Chapter 10 #2
Apollo hesitated, mouth opening to say something…but he didn’t. His gaze trekked over her face.
Ah, right. A swift twinge of sadness and disappointment rushed through her. “Ah”—wow, that hurt—“so you do like—”
“No,” he snapped. “I don’t.”
“Then why did you hesitate?”
“Because,” he said with a half laugh, “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.”
“Why not? I had to talk about Rayan.”
Head cocked to the side, he sniffed and looked away. “You didn’t have to…” That edge had returned to his voice. He was jealous.
Her heart pitter-pattered all over that little revelation.
It wasn’t exactly him saying he found her attractive.
And while she might’ve teased him about jealousy before, she hadn’t been serious.
In no way considered it could be true. This guy—this gorgeous guy she’d seen two years ago, then committed his face and smile to memory—liked her?
Could he be jealous but not like her? She did notice how he’d met her eyes across the barn several times at the graduation party. Why had he been there? Even then, he’d been impressive and attention-commanding. “What’s your relationship with Sophia?”
He blinked and shook his head. “That came out of left field.”
“Avoiding the question?”
“No, you’re giving me whiplash with the change of direction.”
Still hadn’t answered. Disappointment tugged at Leighton, making her way to move away. “Got it.” Was Sophia the reason he didn’t like Aliyah? Chewing her thumbnail, she headed to the bed and hiked onto the mattress. That he didn’t answer hurt more than all his earlier denials.
“Leighton.” With a sigh, Apollo crossed the room and stood in front of her, angling his head a bit to look her in the eyes.
“I’ve known Sophia since she was born. Our dads worked together.
” He slumped back against the mattress next to her.
“There’s a dozen of us—we call ourselves the Scions and watch out for each other.
Soph and I are close—but more like siblings.
For some reason, despite our age difference, Soph and I connected. ”
“She’s pretty too.” Why did she feel so pathetic pointing that out? “At the party, you hung out with her. Exclusively.”
Apollo side-eyed her. “Because I didn’t know anyone besides her and her twin brother. For parties and events, Soph always orders me to be her date so she doesn’t have to deal with guys hitting on her.” He elbowed her. “Speaking of that party, you sure bugged out fast.”
Leighton tried to hide the flush rising through her cheeks. He knew about her big secret, so she might as well fill in the rest. “I noticed you watching me…”
“And you were watching me.” He smirked. “Which I wasn’t mad about, in case you were wondering.”
Fluttering swarmed her belly, spilling warmth over her shoulders. What would it have been like back then, if she’d felt free to have a boyfriend? To talk to him? “At that point in my life, someone like you was too much to risk.”
“Someone like me.”
This time, she bumped his shoulder. “Don’t be offended.
I just had to keep a secret. Letting anyone into my life was dangerous.
My parents and I kept my life very ordered, strictly so.
Because if we weren’t careful enough…” She sighed and chewed the side of her cheek.
“It happened once. Middle school. You know how it is—you’re besties and there are zero secrets or you’re not real friends.
” It had been so absurd, so…awful. “Kezra knew I had a secret, and she was relentless in begging me to tell her. She did this whole ridiculous blood-oath circle thing, but it felt real, ya know?” Even now, remembering…
“You told her.”
Leighton nodded, still disappointed in herself. “I knew I shouldn’t, but she had been so nice. And she was popular, brought me into that circle, so I figured—why not?”
“And it backfired.”
“Hugely. She told the entire seventh grade. My parents transferred me to a private school at that point, even considered moving out of state, but that school…they were convinced it’d be safe.”
“Liberty?” he asked.
She managed a half smile and nodded. “Six years later, I was standing in a barn with friends and there was this guy who was…”
“Handsome?”
She laughed. “Intense. Every time I shifted to get out of your line of sight, two seconds later, there you were, homed in again.”
He grunted an acknowledgment.
Would he fess up to why he’d done that? Or was this going to be another stalemate? He was an expert at those. “Then I saw you plowing through the crowd, coming my way, and I knew it was time to leave.”
“Ah, so you did run away from me.”
“It was more…avoiding an encounter that had no future or good ending.”
“Which turned out to be not entirely true,” he countered. “Because here we are.”
While Apollo already knew her big secret, he was also the one still ignoring her wish not to be rescued. She really had no fight left. This—whatever it was they had between them—was unlike anything she’d ever experienced, and she didn’t want to lose it. Or his attention.
But her life had been one braced event after another, and anything with Apollo would not end well. Nothing ended well for her.
Weariness weighted her heart and soul, taunted her. Yet, what if…what if it somehow worked? Could Leighton escape this spine-of-steel life? Was there a chance she and Mr. Blue Eyes…
Oh, he’s a snack, all right. But…hope was dangerous. Treacherous.
Did she realize she was staring at him?
Owen could see the inner workings of her heart darting through those caramel eyes.
The desperation to be seen, to be loved.
The uncertainty about whether he could be trusted or not.
Those questions about Soph and Aliyah tapped at her fear that he’d be into someone else instead of her.
But had she seen herself? That face so perfectly set she almost looked like a doll with her satiny-smooth skin, features of both the Latino and Arabic cultures…
Thick, dark hair framing pinked cheeks and pink lips were a nice contrast to her olive complexion.
Kiss her.
Afraid he’d do just that and scare her off, he set his heels on the footrail and bent forward, resting his arms on his knees. Why did everything suddenly feel awkward or weird? Sitting here, next to her… On the bed!
Yeah, begging for trouble.
A rap on the door drew his attention.
“Probably Rayan,” she suggested, “ordering me to sit with him at dinner.”
“Noticed that too, huh?”
She sighed. “I don’t want to go…”
“Then don’t.” Owen dug the idea of defying the royals.
Her wary gaze hit his again. “What if it angers him that I do not come?”
“That’s his problem.” He slid off the bed and pointed to it. “Climb in. I’ll answer the door and tell him you’re not feeling up to it.”
Fear and relief warred in her eyes a second before she scrambled beneath the covers.
Owen strode across the room, glanced back toward the curtained bed to be sure she was settled and still, then opened the door.
Prince Rayan stood there, jaw muscle flexing. “It is time for dinner.”
“Oh, uh…” Owen slyly opened the door more so the prince could see for himself that Leighton was abed, he glanced that way, then back to the lanky prince. “She’s not really feeling up to it.”
Rayan’s dark eyes slid past him to the semidarkened room, then to Owen, studying him hard. Jaw clenched as he bit out, “We leave at six in the morning.”
Not gonna lie—Owen liked ticking off this prince and wondered what reaction he’d get. “And”—he pushed concern into his tone and expression as he shot a look at the bed again—“if she’s still not well…?”
Oh, the fury in that smug Arab face. “Maaz is already displeased with her,” the prince snarled quietly, “so I would not push him. He would be most angry if his sister’s excursion is disrupted by poor decisions.”
Owen tilted his head. “So, Nouri not feeling well is a poor decision.” He locked on to the guy, recalling Leighton’s strained words about it all being a plan to hurt her somehow.
“Noted. I’ll be sure she’s aware.” He closed the door quickly—and maybe a little harder than needed.
With smug satisfaction, he flipped the bolt.
Leighton sat up in the bed. “He sounded annoyed,” she whispered.
“He’ll get over it.”
“And you sounded a little too pleased to annoy him.”
Owen hid his smile as he went to the credenza and retrieved the menu. “What do you want for dinner? I’m probably going to go old school with a burger and fries, since I won’t get it again for a while.”
“Oh, that sounds perfect.”
Grinning at her, he lifted the phone and ordered. Forty minutes later, armed with burgers and fries, they sat on the couch, chowing down. “What’re your thoughts on safari-ing again tomorrow?”
Leighton chewed, covering her mouth as she finished the bite, then took a swallow of her water. “Okay, don’t hate me…”
“Why would I hate you?”
“After your very heroic stand against Prince Rayan”—she scrunched her face—“I kinda want to go tomorrow.”
“Heroic, huh?” Buying himself time to think before answering, he took a big bite and chewed. Considering Leighton’s misgivings and his tactical experience, he knew this was a great spot to have an unfortunate accident. “I just want you safe.”
“This trip is once-in-a-lifetime. I doubt I’ll ever get a chance to see these animals or have this experience again.
” Leighton munched a fry. “And to be here, on an all-expenses-paid trip…” She shrugged.
“I mean, I really don’t want to sit in here hiding when there’s amazing wildlife out there to be appreciated. ”
Made sense. But did she realize…that thing she said—once-in-a-lifetime—showed him where her mind was.
So, while she might be a willing sacrificial lamb for her biological mother, there was a part of her—subconsciously—that did not think she’d spend her whole life at Jeddah as a princess. That, he could dig. “I hear you.”
She lazily ate her fries, ignoring the other half of her burger on the plate. “Besides, I have you watching my back.”
And every other part of her. For more reasons than one. “Glad to hear you say that.” He wolfed his down.
“I guess you like the burger,” she said with a laugh.
“It was one of the best I’ve tasted in…six days,” he teased around the last bite.
“Pretty sure it’s hyena meat,” she said. “I mean, they don’t exactly have cows here…”
Owen faltered.
Mischievous gleam in her eyes, Leighton started laughing.
“Not funny. I about tossed my cookies.”
“It was worth it to see you finally uncertain for two-point-five seconds.” Slumped back against the couch, she drew her legs up and sat cross-legged.
He couldn’t help the smile, watching as she settled in, relaxing with a soft sigh. Definitely something he could get used to.
Her gaze came to his, and a rosy flush filled her cheeks. “What?”
Aware of the grave mistake it’d be to push too early into that sliver of a space with her smile and teasing, Owen warned himself to go easy.
Leighton was still in a crisis, a place where she’d had to fight for every ounce of freedom.
Yet…a little more trust like this, and maybe she’d agree to leave of her own volition.
Pushing too hard too fast would destroy not only any chance to get her away from these psycho royals but any shot he might have at winning her heart.
Holy what? What are you even thinking?
Leighton wiped her mouth and stood. “I’m going to shower now so I don’t have to worry about it in the morning.”
Watching her cross the room made him realize how short that distance was.
How short their time was. As soon as the bathroom door closed, Owen snagged the short-range comms he’d retrieved from Crow and tucked it in his ear.
Heard a tone signal its activation. Anticipated the room might be bugged.
“Go ahead,” he subvocalized, shifting so he had eyes on the doors to the room and the bathroom.
“Welcome back, Apollo,” comm’d Dade. “Chief’s getting deets sorted on the plan to exfil your girl. We’ll update you when there’s more info.”
Owen gritted his teeth and covered his mouth. “Can’t wear the earpiece. Too many eyes. I’ll check in each night.”
“Good copy. Give the princess a kiss for us, eh?”
He jerked the piece out and tucked it in his jean pocket for tomorrow. Ten minutes later, Leighton emerged, hair in a towel, and wearing pajama shorts and shirt. He nodded once she climbed back in bed. “I’m going to follow suit.”
Cleaned up and changed, he made himself bed down as if there were two, not one. As if this was normal. As if he didn’t think about kissing her more than once. But luckily, exhaustion was a powerful adversary, yanking him into the abyss of sleep.
They went into the next day with vigilance, determined to remain observant of the royals. Because of an unexpected summer storm, not many animals were out, almost making the day a wash since wildlife seemed unsettled by the change in atmosphere.
Owen had the same problem.
Rayan was an ever-present pest who insisted on being Leighton’s escort. Sitting with her at lunch. Then dinner. Each time treating Owen more like a servant who should walk two steps behind rather than someone charged with her protection.
And of course, Aliyah clung to him the same way the humidity plastered his shirt to him. It was both annoying and embarrassing. He felt a bit let down when nothing of note happened and they were suddenly on the plane, headed to the next location for the safari.
Masai Mara.