Kat Attalla Special Edition (35 page)

Lilly snuggled closer, sliding one leg in between his. She inched closer, pressing against him. Chest to chest, hips to hips, thighs touching thighs. Her fearful trembles changed perceptively to excited tremors.

Damn, he wanted her. He consciously slowed his breathing to keep control of the situation. To react would be taking advantage of her high-strung, emotional state.

“This isn’t a good idea, Lilly.”

“What?” She lifted her head and shook it. Her confusion gave way to hurt, and she moved away from him.

“Lilly.”

She jumped off the bed and walked to the window. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“I only meant that it wasn’t wise to get involved at this time. It’s too….”

“Dangerous. I know. That’s become your standard line. You can’t do this. You can’t do that. It’s too dangerous. Maybe you’d like me to stop breathing too. It might be too dangerous.”

* * * *

Jack stood up and crossed the room. “I guess that was a poor excuse. I didn’t think you knew what you were doing.”

Lilly twisted her hands together and let out a heavy sigh. “Well, join the club, Mr. Murphy. My father didn’t think I knew what I was doing with my life. My boss didn’t think I knew what I was doing with my job. And you don’t think I know what I’m doing with my body. I must seem like a half-wit to the male population.”

“I wasn’t speaking in general. Only in this instance. You weren’t thinking clearly.”

“Don’t you ever do anything without thinking first and calculating the risk?”

“No.”

“I didn’t think so.” Somehow, that didn’t surprise her. He had just given her another reminder that she was a job to him.

“Can you honestly say you knew what you were doing?” “

“I thought I did, but I guess I was wrong.”

The corner of him mouth turned up in a lazy half-smile, either suggestive or innocent. With Jack, she wasn’t sure. He gave nothing away unless he wanted to.

Like a shot, his arms were around her, catching her off balance. “Let’s check to be sure.”

Her first instinct was to push him away, but she couldn’t. Like a moth drawn to the flame, even the chance of being singed didn’t stop her. He issued a direct challenge, and her pride wouldn’t allow her to back down. How else could she prove to him that she knew exactly what she was doing?

He slid his hand along the curve of her back and into the back pocket of her jeans. With no resistance from her, he eased her closer until his warm body pressed against her own.

His soft kisses demanded a response. He wanted submission, but even if she gave in to him, she still won. She parted her lips and invited him to continue.

He plunged his tongue deep inside, exploring her mouth. She reacted to the hot currents surging through her body. As if they had a will of their own, her hands burrowed under his shirt and around to his back. Her fingers grasped his skin, tightening as a wave of excitement washed over her.

The thoughts racing through her mind warned her to call a halt to the game before it got out of hand. The feelings running through her body were telling her to play on. Jack continued his gentle assault on her senses. Each kiss took her deeper into a state of purely sensual bliss.

Just when she was ready to completely surrender, Jack pulled back with a heartfelt groan. Disappointment mingled with triumph.

She dropped her hands and slowly raised her head. “What was that you were saying, earlier?”

“I guess you did know what you were doing,” he muttered. “Should we continue?”

Lilly pushed a handful of her tousled hair away from her face. Her pulse raced, and her body shuddered. She won the point, but lost her self-control. She consoled herself that Jack looked no better. “I thought you said it wasn’t a good idea.”

He cleared his throat. “I never said I was always right.”

“You never admit to being wrong either. But in this case, you’re probably right. It’s lousy timing.”

Loneliness and anxiety certainly led people to do foolish things. However, foolishness exacted a price, and she wanted to be damn sure no one else paid it. Since she hadn’t been involved with anyone romantically recently, she hadn’t found the need to practice any form of birth control.

He arched his eyebrow thoughtfully as if he’d received some great revelation. “It’s that time of month? That explains your nasty behavior of the past few days.”

She didn’t correct his misunderstanding. “Then what’s your excuse?”

“I don’t need one. I’m in charge.”

She let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re pretty sure of that, aren’t you?”

“Lilly,” he said, casting her a smug grin. “I could bet on it.”

He’d raised the art of conceit to new heights. And maybe that was half the attraction. He possessed a confidence that she lacked. He believed he pulled all the strings. In some ways he did, but no one, not even Jack, would ever treat her like a puppet again. If she followed his orders it would be because she considered them to be in her best interests.

“Why don’t you get some rest before dinner?” Jack said.

“All right,” she agreed, but only because she needed to be alone for a while to regroup. Her body ached with unfamiliar need. A relationship with Jack would be an unqualified disaster for her heart and perhaps a fitting way to end this disastrous Chapter in her life.

* * * *

Lilly stared at her watch, unable to believe her eyes. How had she slept through the entire night? Jack wasn’t with her. Why hadn’t he woken her?

She listened to the soft padding of footsteps coming from the dining room and Hanan singing an unfamiliar song. She must be doing her daily chores. Feeling guilty and very lazy, Lilly scooted off the bed to help.

“Good morning, Lilly,” Hanna’s cheery voice greeted her as she entered the room. She stacked the breakfast dishes into a pile to take to the kitchen.

“Let me,” Lilly said, lifting the stack of dirty dishes. “I’m sorry. You must think me very rude. I don’t know what happened.”

“You were exhausted. I sleep for two days every time I get off the ship, myself.”

“Where’s Jack?”

“Down at the docks with Mustafa. They should be back about two for lunch.”

“Good. That gives me some time to go to the store before they return.”

Hanan dropped the plate in her hand, and only Lilly’s quick reflexes saved it from being shattered. “No! You can’t go out. It’s too dangerous.”

Too dangerous. Hanan borrowed Jack’s broken record. Everyone treated her like a child. “I’ll wear the veil. I just need a few things. I’ll be quick.”

“Let Jack get them when he returns.”

Lilly shook her head and handed Hanan another clean plate to dry. “No. They’re personal things. He would make more of a scene buying them than I would.”

“Then I’ll go.”

“You have a new baby. It will only take a minute. I saw a drug store down the block next to the phone company. If you could just exchange some money for me, I wouldn’t even have to open my mouth.”

“I’m against this,” Hanan said.

Lilly smiled, understanding her reservations. “Your objection is noted, and I will back you up if Jack finds out. But he won’t.” She didn’t plan to tell him.

When the dishes were finished and she had a piece of fresh baked bread in her churning stomach, Lilly dressed. She left the apartment under Hanna’s second protest, but with a wallet full of Moroccan Dirham.

She adapted quickly to making her way down the streets with no more than slits in the veil to see through. Unlike some of the other European countries she’d been in, no man made a pass at her in her outfit. She walked quickly to her destination and purchased the items that never occurred to Jack in his earlier shopping spree.

She meant to return immediately, but she couldn’t resist the opportunity to do a few minutes of window-shopping on her way back. She stayed along the main street, keeping the apartment building in sight at all times. For the first time she could enjoy the exotic scenery without worrying about bumping into Jack.

Chapter
Eight

“What do you mean, she went out?” Jack thundered, waking up the sleeping baby in Hanan’s arms. He winced and lifted his shoulders apologetically. “Sorry.” As she rocked the infant back to sleep, he tried to keep his voice lower than the volume of anger he felt. “I told you to keep her here.”

“Did you want me to tie her up, Jack? She’s more stubborn than you.”

He knew she was stubborn, but he had hoped that she possessed some common sense. “How long has she been gone?”

“Five minutes. I’m surprised you didn’t pass her on the street.”

“I wasn’t looking for her, but I’ll have to now. I don’t suppose you know where she went?”

“To the store. She needed some things, and I think she felt embarrassed to ask you for them. She didn’t want you to know.”

He swallowed hard to keep his temper under control. “What store?”

“The pharmacy next to the phone company.”

“Does she know it’s next to the phone company?” he grumbled, fearing the worst. He thought she understood how stupid it would be to try to contact her family.

Hanan blinked and let out a moan. “Yes. I didn’t think about it when she said it, Jack, or I would have found a way to stop her.”

“I have to find her, hopefully before she places a call.”

He ran from the apartment, taking the steps two at a time. He should have known better than to trust her. She wanted to contact her family, and nothing else entered her mind. The spoiled brat deserved a thrashing, and he had half a mind to give her one when he found her.

First he had to find her. All the women looked the same from the back with the long black dresses. He passed each one and, in an extreme breach of decorum, he had to gaze up, hoping to find a pair of baby blues looking back. Some women were shocked, and one even assaulted him with her handbag.

That’s keeping a low profile
. At this rate he’d get arrested before he found her.

He spoke to the manager at the phone company, but couldn’t get a positive answer, since  two operators had finished their shift just moments earlier. Defeated, he walked back out to the street. He could only wait for her to come back on her own, if she planned to.

The African sun beating down on his head added to his rising temper. He wouldn’t risk his neck to save hers. If she were suicidal, he wouldn’t let it upset him. Only, he didn’t believe his own lies. He cared about Lilly, and that made the danger greater for both of them.

A light touch on his arm stopped him from turning the corner. His body tensed, and he spun around. A moment’s relief was quickly replaced by fury. He didn’t need to see below the veil to recognize the woman. Her blue eyes stuck out like a neon sign that read “foreigner”.

* * * *

“Trick or treat.” Lilly saw his stony features and groaned. She should have left him alone and waited for the explosion back at the apartment. “I guess you’re mad at me again. No supper for me tonight.”

“You think it’s funny?” He snorted, and she would have sworn fire came out of his nose. He clamped his fingers around arm and pulled her towards the apartment building. The long gown tangled around her feet as she stumbled behind him. She grabbed onto his arm to avoid falling to the ground.

“You’re hurting me, Jack,” she cried out when the pressure on her arm became unbearable.

“Shut up,” he snapped back but loosened his grip.

The wrought iron door swung open from the force of his kick, and he shoved her inside the foyer. As the gate clicked shut behind them, she felt like a prisoner being locked in a cell. He had condemned and sentenced her without benefit of a trial.

Jack glanced around to make sure they were alone before pulling the veil from her head. He dropped it on the floor and moved her backwards until he had her pinned to the wall by the weight of his body. Without one ounce of tenderness, he closed his fingers around her chin and forced her to look up at him.

“You just had to do it, didn’t you?”

She tried to turn her head. “Stop it. That hurts.”

His laugh frightened her. She remained completely still, and he lowered his hand. “Good. At least I’m sure I have your undivided attention. Is this your idea of getting even because you didn’t like the way I told you I was in charge?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I told you not to call your family.”

“I didn’t,” she denied quickly.

“Don’t lie to me, Lilly. I have no intention of ending up dead because of you.” The accusation that she lied hadn’t stung nearly as much as the fact that he thought her spiteful and petty. “And you think that I would risk the lives of my family to get back at you? Is that right?”

He stepped back and folded his arms across his chest. “You tell me. Why did you tell Hanan you were going to the phone company?”