by Bri Clark
He smiled cheerfully as he entered. He scanned all our faces as he descended the stairs. That is until his eyes stopped on me. Making no attempt to hide his attention I glared back at him. He approached the table. His wife smiled and held her hand out waiting for him to take it, to the shock of everyone, he blew right past her, approaching me instead. A red tint rose in her rounded cheeks, and she shot invisible daggers across the table at me with her dark eyes.
“Ahh, Mrs. Rathbone.” He held his hand out for mine. Repulsed to have to touch him again, I slowly offered my hand in return, hoping he'd change his mind. He latched on and kissed my knuckles. His lips lingered far too long, and all eyes were on me. I allowed myself to sense Shae. She was in shock. When Abbass released my hand, I jerked it back quickly controlling the urge to dip my hand in a cup of water, secretly craving a bowl of bleach.
“Good morning, Ambassador,” I said, careful to keep my voice formal.
“How is everything? Are you enjoying yourself? Did you enjoy the gardens?” He spoke as if we were the only ones in the room. The contention toward me only grew. I quit sensing the room so I could keep a level head. I needed to end this fast.
“Yes, Mr. Rathbone and I are comfortable. Your lovely wife has done a wonderful job hosting this delicious breakfast as well.” There. I reminded him we were both married. I turned and smiled at his wife. As I paid her the compliment, she still shot daggers at me. Abbass saw her and the change in his expression was staggering. His face went from smug pleasantness to malice in a blink. When his glare locked on his wife, everyone including her moved his or her eyes off me quickly, except Shae.
“I am glad that everything is going well. I appreciate your presence here. I must attend to some things. I will run into you, later.” Enunciating later with a head to toe inspection of my person, he was very thorough in making me and everyone else in the room aware of his intentions concerning me.
He then turned and greeted all the women telling them all how lovely they were. He finally rested in front of his wife and pecked her cheek. She wouldn’t even meet his eyes with her head held down feebly like the servant woman. Abbass took his leave only after staring at me for one last uncomfortable second. Shae finally found her tongue after he left.
“Doll, I need to correct myself? You do need an ally.” All traces of her previous humor had vanished.
“I thought you said not to worry about the women?” I answered coolly.
“I’m not talking about them; I am talking about Abbass,” she clarified.
“Who him? I can handle him. Don’t worry about me.” I tried to blow off his behavior. I didn’t want her to get involved. She could get hurt.
“Don’t be thick, Marie,” scolded Shae. “You obviously don’t know what you have been thrown into here. Where is your room?”
I was stunned to silence. She was so blunt. I didn’t answer quickly enough.
“Fine, do you know where the stables are?” I nodded.
“Good, meet me there at noon. We definitely need to talk and we shouldn’t run into any other ladies there.” She said ladies with the previous humor in her voice.
“Fine, but I don’t want to put you out,” I said truthfully.
She snorted. “Who you putting out? I just love to ride and Abbass has a fabulous herd of horses.”
Nodding again and attempting a half smile, I concentrated extra hard on my breakfast. Abbass’s wife was back to giving me the stink eye. I could ignore that, I could ignore all the hateful whispers from the other women, but when our hostess practically yelled what she thought about me in Egyptian and pointed and laughed, sending a wave of laughter through the rest of the women, I couldn’t ignore that. Glazier stirred and I brought her up.
Shae had understood what she said and looked at me with what I thought was concern. I winked at her, pulled my napkin off my lap and wiped my mouth. Then I stood up from my chair as tall as my 5’10 frame would let me, secretly glad I wore the heels making me an even six feet.
The mistress’s eyes followed me as I stood up and widened when she saw how far above the table I towered. I glared at her with ice-cold eyes, narrowing my gaze. Glazier’s presence actually made it look like I could shoot ice from my eyes, and I used that to emphasize my point. I informed her, in her own clipped dialect that I didn’t appreciate her accusations and snide remarks. Her tanned cheeks flushed and I could hear the gasps from the other women when I spoke in their native tongue. I thanked her for her gracious breakfast, sarcasm coating my untruthful words.
I invited Shae to leave with me, and we excused ourselves.
Chapter Nineteen
Marie
Going back to Marie and Henry’s suite
Shae and I didn’t speak on the way back to my suite. But as soon as I closed the door, we looked at each other and then both started laughing. Shae was infectious. Henry found us sitting on the bed still giggling when his tour was over. As soon as Shae saw him she made an “oh” sound, and I smiled. I knew exactly how she felt. Henry was dashing, wearing a pair of dark blue slacks with a belt and a white button up shirt that hugged tightly over his firm chest and arms.
“Well, it looks like breakfast was a lot more entertaining than the tour.” Henry offered Shae the full effect of his smile. “Hello, my name is Henry Rathbone.” He offered his hand.
“Hi, I am Shae Stryker, yes you are correct breakfast was certainly entertaining, thanks to Marie.” She patted my back, winked then sashayed over to the door.
“Remember. Noon, I know where your room is now.” She smiled something saucy at Henry, winked, and left. Kicking my shoes off, I relaxed on the bed.
“What’s going on at noon?” Henry asked.
“Shae wants me to meet her at the stables to talk.” I answered vaguely, leaving out what about. “Why? Are you guys going horseback riding?” He sounded amused. “You realize you don’t know how to ride a horse right?”
I had never considered that. “We are just meeting there.” I replied hiding my sudden fright.
“So what happened at breakfast?” He changed the subject. I liked the other one better. I didn’t want to upset Henry, but I was glad the pretenses were over.
“Hey, what is that all about?” He affected sternness he jumped on the bed with me; his landing bounced me up in the air. I dropped my shield completely then, enjoying our banter. He caught me before I could even land and we both laughed. My throat still stung from laughing with Shae. Henry was being so carefree; it reminded me of the night I spent with him at the cabin. It became quiet, and I snapped out of my daydream. Henry held my hands as I sat across from him. Then he reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear smiling widely.
“What are you smiling at?” I asked.
“You, Love,” he stated simply, as if it was as easy as breathing.
“Why?”
“You have no idea the effect you have on me do you?” he answered no longer smiling. I shook my head no. “Before I came in, I could hear you laughing. It was like the music of a rare symphony. I stood outside the door enjoying the melody for a few secs before I entered. Then when you started laughing after I jumped on the bed and I beheld what I heard. You redefine beauty. You’re my sunrise, casting a golden light on everything I have ever known. What you don’t understand is that before you came into my life, everything I knew was gray, dark, and boring. Now that you have opened my eyes, I will never see the same as long as I have you.”
I could feel every word he said: the love, the truth, the sincerity. If he chose to ignore me again, I would always have this moment. The truth of his feelings now filed away in my memory folders, something to never forget.
“Say something, Marie. You drive me crazy when you sit there and hold your hand over your chest, like your having a heart attack. I'm always scared I'll send you over the edge again.” I could feel the fear and the regret in him now.
I couldn’t find the words to proclaim the depth of this moment. What it meant to me… what he mean
t to me. I pulled my legs up and leaned ever so slowly up to his face. Hands trembling, I cupped his cheek and as light as a butterfly’s wing I brushed my lips to his. As I pulled away, he exhaled and wore a goofy smile.
“That works, too,” he said smiling with his eyes still closed. Biting my lip, I giggled. He opened his eyes, zeroing his . They were stunning. He sat up breaking my trance and sat cross-legged on the bed from me.
“I have a request, but I’m going to promise something in return as well.” He held his hands in mine rubbing circles along the crook of my thumb. He seemed uneasy. “I want you to promise me you will quit shielding me, and I will promise to keep mine down for you as well. I don’t want any more misunderstandings. No more doubts.
“I would like that a lot,” I answered. His shoulders relaxed. “I promise,” I whispered, making it official.
“And I promise as well,” he said, kissing the inside of my wrist. Who could have thought such an insignificant little gesture could have such an effect on someone? My breath caught and my heart raced. How was that even possible? Doesn’t a heart need oxygen to function?
“So are you going to tell me about breakfast or not?” It never occurred to me that I wouldn’t be able to lie to him about something that embarrassed me with my shield down. Therefore, I would have to answer truthfully. I breathed deeply and started from the beginning, about the way the women were rude to me. I told him all about Shae, he laughed along with me as I recited her blunt remarks. I skipped over the scene Abbass made. “But what were you laughing at in here?” He was too perceptive. I tried to be sly.
I explained about how Abbass’s wife was making rude comments about me and how I told her politely that I didn’t appreciate it. I expected him to laugh but he was quiet, rubbing his jaw.
“What are you leaving out?” he accused. I tried to look innocent. He did smile at my attempts. “I can sense you are holding back, Love.”
I sighed defeated.
“All right, but remember your promise. You have to stay calm, Henry. I can’t handle your emotions and mine,” I warned him. I could feel him already on edge. “Fine, I'm not going to tell you.” He took a couple of deep breaths and calmed down.
“I’m ready,” he announced. I eyed him suspiciously.” I promise, Love.” He gave me that brilliant British smile, and I melted.
I explained everything in detail. Now that I knew he could sense me completely, I held back. I didn’t want to have to keep reciting it repeatedly, making it harder. I kept my eyes off him as I spoke. If I looked at him, I wouldn’t be able to finish. I expected him to get upset about Abbass, but to my surprise he was the most upset with his wife.
Standing up he walked over to the French doors, resting his hands on top of the frame. I could tell from his tensed posture that he was trying to control his anger and I thought he was going to rip the molding from the doors if his grip got any tighter. I approached him, running my hands up his back over his muscles around his waist, intertwined them at his stomach, and finally rested my head against his back.
“Don’t be angry. I wasn’t in danger. I handled it. It hurts me when you are upset, especially with me.” I said. One of his enormous hands covered both of mine, rubbing them softly. My head rose and fell with his breathing.
“It’s not Abbass, that has me upset—well not now, anyway. And it definitely is not you. It’s his wife, Sabah; I could sense the hurt she inflicted, talking about you like that. I can’t explain it. Since the first time I felt you…” He shook his head and groaned, trying to find the words. “I have this drive, a burning need to protect you from everything. It’s ridiculous, I know." He exhaled, frustrated.
I smiled against his back. “You don’t have to explain, I can feel what you’re trying to say. Nevertheless, I know exactly what you mean. I feel the same way about you.” He spun around, startling me. Holding my face in his mammoth hand I realized to be as strong as he was, he always exercised the utmost care when he touched me. He bent down towering over me looking deep in my eyes.
“Are you serious?” He was so uncertain it physically hurt me. His eyes searched mine, trying to find any hint of untruth. His vulnerability stirred against my heart.
I placed my hand on his cheek, “If you don’t believe me, why don’t you sense me?” He closed his eyes, and his breath caught. He fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around me laying his head against my belly.
“I swear I will never let you go. I can’t. I need you too much. When you’re away from me I feel like the air around me runs thin.” I rested my hand on his head rubbing circles on his back, unable to speak. It was nothing like before. It was pure, unyielding devotion. We stayed like that for a while. He finally stood up, resuming his towering stance. He grabbed my hand and set me down beside him on a couch.
“So, you like Shae Stryker?” he asked.
“Yes, I do. She's fun and brassy. There is just something about her I instantly liked, but there is something else, as if she is hiding something. I can’t put my finger on it. It may be nothing.” I rambled on, and he arched an eyebrow.
“You too, huh?” he said, clearly leaving out an explanation. I crossed my arms, irritated. He laughed quietly chucked my chin.
“I met her husband, Collin today on our tour,” he sneered.
"Not what you expected?"
“More like a warning. They took all the men around the estate showing us where we were allowed to go. In not so many words, they were letting us know who was in charge. Anyhow, I met Shae’s husband Collin Stryker. A nice enough bloke. We rather stuck together, kindred spirits, I guess. You know what I mean. We were the only guys not from a country south of the equator.” He snickered.
“What is he like?” I inquired.
He smiled at my curiosity. “Well he is about 6’2, not as big as I am.” Henry winked, and I rolled my eyes. “He's lean. He looks strong for his size. He has short dark hair with an olive complexion and dark green eyes. He was nice and all, but I would say compared to his wife, he is the extreme opposite. I got the impression he hid something as well.”
The irritating clock in our room chimed twice. “You better get going if you are going to meet Shae.”
I frowned. I didn’t want to leave. I was enjoying myself too much. Then it occurred to me we hadn’t talked about the operation at all.
“What’s on your mind, Love?” He squeezed my hand softly.
“We haven’t talked strategy, you know,” I mumbled.
He apparently misunderstood my mumbling. “It’s fine, I ran a couple of more sweeps earlier. I was thinking I would go out tonight and look around.”
“Okay, you can go while I go running, maybe Abbass will be waiting for me and I can distract him.” A wave of irritation took my breath. I gripped the back of the chair. He calmed down when he saw me slump over. A fresh round of concern hit me, but it was just as intense. He tried to put his shield up; I glared up at him.
“Promised,” I reminded him panting. He dropped it while a muscle in his jaw jumped.
“How about you try talking to me, instead of stewing,” I offered. He helped me sit down in the chair and moved to the other side of the room, as if distance would make a difference.
“I don’t think the fact you are way over there will make much of a difference.” I said.
“You don’t have a lot of time so I will take care of this quickly, and don’t argue with me, or you will be late meeting Shae. You will not be running alone tonight or any other night while we are here because I am confident Abbass is waiting for the opportunity to get you alone as soon as possible.” He crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow, daring me to argue with him. I threw my arms up in mock defeat. I'd agree—for now, I thought.
I went to the bathroom and ran a brush through my hair. Then I pulled on a pair of dark fitted jeans, a blue tank top, and a white button up shirt that I tied in a knot at my stomach. Tall boots were appropriate. I decided I didn’t want to take a chance of stepping in something. When
I emerged he let out a low whistle while reclining in a chair with his hands behind his head. I pulled out a few of my blades and stars, angled them toward him with a grin, then hid them. One blade in my ponytail, one blade in each boot and, one blade in my bra strap under my tank.
“You always amaze me putting those things all over you. I must say they are hidden well.” As Henry complimented me, he strained as he looked me up and down.
“Well I have to go, or I will be late.” I walked over to the door so I could leave. Next thing I knew I was pinned against the wall.
“So you think your leaving without kissing me good-bye?” Henry asked. His breath blew in my face sending my heart in a tizzy. He left little kisses from my earlobe down the side of my cheek, then lightly brushing his lips against mine. I couldn’t fight it, my knees buckled, and I was going down. He caught me of course.
“What the gobs knobs, Love?” he exclaimed. Then understanding dawned across his face. “That’s why you faint? Me?” he asked surprised. I still couldn’t speak, he held me up with his arm around my waist. I nodded my head confirming his question. I finally cleared my head enough to look up at him. He was smiling smugly. “You need to get going, I think Shae is the type to come looking.”
