“Pardon me, ma’am?”
“I…” She pretended to paw through her purse. “I forgot something. I need to go back.”
“To the hotel.”
“No! Not the hotel.”
“As you wish, ma’am.”
The driver signaled and painstakingly moved one lane to the right. But there he was trapped by a panel truck.
Julia trained her eyes on the road ahead, praying for some kind of exit.
There it was.
The driver jockeyed back and forth, trying to get around the truck in the snail-paced traffic.
She glanced at the flashing lights on the looming roadblock. She clenched her jaw, clenched her fists, willed a spot to open up in the right-hand lane.
Her driver signaled, and inched, and honked and nudged.
When he successfully switched to the exit lane, she could have shouted for joy.
Brittany was in her element.
She’d always known this was the life she wanted-interesting conversation, gracious service, elegant surroundings and breathtaking fashions from around the world. Helping her parents with parties had always been fun, but it was nothing compared to the rush of being the hostess herself.
She caught Harrison’s smile from across the room, and she could tell she was making him proud. She asked Ambassador Beauregard a question about his family, grateful yet again that her parents had sent her to school in France for two years. One of the Saudi princes came toward them, and Brittany drew him into conversation, introducing him to the ambassador and mentioning their mutual interest in impressionist painters.
Then she politely excused herself, having spotted the wife of a German diplomat standing alone near the terrace door.
“Very polished,” came a deep voice beside her.
She glanced behind her and came face-to-face with Alex Lindley. “Thank you.”
“I’m not sure it was a compliment.”
She wasn’t going to let him mess with what was a near-perfect evening. “I’m going to take it as one anyway.” She kept walking.
“Want me to crack the facade?”
No chance of that. “You disappeared for a while.”
He smiled, voice laced with self-satisfaction. “You noticed?”
“No. I noticed that Harrison disappeared. You were more of a…” She timed a significant pause. “A byproduct.”
“
“Not at all. You don’t count since you’re not a guest. Something I can help you with?”
“You know that Harrison thinks you’re perfect?”
Brittany didn’t answer. There was really no need. She and Harrison enjoyed a great deal of mutual respect. It was why their relationship was going to work.
“So are you in love with him?”
She stopped, and drew an exasperated sigh. “You weren’t brought up around nice people, were you?”
“I spent many of my formative years with the U.S. navy.”
“That explains a lot.”
“Where you probably went to the finest schools money could buy.”
“Some of them,” she acknowledged.
“So what’s your excuse?”
“I need no excuse. I’m not being rude.”
“Oh, yes, you are.”
No. She wasn’t. She was simply responding in kind to his provocation.
“Mr. Lindley,” she told him. “You can expect to
“You’re turning me on.”
Brittany’s jaw dropped open. She was honestly speechless. Did Harrison have any idea what kind of a boor he had employed?
“I’m just saying,” Alex continued smoothly, leaning slightly forward, his eyes dancing with obvious delight, “if I’m getting out of this conversation what I’m putting in…”
Then, Harrison caught her eye.
He was heading toward them, looking none too happy.
“I believe your comeuppance is on its way,” she informed Alex.
“We’ve got a problem,” Harrison said to Alex.
They certainly did.
“What do you need?” asked Alex, his demeanor instantly changing.
“Julia’s at the front gate.”
That caught Brittany’s attention.
She wasn’t sure how she felt about Julia. There was something about the passion, no, the
“I thought she left the country this morning,” said Alex.
“Apparently, she did not.”
“You want me to go down?”
Harrison looked around. His hand went to the back of his neck. “Never mind. I’ll go.”
Then he smiled courteously at Brittany, reaching down to give her hand a reassuring squeeze. “I’m sorry I’ve been neglecting you. I’ll be right back.”
“I’ve been fine,” said Brittany, determined not to be demanding, even though she would have appreciated a little more of Harrison’s attention.
“Thank you,” he said, with what seemed to be genuine gratitude.
She took comfort in his appreciation, then she and Alex watched him walk away.
They both stared in silence at the empty doorway as minutes ticked by. Brittany knew she should stay back and see to the guests, but curiosity was burning within her.
“I think we should go with him,” she finally ventured, hating the shimmer of what could possibly be jealousy, telling herself it would only take a minute.
“I agree,” said Alex, putting a hand on the small of her back and guiding her through the crowded hall. “He may need some help.”
The man named Nuri glared suspiciously at Julia while she waited in the small gatehouse. His mouth was set in a grim line, his dark eyes piercing beneath his blue turban. She tried not to squirm on the hard wooden chair, and kept her hands tightly folded in her lap.
She felt a whole lot less than welcome here, that was for sure. And she knew she was risking Harrison’s temper by showing up on his doorstep. But she didn’t have anywhere else to go.
Even if that roadblock hadn’t been intended for her-which it likely wasn’t, given that she hadn’t murdered anyone or stolen a hundred million in gold bullion-her name was probably in the central police computer. All it would have taken was for an officer to type in the particulars of her passport, and, wham, she’d be right back in jail.
At least this way, there was a chance Harrison would help her. Even if Nuri looked as if he might do her in before she had a chance to talk to him.
The door swung open, and she reflexively straightened her spine.
“Where is she?” came Harrison’s gravelly voice.
Nuri pointed with his riding crop, and Harrison turned.
She struggled to gauge his mood. But everything about him was neutral. His tone, his expression, his posture. “I thought you were leaving.”
“I tried,” she answered honestly.
