Joyce gripped his arm and stared into his eyes. “Love her hard and do whatever it takes to keep her happy. Although I’m over your father’s shenanigans, I want to remind you that if you love someone, you protect them with everything in you and you don’t disrespect your queen and the mother of your children.”
The remembered pain that shadowed her eyes touched him deep inside and a memory pulled him into the past. After she threw his father out, he’d walked into their bedroom one night to find her sobbing with her face pressed into the pillow. At the time he didn’t know what to do, other than to climb into the bed with her and hug her until he fell asleep. They never spoke about that incident, but Ryan knew in his soul, he never wanted to hurt any woman the way his father had hurt his mother.
As Aziza appeared in the doorway, he held out his hand to her. To his mother, he said, “You didn’t have to say a word, Mama. I remember … and I don’t want that kind of energy in my home.”
She flipped her locs over her shoulders and picked up her glass of amaretto. “Good, or I would have to come and sort you out myself.”
He chuckled and patted her hand, but they both knew he would stay true to his values.
When Aziza sat, his mother said, “It’s been wonderful meeting you, my dear. I was telling Ryan that he should show you everything off the beaten path.”
Aziza responded with a smile and touched his arm. “He’s been a great host. I’ve enjoyed everything so far and I hope he takes your advice.”
His mind returned to his surroundings when a man stepped into the passage from a room.
From his relaxed demeanor and colorful clothing, Ryan assumed he was a tourist. They exchanged a smile, and Ryan waited until he went past to slide the key card into the lock.
He was totally focused on Aziza. If he was going to trust her with his whole heart, he had to be sure she would keep her words and promises to him, no matter how difficult the circumstances.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The suite was in semi-darkness when he entered. In the glow of the lamplight, Sunita was swaddled under several blankets on the sofa bed. He entered the bedroom where Aziza was snoozing while the television played softly in the background.
He leaned over the bed, kissed the curve of her neck, then trailed his tongue over her skin.
Aziza moaned, then rolled over to press her lips to his. As her lids lifted, she asked. “Did you find the girls? Were they all right?”
He sat and unlaced his boots, while sharing some aspects of the visit to El Zalaam.
“Poor kids,” she said, scooting across the mattress to sit next to him. “I hope things continue to get better for them.”
“The Skeihh is a good man. I’m sure they’ll be all right. Eventually.”
“That’s great.” She laid a hand on his thigh. “I haven’t had dinner. Want me to order room service?”
He nodded. “Something light, like a club sandwich. I need to bathe first.”
“Sure, I’ll do that in the meantime.”
Stroking her cheek, he said, “Thanks, love. We’ll talk over dinner.”
Aziza’s gaze shifted, as if that was the last thing she wanted, but she nodded.
He took his time in the shower, running through the situations he’d encountered in the past few days. Durabia was a beautiful place, but danger lurked around the unsuspecting, as with many other places on earth. But he couldn’t picture himself anywhere else since Aziza was here.
His return to the bedroom coincided with the arrival of the food. He pulled on a pair of sweat pants and a tee-shirt and padded into the living room where Aziza, who was dressed identically, met him in front of the sofa and slid both arms around him. She buried her face in his chest, inhaled deeply, then led him to the table where he drew out a chair for her. When she sat, he slid into the seat next to her.
They ate their sandwiches in silence and drank fruit juice. Finally, Ryan laid his napkin on the table and placed one hand on top of Aziza’s. “It’s time for us to talk.”
A half-smile lifted one side of her mouth while she piled their plates together and covered them. “Do we have to?”
“Yes, we do. Let’s go to the bedroom where we won’t disturb Sunita.”
Her sigh was heavy, but she allowed him to guide her into the room. They stood face to face next to the bed, studying each other in silence. Sliding both hands into his pockets, Ryan said, “You made a promise to me, so you heard when I said you were not to leave this suite. Where did you go?”
Arms folded, she declared, “Sunita and I went to lunch.”
“And?” Ryan raised both eyebrows. “Room service wasn’t good enough?”
“That’s not it.” Aziza tipped her chin up as she slipped into defense mode. “I went to the personnel department.”
“Why?”
“They wanted to see me.” She pointed over her shoulder. “The HR Director called.”
“I’m listening.” He didn’t touch her, but tilted his head to one side, waiting.
Aziza’s shifting gaze revealed her discomfort. She knew she’d crossed a line. “I went to my apartment.”
“Your apartment?” Ryan massaged his forehead and sighed. The woman he loved more than anything else had no sense of self-preservation. “I’m still waiting for the rest of it. You know … the part where Akbar chased you.”
“I promised I wouldn’t leave, but—”
He stepped into her space, forcing Aziza to back up. “If I knew all the ends of this case were tied up, I would have told you so. But since I didn’t, I trusted you to keep your word.”
When he looked beyond her, Aziza turned to see what captured his attention.
Sunita stood in the doorway, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her worried gaze slid between them, as if she feared the two
