Page 29 of Defenders of Jawhara

Shira nodded, still trying to understand how the plans had changed so quickly. “Did Rick or Damon call you?”

Kale took the seat next to Shira, taking her hands in his and chafing them slightly. “No. It had already been decided that I would fly your team out in our private jet. When Rick and Damon explained the need for them to stay behind, along with the rest of the team, I offered to make myself available to you and help facilitate your work in Jawhara.”

Shira squeezed his hands. “Thank you for your offer of assistance. I wasn’t expecting to be going alone, and I’ll admit that I’m feeling a bit lost. I don’t appreciate being left out of the conversation.”

Kale lifted her hands and kissed them both. “You aren’t alone, Shira. You’ll have me to keep you safe.”

Don’t swoon, Shir. He only kissed your hands. Don’t do it. Argh!

Feeling herself sway toward him slightly, Shira fought the urge to lean against him. She glanced down at their joined hands and was transported back to the last time he had touched her.

They had celebrated signing the contract between her company and Jewel Oil and had retired to his hotel room after several hours of dancing at local clubs. Shira had been full of energy and enthralled with Kale’s attention.

Prior to that night, she had been covertly trying to attract his attention during the months of negotiations, but he had kept her at arm’s length. When she had walked into the Whittemore House for the festivities all those weeks ago, however, he’d only had eyes for her and had kept her close to his side the rest of the night.

They had just settled themselves in front of his hotel suite’s fireplace, sharing lingering kisses and touches, when his phone had rung. Cursing, Kale had answered, growing still and silent as he listened. Evidently, a major catastrophe was brewing in his country, and he and his brother were needed at home immediately.

He had given her one last smoldering kiss, full of promise and longing, and then asked his driver to take her home. He had programmed her phone with his direct line and had called her almost every day since then. They’d talked for hours about his childhood, her upbringing, and their dreams and hopes for the future. She had been amazed at how much they had in common, and Shira was well and truly hooked on him. She wondered if he felt the same. But now that they would be working together again, perhaps their personal relationship would return to his back burner.

Intentionally putting some distance between them, Shira gently pulled her hands free and sat back to look at him. “I’m going to assume that you know more about what’s going on than I do, and since Rick and Damon aren’t here for me to ask—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Kale took her hand again. Giving it another kiss, he tucked it in his. “We’ve been discussing setting up a satellite office in Jawhara, and now, with the Addams Group’s potential expansion into other countries in the region, it makes even more sense to have a base of operations nearby.”

Shira kept nodding as he spoke. She agreed that it made sense, but she still didn’t appreciate having that decision taken away from her. “I agree that the timing is perfect, but it would have been nice if someone had mentioned it to me a little sooner, especially since I’m the only staff member going to Jawhara.”

This time, Kale nodded. “I agree. This was a conversation that you should have had with your bosses. I think that they both had noticed our attraction to each other, because they were the ones to suggest adding you to the international team.”

Wincing inwardly, Shira realized that her attempts to remain professional around Kale hadn’t worked.Oh, god. Did I look like a lovesick schoolgirl the whole time? Wait. Attraction to each other?

Kale lifted her hand to his lips, and she watched as he placed a soft kiss on the back of it before smiling at her.

“I suspect that Rick and Damon did us both a favor, which is something I will thank them for later. Short of kidnapping you and bringing you back to Jawhara, I wasn’t sure how best to approach the topic of having you join me there long term. Maybe think of it as an adventure?”

Shira’s lips twitched as she fought back a grin. She should not be smiling at their underhanded, sexist behavior. “An adventure?”

Leaning toward her, he kissed her. “An adventure where all your dreams come true,” he promised.

Kissing him back, she whispered against his lips, “Well, I guess I can’t say no to that.”

3

KALE

Several hours into the flight, Kale glanced up from his laptop to see Shira nodding off, slumped over in her seat. Setting down his computer, he rose and sat next to her once again. “Shira?Habibti, wake up.”

Shira stirred as Kale rubbed her neck, massaging lightly, and bringing forth a moan of pleasure. “That feels so good,” she murmured, opening her eyes to meet his.

“Would you like to lie down and sleep, little one?” Kale asked, letting his hand play with the tendrils of hair that had escaped the loose bun she had put her hair in.

Shira glanced at the small couch and then shook her head. “No, I’m fine.”

Seeing her glance, Kale chuckled. “Not on that too-small couch. There is a perfectly decadent bedroom in the rear of the plane with a very comfortable king-size bed. Come, I will show you.”

Rising, he pulled Shira up from her seat, holding her to ensure she found her balance before turning her and guiding her toward the back of the plane, his hands still on her waist.

Shira let him push her toward a doorway, which he opened by reaching over her shoulder and punching a code into the keypad. He let his fingers skim her upper chest and shoulder, enjoying Shira’s shivered response.

The door opened to reveal a luxurious bedroom decorated in the family colors of gold and sapphire. The king-size bed took up the majority of the space, and he tried to imagine what it must look like to her, considering they were on an airplane, thirty thousand feet in the sky.

---