She’d definitely have to discuss this latest mind-shift with Shantra and Keith, see if they were willing to take the cut in profits that would allow her to hire on a manager.
“You ready?” he asked as he walked out of what she assumed was a dressing room since he was now dressed in yet another immaculately tailored suit.
“Ready?” she repeated, not sure what he meant. Her mind was too focused on sifting through his words.
“We’re flying to London, remember?” he said as he adjusted his tie. He walked over to where she was standing. “You look beautiful, by the way.”
Her hand flew self-consciously to her face. “I’m not even wearing makeup,” she scoffed.
He took her hand. “I like it. Makes you look fresh.”
Joline laughed as she shook her head. “No way. Not in New York and definitely not in London.”
Rais shrugged. “You’re beautiful no matter what,” he said and pulled her against his side as he led her out of his penthouse. The limousine was waiting for them down in the parking garage and Joline looked around, startled to see so many additional bodyguards.
“What’s going on?” she asked when one of them opened the limousine door for them, mumbling something into a microphone that went from his ear to his mouth. Very strange, she thought.
“What do you mean?” he asked as they settled into the leather seats and the driver pulled away.
She looked through the front window, then to the back of the limousine. “I mean, why are there so many bodyguards?” A thought hit her suddenly and she jerked around so that she was looking up at him. “Did someone threaten your life?” she gasped out. Grabbing onto his arm, she couldn’t stop the panic as her imagination took off. “Is something wrong and you’re just not telling me about it?”
He shook his head, loving the way she was nervous about his safety. It proved that her declaration earlier this morning wasn’t just about sexual release. Although he wasn’t sure that Joline had fully acknowledged her feelings towards him. He’d have to think about that a bit more. If she didn’t consciously accept that she loved him….
Focusing on the current issue, he touched her cheek, enjoying the soft skin. “Nothing is going on and yes, there are always death threats against me and my family. That just comes with the reality of being the ruling family of a powerful, oil-rich nation.” He took her hand, trying to reassure her. “You’ll get used to it after a while.”
She shook her head. “If nothing changed from yesterday to today, why are there so many additional guards? There’s even an extra vehicle and I’m guessing it is filled with your bodyguards.”
“Those additional guards are for your protection, Joline. As my fiancée, you will be protected around the clock. Which is one of the reasons you can’t go on the subway any longer. It isn’t safe.”
Her eyes moved down to the enormous diamond on her finger, the reality of its meaning starting to sink in. “But…”
“Don’t even argue any longer that we’re not getting married, Joline. That’s a foregone conclusion. You’re mine and I protect what’s mine. Your own security team will protect you. And when we have children, each of them will have their own team as well. Accept it and learn to live with it. It is the way it will be for the rest of your life.”
Her eyes were wide as she took in all of the implications of his words. “I don’t think I could learn to live with something like that. I don’t want my every move watched over by strangers.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “As I said, you’ll get used to it.”
Joline pressed her lips together, not sure how to get through to him. He was simply riding over all of her concerns, not even listening.
She’d just opened her mouth to tell him that she didn’t want to ‘get used to it’ but the limousine stopped at a strange building. “Where are we?” she asked, looking out the window.
“Heliport,” he explained. “It is safer to travel over water by helicopter to the airport than through the streets,” he explained, stepping out and extending his hand to assist her.
She stepped onto the platform and looked at the large helicopter that was ready and waiting for them to board. Pulling back, she kept her eyes on the contraption, not sure if she could trust anything that looked that precarious. Intellectually, she knew that helicopters were safe. She saw them buzz along the Hudson River and over the buildings of Manhattan all the time. But that didn’t mean she wanted to fly in one. Irrationally, the thing didn’t look strong enough to carry all of them plus their luggage.