finding each other again as he was stung. Isabelle no longer wanted him. Frustration welled in his chest.
He kept an arm around her. “Sleep. All this running around cannot be helpful in your condition.”
“I’m the doctor here. I give the rest orders,” she mumbled. But soon her breathing evened and she was asleep.
He watched her for a while in the moonlight. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. She had delicate cheekbones and shapely brows, blazing eyes when they were open. Her mouth was a thing of beauty, her full bottom lip much abused. When she was nervous, she had a tendency to chew it, the only sign of weakness she ever allowed.
She was intelligent, practical, with a brave spirit. She’d handled that chase as well as one of his security guards. She’d found them shelter and food. No, she was not obedient. But if she were anything less than what she was, they would probably be dead by now.
He thought that revelation over. She was what she was, and truth be told, he liked what she was. More than liked. She wouldn’t be an accessory on the throne, by his side. She would be a partner. Yes, he had taken on the yoke of ruling willingly and had expected to shoulder it alone. But the thought of her being by his side all through it suddenly made him feel lighter than he had since his parents’ death. She would make an amazing princess, if only he could make her see that.
He would. First thing tomorrow morning. They would be safe at the resort and his friends would be there to help him. No mortal woman could resist that much charm. The five of them together were a force to be reckoned with. She would see reason.
He rose quietly and moved to the window without making a sound, scanned the street. He couldn’t see the black van. He picked up a stack of chairs and blocked the back door, just in case. Then he went back to Isabelle and wrapped his arm around her again, breathing in her sweet scent.
He fell asleep with visions of her on the throne, next to him, in his arms in the royal ballroom, twirling to the music, in his bed—naked. She laughed that laugh of hers that warmed his heart like nothing on earth could. She came into his arms willingly. He sank deeper into the dream.
He woke to the sun shining into his eyes. Isabelle’s place next to him was empty. Only a stack of coins and a note waited for him.
The bar across the back alley will open in a couple of hours. They have a pay phone. Call your people. Be safe.
He bolted straight up, swearing like a desert bandit.
His future princess had left him.
Chapter Five
Her car had been stolen.
Isabelle groaned with frustration as she looked up and down the alley where they’d left the vehicle the night before. Nothing. Okay, don’t think stolen. Her mind had a habit of going to the worst-case scenario, an occupational hazard. In the O.R., she had to think in terms of the worst-case scenario at each and every surgery and imagine exactly what she would do if that happened. In the O.R., she had to be ready for whatever came her way. Right now, however, she needed some positive thinking.
Think towed. Towed would be manageable.
The bar wasn’t open yet, so she couldn’t go use their pay phone. Nor would she have wanted to run into Amir in there. She had to find another phone. Without being seen by whomever was after Amir.
She walked back out of the alley and headed for one of the busier streets. She was still wearing the nurses’ uniform. She sidled into the first clothing store she found, Lainey’s Western Outfitters, and bought a large shirt, plus a cowboy hat that hid her pinned-up hair and most of her face. She picked up a pair of large hoop earrings, which provided a little more cover and distraction.
She didn’t exactly look stylish, but at least she didn’t look like she had when that black van had pulled into her front yard. She even exchanged her red purse for a brown one with horseshoe prints on the side and tassels on the bottom.
He kept an arm around her. “Sleep. All this running around cannot be helpful in your condition.”
“I’m the doctor here. I give the rest orders,” she mumbled. But soon her breathing evened and she was asleep.
He watched her for a while in the moonlight. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. She had delicate cheekbones and shapely brows, blazing eyes when they were open. Her mouth was a thing of beauty, her full bottom lip much abused. When she was nervous, she had a tendency to chew it, the only sign of weakness she ever allowed.
She was intelligent, practical, with a brave spirit. She’d handled that chase as well as one of his security guards. She’d found them shelter and food. No, she was not obedient. But if she were anything less than what she was, they would probably be dead by now.
He thought that revelation over. She was what she was, and truth be told, he liked what she was. More than liked. She wouldn’t be an accessory on the throne, by his side. She would be a partner. Yes, he had taken on the yoke of ruling willingly and had expected to shoulder it alone. But the thought of her being by his side all through it suddenly made him feel lighter than he had since his parents’ death. She would make an amazing princess, if only he could make her see that.
He would. First thing tomorrow morning. They would be safe at the resort and his friends would be there to help him. No mortal woman could resist that much charm. The five of them together were a force to be reckoned with. She would see reason.
He rose quietly and moved to the window without making a sound, scanned the street. He couldn’t see the black van. He picked up a stack of chairs and blocked the back door, just in case. Then he went back to Isabelle and wrapped his arm around her again, breathing in her sweet scent.
He fell asleep with visions of her on the throne, next to him, in his arms in the royal ballroom, twirling to the music, in his bed—naked. She laughed that laugh of hers that warmed his heart like nothing on earth could. She came into his arms willingly. He sank deeper into the dream.
He woke to the sun shining into his eyes. Isabelle’s place next to him was empty. Only a stack of coins and a note waited for him.
The bar across the back alley will open in a couple of hours. They have a pay phone. Call your people. Be safe.
He bolted straight up, swearing like a desert bandit.
His future princess had left him.
Chapter Five
Her car had been stolen.
Isabelle groaned with frustration as she looked up and down the alley where they’d left the vehicle the night before. Nothing. Okay, don’t think stolen. Her mind had a habit of going to the worst-case scenario, an occupational hazard. In the O.R., she had to think in terms of the worst-case scenario at each and every surgery and imagine exactly what she would do if that happened. In the O.R., she had to be ready for whatever came her way. Right now, however, she needed some positive thinking.
Think towed. Towed would be manageable.
The bar wasn’t open yet, so she couldn’t go use their pay phone. Nor would she have wanted to run into Amir in there. She had to find another phone. Without being seen by whomever was after Amir.
She walked back out of the alley and headed for one of the busier streets. She was still wearing the nurses’ uniform. She sidled into the first clothing store she found, Lainey’s Western Outfitters, and bought a large shirt, plus a cowboy hat that hid her pinned-up hair and most of her face. She picked up a pair of large hoop earrings, which provided a little more cover and distraction.
She didn’t exactly look stylish, but at least she didn’t look like she had when that black van had pulled into her front yard. She even exchanged her red purse for a brown one with horseshoe prints on the side and tassels on the bottom.
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