

  That was easy for him to say. He didn’t know what the topic was. She reminded herself that she was nearly ten years older and wiser. She’d learned to handle herself and to not put herself into those kind of situations anymore.

  “Okay. Sure.” She wiggled her shoulders in an effort to relax. “Well, you can imagine. Five guys, me and a lot of liquor. They got too friendly and when I tried to stop them, it didn’t go well. Two of the guys dragged me back to the van and tried to…well, you know.”

  She felt him stiffen. Rage tightened the muscles of his face and his expression became frighteningly determined.

  “They didn’t rape me,” she said quickly. “Doyle and Xander drove up before they’d done much more than scare the crap out of me. The guys took off and my brothers brought me back to the base.”

  Jefri wondered how much she did not say. There was more to a rape than actual penetration. Had they hurt her? Marked her? Bruised more than her body?

  He looked at her delicate features, her pale skin and the trust in her blue eyes. Fury filled him until he wanted to destroy those who had dared to attack her in such a way.

  He swore, even as he struggled for control. “What was done to them?” he demanded.

  “My brothers pounded them into quivering bloody masses, then they were kicked out of the program.”

  He felt some small measure of satisfaction at that. But it was not enough. “They should have been thrown into prison.”

  “I know. I wanted to press charges, but we were in a foreign country and the laws were different.” She shook her head. “It’s okay. I’m better now.”

  He touched her cheek. “You should not have anything to get better from. Tell me their names. I will bring them here and visit Bahanian justice upon them.”

  “Which involves what?”

  “Prison. Beating. Perhaps death.” He liked the idea of them dead.

  Her eyes widened. “Death?”

  “No man has the right to defile any woman. Ever. It has been that way here for nearly three hundred years.”

  “A really good reason to take up residence,” she murmured. “Look, I appreciate your concern. Really. It’s very sweet of you to worry, but I’m okay. It was nine years ago. I’m over it.”

  He heard the words but did not believe them. He read a fragility in her eyes that told him those ghosts still had the power to haunt her.

  “I see now why your brothers are so protective of you,” he said.

  “It made sense at first,” she told him. “I was nervous and scared, but things have changed. I can take care of myself.”

  Perhaps she could, but she should not have to.

  Billie used her fork to scoop up some rice. “Can we change the subject?”

  “Of course. You should try the fish. It is caught locally.”

  She took a bite, then offered some to Muffin. As the dog licked her fingers, Jefri deliberately turned his mind from what had happened before. As much as he wanted justice, it was not his place.

  But he wanted it to be, he realized. He wanted to have the right to defend her with all the power at his disposal. Deep instincts, born in the darkest parts of the desert, still lived within him. He wanted to protect her as much as he wanted to claim her as his own.

  He watched her move, her long bare legs a temptation no man should have to bear. He ached with his need, but whatever plans he might have had for the evening had changed. He needed time to come to terms with her past and decide how it changed things. If nothing else, he would have to move more slowly with her.

  He offered her bread, then watched her take a bite. How many men had there been since that disastrous night? How many lovers?

  Not many, he decided. As amazing as he found her, there was still an air of innocence about her. Between her past and her brothers, he wondered how innocent she might be.

  “What?” she asked, narrowing her gaze. “Tell me exactly what you’re thinking.”

  He shrugged. “Nothing of importance.”

  “Why do I know you’re lying? I shouldn’t have told you about what happened. You’re going to get completely freaked out, aren’t you?”

  “Freaked out?”

  “You’re going to start
acting as if I’m made of glass or something. This is just so typically male.”

  “You appear to be upset, but I have no idea of the cause.”

  She rose to her knees and glared at him. “You’re completely weirded out and you’re not going to kiss me or touch me or anything, are you? I should have guessed.”

  He did his best not to smile. “Is that what you think?”

  “Absolutely. You’re afraid I’ll act funny or think you’re attacking me. Well, I won’t. That was a long time ago and I’m completely over it.”

  “You think you know everything about me.”

  Her mouth twisted. “You’re not that hard to read.”

  “Then I will have to prove you wrong on several accounts.”

  Before she could respond, he pulled her to him and kissed her.

  Chapter Seven

  While Billie had to admit that Jefri held her as if she were something precious, she wasn’t sure any part of that was about her past. Judging from the possessive way he pulled her against him and the deepness of his kiss, she thought maybe passion had a part in it, too.

  As his hands stroked her back and his mouth claimed hers, she found herself wanting to relax against him and let the moment unfold. She wanted to tell him he could touch other places than just her back, and that maybe they could do more than kiss.

  Her own desires excited her as much as they made her blush. Still she didn’t move away or in any other way discourage him. She wanted this man more than she’d wanted anyone in a long, long time.

  Jefri tilted his head and deepened the kiss. The more he touched Billie, the more he wanted her. Her curves called out to be explored and pleasured in a thousand different ways. When his fingers tangled in her long hair, he imagined her kissing his bare chest and her long hair tickling his sides. When she wrapped her arms around his neck and her breasts pressed against him, he thought about cupping those curves, then tasting the hard, tight nipples.

  Desire and need made him ache. He was hard to the point of pain. Still, he did nothing more than kiss, despite the invitation in her kisses. For one thing, he could not be sure her brother wouldn’t arrive to check on his sister, and when Jefri started to make love with Billie, he did not want any interruptions. For another, he wanted to test her, to be sure she had fully recovered from her experience. If there were still scars and tender spots, he wanted to respect her boundaries.