I’ve never had to restrain myself when I wanted a woman. There’s a predator inside me that never hesitates to go after what it wants, but with Jazmina, things are different. I have to learn to limit myself to just looking at her.
Yes.Looking. Because I’ve already tried the other way—pretending the attraction wasn’t that big—and it didn’t work.
“Your yacht is beautiful.”
You’re beautiful. And delicious too.
“It was built by Vicenzzo’s company, same as Kaled’s.”
“Yes, my brother told me.”
“How were the last few weeks?”
She turns to face me. “I thought you knew everything about my life,” she says playfully.
She’s flirting?
“And I do, but I’m asking about what the security reports can’t tell me.”
“But those are my secrets.” She smiles.
God, why do you have to be so beautiful? And worse—so forbidden?
“I could find out anyway.”
“I doubt it, Rodrick. My imagination is too fertile.”
For a few seconds, we get lost in each other’s eyes, and before I can stop myself, my gaze drops to her mouth. My tongue slips out, brushing my lower lip, as if reminding me of her taste.
Jazmina parts her lips slightly, her eyes darkening with desire. I take a step forward, already too close, when a voice interrupts us.
“Ah, there you are!” Athol says. And I don’t know if I should thank him for stopping me from kissing her when I’d sworn I wouldn’t do it again . . .or if I should tell him to get lost.
Jazmina decides for the both of us.
“Hello!” she greets him, recovering far quicker than I do. “My name is Jazmina Faheem.”
“Good evening, lovely lady. I know who you are . . .the princess, sister of Sheikh Kaled. How do you do?”
While they talk, I’m still too focused on her to look away, but something Athol says snaps me out of it.
“Elizabeth Boyd and Davina Gordon are boarding. They arrived earlier than expected.”
I don’t even have time to respond. Jazmina says goodbye quickly and walks away without looking back.
What the hell just happened?
“Did you hear me, Rodrick?”
“Why are they here?”
“Why wouldn’t they be? They’re your two candidates for future wife. The screening you asked me to do. It’s your duty to receive them.”
“My duty is to look after my . . .ward. If I wanted them here, I would have invited them myself, which I didn’t. So prepare yourself to entertain them all night, because I won’t.”
Chapter 22
“How are things?” I ask Ricco, who brought his girlfriend, Luna Cox, to my party.