Chapter 9 #2
“Yes, yes.” The newcomer hiked into the seat next to Leighton and smiled at her. The guy had ink-black hair, eyes, brows, and a beard with a whole lot of mischief. “You must be Nouri. I have heard so much about you.”
Leighton gave a shy nod and ducked.
“No, no,” Aliyah said quietly, leaning toward Leighton and reaching around her to nudge up her chin. “We are going to have so much fun. No hiding, yes?”
Concern lanced Leighton’s features as she yielded to the princess, but her gaze invariably found Owen again.
“Look, look.” Rafi focused on someone standing near the first vehicle. “Ghalib!” he shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. “You will miss out—this is the fun Cruiser.” He gave a boisterous laugh.
The stocky Arab next to Crown Prince Maaz seemed to have lasers for eyes, which he dragged over Owen, then Leighton.
“Who is he?” Owen asked as Prince Rayan climbed in, indicated Rafi to switch seats.
“Ghalib?” Rafi asked, without missing a beat as he relocated to the seat in front of the one he vacated. “A terrible bore. Takes his duty as the crown prince’s”—he considered Owen—“how would you American say it?…eh, kiss-up very seriously.”
“Oh stop,” Aliyah said with a laugh. “Ghalib is one of Maaz’s principle advisors.”
Everyone seemed carefree. Except Owen. He did not like that Rayan had inserted himself next to Leighton. That this Rafi deferred to the prince, which suggested Rafi held a lesser position.
“Ah, and there is the happy couple,” Rafi pronounced as Daria and Hassan boarded the second vehicle.
“There is no way Daria would ride with Maaz. He is too much as Ghalib—grumpy.”
Princess Aliyah had just given Owen a guidebook on who might make an attempt on Leighton’s life. He’d need to monitor this Ghalib. They were soon underway, and it didn’t take long to get from the lodge out to the first sighting—a herd of African buffaloes.
It kind of bugged him to be buried back here and not able to see Leighton’s expressions or hear her thoughts as she experienced the safari.
“Oh, look!” Aliyah stretched in front of him to point out the zebras moving along at a slow clip.
Now directly in front of Owen, Prince Rayan leaned on the arm of his chair and said something to Leighton, who offered a small smile.
“So, where are you from?” Aliyah asked Owen with animation.
“America,” he stated flatly.
“How long do you think you will stay in Jeddah?” Aliyah asked as the Land Cruiser jounced over the Nairobi plains.
“As long as it takes,” Owen said, cursing himself since that cryptic answer might just beg more questions.
Leighton twitched in his direction but stopped herself when Rayan eased even further in.
Owen had a good mind to punch the guy in the head. Protecting her was his responsibility, right?
The driver banked off the beaten road and veered toward an outcropping where he parked in line behind the other two Cruisers.
He’d never been so relieved when everyone started exiting the vehicles.
It took too long for the others to clear out so he could too.
When he finally had boots on ground, he saw the royals moving en masse toward the edge of the outcropping.
“This is where the giraffes come,” Aliyah said softly as she came up beside him. As far as Saudi princesses went, she was pretty—except for the craters in her cheeks. Dark hair flittered on the wind, free since Princess Daria had ruled no head coverings—for safety’s sake—while on the trip.
“You’ve been here before?” he asked, eyeballing Rayan, who walked, hands behind his back, next to Leighton. Attentive. Too attentive.
“Mm, once a year for the last decade,” Aliyah said. “I am used to it, but Daria loves it so much.” She jutted her jaw to Leighton. “Nouri seems to like it too.”
Yeah, but was it the wildlife she liked, or the prince’s attention?
How could Owen compete with that?
As if you have a chance with her.
“Do you have a favorite, Apollo?”
Favorite girl? He frowned down at the petite princess. “What?”
With a smile that exposed those pits again, she nodded beyond the group. “Elephants? Giraffes?”
“Oh.” He roughed a hand over his face. “I…lions, I guess.”
“You are not sure?” she teased with a soft laugh.
“I’m sure.” Gaze straying to Leighton in her gray kaftan, walking almost shoulder to shoulder with the prince, Owen clenched his jaw.
Scanned the rest of the entourage and found that dude—Ghalib—with his cold, flat eyes boring into Leighton.
The realization had Owen negotiating his way to her.
Keeping his attention focused on the stocky guy, he paced her, hands at his side in readiness.
He heard the soft padding of the princess as she trailed him.
“Here they come!” Daria exclaimed, moving to the edge of the outcropping.
“She had an argument with Hassan before coming,” Aliyah mused. “She wanted to bring food so the animals would come closer.”
“He wisely helped her see it was a bad idea,” Prince Rayan said as his gaze rammed into Owen and locked for a second in which he effectively conveyed his taut disapproval at Owen keeping a tight protective perimeter on Leighton.
Minutes later, the giraffes glided over to the royal troop.
As much as he wanted to act tough, the sight of the two adult giraffes keeping their calf between them stilled Owen. He knew his mom would love this.
“Giraffes are the tallest land mammals,” Kiango, the safari guide, said in a level voice as Hassan hovered protectively by his princess, who stretched her hand toward the giraffe.
“Males grow as tall as five-point-five meters and can weigh as much as 1,900 kilograms. Females grow up to four-point-eight meters and weigh up to 1,180 kilograms.”
“They are so elegant,” Aliyah whispered.
“Like our fingerprints or DNA,” Kiango continued, “their spot patterns are unique to each one. No two are alike.”
Leighton hung back, one arm across her middle and the other covering her mouth in amazement. If the royals hadn’t been so determined to keep her on the fringes and in subservience, she’d probably go up and touch the giraffe too. But she stayed there, being robbed of the incredible experience.
He started toward her, to urge her to enjoy this moment too, but before he’d taken two steps, Prince Rayan hooked an arm around her shoulder, motioning her forward.
Frustrated with the way the guy kept showering her with attention, Owen had the sudden and angering idea that this prince, with one kind gesture, could change everything for Leighton.
If he showed the others she was accepted, the others might let her in too.
No more abuse. But what if this guy had other motives?
“Come,” Aliyah said, tugging Owen’s arm. “Closer.” She drew him over and pushed past the others to get her chance. With one more turn, she lost the grip on his sleeve, allowing him to fall back.
Positioned as an outlier, he felt this strange twisting in his chest. A tightening, as Rayan laughed and got to experience the giraffes with Leighton.
Amazement spread through Leighton that, as she offered her hand, the giraffe nudged it. Then its long tongue dragged over her palm, as if rooting for a bite.
Rayan caught her shoulders. “Careful. We don’t want him to drag you away.”
She must confess—this was the most wonderful place she’d ever been to, though she did wish the prince would remove his hands. She glanced around, only then realizing she was looking for Apollo.
Wait. Where was her would-be protector? Sidestepping, she gave room for the others to pass, still amazed the prince had led her to the front of the group and nobody—like Maaz or one of the other royals—had objected.
“Rayan.”
Ah. Right on cue—that stiff voice belonged to the one and only Maaz.
“She needs to wait till Daria and the others have enjoyed the sight.”
“There is plenty of time for all, Cousin,” Rayan countered, staying near her at the edge.
A yelp erupted from the side, drawing attention to Aliyah struggling against one of the adult giraffes, which had her abaya between its teeth.
Apollo intervened, finally managing to convince the elegant animal to release it.
Laughter billowed out from Aliyah and Rafi as Apollo ensured the princess was okay.
She gave him a laugh, but there was definitely a coyness about that smile, wielding those cute dimples.
Everything about the princess was cute—her face, her clothes, her laugh…
Great mercies, how many times would she flash her dimples at Apollo? Was that what he liked?
Princess Daria’s close friend, Inas, whom she’d introduced when they first got out of the vehicles, made her way to Apollo. Joined the trio and more laughter trilled at something she said.
Aliyah stumbled and fell right into Apollo’s arms.
Oh, groan! That was as cliché as the day was long. Surely Apollo had a better head on his shoulders than to fall for something like that.
Yet he laughed as he righted her.
Just as Ghalib rushed at Owen and shoved him away. “Do not touch her! Never touch her or I will gut you!”
Startled by the outburst, the giraffes loped away.
Hands up, Owen backstepped, but a dark storm rolled into his blue eyes.
Effervescent Rafi moved between the two, holding his arms out to either side. “Whoa, whoa. Come. Back to the vehicles. Kiango says it is time to move on before the day gets too hot, like your tempers.” He laughed, but he was the only one.
“Nouri,” Rayan said, his voice neutral yet authoritative.
Something about that set Leighton’s teeth on edge. Yet, she followed him back to the Land Cruiser. This time, she hurried up into the back, hoping Rayan would wait for the others so Apollo could claim the seat next to her, but nope.
The prince was right behind and took the seat.
She didn’t get it—Rayan had to know there was no chance for anything between them. While King Faruq might keep her at Jeddah, it was only a display of power. Until Ummi was back under his control.