A brilliant smile broke over his face and he laughed. It was so nice to see the usually somber man chuckle that she forgave him for laughing at her. “I do not have a girlfriend, Piper. I date very little, in fact. The customs of my country are a bit unusual. I think many women would run if I told them what I would require from a serious relationship.”
“What do you mean?” She’d heard a whole lot about Bezakistani customs over the past two days, but nothing about dating or marriage. Piper found herself deeply interested.
He shook his head. “No, habibti. You will not tempt me into one of your long discussions. I promised my brother you would sleep.”
She frowned, but admitted privately that she was tired. The last several days had been amazing, filled with anticipation and a flurry of work. Two hours after she told Tal she didn’t have a passport, Rafe and Kade had delivered one to her. How was that possible, especially when she knew darn well that every government office had been closed at the time? She had no idea how and hoped it wasn’t forged. After assuring her the passport was indeed valid, the al Mussad brothers had taken one look at her ratty apartment and its street corner hopping with illegal activity, and insisted she come with them to their condo immediately.
They were really bossy and didn’t like it when she said no. Oh, they didn’t argue with her or get angry. They simply manipulated the situation until she’d found herself settling into the guest bedroom at their very posh condo with endless views of the city at two in morning, wondering when she’d lost control of the situation.
And their bossiness hadn’t stopped there. She wobbled on her new heels as she hunched through the doorway of the private jet. The three and a half inch Pradas with a square heel and a silver buckle were easily the sturdiest of her new shoes. But they were shoes she hadn’t bought herself. Rafe had insisted the shoes were necessary to her new position in Bezakistan. He’d told her he was simply making sure she followed his country’s customs.
She’d tried to call him on it. No country customarily wore Manolo Blahniks and Louboutin stilettos. She’d looked up the price of those shoes on the internet. If this was Bezakistani custom, then the whole country would be bankrupt very soon.
And still, she was wearing them. She didn’t want to offend her hosts…and she liked the appreciative gleam in their eyes when she donned the sexy shoes.
“Piper.” Kade’s warm voice washed over her as he stood. “Welcome. We’re so happy you’ve allowed us to escort you to our country.”
She wanted to frown at him, but he was so gorgeous and a bit earnest. She couldn’t bring herself to chastise him much. “Allowed? Somehow I don’t think you would have taken no for an answer.”
A little smile creased his perfect face. “Well, we are determined and persuasive. You know, the men in my country are legendary for stealing their brides. It is said in Bezakistan that a man who cannot steal his bride is a man who does not deserve a wife.”
She glanced back at Rafe. “Is this one of the customs you were referring to earlier?”
He nodded. “Indeed. But even as we steal our brides, we take great pride in bringing her pleasure, in protecting and cherishing that which we fought hard to take.”
He phrased it like he meant more than one groom for a bride. Okay, so English wasn’t his first language. But when he talked like that, she went all gooshy inside and lost the ability to breathe. What would it be like to be Rafe’s captive bride, bound to him by his will and the pleasure he gave her?
Piper shivered, then forced herself to stop staring. If they caught her, she’d only be embarrassed. But she’d never get used to being surrounded by such exotic, masculine beauty. It would be smarter to remember she had a job to do when she got to Bezakistan. Then it would just be her and Tal and a whole bunch of number crunching.
And her life would be exactly the way it was now. Same routine, just a different living space. She was a bit shocked to realize that she’d miss Rafe and Kade.
It wouldn’t matter. She needed to put them out of her head. When they got to Bezakistan, Rafe and Kade would go their way and she would go hers.
As she tottered deeper into the body of the plane, she focused again on her surroundings, still adjusting to her new contact lenses. And her jaw dropped.
The plane looked like something a movie star would own. She’d expected rows of narrow seats that had to be placed in an upright position for landing. This looked like a decadent living room. The walls were done in a sultry amber that caught the harsh overhead lights and softened them. There was a curved velvet couch in soft chocolate tones. When she sat, she’d bet it would be like sinking into a slice of heaven. A long table sat toward the front of the plane draped in white linens, all staged for the fine china she’d bet was securely stowed until after takeoff. Even an ornate chandelier hung overhead.