“I’m sorry,” he said gruffly. “I lost my own mother when I was twenty-two. I still miss her. She was the only truly good, decent woman I’ve ever known. At least until—”
His voice cut off.
“Until?”
“Never mind,” he muttered.
Josie stared at him. Then her hand reached out for his.
Kasimir looked down at her hand. “You’re trying to make me feel better?” he said slowly. He looked up. “I thought you were ready to kill me.”
“I was—I mean, I am.” She swallowed, then whispered, “But I know how it feels to lose your parents. I know what it’s like to feel orphaned and alone. And I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.” She tried to smile. “Though I guess you’ve done all right, haven’t you? Being a billionaire prince and all.”
He stared at her for a long moment. “It’s not always what it’s cracked up to be.” He looked away. “You asked me where we’re going? I’m taking you home.”
“To Alaska?”
He snorted, then shook his head. “Not even close.” He looked down at her tight white dress. “We’ll need to get you some new clothes.”
She followed his gaze. Sitting down, her body was squeezed by the white sheath like a sausage, pressing her full breasts halfway to her chin. Her nipples were barely tucked in for decency. She gulped, fighting the urge to cover herself with her bouquet of flowers. She cleared her throat. “I was planning to wash all my dirty clothes today. Does this place we’re going to happen to have a washer and dryer…?”
Her voice trailed off when she saw his gaze roaming from her breasts, to her hips, and back again. Her cheeks colored.
“I wish I’d never told you,” she said grumpily, folding her arms and turning away.
“Told me what?”
“About the underwear.”
Silence fell in the backseat of the car.
“Me, too,” he muttered.
Josie craned her neck to look right, left, then up. And up some more.
“Unreal,” she muttered.
Kasimir flashed her a grin. “I’m glad you like it.”
“This is your home?”
“No.” He smiled at her, looking sleek and shaved in a clean suit, having showered on their overnight flight. “My home is in the desert, a two-hour helicopter ride away. But this…” He shrugged. “It’s just a place to do business. I come here as little as possible. It’s a bit too… civilized.”
Too civilized?
Josie shook her head as she looked back up at the beautiful Moorish palace, two stories tall, surrounded by gently swaying palm trees and the glimmer of a blue-water pool.
It was like a honeymoon all right, she thought. If you were really, really rich.
After sleeping all night on a full-size bed in the back cabin of Kasimir’s private jet, she’d woken up refreshed. She’d looked out the jet’s small windows to see a golden land rising beyond the sparkling blue ocean, and past that, sunlight breaking over black mountains.
“Where are we?” she’d breathed.
Kasimir had looked at her, his eyes shining. “Morocco.” His smile was warm. “My home.”
Now, they were standing in front of his palace in the desert outside Marrakech. She could see the dark crags of the Atlas Mountains in the distance, illuminated by the bright morning sun. Birds were singing as they soared across the wide desert sky. The pool glimmered darts of sunlight, like diamonds, against the deep green palm trees.
It was an oasis here. Of beauty, yes. She glanced behind her at the guardhouse beside the wrought-iron gate. But also of money and power.