eyes widened from sheer shock. “Why didn’t you tell me this in the beginning?”
“It didn’t matter until you said you’d be working with them. If the king learned I was bedding a prospective client, he would, simply put, go ballistic.”
Figured. “Leave it to some well-heeled royal to spoil my good time. That’s why I have no use for that kind of man.”
His gaze wandered away. “He would be justified in his condemnation. I have a responsibility to the Mehdis and a need to be taken seriously by them.”
“At all costs?”
“I’m afraid that is the case at this point in time.”
In other words, thanks but no thanks, or at least that was what Piper heard. Feeling somewhat humiliated, she came to her feet. “It’s been a pleasure to meet you, A.J. Thank you for a very lovely and eye-opening evening.”
Before she had a meltdown, Piper headed away, only to be stopped by A.J. bracing her shoulders from behind before she could open the door.
He turned her to face him, his expression extremely solemn. “Piper, there are two things you must know about me. First, I have been taught that a man is only as good as his honor, and I am trying to honor you, even if I would like to take that black dress off you and carry you to my bed. Despite my concerns about my job, you also deserve the utmost respect and regard. And once you have time to consider my decision, you will thank me for saving you from a possible mistake.”
For some reason that made Piper a little miffed. “Do you honestly believe I don’t know my own mind?”
“I believe you’re too trusting.”
Now she was just plain mad. “I’m an adult, A.J., not some naive adolescent. And in case you’re worried, I’m not a prude, I’m picky. Last, the only mistake I made tonight was thinking you could be the man who would be worth the wait. Obviously I was wrong.”
He softly touched her face. “You are not wrong. When it comes to us—” he twined their fingers together, sending a message that wasn’t lost on Piper “—making love, I assure you that would definitely be worth the wait. And that is what I’m proposing, waiting until we have the opportunity to know each other while you are in Bajul.”
Piper’s anger almost disappeared. Almost. “That would depend on whether you’re everything you seem to be, because I believe honesty and honor go hand in hand. Now, what was the second thing you wanted me to know?”
A strange look passed over his face. “I still believe in chivalry. Will you allow me to walk you to your room?”
She shook her head. “No, thanks. I’m a big girl and I can find my way.”
“As you wish.” After he escorted her into the corridor, A.J. executed a slight bow. “If I don’t see you tomorrow on the plane, Ms. McAdams, then I will make it a point to seek you out in Bajul.”
* * *
She boarded the extremely large and lavish private plane less than five minutes before their scheduled departure, due to the rush-hour traffic and an apathetic cabdriver. When the five-man survey crew settled into the vacant beige leather seats at the front of the plane, she walked the aisle past what she assumed to be staff and press members. Despite the size of the plane, it appeared the back half had been cordoned off to passengers. Most likely it held a series of conference rooms and perhaps even living quarters. She might ask A.J. to give her the grand tour, provided she actually encountered him before they landed.
She paused in the aisle to address a middle-aged, professor-like man with sparse graying hair, wire-rimmed glasses and kind brown eyes. Hopefully he spoke English, and that the last remaining spot was available. “Is this seat taken?”
“It is reserved for Miss McAdams,” he replied. “Is that you?”
Fortunately a language barrier wouldn’t exist during the lengthy flight. “Yes, that’s me.”
“Then the seat is yours.”
After sliding in next to the man and settling her red tote at her feet, she shifted toward him and stuck out her hand. “Hello, I’m Piper McAdams. I’m traveling to Bajul with the GLM engineers.”
He gave her hand a soft shake. “Mr. Deeb.”
Not a lot to go on there. Time for a fishing expedition. “Are you a friend of the sheikh’s?”
“I am serving as his attaché on this trip.”
“I’m sure that’s a very interesting duty.”
He pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. “Managing Prince Adan’s schedule can be challenging at times, evidenced by his absence at the moment.”
A good thing, since she might have missed the flight if the guy had been punctual. “He has a habit of being late, does he?”
“He occasionally suffers from tardiness, among other things.”
Piper wanted him to define “other things” but then she noticed a commotion toward the front of the plane. Assuming the mysterious monarch had finally arrived, she came to her feet along with the rest of the passengers and leaned slightly into the aisle to catch a glimpse. She spotted only A.J. dressed in a crisp, white shirt covered by a navy blue suit emblazoned with gold military-like insignias. Not a sheikh in sight.
She regarded Mr. Deeb again and lowered her voice. “He must be some kind of pilot to earn that reception.”
He cleared his throat and glanced away. “Yes, he is quite the aviator.”
After everyone settled into their seats, Piper followed suit, well aware that her pulse had unwittingly picked up speed as she noticed A.J. stopping in the aisle to speak to one man. A man who oddly addressed the pilot as Prince Adan.
Reality soon dawned, along with the sense that she might have been completely betrayed by blind faith. She turned a frown on Mr. Deeb. “He’s not the plane’s pilot, is he?”
Again the man refused to look at her directly. “Yes, he is the pilot, as well as commander in chief of Bajul’s armed forces.”
“And a Mehdi?”
Deeb gave her a contrite look. “The third Mehdi son in line to inherit the throne.”
And a major liar, Piper realized as she watched the sheikh disappear into the cockpit. She thanked her lucky stars she hadn’t made the mistake of climbing into bed with him. Then again, he’d been the one to put an end to that with his fake concerns over being only a royal employee, not a royal prince. And all that talk of honor. Honorable men didn’t deceive unsuspecting women about their identities.
Fuming over the duplicity, Piper pulled a fashion magazine from her bag and flipped through the pages with a vengeance during takeoff. She didn’t have to deal with the situation now, or ever for that matter. She didn’t have to spend even one minute with A.J. or Adan or whatever his name was. He would be nothing more to her than a cute meet that had gone nowhere, a precautionary tale in the book of her life, a man she would endeavor to immediately forget....
“May
