Protecting the Desert Princess(42)

                ‘Sounds a lot like love to me,’ Mikael said.

                ‘So,’ Layla asked, ‘now that the trial is over, do you get that time off you talked about?’

                He gave a wry smile. His work had barely begun. There would be sentencing, appeals… He closed his eyes at the thought of it all for a moment.

                ‘I have a very busy day today. I have to meet with my client, his family.’ God, Mikael knew where he’d rather be.

                ‘That’s fine. I am going to take a ferry and I am also going to do the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb.’

                Mikael lay there and told himself that Layla was twenty-four. She wasn’t incapable. In fact she was possibly the cleverest person he had ever met…

                And yet…

                That gnawing of unease he had felt the first night when he had called the hotel to see what was happening was back.

                It wasn’t Layla so much who concerned him but others. She had been so protected it simply didn’t enter her head that people might not be nice to her.

                He closed his eyes as there was a knock at the door and tried to tell himself that he was overreacting, that of course she’d be fine out there without him.

                Breakfast was delivered, along with something that Mikael was a bit embarrassed about now but had seemed a nice idea last night—there was a phone in the bathroom, after all…

                ‘Flowers!’ Layla was ecstatic ‘And a card!’ She opened it. ‘What does it say?’

                Mikael groaned. He’d forgotten in the moment when he’d ordered them that she couldn’t read English, and now he’d have to read it out loud to her—but he waited till all the staff had gone.

                ‘“Layla, Thank you for an amazing end to a difficult day and an even more amazing night. Mikael.”’

                ‘No kisses?’ Layla asked.

                ‘Three.’

                ‘Wow! Thank you! I will keep this for ever—maybe I hide it in my shoe or something, but I will find a safe place for it.’

                ‘Layla, I don’t want to get you in trouble…’ Mikael halted. They were approaching the halfway mark of her week and four more nights were starting not to seem enough.

                ‘Look, about today—’

                ‘Mikael,’ she interrupted, ‘I want to have a day to myself. Please don’t ask me to stay in the hotel.’

                ‘Okay.’ He pushed out a smile. ‘You’ll need some cash.’

                ‘Yes, please.’

                ‘Ask the hotel to organise a driver to take you wherever you want to go.’

                ‘I’ll be fine.’

                ‘Take my number with you.’

                She did.

                She bought some white jeans and a top and some sandals from the boutique in the foyer, along with a handbag, and she was ready for her day of adventure.

                Layla was worried that she might run into Trinity or Zahid, but at the same time she was determined that even if she did she would very simply refuse to return until her week was up.