“Curious little cat, are you?” His voice is low and to my surprise, his eyes drop to the front of my dress. Heat floods my body. No one has ever looked at me like that or spoken to me in a flirty tone. He holds out his hand. “Vander.”
Cautiously, I take it, trying to commit his name and the way he says it in my mind as his strong fingers envelope mine. “Ad..” I can’t give him my real name. “Addy.”
His thumb flicks lightly against my wrist. “I’m glad you ran into me, Addy.” When he speaks my name it takes my breath away, but somehow seems to breathe life into me at the same time. Who is this man?
“Me too,” I stutter, my face heating when he laughs. I feel like I’ve been sleepwalking, and someone has pulled back the curtains. I’ve never reacted to anyone like this before and I’m not sure what to do or say. I release his hand, my palm tingling from the absence of his.
“Are you able to slip away for a coffee or does the princess need you?”
Flustered, I lean back against the door. Did he just ask me out? My eyes widen. I’m very tempted, but there’s no way I can leave the hotel. I’m on borrowed time.
“I can’t. I really can’t go anywhere,” I confess.
He folds those impressive arms across his chest, and I remember the heat of him, the strength, when we collided. I feel out of breath and hot all over, like my skin is too tight. “A rule follower, then.”
Oh, boy. If he only knew.
“I have a meeting this afternoon, but I should be free for dinner if you’d like to join me?”
My brain hitches on his words. “What kind of meeting?” An insane thought forms. Is he one of the men my brother is negotiating with?
He smirks. “A business meeting.” He checks his watch. “Will you be at the meeting?”
“Me?” I squeak. Maybe he knows who I am after all.
He rubs a finger against his chin like he’s examining a puzzle. “I thought you must be one of the attendants, but maybe I have it all wrong.” He leans forward, dropping his voice. “Are you one of the king’s mistresses?”
A laugh escapes me. “No.” My eyes narrow. “What do you mean by ‘one of’? Are there many?” My goodness. I know my brother isn’t a saint, but it’s so unfair that he gets to have ‘many’ friends and I’m locked in my room like some kind of medieval virgin.
“Everyone knows the king is sought after. Are you vying for his attention, sweetheart?”
An electric current goes through me at the endearment. “Definitely not.”
“Good girl.”
My tummy clenches at the low, deep words. Something is happening here, something I don’t really understand.
“If I can’t take you out, can I at least help you get back to your floor?”
I look past him, down the stairs. Do I dare to go with him? Back home, I’ve snuck out a few times, just to prove I can, but I have no idea how much time I’ll have before Laela and Alexandra raise an alarm. Although, given how we left things, maybe they’re content to let me go for a while. They only care as long as my brother is watching, and if he’s preparing for meetings this afternoon and I have a social engagement, it’s highly unlikely he’ll check in on me. I can’t just wander around the hotel, however. I might not look like a princess right now, but there is still a chance I’ll run into some of our security team stationed throughout the hotel. Bashir is nothing if not paranoid.
“I really just want to feel the sun on my face, for a few minutes.” My brain races. “But I’m on duty. I can’t let anyone see me.”
He studies me for a minute. “I can help with that.” Vander holds out his hand. “I won’t bite.” A wicked grin steals across his face. “Unless that’s what you’re into.”
Heat floods my cheeks. No one has ever made suggestive comments to me before. I clench my fist, feeling uncertain.
“You really are a good girl, aren’t you?”
I take his hand and let him lead me down the stairs. “Where are we going?”
He stops, turning me towards him. “Do you trust me?”
I bite my lip. “Not really.”
He chuckles. “That’s probably smart. There’s a private garden bar on the roof of the hotel. Plenty of sun, and I can even find you a drink, if you’re interested.”
“The roof? But we’re going downstairs?”
