Desert Rogues Part 2 (40 page)

Emma leaned toward her. “I would have thought someone raised by her father would have been more of a tomboy.”

Billie laughed. “I tried being one for a while, but then I realized I made a lousy son, so I gave it up and surrendered to my inner girl.”

“Hence the call sign?” Jefri asked.

She nodded.

He raised his glass. “To always surrendering to your inner girl.”

 

If asked, Billie would have expected to explain that the royal family was stuffy and well, boring. But that wasn't true at all. After grilling her about her life—in the most pleasant way possible—they'd laughed and talked and teased just like any other family she'd met. Okay, the flatware had been gold, but the rest of the meal had been surprisingly normal.

Whether it was the combination of too much champagne, the strange quarters or an evening spent getting lost in Jefri's dark gaze, Billie found herself unable to sleep. Giving up, she left Muffin snoring softly and pulled on her robe, then walked into the living room where she opened the French door leading to the balcony and stepped out into the quiet of the night.

A moon hung low in the sky and sent fingers of light across the lapping sea. There were scents in the air, smells she didn't recognize but knew would forever remind her of Bahania. The air was still, faintly cool, but still pleasant.

“The good life,” she said with a smile. “I doubt anything is ever going to top this.”

She leaned on the balcony and stared down at the dark gardens. Slim shadows darted in and out of bushes. Cats, she thought grimly. No doubt out to kill. Why on earth would anyone think creatures like that were pet-worthy?

“What has you so concerned?” Jefri said as he came out of the darkness and moved next to her at the railing. “You are frowning.”

His unexpected appearance startled her, although not enough to make her duck back inside. She had a brief thought that she was in her nightgown, but then reminded herself that she'd been a lot more uncovered in her evening gown.

“There,” she said pointing toward the garden. “Cats.”

He chuckled. “I will protect you from any who attempt to attack you.” He glanced around. “Where is Muffin?”

“Sleeping. She needs her beauty sleep.”

“Tell me she does not have one of those black sleep masks.”

Billie laughed. “She doesn't.”

“Good.”

He leaned against the railing, his shoulder close to her own.

“Did you enjoy your evening with us?” he asked.

“Very much so.” She glanced at him, taking in the dark slacks and the formal white shirt he'd unbuttoned. The tie was gone, as was the jacket, and he'd rolled his sleeves up to his elbows.

“I've never dined with royalty before,” she said. “I thought I'd be more nervous but everyone made me feel very comfortable.”

“I was concerned you thought there were too many questions.”

“Not at all. I thought everyone was interested and genuine rather than grilling me.”

“We are like other families?”

“Except for the prince thing.”

“So you were impressed.”

She smiled. “Not exactly.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Why not?”

“Come on. How impressed could I be by wealth and a title when we both know I could blow you out of the sky in thirty-eight seconds?”

“Good point. However, I could impress you in other ways.”

Oh, yeah, that was a serious possibility.

“I'm just the hired help,” she said instead, and did her best to act casually. “In a few months, I'll be gone and you'll rule your own skies.”

“Do you like that aspect of your job? Going from place to place?”

“Sometimes.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “I enjoy seeing the world, but sometimes I wouldn't mind having a permanent base of operations. The problem with that is I've yet to find a way to combine home and hearth with what I love to do.”

“The flying.”

“Exactly.”

“How did you learn to fly?” he asked.

“My dad had always taken me up with him. I was handling single engine planes by the time I was ten. My mom tried to hold me back, which worked until she died. Then there was no one telling my dad no. I worked my way up to jets pretty quickly.” She turned her head and smiled at him. “Having a mini air force in the family helped. What about you?”

“I have always loved flying. My father indulged me with lessons when I was twelve. I'm sure he thought it was something I would outgrow.”

“But you didn't.”

“You're right. The more I flew, the more I loved it. I wanted to join an air force, but we did not have one here in Bahania and no other country would allow me to train. They did not want the responsibility of a king's son.”

“Huh. I never thought there would be discrimination against royalty.”

“You would be surprised.”

“Maybe, but don't expect any sympathy.”

“I am not.” He turned so he faced her. “Your life has not been traditional.”

“I know. I'm glad for what I've experienced, but it hasn't come free. I'm going to be thirty in a few years. I'd like to get married and start on the whole baby thing, but I don't actually meet the kind of guys who would be interested in me.”

He frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“It's the whole blow up in the sky thing. Most men don't like it and compensate one of two ways. They get way too aggressive with me on the ground, or they ignore me. No one is ever just a guy.”

Although Jefri was making a good showing, she thought. If only he wasn't a real prince.

“You are not making any sense,” he told her.

“Sense or not, what's what is. The men I work with don't see me as an available female.”

“Perhaps they are not willing to take on your brothers.”

Billie stared at him. “Excuse me?”

“Your brothers. Doyle warned me away from you this afternoon. After our flight.”

She heard the words, but she couldn't believe them. “He what?”

“The message was extremely clear.”

“I…He…” She pressed her lips together and reached for a rational, coherent thought. “That lying, cheating, scummy pinhead,” she muttered.

Was it possible? Were her brothers the reason no one ever asked her out?

She thought about how possessive they were of her. Of the things they said and how they worried about her.

“This is so like them,” she said, feeling her temper rise. She couldn't believe it. She'd been date-free for years. How many guys had wanted to take her out only to be headed off by one of her brothers?

“I'm going to make them pay.”

“I would request that you not make them suffer too much.”

“Why?”

“Because they have kept other men away from you.”

“Oh, right and that's a good thing, how?”

“You are still available to me.”

Billie barely had time to process the sentence, which was probably for the best because the most eloquent thing she would have come up with was “Huh?” As Jefri spoke, he drew her into his arms and pressed his mouth to hers, so whatever else she was going to say faded into a soft, soul-stealing kiss.

He claimed her with a combination of passion and tenderness. Firm lips moved against her own, discovering, heating, delighting. Her temper faded as if it had never been, while liquid desire took its place.

She sighed and melted against him, letting her body lean against his and her arms rest on his strong shoulders. He smelled of cognac and night and mystery. He drew her closer still until they touched as intimately as their mouths. One of his hands tangled in her long hair while the other roamed over her back.

Instinctively she tilted her head, to make the kissing easier. He responded by brushing his tongue against her lower lip. Anticipation raced through her and she parted for him. But instead of deepening the kiss, he moved away. He kissed her cheek, then along her jaw. When he reached the sensitive skin below her ear, he licked that spot and made her shiver. He took her earlobe in his mouth and gently grated his teeth.

Fire raced through her. Her breasts swelled as her nipples puckered into tight sensitive points of need. She felt overdressed and jumpy, as if her skin was suddenly too tight. Heat settled between her legs. She wanted to rub against him, she wanted to touch and be touched, she wanted to beg.

He returned his mouth to hers. Again she parted for him, but he kept the kiss chaste, barely touching, moving back and forth. Need filled her, unfamiliar yet welcome. The wanting grew.

At last, when she thought she was going to have to scream or maybe throw herself off the balcony, he slipped his tongue inside her mouth and circled it against hers.

Yes, she thought, giving in to the exquisite sensations that filled her. Arousal shook her, making her need so much more than this kiss. Yet she didn't want the kiss to end. She wanted him dancing with her like this for always.

But it was not to be. Eventually he drew back and she knew it was important to act with dignity and not whimper. In the faint light from her room, his eyes glowed with a need that both thrilled and frightened her.

“You are a woman of many surprises,” he said as he stroked her cheek.

“The same could be said of you. Not the woman part,” she added, feeling more than a little foolish. “You're a man of surprises.”

“Thank you.”

He brushed his thumb across her mouth. “I look forward to what tomorrow brings,” he said. “Sleep well.”

“Good night.”

She waited until he disappeared into the darkness before stepping into her room. Sleep well? With her body on fire and her mind swirling? Between the kiss and what he'd told her about her brothers, she wasn't sure she was ever going to sleep again. Which was fine. She could spend the night planning her revenge against all the Van Horn men.

J
efri arrived for his weekly meeting with his father a few minutes early. The king's office was near his own. Several guards stood on duty, while dozens of staff members raced around with folders and stacks of papers.

The king's senior assistant waved Jefri in. One of the wide double doors stood open and several people filed out.

Jefri waited until they'd left before walking inside. He found his father standing behind his desk, flipping through a calendar.

“I'm thinking of visiting Europe,” the king said without looking up. “With Murat taking over most of my state duties and the other work divided between you, Sadik and Reyhan, there is little to keep me here.”

Jefri grinned. “Are you complaining you do not have enough to do?”

“I suppose I am. It is a sad state of affairs when a king is no longer needed.”

Jefri took a seat on the visitor's side of the desk. “I think it is unlikely you will be beheaded anytime soon.”

His father sat down and smiled. “How you comfort me.” He leaned back in his chair. “So our new air force is off to a positive start?”

“Of course. The Van Horn team is in place. All the instructors have arrived. Billie is in charge of them.”

The king nodded. “A most pleasant young woman.”

Jefri could think of several words to describe Billie, but pleasant wasn't one of them. It was too bland, too lacking in style. Billie could never be accused of either.

“She assists in the pilot training, both with actual flying and in simulators. The Van Horn people have prepared an intensive eight-week program to forge our pilots into a team. When the initial instruction is finished, they will return to offer refresher courses until we get our own training in place.”

“Very impressive,” the king said. “I would advise you not to annoy her. I would hate to lose you because, to quote the young woman herself, she blows you out of the sky.”

Jefri smiled. “I will not allow that to happen.”

“It sounds as if she is unbeatable.”

“Perhaps.”

But he had a feeling he knew her weaknesses. Last night she had melted in his arms. Whatever her skills in the sky, on ground, she was mere woman. He planned to take advantage of that fact, pleasing them both along the way. He did not believe she could respond to him so easily in the night and then destroy him, however much in theory, during the day.

For now he only needed an edge to best her. In time, he would develop the skills to take her on his own.

“I am glad all goes well,” his father said. “Now on to another matter. I have found you a bride.”

Jefri almost asked “For what?” before he recalled a conversation with his father some months ago, when he had given in to parental pressure and agreed to remarry.

“Perhaps this is not the best time,” he began.

“You are my son. It is your duty to produce heirs.”

“I am but twenty-nine. There is still time.”

“For you, perhaps,” the king said. “But I do not grow younger. You asked me to find you an appropriate young woman.” He pulled a sheet of paper out of a drawer. “You said she was to be docile, reasonably attractive and good with children. That is who I found.”

Jefri wondered what he had been thinking when he had made that particular request. Yes, he had to marry, and an arranged match was as good as any, but now?

“I have other priorities at this moment. The air force takes much of my time.”

“Your bride will require little of you,” the king said. “You were specific when we spoke. You did not want this to be a love match.”

That much was true, Jefri thought. He had already played at that game and lost. Love was not for him. Better to find someone who could do the job and not manipulate his heart. Respect was far more important than love.

Without wanting to, he remembered a woman in the moonlight. The feel of a soft feminine body in his arms and a passionate response to his kiss. Billie was a temptation, but she did not meet any of his criteria save one. While it was possible she enjoyed children, he doubted anyone would ever accuse her of being docile. Worse, describing her as “reasonably attractive” was as much of an understatement as saying the center of the sun was mildly warm.

“I do not wish to be engaged at this time,” Jefri said firmly.

He had no intention of marrying Billie, but that did not mean he could not enjoy her company.

“Arrangements have been made,” his father told him.

“Then they need to be unmade.”

The king stared at him for a few seconds. Jefri braced himself for a battle of wills. While he might be victorious against his father, he had little success against the king.

At last the older man nodded. “As you wish.”

“Thank you, Father.” He glanced at his watch. “I am due at the airport shortly.”

“Then you must go. Be sure to tell Billie how much I enjoyed her company last night.” His father smiled. “Tell her that next time I will ask the staff to prepare a plate for her to take back to her dog. It is not necessary for her to slip food into her handbag.”

So the king had noticed as well. Jefri grinned. “I look forward to passing along the message.”

 

Billie knew that Doyle had been out until nearly four in the morning, overseeing the equipment unloading. In deference to his late bedtime, she waited until ten before entering his suite and stalking toward the bedroom.

Between the kiss and her fury at what she'd found out, she hadn't gotten much sleep herself, which meant she'd had plenty of time to work up a head of steam. A tiny part of her looked forward to exploding all over her brother.

As she'd expected he was asleep. She crossed to the windows and pulled open the drapes. As light spilled onto the bed, he stirred, then rolled onto his back.

“What the hell are you doing?” he growled. “Do you know what time I got to bed?”

“Ask me if I care,” Billie said as she moved close to the side of the bed and glared down at her brother. “You are so in trouble. Don't for one second think you're going to talk your way out of this. I mean to have your head on a platter. Or maybe a stick. I haven't decided.”

Doyle stretched and yawned. He looked amazingly unconcerned as he sat up and leaned against the headboard. His sleep-mussed hair fell across his forehead and stubble darkened his jaw.

“You're sure flapping your lips,” he said with a complete lack of concern for her temper. “But you're not saying much.”

She picked up one of his boots and tossed it at him. “Don't you dare dismiss me, you rat. How dare you run my life? You don't have the right.”

He batted away the flying boot and stared at her. “You've gone over the edge.”

“Not yet, but I'm really close.” She picked up the other boot and was pleased to see him duck. “That's right. Be afraid. Because you have messed with something you're going to regret.”

“Put that down,” he said, lunging toward her.

She was careful to keep out of reach, knowing she was safe as long as Doyle couldn't grab her. Like all her brothers, he slept in the nude, so he wasn't going to be getting out of bed anytime soon. She raised the boot again and glared.

“You've been warning men away from me, telling them who knows what so they won't ask me out. How dare you? What I want to know is what gives you the right? I've been an adult for a long time. I'm capable of making my own decisions.”

He winced. “You're crazy.”

“Am I? I couldn't figure out why perfectly nice guys who had been flirting with me suddenly showed no interest. I thought it was me. But it wasn't. It was you guys. And Dad. He's in on it, too, isn't he?”

“We just thought—”

“What?” she demanded, threatening him with the boot. “That I was too fragile to take care of myself.”

“After what happened before, we thought it was a good idea.”

Not a surprise, she told herself. “Doyle, that was eight
years
ago. I'm not happy it happened, but didn't it occur to you that I'm over it?”

“What if some guy tries to hurt you again?”

“I'll deal with it. You can't protect me. It's wrong to try.” She set down the boot. Figures, they'd done the wrong thing for the right reason. “This stops right now. You get out of my personal life.”

He folded his arms over his chest. “Or what?”

She stared at him, at the familiar square jaw and blond hair. At the powerful muscles. When she'd been little and the constant subject of their endless teasing, she always thought that when she got bigger she would be able to take them on. But she'd been wrong. They still thought of her as their baby sister. Someone who wasn't quite big enough or grown-up enough or good enough. It didn't matter that she could blow every one of them, including her father, out of sky in less than three minutes.

“If you all don't stop treating me like a child, I'm leaving the business.”

Doyle stared at her. “You're bluffing. You love it too much to leave.”

She did love it, but she wouldn't stay somewhere she couldn't be her own person. “You know I get six job offers a month. I mean it, Doyle. I'll walk.”

He swore under his breath, then held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Fine. I'll talk to Dad and the guys. It may take us a while to, you know, act differently.”

“I'm sure you're more than up to the task.”

He grumbled something under his breath, no doubt calling her names. None of her brothers had ever been especially gracious losers.

“I need to get to the airport,” she said brightly. “I have simulation training this afternoon.” She started to walk out of the room.

“Hey. What about the drapes,” he yelled after her.

“Get up and close them yourself.”

 

Feeling more than a little empowered, Billie walked back toward her rooms. She still had to collect Muffin before heading to the airport. In her own car with her own driver, she thought with a grin. Ah, it was good to be her right now.

She rounded a corner and nearly ran smack into Prince Jefri. All her breezy confidence drained away, leaving her feeling awkward, silly and tongue-tied.

“You appear to be very cheerful,” he said as he stopped in front of her. “Is there a reason?”

Man, oh man did he look good, she thought as she took in the dark suit, pale blue shirt and striped tie. Princes had the best clothes and some really great tailoring.

“I, ah…” What was the question? Oh, yeah. “I just told my brother off.”

“Did it go well?”

“Not bad. I believe he got the message.”

A smile tugged at Jefri's mouth. “Did you threaten him?”

“Of course. Isn't that what sisters do?”

“I don't recall my sister threatening me much, but she spent much of the time in America. Was there blood spilt?”

“No, although I did throw his boot at him.”

“Impressive.”

She laughed. “He'd worked until early this morning. I think it's the only reason I got the drop on him, but I won't ever admit that to him.”

“Of course not. Nor will I.”

Awareness crackled between them. They'd kissed about twelve hours before and she was still experiencing aftershocks. Was Jefri? As a handsome prince was he used to kissing all sorts of women and had theirs been just one in a long line?

“What are you thinking?” he asked unexpectedly.

She felt her eyes widen. “Nothing important.”

“I think it was very important.” He moved closer. “Will you not tell me?”

“I just…” She cleared her throat. “It looks like another great day. Too bad we'll be doing simulations instead of flying for real.”

His dark gaze settled on her face. “That was a rather poor and obvious attempt to change the subject.”

“I know, but you're so well mannered, I figured you'd let me get away with it.”

“Hmm, and here I had hoped you would tell me you had been busy thinking about last night.” He lowered his voice. “I enjoyed our conversation and our kiss.”

Holy moly. He was going to
talk
about it? She wasn't used to that, but then she wasn't much used to kisses from princes. Or men in general. Jeez, based on what she'd just found out about her brothers she should send every guy who
had
gathered the courage to ask her out an award of some kind.

“I had a nice time, too,” she said primly.

He raised his eyebrows. “Nice? I see I must work on my technique.”

Before she could respond, she felt something brush against her bare ankles. She looked down, then scrambled out of the way of a small calico cat.