“Do not trust Fatima,” she whispers, embracing me. “She is loyal only to Ahmad and herself.”
38
Delilah
Gray has been keeping the crown prince plenty busy for the last forty-eight hours, and I’ve seen so little of him. Last night, he crawled into my bed smelling like he’d been rolling in a musky flowerbed. But the late hour and the roiling stench didn’t stop him from curling his body around mine, like it was his God-given right.
“I’ve been thinking about fucking you all day,” he murmured, rucking my nightgown up around my hips and slipping his hand into my panties. “How are you, Blue Eyes?”
“Tired,” I muttered through sleep, but not too sleepy to shove his hand away. “And not interested.”
I was interested earlier, plenty interested, but as I waited alone for hours while he caroused with the prince, my petals dried up. It doesn’t matter that Gray’s only job while we’re here is to distract Ahmad. My head knows that, but my emotions, no matter how much I try to convince them otherwise, aren’t having any of it. I’m a professional and I’m working to get through the morass with all its tangles to complete the mission, but it irks me when I’m alone at night.
When I woke up this morning, my bed was empty and the pillow next to me was cool to the touch. Before I left for yoga, I tried Gray’s bedroom door, but it was locked. By the time I got back to the suite, he was gone.
Saher and I spent the afternoon sightseeing, and there was no time to dwell on Gray. I was focused entirely on finding an opportunity to get her the message—but there was none. I’m beginning to feel a little desperate. The clock is ticking loudly. This is when mistakes happen. I need to stay focused.
I slide my hand into the pocket of the abaya, feeling the outline of the small compact that contains the note. I’ve been carrying it around with me all day, and brought it to dinner, just in case.
Gray is sitting at one end of a banquet table, panty-melting in a custom tux, and I’m at the other end beside Ahmad. I expected to see Saher, but she’s not here. I’m not sure what it means, but I hate when plans change.
The banquet is in honor of our visit, and I chat amicably with the other guests seated near me, speaking to Ahmad as little as possible without being outright rude.
At the end of the meal, guests begin to stand and stretch, many saying their good-byes. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Gray approaching. I haven’t seen him all day. There’s so much I want to discuss with him, but of course we can’t talk about any of it. Although, being with him, just the two of us, would help quiet my mind. I glance around the room. I wonder how much longer before we can escape to the suite?
“Hey,” he says softly. “Your earrings were on the dresser in the room. I put them in the top drawer.” I left the emeralds out to let him know that everything was on track. “You didn’t want to wear them?”
“I really did, but I wore them yesterday.”
He laughs. Our interaction is chaste, but the flare in his eyes tells a different story.
He wants what I want, to get lost in the intensity he creates, letting it spiral and spiral, the pressure building and building until the coils are wound impossibly tight, and then, only then, does he release the spring, sending me into a free fall.
I can almost smell the arousal, the pheromones seeping through his sun-kissed skin. The tension escalates as we stand inches apart, unable to touch each other in public.
“Even covered from head to toe, you look gorgeous,” he murmurs. “Good enough to eat.” The predator has come to play, and for a small time, the din fades into the background and there’s no one beside us in the room.
“We have just a few more days in paradise before we head home.” His reminder falls hard, jolting me into the here and now.
But I don’t need his prodding. I have a plan. I just need an opening. A tiny window where everything falls into place. “It’s incredible here, but I’m almost ready to leave. You know what a homebody I am.”
He gazes at me, running his straight pearly whites over his bottom lip. “I need to go. I just wanted to tell you that I miss you.”
What? It’s like a punch to the gut, stealing the air from my lungs. “Aren’t you coming to the room with me?”
He shakes his head. “I have a meeting.”
“A meeting? At this hour? In a tux?” I sound like a nagging, jealous girlfriend, but honestly, I don’t give a shit. “Does this meeting involve—”
“Don’t start, Delilah.” His voice is well-modulated and hushed, as is mine. I’m not sure how much of this is real, and how much is for show. All I know is my heart sags with disappointment—just a drop.
“I’m tired,” I snap. “I’ve had a big day, and another tomorrow. I need some uninterrupted sleep. Don’t bother coming to my bed.”
Gray’s eyes flit briefly to something behind me. “I wasn’t planning on it,” he sneers, in a cruel twist. “You ready?” he asks, glancing over my shoulder, dismissing me.
“Just waiting for you,” Ahmad says, the levity in his voice is unmistakable, adding to my embarrassment. “Miss Porter, shall I have something sent up to help you sleep?”
The fucker. I am so angry, I’m afraid to open my mouth, but I turn my head slowly, reminding myself of the reason I’m here. “That won’t be necessary, Your Highness. I know just the prescription for sleep.”
The prince might not pick up on the innuendo, but Gray most certainly will. I gaze up at him and smile sweetly. Let him spend some time thinking about me rubbing my pussy. “Good night, gentlemen.” I saunter away with my head high, pausing to say a few words to everyone I pass on the way out of the room.
Just a few more days in paradise before we head home. Hopefully tomorrow will hold more opportunity than today.
39
Delilah
It’s done.
Just like that. No fanfare. No exploding fireworks. Nothing but my pounding heart when I handed Saher my abaya, and slipped my arms through hers, making a quick getaway before she caught on to the switch.
“I wonder what surprise Amir left you today?” I said cheerily, as the door closed behind me. Then I disappeared down the hall before Saher noticed that she had the wrong robe. Even Trippi had trouble keeping up with me.
It’s done. The sense of relief is exhilarating. I’ve never felt anything like it.
I turn off the shower and reach for a fluffy towel, patting my skin dry. I can’t wait to parade in front of Gray with those sapphires in my ears. I can’t wait to see the expression on his face.
It’s done.
Although, in many ways, the real risk comes now.
We took precautions so the note couldn’t be traced to us. So there would at least be plausible deniability if Saher panics and takes it to her brother. But I push the thoughts away, because for just a few minutes, I want to revel in mission accomplished.
I belt the robe around my waist and go out into the bedroom. Raksha is there, waiting, hands clenched by her side. Trouble already? “What is it?”