They visited several different bridal boutiques. The models that stepped out with the various bridal gowns were all the kind that just didn’t work for Shantra’s figure. They were stick thin with almost no breasts to speak of. Shantra had never considered herself fat, or even overweight, but she had curves. And the outfits on display here were not made for women with full breasts and curvy hips. She was too short for most of the elaborate gowns, knowing that she would simply drown in the details and froufrou styles.
After the fourth boutique, Shantra put her foot down. “Look Laithir, when I get married, I’ll definitely design my own wedding gown. There’s no way that anything in those stores would suit me.”
He pulled something out from a bag on the opposite seat and handed it to her. “Fine, what would you design?” he challenged.
Shantra looked down and realized that he’d just handed her the sketchpad she’d been using recently. She and Keith had been in the park yesterday and she’d come up with several new dresses. “Where did you get this?” she demanded.
“I told you, your things have been moved to my hotel. We will be staying here for two more days and then we move on to Milan where I have other meetings. You may accompany me or you can go home, whichever you are more comfortable doing.”
Shantra sat up straighter in her seat. “Milan?” she whispered, excited at the idea. She’d been to Milan a few times in the past, but it hadn’t been on any of her brothers’ itinerary recently so she hadn’t visited in a long time. “I’d love to go to Milan,” she told him. “Could I really…”
She stopped herself before she revealed too much. But it was too late. He’d already recognized her excitement and smiled slightly. “Of course you may accompany me. And I’ll even show you all of the various stores so that you can compare your designs to the other fashions on display in Milan.”
Shantra sat there in silence, trying very hard not to say a word. Milan! She couldn’t believe how excited she was at the idea of going to Milan! She’d asked Rais if he would take her there to experience the fashion shows for the past several years. To give him credit, he’d tried, but she just wasn’t high enough on his priority list.
Laithir answered his phone once again, but he was conscious of the woman next to him who was trying very hard not to say a word. He was a bit startled by the disappointment he was feeling over her self-discipline. He hadn’t thought that he would like her chatter. When Shantra had warned him about that part of her personality, he’d considered that very carefully and accepted that the pros of her other feminine characteristics outweighed the negative possibility of endless chatter.
But now, dealing with her silence, he knew that he would much prefer her chatter. It at least let him know what she was thinking. Well, so did every expression on her lovely features, but that was different. He could tell what she was feeling, but he wanted to also know what she was thinking. And since every thought normally came out as chatter, he missed those clues.
He’d eventually get her to relax in his presence. He had confidence that her true self would come back to life. She could only restrict herself for a limited amount of time and then he’d get the adorable, sexy, and chatty Shantra back.
Chapter 5
Shantra trembled as she stood outside the doorway, waiting for her brother to escort her into the ceremony. How had this happened? How had this come to pass? She was standing outside a set of double doors, her mind trying to sift through the details of the past three months.
Three! He’d said they would be married in six months but here she was, about to be tied to the man she’d met only three months ago!
And she had no idea what the man was thinking! He hadn’t kissed her since that afternoon in Paris. Granted, they hadn’t spent much time in each other’s company lately. She’d visited his country twice with Rais and Turk, but there had been only one time when she’d been alone with the man. Then he’d visited her three times here in Kilar and again, for only a few moments were the two of them left alone.
There hadn’t been a moment when she could have stopped all of this insanity. She hadn’t been allowed a long enough private conversation with the man, not even during dinners, which had been either with her close family or her extended family. She’d tried very hard to lean over to him and ask for a moment of his time. And although he’d promised that he would try, that time had never happened.
Had he known what she was going to say?
She suspected he had. Once again, she thought about how diabolical the man could be!