Page 24 of The Billionaire's Timed Wife

Apparently, even he doesn’t know all the shades of his crazy little sister.

“Oh, please. Think of him as an older brother. Kaled’s thirty-five; I’m sure he’s picked out lingerie for plenty of his lovers.”

I hide the discomfort that rises in me, not just because I have no practical experience with such things, but because the idea of Kaled being that intimate with another woman bothers me more than it should. “Anyway, don’t do that again. It was embarrassing.”

“Sorry, I promise to think before I speak next time,” she says, hugging me. “But in the end, everything worked out fine, didn’t it?”

“Yes.”

More than fine, actually, since he had an entire lingerie boutique, which according to Jazmina is one of the most expensive brands in the world, closed just for us to shop.

Now I own a dozen new sets of underwear, each more beautiful than the last. It seemed excessive, but Jazmina insisted she’d be offended if I refused the gifts.

To my relief, the prince chose to wait in the car, saying he had phone calls to make. I would’ve died of embarrassment if he’d been in the same room while I picked out panties.

Now we’re getting ready for dinner at a restaurant. Jazmina said she’s going without her headscarf and encouraged me to do the same, but I’m not sure.

It’s become part of me, and I’m afraid I’ll feel exposed without it.

“I’m happy to know you’re safe,” she says, for the first time since the flight bringing up the real reason we’re here.

“Thank you. I’ll never have enough life to repay you.”

“I’d never let your father force you to marry someone, especially a man who made it clear he meant to hurt you. I’d go to the ends of the earth to protect you. I’d use every resource I had.”

I sit on the bed and stare at my hands, frightened and uncertain of the future. “Your brother is a good man. Even without knowing why, he brought us into his home.”

“Kaled’s the best brother anyone could have. And if you want my advice, we should tell him the truth. Why we really needed to come here.”

I take a deep breath, still unsure whether I can trust the future sheikh. “Not the part about me not planning to go back toRheadur. I can tell him almost everything, but not that. I know he adores you, but that’s because you’re his little sister. That doesn’t mean he’d support my decision to flee the country he’ll soon rule.”

Chapter 12

I can’t say many things in life manage to surprise me, but hearing Jazmina mention that Adeela didn’t have any lingerie in her suitcase left me completely speechless.

In compensation, my imagination ran wild.

Yes, I know I shouldn’t let thoughts involving Adeela and lingerie occupy the same sentence, but in my defense, I was caught off-guard by my sister’s bluntness.

I’d forgotten that the moment she sets foot in Europe, her personality shifts, like some kind of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in heels.

She has no filter and apparently assumes I see her friend the same way she does: as a little sister.

The problem is, there’s nothing remotely fraternal about the desire that girl stirs in me, and judging by the way her hand trembled in mine, it’s mutual.

I’ve always been the kind of man who prefers experienced women, those who know what they want. Virgins never appealed to me, not just because I never intended to marry.

I’ve always avoided the very young ones, usually going for women five or six years younger than me. So why does Adeela, who is not only a virgin but also seems shy, make my blood boil?

Maybe it’s the fire I see burning in those dark eyes. Or maybe it’s the memory of her body moving sensually during that dance, a mental tattoo I can’t erase, a looped video that plays in my head whether I want it to or not.

The truth is, after I ordered an entire store closed so the two of them could buy whatever they wanted, and pretended to make phone calls to give them privacy, I spent two hours imagining that stunning woman inside a fitting room, trying on panties and bras.

Just thinking about it now turns me on.

Damn it.

These are going to be the longest three weeks of my life.