What happened? Did I get sick? And worst of all, who undressed me and put me in this robe?
Kaled is going to kill me when he finds out I snuck out to that party.
I wash my face again, but it doesn’t feel like enough, so I decide to shower. I’m mortified knowing that the man assignedto be my guardian is right outside that door, but I know I’ll feel better once the hot water hits my skin.
The bathroom is huge. Black walls, chrome steel. Modern. The opposite of what I imagine suits him.
Even though he’s as refined as my brother, I suspect that inside, Rodrick is more . . .barbaric. I know he has just as much money as my family and went to the same school as Kaled, but there’s something primal about him. And it gets to me.
I shove the thought away. The worst kind of madness would be to start fantasizing about the man appointed to be my jailer.
I turn on the shower and drop the robe. The water runs down my hair, and the shampoo he uses smells distinctly masculine, spicy, nothing like my fruity ones.
A strange rush moves through me as I remember waking up in his arms.
If anyone in Rheadur even dreamed something like that happened, I’d be branded a disgrace forever.
Stop it. Nothing happened,I tell myself.
We were both dressed, although I was wearing far less, and I need to understand why.
When I’m done, I wrap a towel around myself and open a drawer, looking for a comb. Instead, I find an entire lineup of condoms. I slam the drawer shut so fast the noise probably echoes through the apartment.
God, kill me.
What were you expecting? He’s a single man. Just like Kaled before meeting Adeela, he must have several girlfriends.
My mood, already awful, sours completely at that thought. I’d rather comb my hair with my fingers than risk opening another drawer and finding anothersurprise.
I open the door carefully, but as I suspected, he’s awake, sitting on the bed in the dim light, watching me.
His gaze is sharp, piercing, like the eagles we have in Rheadur, and suddenly I forget my embarrassment, forget that I shouldn’t be standing here wearing so little, forget who we are.
Logic melts away, replaced by a slow burn that crawls down my spine. My nipples tighten, and something unfamiliar pulses between my thighs.
My legs tremble, so I stay still, afraid they’ll give out. His stillness makes me even more anxious.
“I hope you don’t mind. I took a shower,” I force myself to say.
He says nothing but rises and walks toward me.
Maybe he should turn the light on, as it’s still dark outside, but he doesn’t. The almost-darkness makes everything feel even more intimate. I’ve never been this close to a man who wasn’t family, not in any situation even remotely like this.
“How are you feeling?” he asks, stopping in front of me.
If I tell him the truth, he’ll probably throw me out, because even I don’t understand what I want right now.
“Physically, I’m fine. But I don’t remember what happened at the party. Part of the night is gone.”
“Do you remember sneaking away from the security team?” he asks, stepping back, as if he suddenly regrets closing the distance.
“You wouldn’t have let me go if I’d told you.”
“Get dressed, Jazmina. We have a lot to talk about, but not now. We’re going on a trip.”
“What?”
“You’re spending the weekend with me in Scotland. We’ll stop by your apartment so you can pack a small bag. I have business there, and after last night, there’s no chance I’m leaving you alone.”