The princesses had taken their food to the tables, so Leighton moved forward, picked up a plate and grabbed a kebab, bread, and more fruit. She navigated to a table, her mind ricocheting back to Owen’s hushed instructions—balloons, six p.m.
Why would he want her to meet him there? More importantly, how was she supposed to get away from Rayan or the princesses?
16
Serengeti, Tanzania
He was losing her. Owen was losing Leighton to these infernal royals and couldn’t do a thing about it. Sequestered from the royal entourage, he was battling an intense sense of failure. Felt the taunting reins of control slipping from his grip.
Arms folded, he stood on the farthest side of the balloon basket, hoping the royals would not look this way and spot him. But they were all too merry in their drink and laughter to notice him. Would she come? The whole day had been frustrating. She’d only looked at him once, and he’d felt that to his core. A creeping sense of dread swarmed him at what he saw in her eyes. Not attraction or just a simple smile. Not fear as he’d seen the first time he’d encountered her at Soph’s party. This time he saw irritation. A flash of it—aimed at him.
That had put him on the knife’s edge. She was his only reason for being here. And if she was ditching him, siding with the royals, why was he even trying?
Those were the lies filling his head. Owen knew he couldn’t let them take root. He had to be strong. Remember that she was up against some pretty slick masters of manipulation who used those around them to get what they wanted.
The entourage had effected a concerted effort to keep him from being anywhere near Leighton. More than once, guards or Ghalib—that man was like a ghoul, manifesting without warning in the strangest places—intervened to prevent Owen from reaching Leighton. He’d nearly given up on putting his plan into place when one glorious moment opened up while she’d been waiting for food.
He hadn’t been able to ask if she understood what he’d said. Or get confirmation that she would come. That grating Rayan had been headed her way, so Owen had to veer off to avoid being discovered. What if she hadn’t heard him? What if the princesses commandeered her time again? And the question that plagued him, haunted—taunted—him… What if she had changed her mind and decided not to let him get her out of their clutches? What if the poison the princesses poured into her ear daily had taken root after all?
“Please, we go?” the balloon driver—or whatever they called him—signaled his impatience.
“Wait… Please.” Language barriers were no joke, but hopefully hand signals would convince the guy to give him more time. Owen scanned the area, searching the tents. Eyeing the tables, though he kept his head low to avoid being spotted.
Man. Was she not coming?
Surely the royals hadn’t turned her already. The kiss he’d shared with her… Did it mean the same thing to her as it had to him. She hadn’t really seemed like the type to just go around kissing guys…
Yet she’s not here.
The balloon guy railed at him in his native tongue.
“Please—”
“No, no!” The man started away.
Disappointed, Owen had to concede failure again. It’d been a long shot. But the sting of disappointment bred worry in his chest like maggots on rotten meat. This whole stinkin’ thing was rotten. He hadn’t?—
“Hey!” a voice rasped from behind.
At the tickle-grab at his sides, Owen wheeled around, startled to find Leighton laughing and her eyes bright. “Where’d you come from?” His brain jarred at her presence, his entire being resonating that she was here. That she’d come. “Never mind,” he said quietly. “Inside.”
Her eyes went round as pancakes and then she grinned—big. “We’re going up?”
This. This was why he was falling in love with her. That glow in her cheeks as he helped her into the basket. Nodded to the guide, who had already freed the balloon anchors. He turned, flaring the gas that drove heat up into the balloon.
Leighton giggled as she shrank, as if to hide. “I can’t believe we’re doing this.”
Owen breathed a little easier as the distance from the ground grew. “I had to see you, talk to you before we headed back to Jeddah.”
She gave a nervous yelp. “Have I mentioned I’m scared of heights?”
“Uh, that could be a problem, since we’re going high. I’m surprised you came, then.”
She hunched away from the sides. “I had to see you. Two days of torture with Daria and Aliyah.”
“I was worried they’d turned you to the dark side.”
“What?”
