Read Online Kidnapping Keela by Cathy McAllister - Free Book Online Page A

Cursing, Keela flattened out the dress and staggered with weak knees out of the room. She could not get his expression out of her mind. Never before had a man looked at her like that. Also she had not missed the fact that he had had a huge bump in his trousers. He wanted her, there was no doubt about that. She would need to be carfeful. Because she would not be able to trust herself when it came him.  

Chapter 5

    Keela had spent the afternoon in a very relaxed way and had eaten a little something in her room with Solima and Amber. Later she had taken a long bath and had a shoulder massage from the massage robot. She had to admit that she had never had a better massage. And Rob, as she had named the robot, was entertaining, too. He had made her laugh with his stories and jokes and so distracted her from the forbidden feelings that she had for Marruk. Now she was dressed and her hair was done and she was waiting to be collected for the reception. She was horribly nervous. What would the royal couple be like? Would Marruk’s wife be there, too? It should not matter to her but she could not help herself. She hoped that she would not be witness to any intimacy between Marruk and his wife. It was bad enough that a man who was already taken was having such an effect upon her. She ought to forget all about men for a while. Had she not been hurt enough? What was more, she could not seriously consider getting involved with an alien. She should concentrate instead on how to get back home again. Perhaps there was a way.
    There was a knock at the door.
    “Yes,” she said, a little breathlessly.
    The door opened and Marruk appeared. He looked stunning in his dark red, knee-length skirt, white shirt and a black plaid that was held in place with a golden clip in the form of a cheetah’s head with rubies as eyes. Marruk’s brown hair had been plaited into lots of thin braids, tied together at his neck with a black band.  
    “Are you ready?” he asked in a slightly husky voice that went right through her.
    She did not miss the searching look that he gave her - and likewise the dangerous flash in his eyes. He should not look at her like that and she should not wish for things that she was not entitled to. For a moment, that felt like an eternity to her, he held her gaze, and butterflies danced in her belly, the way she had not felt it since she was a teenager. He took a few steps towards her and she had the unsettling feeling that he was going to take her in his arms and kiss her. She almost hoped that he would. Her heart beat faster and her lower body clenched unexpectantly. But he stood still just in front of her and held out his arm to her. Keela tried to fight off the disappointment. Her whole body seemed to cry out in protest, wanting to feel him in every possible intimate way. Instead she put her hand on his forearm as she had seen in old historical films and was led from the room.
    He led her along the corridor and down the staircase to the ground floor. From there they entered a wing of the palace that had been created to receive guests and to impress them. The ceiling was high because the rooms in this wing went higher than two stories. The corridors were four times wider than in the private parts of the palace where she had already been. Keela was amazed by the splendour that she saw and her heart sank. She had expected to meet the royal couple in a somewhat more private environment. She did not feel comfortable with all this splendour and she felt small, even tiny, in this high, wide hall with its enormous statues and tapestries that were several meters high. Her knees weak, she let herself be led by Marruk until they reached a high double door. Two guards nodded to one another and opened the doors to allow them inside.

    She did not know what she had expected but definitely not this. They entered a hall that was as big as a football field and it was teaming with guests. Some guests from other alien races were even present,