Protecting the Desert Princess(23)

                ‘Really?’ Layla beamed. ‘How exciting!’

                ‘And you’re to behave and be quiet.’

                ‘I do know how to behave,’ Layla retorted.

                Mikael looked at that mane of black hair and those very long brown legs and tried not to wonder if she had panties on; instead he turned his mind to think about clothes for her. Dressed in the silver tunic she had arrived in, or any of the clothes she had bought last night, she would bring the court down!

                ‘We need to tone you down, Layla.’ Mikael stood and rang down to the desk, not caring who needed to be awoken in order to facilitate his request.

                ‘Why do I need to be toned down?’

                ‘Because you don’t want your brother to find you… And anyway,’ he told her, ‘today it’s my turn to shine.’

                ‘Oh, Mikael…’ Layla smiled. ‘I cannot wait.’

                A selection of outfits was brought to the suite for Layla to try, and Mikael ordered coffee too.

                ‘I’m hungry,’ Layla moaned, coming out of the bedroom in a navy shift dress and screwing up her nose.

                Mikael was putting his shirt back on—it was still warm from her.

                ‘We’ll have breakfast out,’ Mikael said, because he liked to eat at his favourite café during a trial and he was not changing his routine for Layla. ‘That looks nice.’

                ‘You wear it, then,’ she said. ‘It makes me feel miserable.’

                She selected another outfit and headed back to the bedroom. The pale grey linen suit looked very drab to Layla, but when she put it on the skirt was nice and short, and with a silver cami and the jacket’s sleeves rolled up she liked it.

                ‘I’m ready,’ she said, stepping out of the bedroom and putting on her silver jewelled slippers. ‘And I’m very, very hungry, Mikael.’

                There was no chance of outshining Layla, Mikael thought, because she looked stunning. ‘Don’t you want to do your make-up?’ he asked—because wasn’t that what every woman did?

                She wasn’t every woman, though…

                Layla shook her head. ‘I will only wear make-up for my future husband. Come on, Mikael, I need to eat soon or I will faint.’

                ‘I won’t be picking you up if you do,’ he said.

                Mikael’s choice of café was a trendy converted warehouse that was frequented by his peers, who would all leave him alone, knowing that he wouldn’t want small talk this morning or best wishes for the day.

                ‘This is near the hotel where my brother and Trinity are,’ Layla commented.

                ‘Now do you see why I wanted you in different clothes?’ Mikael said, and she nodded. ‘Don’t worry,’ he added, ‘even if we see them, you’re having your week.’

                Heads turned as they walked in. Not because Mikael was with a woman, more because Mikael was with a woman this close to the end of a trial—and what a woman she was!

                Waving and smiling to anyone who caught her eye, Layla was surprised when they didn’t wave back.