winced at her words. No doubt he thought he would get good enough to win against her. They all thought that, and they were all wrong. Which meant he would get more and more crabby as the training went along. Oh, well. It had happened before and she had survived.
The prince spoke to a uniformed young woman who nodded, then gestured toward Doyle. Her brother gave Billie a quick wink as he followed the maid into the castle. Billie stepped up for her escort and tried not to drool at the thought of the riches within.
“This way,” Prince Jefri said.
She blinked at him. “Excuse me?”
“I will show you to your room.”
Did royalty do that? She figured about the only thing a prince did for himself was breathe. Hadn’t she read somewhere that some royals even had a special servant to put toothpaste on the toothbrush?
“You don’t have to do that yourself,” she said, thinking of her bath and how long she was going to soak. At least an hour. She had a good book she wanted to finish and a…
“Is this your first visit to my country?” he asked.
“Um, yes.” She shifted Muffin to her other arm and trailed along beside the prince. “I wasn’t part of the sales presentation when our firm bid for the training job.”
They entered into a foyer the size of a small arena. The gold inlaid ceilings soared a good fifty feet above them. Mosaics of ancient battles lined the curved walls. Not exactly like the flocked wallpaper in that hotel in Bosnia.
He noticed her interest and paused in front of a mural of several fierce men on horses. “My people have always been fighters. A thousand years ago, we defended our land against the infidels.”
She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “That would be us, right?”
“Only if you are European.”
“I’m a bit of everything.” She looked at the elaborate chandelier and the stained glass windows. “Beautiful place.”
“Thank you. The Pink Palace is a treasure for the people of Bahania.”
“How many of them get to stay here on a regular basis?”
The prince surprised her by smiling. “We hold it in trust.”
“I’m sure they’re grateful.”
He started down the main hallway. Billie followed, noting they could have easily driven a tank and not come close to bumping into any walls.
“I did some research before I got here,” she said, her high-heeled sandals clicking loudly on the tiled floor. “Your country is not strictly Muslim.”
“No. Our people celebrate many faiths, and respect all.”
That’s what all her reading had told her. While the rest of the Middle East couldn’t seem to get it together, Bahania, and their neighbor El Bahar, offered religious freedom to all. The monarchies had ruled for over a thousand years with no hint of uprising. Ultimate power that didn’t corrupt? Was it possible?
“So why the air force?” she asked.
“To protect our oil fields. With so much unrest around us, we need to be able to secure our resources.”
“The oil won’t last forever.”
“True, which is why even now we are diversifying our exports. Bahania will not be left behind in the world market.”
Pretty and smart, she thought with a little smile. Now if only he could see her as a desirable woman, her life would be complete. Her research had informed her that Prince Jefri was single, but she’d seen pictures of the women in his life. There wasn’t a fighter pilot in the bunch.
They passed room after room. Some were decorated with elegant Western-style furniture while others had low sofas and cushions, more suited to a nomadic tent. There were paintings and frescos and statues and…
Muffin squirmed in her arms.
“What is it sweetie?” she asked.
The dog yipped and squirmed some more. Seconds later a large white cat strolled out of a meeting room large enough to hold the entire Congress.
Billie yelped and clutched her dog more tightly to her chest. “What is that?” she asked as she took a step back.
The prince stared at her. “A cat,” he said with the obvious patience of one speaking to a mentally challenged person.
Annoyance overcame hormones and she glared at him. “I know it’s a cat. What’s it doing here?”
“My father has an affection for cats.”
She eyed the fluffy white demon. “I read that but I thought more in the lines of a painting on velvet or some carvings. Are you telling me there are actual cats in the palace?”
“Dozens. Is that a problem?”
She saw the corner of the prince’s mouth twitch, as if he was amused by her reaction.
“I’m not a cat person.”
“They will not hurt you.”
She wasn’t all that sure. If there were dozens, they could gang up on her and take her down. “What about Muffin?”
“I’m sure your…dog will be safe.”
She didn’t like how he said “dog” and she didn’t like the cats.
“Do you have an allergy?” he asked.
“Not exactly.”
“Then what, exactly?”
“I had a bad experience when I was young.”
“With a small lion?”
She narrowed her gaze. Suddenly he wasn’t nearly as handsome and not the least bit intelligent. “Would you like to show me to my room?”
“More than life itself.”
Chapter Two
J efri could tell his guest was annoyed and unhappy about the cats. While he didn’t appreciate them as his father did, especially when they shed on all the furniture and covered his clothes in cat hair, they were little more than a mild inconvenience. But watching Billie Van Horn skitter around them, jump away and generally act as if she was in mortal danger every time one of them crossed her path, he wondered what possible trauma in her past could have caused such an overreaction.
At least wondering about her cat phobia gave him something to think about other than the perfection of her body. She was all lush curves and earthy appeal. Her scent—soap, something floral and a hint of the woman herself—made his blood heat. He wouldn’t have minded his reaction if she’d been trying to get his attention, but she seemed to be far more concerned about protecting herself
