Total pages in book: 20
Estimated words: 19307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 97(@200wpm)___ 77(@250wpm)___ 64(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 19307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 97(@200wpm)___ 77(@250wpm)___ 64(@300wpm)
Really!
And what does he hope to accomplish anyway? Does he think leaving me sexually frustrated will make me so desperate...I'll end up seeking his company on my own?
Ha!
If he thinks that, then he's in for a—-
Eeeeep!
My co-workers crowd around me as soon as I step inside our manager's office. The hotel's housekeeping staff meets every week to discuss room assignments, but the excited looks on the other girls' faces tell me they have something a lot juicier in mind.
"What is it?" I ask curiously. "What happened?"
"Oh, please," Joanne says with a roll of her eyes. "Don't play coy. We know you went out on a date with Hal!"
Shit.
I shake my head and hastily make things clear before people start assuming things. "It was just a friendly date."
"Sure, sure."
Everyone's either winking or snickering like all of us are in on some huge secret, and no one seems inclined to believe me despite my vocal protests.
Great, just great.
This is so unfair to Hal, and so the first thing I do come lunch break is dash to the front desk so I can have a word with him.
Hal looks at me in surprised pleasure. "What's up?"
"Um..."
"Or can I hope that you're here because you've changed your mind? Have you realized that my kiss was way better than you expected, and you've decided to take me out of the friend zone?"
I can only shake my head with a laugh. "Stop it, okay?"
"Admit it," Hal teases.
I open my mouth to tell him I can't admit to any such thing when I suddenly feel the hairs at the back of my neck stand. I turn to look over my shoulder, and that's when I see the sheikh staring at us from a short distance, a hardened expression on his gorgeous features.
Shit.
How long has he been standing there?
"I'm right, aren't I?" I hear Hal say, and I force myself to turn around to face him. Keep it cool, I tell myself. If the sheikh can ignore me, then I can ignore him, too.
"Are you game for lunch?" Hal asks.
"Actually...I just want to talk." I unthinkingly grab Hal's hand as I speak, and all I'm thinking about is dragging him as far away from the sheikh as possible. It's only when Hal squeezes my hand back that I realize how this can be misinterpreted—-
Shit!
I take a look behind my back, and the sheikh is gone.
Shit.
"Seven?"
I force myself to look back at Hal.
"You know how much I like you, right?" Hal starts to squeeze my hand again, but his smile fades when I quickly pull my hand out of his hold.
"I'm sorry," I say miserably. "I know it seems like I like leading you on, but it's really not that."
"I see."
"I'm sorry." I know it's far from adequate, but saying sorry is all I can think of, with half of my mind still busy worrying about the sheikh. What could he be thinking now?
"It's fine," Hal assures me after a moment. "I can always ask you out again, and you never know. You might change your mind about me one day."
I slowly shake my head. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. I know I'm not going to change my mind about you," I say awkwardly, "but the thing is..."
Hal looks concerned. "What is it?"
"Well..." I fidget on my feet, and then I end up babbling in my nervousness. "People have been talking about us. I'm not sure how they found out," I say in a rush, "but everyone seems to know we had dinner, and so I just want to say sorry in advance if they start asking you about it, and it makes things awkward for you. If there's anything I can do—-"
"There is," Hal says right away.
"Oh, great. I'm willing to do anything—-"
"You can have dinner with me again."
"—-but that."
"Then I guess you didn't really mean it when you said anything."
"Hal!"
"Kidding, kidding."
He really is too sweet, and life would be so much better if I've fallen—-
Shit.
I feel like someone's pulled the rug out from under me, and I barely hear Hal asking me if I'm alright as I feel myself pale.
This is so, so stupid, but the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced it is true.
I know how crazy this sounds, but I really do think I have fallen in love with the royal SOB...dammit.
Chapter Six
It's the weekend, and everyone's been talking about this exclusive party Damen Leventis is throwing. Celebrities and other famous figures have supposedly been invited, but there's only one name on the guest list that I care about.
His Highness, Sheikh Saif Al-Masri, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Huzna
Also known as: the royal SOB who's been radio-effin-silent for the past few days.
I know that's probably a hint in itself, but I'm done taking things lying down, and I actually have him to thank for that. Having a gun pointed at my head has helped me see things in perspective. Made it easier for me to distinguish what's worth my time and what really matters.