“Why?”
The question was blunt, and she should have apologized, but she found that she really wanted to know the answer to the question. How did he learn to fight like that? Why?
“I have two brothers,” he answered shortly. “We don’t always get along.” The taxi stopped, and he smiled tightly. “We’re here. Come on.”
Maria immediately stepped out of his grasp and clutched her tote bag. Where her hotel had been some rundown building on the side of the street, Jarik’s hotel looked like a palace. There was a gorgeous sparkling fountain in the front, beautifully sculpted plants decorated in fairy lights, and a bellman standing at the door.
She half expected someone to roll out the red carpet when they stepped up to the door.
The doorman nodded and opened the door. He reached for Maria’s tote bag, but she clutched it and shook her head vehemently.
Rather than stopping at the counter to get a key, Jarik guided her to the elevator. “What?” she muttered. “What are you doing? Don’t you have to check it?”
They stepped in the elevator and he smiled as he pulled a card from his pocket. “I have a key.”
Stupidly, she stared at him. “How? When?”
“The doorman. This place is known for their discretion. All I had to do was call, and he was waiting with the key. No paper trail. They’ll send a bill to the palace, and it’ll get paid.”
There was nothing that she could say, so she blew out her breath. She couldn’t decide if she was impressed or disgusted.
At the top floor, the doors opened, and they stepped out. Jarik walked her to the door on the very end and opened it. As soon as she stepped in, she wanted to bolt.
“Christ.” The living room was bigger than her whole apartment. The back wall was nothing but glass that overlooked the beautiful gardens in the back. Jarik grabbed a remote from the gorgeous mahogany coffee table and pressed a button. Immediately, the blinds swept from one side to the other, effectively blocking her view.
“It’s only one bedroom. You take the bed,” he muttered as he opened the door. Maria watched in awe as he ducked in and pulled a duffle bag out.
“Where did that come from?”
“I can’t walk about Syria and Lebanon in a suit,” he said with a wry smile. “I asked the concierge to get a few things for me. They had it waiting.”
Staring at the huge bed, she shook her head. “I can’t sleep there. I’m going to take the couch. You are too tall to sleep comfortably on the couch.”
Jarik stared at her like she’d grown a second head. “Maria, did you see that couch? It’s huge. Two of me could fit on that thing.
That was true, but she still backed out of the bedroom. “No, I insist. Besides, it’s probably treason to make a Sheikh sleep
on the couch, right?”
“Maria, are you okay?”
Blowing out her breath, she smiled shakily. “I’m fine. Really. That bed is just way too big, and I don’t think I’d be very comfortable on it. The couch will be fine. If I could take a shower that would be great.”
“Sure. Go ahead. I can take one in the morning.”
Thankful to escape the room, she slipped into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Leaning against it, she exhaled slowly and felt the weight of everything settle on her.
Things were already going wrong with the flight. She had royalty tagging along. She’d almost been mugged, and now she was trapped in a hotel room that probably cost more money in one night than she made in a month.
Although Maria loved flying, life wasn’t easy for her. Even in this day and age, she still faced flack for being a female pilot. It was even worse in the Middle East. Between that and having to rub elbows with the rich and kiss ass to keep her charity afloat, there were times when she felt overwhelmed.
Tonight was one of those nights.
Stripping off her clothes, she stepped into the open stone shower and turned on the hot water. There was enough room to hold six people in the shower, but right now, all she cared about was the hot water.
There was something cathartic about showers. She felt like all her troubles were washed down the drain, and when she stepped out, she’d be a whole new woman.
Jarik.