Read Online His Stubborn Lover by Leslie North - Free Book Online

one bite sat under a glass dome. She helped herself to black coffee. Taking her coffee onto the stone terrace, she glimpsed PJ and Talib walking through the garden. They didn’t see her and she stepped back into the shadows, watching them. Talib took hold of PJ’s hand and kissed the back of it—then he leaned in and kissed her.
    A pang shot through Keira. She looked away. She wasn’t jealous of PJ having Talib, but she was envious of their obvious closeness. Her act with Brock wasn’t the same thing. Once this job ended, they’d go their separate ways. Off to another job. For once, her pulse didn’t quicken at the idea. She’d sworn she wouldn’t have any regrets, but now one was staring at her—she’d regret having to give up Brock. Which meant she was going to work this cover for all she could get out of it. If they only had a short time, why not make the most of it?
    She drank her coffee and headed off to find Brock.
    He wasn’t in his room, and she wondered if he was checking out the security feeds. She’d glimpsed the cameras in all of the public rooms—beautifully hidden behind carved wood; but every camera needed a view, which meant you could spot them if you knew what to look for in the places that gave the best view of the room.
    She ran across Maela, dressing down a couple of upstairs maids. She had no idea what the poor girls had done, but Maela seemed to be verbally stripping off their hides for some misstep. Maela saw her, cut off her sharp rebuke, and dismissed the girls. She paused beside Keira. “The young—more interested in gossiping than working.”
    She gave Keira a challenging stare, as if defying her to deny such a thing. What, did Maela think Keira was lazy, too? Keira straightened, too aware she’d done nothing to give this woman a good impression of her. But, then, her job was to look spoilt and lazy. She slumped again. “Don’t tell me they’ve been eyeing my boyfriend. If they have, they deserve what they got.”
    Maela’s eyes narrowed. She turned and left. Keira stared after her. Maela seemed to think this palace was hers to run, and maybe it was. But was that a good thing?
    Since she couldn’t find Brock, Keira took a swim. She ate lunch with Erin, PJ, and Shira—the sheikh had been called into the city for several meetings and wouldn’t be back until tomorrow. Keira used the time to do a little gossiping of her own. She also kept an eye on the staff who served them.
    Lunch, unlike dinner, was informal. A buffet was spread out on the terrace. Guests came and went. Maela scowled at Erin’s choices of food and had something special brought out from the kitchen. Erin only picked at it, and Keira leaned close to her. “Morning sickness?”
    Erin’s cheeks pinked. “Morning, noon, and some of the night. I’m hoping it’ll pass soon.”
    Keira nodded. “I had a friend—hit her the same way. First three months were misery, but the rest of her time, she had more energy. And the best skin you’ve ever seen on anyone. She loved having bigger boobs, too.”
    Erin grinned. “That part I could live with.”
    PJ turned the conversation to plans for some online shopping that afternoon, but Erin bowed out. She had a charity meeting to attend.
    Keira hung around the meeting, watching those in attendance. A few ladies arrived in the traditional veiled robes, but cast them off as soon as they were inside. Keira didn’t see anyone with a ruby ring—or with the same black, exotic eyes she had glimpsed on the woman at the wedding.
    She started up to her room and saw Brock in the upstairs corridor. He’d been talking to Trent, who gave him a nod and moved away. Brock came over to her. “Having fun?”
    “If lazing around is fun, I’m having a blast.”
    His eyes glittered. “There’s time for a nap before dinner.”
    She smiled and shook her head. “I’m not really tired. I haven’t done anything all day.”
    “Who said anything about sleeping?” He took her hand and led