Savage Sweetness (Lost and Found

Book 3) Elizabeth Lennox

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 Savage Sweetness
By Elizabeth Lennox

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Copyright 2022
ISBN13: 9781950451623
All rights reserved

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the
product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons,
living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Any duplication of this material, either
electronic or any other format, either currently in use or a future invention, is strictly prohibited,
unless you have the direct consent of the author.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Epilogue
Excerpt from Seductive Secrets – Angela’s story!
Chapter 1

The earth’s violent shaking was his first clue that something was seriously wrong.
The sudden, intense heat and bone-jarring power of the unexpected explosion knocked Kasim clear
off his feet. Without warning, a sharp pain ripped through his head. He felt as if the front of his body
was on fire. Then darkness consumed him.
Voices. Kasim’s eyes fluttered open briefly as he returned to himself. He could hear voices.
Not close by. The voices seemed far away. And the smell! The scent of garbage, vomit, and…other
things he couldn’t quite identify jolted him back to reality. The memory of being thrown and hitting
his head came rushing back. The pain lashing his skull was worse than anything he could remember.
Forcing his muscles to relax, the pain slowly receded. It was still there, but it wasn’t as
intense. The respite allowed him to assess his situation and immediately, he knew it wasn’t good.
The darkness surrounded him, but not completely. There were spots of light in the distance. It
took him several moments to realize that he was lying on the wet ground as rain sprinkled down over
him.
Why the hell was he on the ground? And where was he? He looked around, but the stained,
cement walls didn’t make sense to him. And where was the smell of garbage coming from?
An explosion. Right. Slowly, the day’s events penetrated his mind. Yes, there had been some
sort of explosion. A bomb? It must have knocked him backwards. He looked around again, careful
not to move his head too much. The slicing pain in his head warned him not to move too quickly.
There was no fire near him. Wouldn’t an explosion cause fire? Slowly shifting on to his
side, he took inventory of the myriad aches and pains. Besides a throbbing head, he didn’t seem to
have any other serious injuries. Definitely some bruises on his back, but his ribs weren’t broken.
Thank goodness!
Still, nothing made sense. An explosion? What had exploded?
He slowly got to his feet, ignoring the pain in the back of his head. It wasn’t as bad as it had
been a moment ago, but he wasn’t going to shake his head any time soon.
Standing, he looked around. He was in a basement? No, not a basement. There were stairs,
but he could still see the night sky. Cement walls. Garbage. Distant street lights. Stairs?
He was in a stairwell. The explosion must have knocked him backwards and he’d fallen
down the stairs. That would explain his throbbing head. Reaching back, he felt the knot. He
probably had a concussion too.
That’s when he heard voices. Looking around, he grabbed the metal handrail for balance.
There were raised voices somewhere close by. Kasim knew that he needed to inform his guards that
he was alive. They would be searching for him.
Taking the first step was an excruciating effort, but he managed it. The next step wasn’t quite
as bad and, by the time he reached the fifth stair, Kasim figured that he was okay, just stiff .
 The voices were becoming clearer and Kasim looked around, trying to locate where the
voices were so he could announce his presence. But as he peered over the cement wall supporting
the stairway, all he found was chaos! His bodyguards were scattered across the ground and their
wounds looked severe! Were they dead?
And yet, even as he watched, someone stepped over a body and into his field of vision. Then
he heard, “Find him!” barked by an unknown voice. A stranger? His guards wouldn’t have brought
on a new team. Not at a time like this!
Another voice, this rough and gravelly, declared, “We have to find him! His body isn’t with
the others, so he must be around here somewhere. And if he’s alive, then make sure the new wounds
are consistent with an explosion! He has to be dead for the plan to work!”
Kasim ducked behind the wall. He knew they were referring to him. He had to be killed and
whatever new wounds inflicted on his person needed to look like they’d occurred during the blast.
So…a bomb. No, not just a bomb. An assassination.
Someone was trying to kill him.
Kasim grimaced. Someone trying to kill him wasn’t exactly newsworthy by itself. That was a
fact of life. As Sheik of Alistar, people tried to kill him all the time.
No, what bothered him was that so many of his personal body guards had died during the
attempt. His hands curled into fists and he had to fight the urge to burst from his hiding place and
attack the people disrespecting the bodies of his personal guards. Those were his friends, people
who had done their best to save his life.
Vowing that he would find out who did this, Kasim rubbed his temples as he forced himself to
think. First thing he had to do was to get away from here. Then he’d have to contact…who? He
couldn’t contact his security guards. They might be in on the attempted assassination. He doubted it,
but until he validated their innocence, he couldn’t trust anyone.
Well, actually, there were four people he could trust. Yes, he could trust his friends, Marco,
Angela, Callum, and Dash. He trusted them completely! In fact, they’d saved his life the last time
someone had tried to kill him with a bomb!
His first priority was getting away safely.
He heard footsteps crunching on the asphalt and pressed his back to the concrete wall. The
footsteps paused briefly right above his head before moving on. Kasim figured that the person was
searching this area alone since there were no other footsteps.
Excellent, he thought, quietly stepping out of the stairway. Moving quickly, he silently moved
behind the man. It took only two jabs of his fists to the guy’s back and side to take the man down. He
checked for a pulse. Still alive. Kasim nodded and dragged the man behind a rusty dumpster so he
was out of sight.
Quickly, Kasim checked the man’s pockets. His wallet contained about eighty dollars in
cash. Kasim stuffed the credit cards into his pocket. He’d discard them later, but Kasim wanted the
guy to look like he’d been mugged. He also grabbed the guy’s sunglasses. They’d be useful at
avoiding detection, but since he was several inches over six feet, his height would still be a
giveaway.
Looking down at his shirt, Kasim noticed that it was covered with soot and odd stains that he
didn’t want to identify. Filthy clothes would make him stand out, he thought and shifted the man’s
weight until he could pull the man’s dress shirt off. Quickly, Kasim put it on, rolling his own up into a
ball. The other man wasn’t nearly as tall as Kasim, but he was heavier. Kasim managed to remove
the man’s slacks as well, which he wrapped around his waist underneath the shirt. The extra clothing
disguised his silhouette pretty well.
Now that his appearance was altered, Kasim scanned the area, then decided that it was best
to get out of the area and figure out his next steps later.
With the man’s cash in his pocket, he turned and, slouching his shoulders, he moved casually
towards the sidewalk at the other end of the alley. Moving slowly, he melted into the crowd of
passersby, all of who were oblivious to what had just happened only a block away.

Rosalee beamed as she handed over the steaming cup of milk. “Enjoy!” she told the
customer. The customer smiled in return, collected the two cups, and lifted them into the air, out of
reach of her young daughter. “Wait, my darling!” she cautioned her daughter. “The cup is hot. I’ll
carry it for you. You can hold it when we get to the table.”
The little girl immediately raced over to an empty table, climbed onto a chair and licked her
lips, eagerly waiting for her mother to join her. The mother put her enormous cup of coffee down on
the table, still keeping the steamed milk out of the way. “You still have to wait. It’s very hot,” she
warned the little girl.
Rosalee watched the pair get settled. This was the moment she loved, one of the reasons she
enjoyed her job so much. The mother handed the girl the chocolate ball, then they both watched,
fascinated, as the small girl delicately placed the chocolate ball in the steamed milk. Slowly, almost
hesitantly, the hot milk melted the chocolate and then…poof! The crushed peppermint candies inside
were revealed. The chocolate and peppermint then melted into the milk, creating a hot chocolate
specialty that never failed to entertain and amaze.
The little girl clapped, excited to taste her treat. Satisfied, Rosalee returned to the operations
area of her coffee shop. She’d sold out of almost all of her pastries this morning during the coffee
rush. The afternoon rush would be here soon, so she ducked into the back room and started loading
up trays of cookies and pre-made sandwiches. In case a customer wanted a hot sandwich, she had a
panini maker to toast the bread and melt the cheese. The cookies were soft, gooey, and incredibly
delicious. Rosalee adored her little coffee shop. In her mind, she had the best job in the world!
She sighed happily as she admired her colorful, welcoming coffee shop and bakery. She
loved the customers, the tourists as well as the small town’s regulars. She loved the smell of fresh
cookies when she pulled them from the oven and she loved the smiles and joy people discovered in
her shop. It was perfect!
As she carried the loaded trays out to the refrigerated display cases, she noticed a customer
was playing a news report on their laptop. Rosalee wasn’t sure what had happened, but there was an
image of a burning vehicle. Whatever had happened, that violence had occurred in downtown
Washington, DC, so Rosalee dismissed her automatic worry. It hadn’t happened in her wonderful,
little town, so it didn’t impact her. Washington, DC was about thirty miles away and things like
explosions and assassinations just didn’t affect the residents here. Another reason to adore her small
town!
“Hey Rosalee!”
Rosalee turned, smiling brightly at the tall, handsome man stepping up to her counter.
“James!” she replied. “How’s Bessie?” she asked, referring to James’s favorite horse. Bessie was a
lovely brown mare with the most beautiful eyes. She’d also birthed the last four champion stallions
and was a massive moneymaker for James. James, however, loved the sweet mare simply because
she was a beautiful horse and refused to continue breeding her. She’d born enough champions and
James had retired her, allowing her the freedom to roam around in the rolling fields that made up his
expansive property. It was just a lucky happenstance that James’s property ran alongside Rosalee’s,
and Bessie was more than half in love with Rosalee’s big male horse, Fox, so nicknamed because
Fox was cunning like a fox and escaped whenever he wanted to cuddle with his lady love next door.
“Mooning over the fact that you won’t let Fox out to play,” James teased.
Rosalee rolled her eyes. “Those two are going to break something one day!” She stared up
at James, wishing that she could fall for him the same way Fox had fallen in love with Bessie.
Unfortunately, while she’d gone out with James a couple of times since he’d bought the property next
door, there simply weren’t any sparks between them.
“They’re going to break my fence,” James grumbled.
Rosalee laughed but didn’t deny the accusation. He was probably right. “What can I get you
today?”
“Just one of your amazing cups of coffee,” he told her.
Rosalee got one of her largest cups, filled it up with the steaming brew, and slid it across the
counter. James already had his money out and tried to hand it to her.
“You know the rules, James,” she replied, returning his money.
James rolled his eyes, but didn’t take the money back. “By the way, I was exercising a few
of the horses earlier today and I heard Ruppert banging on the stables.” Ruppert was a cantankerous,
ugly, shockingly loveable donkey, and Fox’s faithful companion. And although Fox was larger than
Ruppert by quite a bit, Ruppert was in charge.
Ruppert? Why in the world was he hanging out in the stables? Rosalee always let Ruppert
and Fox roam around in the pasture during the day. She blinked at James, confused and worried.
“Was he okay?”
James took a long sip of his coffee. “Yeah, I was riding Monty,” he explained, referring to
one of the younger stallions, “and heard him kicking. But when I rode over to check on him, he just
stared at me as if I was crazy.”
 Rosalee laughed, shaking her head. “That sounds like Ruppert.”
“I checked his legs, just in case. No open wounds or tender spots, so he isn’t hurt.” He lifted
the cup of coffee in a salute. “Talk to you later,” he said, turning away with his coffee and leaving the
money. “Buy Arthur a meal with that,” he added, nodding towards the money on the countertop.
Rosalee took the money and stashed it into an envelope. She’d give Arthur the money as well
as a sandwich on her way home tonight. Arthur was a homeless guy who lived on the edge of town in
a tent. He was a good man, just down on his luck.

Kasim looked around, wondering why he felt so hot! And why did it feel as if something was
pressing on his chest? Keeping his eyes closed, he assessed his injuries. Did he have a fever?
Perhaps. He’d hit his head pretty hard yesterday.
Had it only been yesterday? It seemed longer.
Maybe he was wounded from yesterday’s bombing, beyond just the bump on his head.
No, that wasn’t it. Kasim knew that he would have noticed another wound by now. He’d
jumped onto the Metro system yesterday afternoon, taking the Washington, DC metro area’s subway
system all the way out to the suburbs. Then he’d started walking west. He hadn’t had a destination in
mind, just a determination to get away from the city, away from danger. He’d been looking for a safe
place to go, a place where people wouldn’t recognize him.
So, where the hell was he now? And why was he so hot? Why couldn’t he breathe easily?
Opening his eyes, he realized that it was midday, if the position of the sun was any
indication. And it was fall. The air outside was warm now, but not hot enough to make him feel like
this.
He shifted slightly and the weight on his chest moved as well. Tilting his head slightly, he
realized that there was a cat sleeping on his chest. Correction. Not one cat. There were two cats on
his chest. Okay, that made sense. The presence of the cats…very large, very heavy cats…at least
explained why he was having trouble breathing.
Shifting again, he felt something soft brush against his temple. Kasim realized that his head
was surrounded by something soft and fluffy as well. Not cats. He turned slowly so as not to disrupt
whatever was snuggled up around his head. He noticed tiny legs and oddly tufted ears that twitched
slightly, as if the little grey balls of fur were dreaming about…whatever it was that balls of fur dreamt
about.
For a long moment, he wasn’t sure what the furry things were. Definitely not a cat. Nor a
rabbit. They were about the size of a baby rabbit, but…? They were…chinchillas? One fluffy thing
rolled slightly and yawned, its tiny hands curling into fists. One by one, the little creatures opened
dark eyes, noses twitching as they stared back at him.
Even as he watched, fascinated and curious, the tiny furballs stretched and darted off out of
view.
 Odd, he thought. Meanwhile, the cats, shifted again, grumbling quietly as if he’d annoyed
them by moving. The cats settled again, obviously in no rush to get up and do…whatever cats did.
Unfortunately for the felines, Kasim needed to move. Now that the chinchillas were gone,
and the heat they were providing was removed, other needs were making themselves known.
Carefully lifting each feline off his chest and setting them down on the straw-covered floor
beside him, he sat up and looked around. The cats stretched, glared at him, then wandered off to find
a new sleeping spot.
Kasim wondered where he was. Obviously a barn, he thought, taking in the heavy overhead
beams and the rough wood walls around him. The barn was clean, but there were a few repairs that
should be done before the winter set in. The wool blanket he’d found last night was tangled around
his feet and Kasim was fairly sure that it was normally used for the horses. He remembered finding
the blanket last night after slipping into the building.
“Excellent,” he muttered, sniffing his shirt. “Not too bad.”
A thudding sound startled him and he jumped to his feet in alarm. A rude, ragged-looking
donkey peered over the wooden walls at him. The shockingly ugly donkey made a sound that
shouldn’t come from anything outside of hell, then disappeared from view.
“Okay, I’m in a stable.” As soon as he said the words, memories of walking through the
woods until he’d come across this stable rushed back to his memory. It had been relatively warm
inside and had four walls. He’d figured that he couldn’t ask for more than that and, because his head
had been pounding, he found a place in one of the unused stalls and passed out.
The donkey peeked over the wooden wall again and made another disgusted sound. “You’re
kind of obnoxious,” Kasim told the donkey. Then the furry head vanished again. “Not a punishment,”
he called out to the donkey, understanding what the animal was doing. There were several things that
Kasim grasped extremely well; investing, economics, politics, and horses. Donkeys were close
enough to horses to count. At least, this one did!
He looked around, but the chinchillas – or whatever they were – had disappeared. The cats
were lurking on the upper rafters, almost as if they were snickering at his attempts to make friends
with the donkey.
“I don’t have time for this,” he grumbled, remembering that someone had tried to kill him
yesterday. Or was it the day before? He had no idea what day it was. He didn’t have any way of
finding out, either.
His stomach growled and he realized how hungry he was. He wondered what he was going to
do for food. Carefully, Kasim stepped out of the stall, listening carefully for someone to call out to
him, to demand an explanation for why he was in the barn. However, nothing happened. The donkey,
whatever his name was, poked his head into the stable again, then raced away, his hooves thundering
along the pasture.
Chickens? Were those chickens clucking out in the yard?
Carefully, Kasim moved out of the stable area and…sure enough, there was a chicken coop
covered on all sides with chicken wire. He looked up at the sky, wondering if the stable owner
struggled with hawks and other birds of prey. Most likely.
Looking around at the yard, he realized that the area was well maintained and looked to be
thriving, although Kasim wasn’t sure what the source of income could be. There wasn’t enough
livestock for the stable owner to do much other than…well, nothing!
Fisting his hands on his hips, he looked around. Donkey was off in the distance and Kasim
watched him for a moment. The ugly thing was trying to establish dominance by staring at Kasim. In
the donkey’s mind, Kasim was supposed to walk towards the donkey. The animal would then
“permit” Kasim to be in the donkey’s presence.
However, as ruler of one of the most powerful countries in the world, Kasim wasn’t really in
the mood to allow a donkey to assert dominance over him. But, Kasim was amused that, as a
powerful leader, he was even considering the possibility.
The donkey brayed and Kasim ignored him, walking the other way. It would annoy the
donkey, but Kasim had spotted the house up on the hill. Time to do a bit of reconnaissance. He
needed to figure out where the hell he was and what day it was! How much time had he lost?!
Kasim spotted several apple trees beside the stables! His stomach growled as he hurried
over and grabbed an apple off the tree. He was so hungry, he practically inhaled it while picking
several more. When he was done with the first one, he tossed the core into the woods so the birds
could enjoy what was left of the core.
When his hunger was satisfied for the moment, he leaned against the tree and contemplated
his predicament.

Jatua el Fotima stepped into the sacred chambers of the Council of Advisors for Alistar.
“Please sit down,” he called out with a heavy sigh as he stood at the head of the table. He didn’t sit
because the chair at the end of the table was reserved for the Sheik of Alistar. At this point, Jatua
didn’t have control, so he symbolically stood, so as not to offend any of Kasim’s advisors. But soon,
Jatua would have that chair! It was inevitable.
“I called you all together to share information that I have about our beloved Kasim,” he
began.
“He’s alive!” one of the advisors growled.
Jatua looked up, recognizing the voice. Hashim al Riat. The man was a thorn in Jatua’s
side. They had never gotten along. Not during Kasim’s rule, not during Kasim’s father, Jatua’s
brother’s reign. Smothering his fury, Jatua silently vowed to get rid of Hashim as soon as Kasim was
declared dead.
“I applaud your belief that my nephew will return.” He shook his head sadly. “Unfortunately,
the news from Kasim’s own security guards is not good.”
Hashim stood up, his anger causing his frail body to tremble. “His Highness is not dead!”
Hashim announced with fury, pointing a shaking finger at Jatua. “You embarrass yourself and this
council by calling us to convene in Kasim’s absence. This room is reserved for the advisors and His
Highness only!”
Several other members nodded their agreement, but none were as vociferous as Hashim.
Smart men, Jatua thought. They knew that he was the next in line. They were playing both sides of
the issue, hoping for Kasim’s return, but also trying to ensure that they didn’t infuriate Jatua, if Kasim
really was dead.
“Your loyalty to my nephew is appreciated,” Jatua continued, bowing his head slightly as if
he were deferring to the other man. “However, I am beginning to lose hope that my nephew could
have survived. There is no evidence of him surviving the blast.”
“There’s no evidence of his death either!” Hashim interrupted. “You are too forward in your
efforts to take control of power, Jatua. We cannot convene in this room until Kasim returns, or he is
declared dead.” His eyes narrowed. “It begs the question of who was behind the bomb that tried to
kill His Highness.”
There was a long silence as the implication of Hashim’s question sank in. Slowly, everyone
turned to Jatua.
The man was going to die, Jatua thought venomously, fighting to maintain a calm demeanor.
Again, he bowed his head. “You are right to suspect me,” he stated softly, hiding his fury
behind a polite and deferential demeanor. “I am open to any investigation. Please, search my house
and my office. Take my computer and my phone. If there is anything on any device or in my files that
implicates me in any way, I will resign my position from all of my government roles immediately. I
will banish myself,” he assured the group of men. The little speech seemed to soothe everyone’s
suspicions.
Even Hashim nodded and settled back down into his chair.
Jatua lifted his hands, his robe billowing dramatically. “Until then, I offer myself as the
interim ruler of Alistar,” he announced. The group of men sat up straighter in their chairs. “Only until
we discover confirmation, either of His Highness’ existence, or of his death.” The group relaxed in
their chairs, nodding their agreement.
Two hours later, Jatua left the room, surrounded by bodyguards.
“Is it done?” his aide asked quietly as they hurried down the hallway. “Did they approve of
your interim leadership?”
Jatua nodded sharply, frowning grimly. “It’s only temporary. We need proof!”
“The guards are working on that,” his aide assured him. “We’re expanding our search.
However, currently, there is no indication that Kasim died in the blast.”
“Then find it!” Jatua snapped, everyone pausing at the man’s outburst. Jatua looked around
him, ensuring that only his guards and aide were within hearing distance. When he was sure that they
were alone, he turned to his aide. “We need proof! The council isn’t going to approve of my
leadership without it.”
 “But what if…?”
Jatua’s eyes hardened as he slashed a hand through the air, cutting off the question. “If you
can’t find it, create it!” Jatua snapped.

Princess Taylee swallowed a gasp, alarmed by the ruthless words of her uncle. Even taken
out of context, they sounded…wrong. Was Jatua going to manufacture evidence of Kasim’s death?
That didn’t make any sense!
Primarily because her brother, Kasim, couldn’t be dead! He just couldn’t! Taylee loved her
brother. No, she worshiped him! He was everything to her! He was ten years older than her and had
been her hero ever since she could remember.
No, she simply couldn’t believe that Kasim might be dead! And Jatua’s words…they had the
ring of something more than just a man trying to ascertain the existence or death of a beloved family
member.
Angrily, she wiped her tears away. Perhaps it was time to do a bit of investigating herself!
But, she wasn’t exactly sure how to do so. She stepped out from behind the marble column, trying to
figure out her next step. For too long, she’d hidden in the shadows of her brother’s rule. She’d been
the good daughter, behaving as a good sister of a powerful ruler should.
But now, she needed to be someone else. She needed to defend her brother’s place in this
world!
Chapter 2

A second morning, Kasim once again woke with a heavy weight on his chest. But unlike yesterday, he
knew exactly what he would find. Before he even opened his eyes, he reached out and stroked the
cats. Then he teased the chinchillas that were once again snuggled around his head. The chinchillas
made a few adorable squeaks, as they yawned and stretched before scurrying away.
A thud startled him. Someone was coming. He sat up, careful to set both cats down beside
him before he threw off the wool blanket.
“Thanks!” he said as he stood up, giving the nearby donkey a scratch between the ears. The
ridiculous beast seemed to purr, extending his neck in order to prolong the affectionate scratching.
But before Kasim could speak, he heard a voice.
A feminine voice.
Peering out the stable window, he noticed that the sun wasn’t yet up. There was just a touch
of watery sunshine trying to break through the morning fog. But the voice…the soft, feminine voice
called to him. He pressed his shoulders against the stall wall, listening.
“You guys seem to be more alert than usual this morning,” the lovely, sing-song voice called
out.
Something about the voice made him straighten his shoulders. The voice was soft and sweet,
affecting his body in the most bizarre way! Kasim had always enjoyed the ladies, but this voice…his
body tightened and he immediately pictured someone soft and sweet, blond with brown eyes and soft,
red lips smiling up at him.
He could imagine that voice with her blond hair splayed out on his pillow. He would kiss her
and make love to her and…!
“Ruppert! Don’t you dare!” the voice laughed. “You’re incorrigible!”
Gone was the fantasy and Kasim peered through one of the knotholes in the wood. Dark hair,
not blond. Darn…he really loved silky blond hair. But her body…good heavens, her body was
stunning! Not too thin, like so many of the women of his acquaintance, but soft and curvy in all the
right places! He’d always preferred the athletic physique on a woman, but there was no denying that
this woman’s backside was decidedly not athletic and…temptingly alluring! He wanted to cup his
hands around her derriere, to pull her hips back until she was pressed against his erection. He
thought about how his fingers could tangle into her soft curls. He wanted to see her face. He wanted
to know what color her eyes were, what her lips looked like.
Instead, he watched the mysterious woman climbing up the ladder into the hay loft. Kasim
was so focused on the woman’s enticing butt that he jumped with surprise when two heavy hay bales
landed in front of him with a thud. The donkey and a glorious, dark haired gelding began sniffing at
the fragrant hay. They should have oats, he thought. They needed hay, of course. But they also
needed the protein in the oats to maintain their muscle strength and digestive tract.
“No!” she told both horse and donkey. “You know that’s your treat, and you only get it after
you’ve eaten your oats.” She smoothed a soft, pale hand affectionately over the horse’s neck. “You
know that you get all grouchy if you don’t eat your oats first. And I want you both to drink lots of
water today. I don’t think either of you drank enough yesterday.” She scratched the donkey’s ears.
“Ruppert, you’re going to behave today, right? No more chasing the cats. They are faster and meaner
than you, so leave them alone. And Jasper?” The voice paused as if she were looking for another
animal, or perhaps a person.
Who was Jasper? Kasim watched with approval as the horses moved over to their oat bins,
munching on the healthy food. The woman moved around the stables, filling up the cat bowls with
food, filling other plastic bins with fresh water, then she opened another storage bin and filled a
container with handfuls of corn. Still peering through the hole in the wood, Kasim watched as she
tossed the corn into the chicken coop. He had to shift to another hole on the other side of the wall to
continue watching her, but he almost laughed out loud when the adorable woman glared at the
chickens. “Are you guys going to behave and let me have the eggs this morning?”
The chickens were pecking away busily, so Kasim watched the woman with growing
amusement as she donned a pair of thick leather gloves. She tiptoed silently to the back of the chicken
coop. With careful precision, she collected eggs until…!
“Ouch!” she yelped, pulling her hand away and shaking it. Kasim swallowed a chuckle as
the pretty woman frowned into the chicken coop. “You feathery little brat!” she snapped. Obviously
one of the chickens had remained behind to protect the eggs. The woman rubbed at her wrist just
above the leather glove as she walked back to the center of the barn.
He heard her clapping her hands, which confused him. But then, a dog with floppy ears came
sprinting out of the woods, pink tongue lolling out the side of his mouth to come to a sliding stop right
at the woman’s feet.
“Good boy!” the lovely woman cheered, then he watched in fascination as she moved her
fingers in some sort of pattern. The dog watched, then backed up. “Good!” she repeated. More
finger movements and the dog inched forward. “Excellent!” she said, offering a treat and a scratch
behind the dog’s ears with every praise. “Now for the tough one!” she held her hand up and the dog
looked at the woman’s hand, then at her eyes…back to her hand. The fingers moved and the dog sat
down on his butt.
“Oh, you’re such a good boy!” she praised, fluffing his ears and rubbing his belly when he
rolled over onto his back. “Let’s get some breakfast!” she said, moving her fingers again. The dog
jumped up, racing into the stables.
Quickly, Kasim ducked back into the shadows. The dog seemed to pause, looking around.
But the woman poured food into a dog bowl and the pooch hurried over, scarfing down the food as
fast as he could.
“Okay, guys!” the woman called out. “I’m going to work. Everyone behave, okay?”
There was a loud thud and Kasim suspected that it was the donkey answering for everyone.
The beast was definitely the alpha animal. She laughed and Kasim’s body tightened at the sound of
her musical laughter. He liked her already. She liked animals, and they seemed to trust and adore
her. Always a good sign in a human being!

Rosalee walked out to her truck and sat in the driver’s seat, but she didn’t start the engine.
Frowning out at the yard, she contemplated the morning’s routine. Something was off, she thought, but
couldn’t put her finger on exactly what was bothering her.
Even as she sat there, Ruppert trotted over to the fence line of the coral, watching her. He
never did that. He was always rushing around, herding Fox out to the pasture, nipping at the cats
when they tried to jump onto the fence, and he charged the chickens, punishing them for hurting her.
Ruppert was the king of the “herd”, even if that herd was made up of several different animals.
Ruppert didn’t care what species the barnyard animals were, he was in charge of the whole area.
So, why was he watching her instead of his herd? Why wasn’t he out with Fox so they could
greet Bessie at the fence line as they did every morning? Why wasn’t Ruppert braying at the
chickens? One of the cats, Doxie, jumped up on the fence right beside him, but Ruppert kept his gaze
steadily on her.
Very odd, Rosalee thought, her hands resting on the steering wheel.
Her phone beeped, indicating that she had a message. Unfortunately, she also noticed the
time and knew that she’d have to hurry or she’d be late. As the boss, she had a bit more leeway in her
arrival time, but as the boss, she also tried to set a good example by arriving on time. All of her
employees had a role, a station, so to speak, and she expected everyone to pull their weight. Rosalee
could do no less in her role as the manager.
So instead of hanging about in her truck, trying to figure out why Ruppert was acting so
strangely, she backed out of her parking space and drove on down the road.

“Who was that?” Kasim muttered, sensing Ruppert on one side of him and the horse on the
other. He reached up underneath the horse’s head and scratched his chin while rubbing behind
Ruppert’s ears. Both animals sidled closer, wanting more caresses. But when the cats started
weaving around his ankles, Kasim knew that it was time to get to work. He paused to stroke each of
the felines, noticed the chinchillas running off into the woods, then headed into the hay loft. The hay
bales weren’t positioned properly. He reorganized them so that they were easier to push down each
morning. Then he fixed a hole in the fence, reattached the loose section of the chicken coop so the
little ladies were more secure from predators and walked the fence line, tightening nails wherever
they’d come loose.
He worked the rest of the day, keeping track of the angle of the sun so he wouldn’t be caught
unaware. Around midday, he figured out how to get inside the house and made a phone call. Just one
call. But it was enough. Dash was on the case now. Dash Phillips was one of the guys who had
helped him years ago, along with Angela, Callum, and Marco. Kasim didn’t bother calling the other
three. Kasim knew that Dash would pass along the message for him. With the four of them trying to
figure out what had happened during the bombing, he would get answers very soon.
 Dash promised to get back to him the following day, but that raised another issue. Kasim
needed some way to communicate with the world. He needed a cell phone. And he couldn’t just call
out to his assistant and order one to be delivered to him, fully programmed, within the next hour.
Nope, he’d have to be a bit more strategic about his.
He needed money. That meant he needed a job.
Walking into town that afternoon, he whistled as he considered his situation. It was pretty
damn nice waking up with the dawn each morning and going to bed with the setting sun in the
evening. He had eggs from the chickens that the lovely woman hadn’t found, he had apples from the
tree, and even fresh water from the creek. It wasn’t gourmet cuisine, but it was a pretty damn nice
vacation. His meals weren’t constantly interrupted. He wasn’t going from one meeting to the next
without even a moment to breathe in between. He didn’t have to analyze everything he said or did.
Hell, he could actually relax, because no one was filming his body language! Ruppert didn’t give a
damn if Kasim slouched and the cats only cared if he didn’t settle down quickly at night.
Thankfully, the center of town was only two miles from the woman’s farm and he paused,
surveying the area. It was cute, including a town square with old-fashioned storefronts along the
perimeter of the circle. Parking was available in front of each store and, most likely, there was
additional parking in the rear. The tallest building looked to be the brick store on the north side. The
bottom floor of the building contained a coffee shop, and the second and third floors looked to be
apartments. The other storefronts were a real estate office with pictures of about five different homes
and four parcels of land taped to the front window. The largest storefront was a hardware store. He
suspected that the owner sold a good deal of animal feed, as well as tools, lumber, and other building
materials. There was also a little boutique, the town’s small library, and what looked to be a post
office, but it seemed a little small to be a post office.
Overall, it was one of the cutest little towns he’d ever seen. He looked down one street
and…yes! Exactly what he was looking for. The hardware store had a help wanted sign in the
window.
Perfect, he thought. Stocking shelves was exactly what he needed right now. The mindless
job would give him time to think, to muddle through what he knew about the bombing, and to process
whatever information Dash might discover.

Rosalee frowned at the man standing in front of her store. He wasn’t looking into her coffee
shop. Instead, he was reading the “Help Wanted” sign posted in the hardware store window.
He didn’t seem like the kind who would apply for a menial job at a hardware store though.
He was incredibly tall with broad, muscular shoulders, dark, nearly black, hair and a strong jawline.
She couldn’t see his eyes since they were covered with sunglasses, but…goodness! He was hot!
Smoking hot! He looked like he should be shirtless on the cover of a romance novel! Or maybe
posed in his underwear on the billboards of Times Square! He seemed like someone who would
easily take charge in a boardroom. He clearly wasn’t the menial labor type of man.
“Rosalee!” a voice called out.
 Jolted out of her contemplation of the man’s rather impressive butt, she looked around only to
discover that she’d been pouring coffee onto the floor, completely missing the mug in her other hand.
Coffee had spilled over the countertop and onto the floor! “Oh no!” she gasped, looking
around to find that the coffee had even splattered her jeans. “Good grief!”
“Are you feeling okay?” Patty asked.
Rosalee glanced across the counter at her friend and employee. Then she glared down at the
mess on the floor. “Probably not,” she mumbled with a resigned sigh. And yet, her gaze drifted back
to the coffee shop window. Unfortunately, the gorgeous man was gone already.
She grumbled quietly as she went to grab the mop. “Wonderful!” she muttered, filling the
bucket with clean water and the special detergent that didn’t make the tile floor slippery. “Just what I
needed today.” She looked down at the spot on her arm where one of the chickens had pecked her. “I
should have guessed that today would be a mess!”
“I didn’t think that you could be so affected by men,” Patty commented with a teasing glint in
her blue eyes.
Rosalee looked up, startled. “Not affected by men? Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because that hot guy, Mr. Rutherford, comes in here all the time to flirt with you. He’s
obviously got the hots for you and you turn him down cold every time.” Patty slid a tray of biscuits
into the display case. “Then, there’s Sheriff Tom. He comes in here almost every day hoping for a
date. And you just brush the poor man off with a smile.”
Rosalee stopped mopping up the spilled coffee, and blinked at her friend. “Well, James and I
are just friends. He is extremely good looking, but we don’t…we are just friends.”
Patty shrugged. “My point exactly! If James Rutherford ever asked me out on a date, I’d be
drooling and panting! But he doesn’t even notice the rest of us when you’re around.” Patty sighed
heavily. “If you weren’t such a nice person and an excellent boss, I’d have to dislike you on
principle, Rosalee.”
Rosalee was mopping up the last of the coffee from the floor, but Patty’s comment pulled her
focus back up. “Dislike me? Why?”
“Because you’re beautiful, sweet, and kind. You adopted a deaf dog, for goodness’ sake!
And you bring a meal to Arthur every day on your way home from work!”
Rosalee tossed the coffee-stained rag into the cleaning bin, then leaned on the upright mop.
“Lots of people feed Arthur. He’s a very nice man who just needs a little help.”
“See?” Patty replied with exasperation. “You’re so nice!”
Rosalee laughed. “You say that like it’s a four letter word.” She finished up with the mop
and started pushing it and the bucket of dirty water into the back room to dump out.
“Technically, ‘nice’ is a four letter word,” Patty pointed out. “However, I meant that in a bad
way. You’re incredibly nice. It’s hard to hate someone as beautiful as you are when you’re so
freaking nice!”
 Rosalee chuckled. “First of all, I’m not beautiful. And if you want me to be mean, then I will
unleash the kraken. You’ll see my dark side!”
The other employees chuckled along with Patty at the idea of Rosalee being mean. They all
knew that it simply wasn’t possible.
Chapter 3

Kasim stepped into the hardware store and looked around. It smelled good, the way hardware stores
always did. The overall scent was one of sawdust, oil, and coffee, plus a few other scents that were
undetermined.
“How can I help you?” a male voice called out.
Kasim turned and looked at the man. “I’m here about the job,” he explained.
The man’s eyes brightened. “Well, come on over then!” he said, waving Kasim towards the
end of the checkout counter. He pulled a clipboard out and laid it on the counter. “Do you have any
experience?”
Kasim took the clipboard, noticing the lines needing a social security number and address.
Hell, he couldn’t even write down his real name! This could get tricky.
Kasim tucked the clipboard against his side, smiling at the man with an open, hopefully
honest expression. “I’m experienced with supply chain issues,” he explained carefully, not going into
details that his experience was at an extremely high level. He had dealt with trucker unions and labor
strikes, harbormaster crises, industry issues, and economic diversity. “But I’m guessing that you’re
more interested in someone who can stock the shelves quickly and help customers find items in the
store.”
The man chuckled. “You’re right there. I was thinking that I’d hire a high school kid.” He
extended his hand. “I’m Joe.”
“Ken,” Kasim lied. He had no idea where he’d come up with the name, but it was a whole
lot better than stating his real name. Kasim wasn’t sure if the man listened to the news. If Joe did, the
connection with his name and the explosion…however many days ago…would be an issue. “Nice to
meet you, Joe.”
Joe smiled and shifted on his feet. “How many hours can you work each week?”
Kasim braced his arms on the counter, aware of how his body language completely redefined
the power dynamic between himself and the hardware store owner. He’d played these games with
too many others not to be aware of the message he was sending. Kasim was an expert at political
games!
“I can work as many hours as you need. But to be honest with you, Joe, I am only here
temporarily. While I’m here, I can work hard and I’m excellent at customer service.” That was the
truth, he thought, thinking of some of the tense negotiations he’d had to smooth over. “I’ll be
considerate with your customers and accomplish every task with precision.” He reached out,
touching the employment application lightly. “But since I’m only here temporarily, and I need a bit of
cover as well, I’d rather perform the tasks without the formality.”
Joe hesitated and Kasim stretched his mind to figure out more incentive. “I will speak to the
sheriff about my predicament, if you’re worried about legal issues.”
 Joe hesitated, then sighed and shook his head. “Nah. I’m desperate for some help and you
look like a hard worker. When can you start?”
“Thank you,” Kasim replied sincerely. “You won’t regret this.” He was already considering
ways to reward the man when this bombing mess was resolved. “I can start immediately.”
Joe’s relief was obvious. “That’s great!” He waved Kasim towards the back of the store and
showed him the stacks of boxes that had come in over the past few weeks. Touching one of the stacks,
he explained, “This stock needs to be put on the shelves. It’s a pretty straightforward task. Just dump
most of the stuff into the bins.”
Kasim chuckled. “I can do that,” he said, hefting the first box so that he could look inside.
“If I have any questions about where things go, I’ll find you.”
Joe nodded, then handed him a box cutter. “Here, you’ll need this.” He pulled a pair of
work gloves out of his belt. “And these might help. They’ll protect your hands and also help you grip
the merchandise to make the stacking easier.”
For the next several hours, Kasim unloaded boxes, swept the floors and, because he’d
unpacked the boxes and discovered the layout of the store, he was even able to help several
customers find various items. Most of the customers were regulars though, and they knew where
things were. Kasim worked to keep his head down whenever possible and pushed himself to work
faster.
At the end of the day, Joe asked him to take out the trash and Kasim was hauling the bags to
the dumpster when the steel door of the next shop over opened. Out came the woman! It was her!
The woman who owned the stables where he was sleeping!
Damn, she was truly gorgeous! In the late afternoon sunshine, her hair sparkled. She grunted
slightly as she heaved the garbage up, but missed the edge of the dumpster.
“Here, let me help you,” he called out, taking the heavy bag and easily tossing it into the
dumpster.
“Oh!” she gasped, stepping back as she stared up at him. Kasim felt her eyes on him and
wanted to roar with frustration. Here he was, standing before the most beautiful and fascinating
woman he’d ever met, and he was covered in dust, chucking trash!
“Hello,” he replied, fisting his hands on his hips as he looked down at her. She was a tiny
thing, he thought. She wore sneakers and her head barely came up to his shoulders.
“He…” she stopped and cleared her throat. “Hello!” She glanced over at the steel door that
led into the hardware store. “You’re working for Joe now?”
Blue eyes. The woman had beautiful, sky blue eyes! “Yes. I started today.”
“That’s great!” she gasped, clasping her hands together in front of her. “I saw you!”
“You did?” he asked, his body stiffening as he remembered her feeding the animals earlier
today. Had he shown himself? Was she mad that he was sleeping in her barn?
“Yes!” She bit her lip and his gaze moved to her mouth. Soft, full lips. Pink lips. Kissable
lips, he thought. “Well, I mean…I sort of saw you. Through the window of my coffee shop. I saw
you on the street. I sort of…well, we were wondering about you.” That was a lie, he thought. He
could see the truth in her eyes. She was the only one who was wondering about him. He liked that!
He also liked the way her cheeks heated, a becoming shade of pink transforming her pale
skin.
“Oh dear,” she whispered, cupping her face. “I’m blushing, aren’t I?”
“Yes,” he replied, smiling at her flustered expression. And of course, the blush deepened.
She bit her lip, then sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Yeah, I do that around good
looking men. I can’t seem to help it. Please,” she fanned her face as if trying to cool her cheeks, “just
pretend that I’m not making a fool of myself.”
Kasim moved closer, taking her hand and lifting her fingers to his lips. “You don’t look
foolish,” he replied, fascinated now by her blue eyes. They were a lovely shade of crystal blue. They
weren’t the vibrant blue of a lapis lazuli, but were a softer blue, similar to an aquamarine with flecks
of a light gold around the edges. Fascinating! He’d been so intent on memorizing the exact color of
her pale skin and the sensuous curve of her lips that he hadn’t gotten a good look at her eyes! Now
that he had, Kasim couldn’t seem to look away.

Rosalee stood there, held captive by the dark intensity of his gaze. He was so tall and her
fingers tingled where he’d kissed them. It also felt as if he were protecting her with his body, shifting
his weight so that someone at the other end of the alley couldn’t see her, couldn’t harm her. The idea
sent a delicious shiver of feminine need throughout her body. This man was different. She wasn’t
sure how he was different, but she could feel something about him, a power that most men didn’t
have. James was like that, but his power didn’t affect her the way this man did. Not even close!
“When did you start working for Joe?” she asked, her voice breathy. She wanted to clear her
throat and repeat her question more forcefully. She wanted to impress him with her business-like
demeanor. But for the life of her, Rosalee couldn’t seem to move, much less do anything to impress
this man. He was…big and strong and…yummy in ways that she’d never experienced before!
The wind teased her hair, making it dance around her face. Before she could react, he
reached out, tucking the stray lock behind her ear.
“This morning,” he replied. “My name is…Ken.”
Goodness, his voice was incredible! It was deep and chocolatey, just like his eyes! She
wondered if he would taste better than her hot-chocolate bombs. As soon as the thought formed, she
forced herself back to the present. When had she ever wanted to taste a man? Never, that’s when!
“I’d…umm….better…” she stopped, trying to remember what she was trying to say. The
words wouldn’t form. Good grief, her thoughts couldn’t form! Her mind was mush!
The back door to her shop slammed open with a heavy thud. Ken jumped, his fingers
tightening on her as he pushed her behind his back. Rosalee was so stunned by his move, she wasn’t
sure what to say. He’d…protected her? The sound of the door opening was loud and abrupt, but
what had he thought was happening?
“Rosalee?” Patty called out. “Are you okay?”
Rosalee put a hand to Ken’s back and he spun around. She must have looked concerned,
because he visibly forced his body to relax. “Are you okay?” she asked him gently.
“Yes, thank you,” he replied with a formality that was unusual. Again, he took her hand,
lifting her fingers to his lips, kissing them in a delightfully old-fashioned manner. “You have work to
finish and I must get back to my tasks. Perhaps we could meet again,” he asked, his eyes glowing
with amusement. “Same time, same romantic place?” he offered.
Rosalee couldn’t help but laugh. “Dumpster romance?” she offered.
His chuckle was like melted chocolate pouring over her skin. Goodness, what was it about
this man and images of chocolate?
“I look forward to it,” he replied, eyes twinkling, then stepped back.
Somehow, Rosalee understood that Ken was waiting until she was safely inside her coffee
shop before he would return to the hardware store. How…protective! Rosalee leaned back against
the now-closed metal door, replaying every moment of that interlude. Normally, she didn’t like men
to be overly protective. It reeked of sexism, in her opinion. But when Ken did it, she…liked it!
Good grief, she was losing her mind!
“So, what’s his name?”
Startled, Rosalee blinked, focusing on Patty who was standing before her, arms crossed over
her chest and a knowing smirk playing across her face.
“Um…” she pushed away from the door and tried to remember what she was doing. “He’s
just…a very nice man,” she finally explained to Patty. “Let’s get those cookies into the display case.”
Patty didn’t reply, but the expression on her face warned Rosalee that she wasn’t fooled.
Rosalee sighed, shaking her head at her behavior with Ken. She’d basically announced that she found
him attractive! No, she hadn’t announced it, she thought, replaying the interaction in her mind. She’d
literally shouted her opinion that he was good looking! Oh dear, so much for playing it cool!
Nope, she’d never been one of the cool kids at school. She’d been in the geeky, awkward
crowd, wishing that she knew what to say. The cool kids were the ones that made the boys laugh.
The cool girls were the ones who knew how to flip their hair and bat their eyelashes in ways that
looked more appealing than ridiculous.
Rosalee…looked ridiculous.
Mentally castigating herself for being so pathetically obvious, she hurried through her end-of-
day chores. An hour later, her night manager arrived and she glanced up from her mopping to find
him pulling on his apron. “Hey Dave,” she called out, waving to the twenty-something guy who
grinned in reply, tying his apron as he stepped up to the counter.
“Hey Rosalee. Any issues tonight?” he asked.
 Rosalee and Dave went over a few details, but there wasn’t much of a crush at night. It was
generally an easy shift, except on Friday or Saturday nights.
On the drive home that night, Rosalee vowed that she’d be cool the next time she ran into
Ken. She’d be sophisticated and mysterious. She would NOT blush. She wouldn’t stammer and she
would come up with something exciting and enticing to say.

Kasim whistled as he walked down the street. Joe had paid him cash for the hours he’d
worked and it was wonderful to have a little money in his pocket. He’d stopped by the grocery store
deli and bought an extra-large sandwich, filling up his belly for the first time since that damned
explosion. But the deli sandwich had been an extravagance that couldn’t happen again. Kasim wasn’t
sure how long this sojourn away from his responsibilities would last, and he needed money to buy a
cell phone. Thinking of a phone, he needed to check in with Dash again. Kasim was certain that his
friend would have a plan by now. Dash would have researched the issues, probably hacked into
some federal system, and gotten whatever evidence the authorities had obtained after the bombing.
Dash also would have contacted Marco, Angela, and Callum by now as well. The four of
them would be brainstorming on a plan.
He chuckled, remembering how the five of them had worked together years ago.
But those memories caused his thoughts to return to Rosalee. Angela had been…well,
‘kidnapped’ seemed like such a benign term for the hell that Angela had endured. Angela was tough
and feisty, determined to rid the world of corruptness.
Rosalee…she was freshness and loveliness. She was soft and gorgeous. She had a very nice
ass, too! He almost chuckled at the direction of his thoughts. His body tightened again, just thinking
about her in the stables. Or as she’d walked back into the coffee shop. His eyes hadn’t left her until
the door had shut. And even then, he kept picturing her soft blushes, the fullness of her lips. He
wondered if he’d ever get to kiss her. Would she sigh with pleasure? Or would she moan? Maybe
both? He thought of all the ways he could tease her soft curves, bring her pleasure, and make her
scream with release. He wanted to do all of those things to her. He wanted to drape her in silks and
satins. Then he wanted to strip those materials away so that she was naked. He would gaze at her
and appreciate every delectable curve of her luscious body. Then he’d kiss her, taste her, and…!
He had to stop thinking along those lines. It was becoming obvious about what he was
thinking. Thankfully, the road was empty, but if anyone happened to drive by, they’d think he was
some sort of pervert.
He forced his thoughts back to the bombing. What clues had he noticed? Who had done
this? Who wanted him out of power enough to actually plan and execute an assassination attempt?
Who would he have to crush once he discovered the truth?!
Chapter 4

“Good morning everyone!”

The feminine voice startled Kasim awake. Again, the cats were spread across his chest. He
didn’t understand why they felt the need to sleep directly on top of him. Wouldn’t they prefer to be by
his side? Maybe curled up in the crook of his arm? The chinchillas – who immediately scattered–
were perfectly happy to sleep cuddled around his head. Not on top of it, thank goodness!
Grumbling quietly with irritation, he lifted first one cat, and then the other, off his chest, then
carefully turned his head. Because of the way the chinchillas slept, he wasn’t able to move his head
at night. Where did they go during the day? Weren’t they supposed to be nocturnal?
Stretching his muscles, Kasim had to admit that, despite the feline and critter “blankets”, he’d
slept better the past few nights than he had in…years! Of course, that might also be due to the fact that
he didn’t have aides waking him up to inform him of whatever problem had arisen. He didn’t have
endless stacks of reports to review, forcing late nights on him to keep up with everything going on in
his kingdom. And he was falling asleep right after dark instead of attending interminable dinner
parties or meeting with diplomats from all over the world.
In fact, this was one of the best vacations he’d ever enjoyed!
“Guys, I met someone!”
The female voice, Rosalee’s voice, startled him back to the present.
Instantly, his mind ripped into a fury. His woman had met someone? Who the hell had she
met?
“He is tall, dark, and incredibly handsome!”
He heard Rosalee pouring oats into the horse’s bin. “Fox, how did…?” she paused and
Kasim wondered if she had noticed that the oats were in a bin suspended higher up on the stable
wall. The new mechanism made it easier for her to dump the oats into a bucket rather than lift the
heavy bucket up. “Where in the world did that come from?” she whispered, but in the early morning
quiet, Kasim could hear everything clearly. “This looks…who…?” He pictured her eyeing the
animals suspiciously and had to clench his teeth to smother his amusement. “Did you guys see
someone come in to install this?”
He heard the top of the oat bin flip open and pictured her peering inside. “Wow! This is…so
helpful! I love it!” He heard her test out the funnel-like mechanism, then her soft laughter. “Oh, this
is going to be a huge help!” She filled Ruppert’s bucket with oats. “Ruppert, did James come over to
install this thing yesterday while I was at work?”
Kasim almost leapt to his feet, enraged at the thought of another man helping his woman. No
man was going to assist Rosalee with anything! He was going to help her! Damn it, he was her man!
Those blushes yesterday told him that she was attracted to him! Not some James asshole!
“Huh! I’ll have to thank him the next time he stops by. This is really helpful.” He heard her
footsteps again and knew she was changing out the water. “Anyway, as I was saying,” she began as
he heard water splashing, “this guy is seriously hot! He’s so tall and…I don’t know what it is about
him, but there’s something appealing. He’s nothing like James. James is wealthy, good-looking, and
clearly knows it, you know what I mean? Ken is more…old fashioned, I guess. He’s chivalrous in
ways that the men I’ve met in the past couldn’t even attempt to emulate.”
Kasim relaxed, as he understood. She wasn’t attracted to James, whoever he is. Rosalee
was attracted to him! Her comment about the mysterious ‘James’ being wealthy wasn’t important. He
was certain that, once Rosalee got to know him, Kasim could overcome her objection to his wealth.
“The way he touches me…” she sighed. “Fox, you’re probably the same way with Bessie,
aren’t you? All soft and sweet, but firm. Like you’re protecting her, right?”
Ruppert snorted and Rosalee giggled in reply. Kasim was enamored with the way Rosalee
laughed. “Right. I know you’d like a ladylove of your own, Ruppert. As soon as I have enough
money, we’ll see about getting you a girlfriend.”
She clapped her hands. “I let Missy run this morning,” Rosalee continued, referring to the
deaf dog. “But I’m worried about her guys. She’s been acting really weird, barking at nothing or
tilting her head as if she was trying to see something. Last night, she kept running to the window and
wouldn’t settle down. Do either of you know what’s going on with her?”
Ruppert, the traitor, kicked his stall. Kasim was sure the ass was trying to warn Rosalee
about his presence here. The beast was never getting a girlfriend, he vowed. The traitor could take
cold showers like the rest of us.
“You want out?” Rosalee asked. “But you haven’t finished your breakfast.”
Another kick and Rosalee sighed. “Fine. Come on. You can head out into the field. I’m sure
that Bessie is already waiting for Fox, so leave her alone, okay?”
Ruppert snorted in disgust and moved towards the back of the stables. Kasim stiffened,
waiting for the obnoxious donkey to reveal his presence. Instead, Ruppert made another noise, almost
as if the animal were laughing at him, then Kasim heard the heavy hooves galloping across the packed
dirt of the corral.
“You are much more distinguished, aren’t you Fox?” Rosalee crooned. “You’re just like
Ken,” she whispered now. “Ken wouldn’t run away from me. At least, in my dreams last night, he
certainly didn’t. But I’ll spare you the details. They were a bit too steamy for your ears! And I know
how much you and Bessie make out in the back pastures every day, so that’s saying a lot!”
So, the horse’s name was Fox, huh? And Fox was in love with a horse in the next pasture?
Interesting. But Kasim was more interested in the steamy dreams that were too erotic to share with a
horse! Yeah, he’d very much like to hear more about that! He remembered several very nice dreams
last night as well!
“Just thinking about those dreams…it makes me want to find Ken, pin him down, and order
him to do all of those wild things and…well, let’s just leave it at that,” she ended in a whisper.
Damn it! Kasim was so turned on right now, just considering the possibilities. What had she
dreamed about? What had he done to her in those dreams that was so intimate, she couldn’t share it
with a horse?!
For half a second, he thought about popping up and demanding an explanation. But he
remembered that he was sleeping in her barn without permission. Talk about creepy! Not that Kasim
was trying to stalk Rosalee, but it would seem like he was if she ever found out that he was sleeping
in her barn, ignoring his responsibilities so that he could listen to her voice and enjoy her gentle
smiles.
No! What the hell was he thinking? Kasim wasn’t here to share innocent moments like this
with Rosalee! He was hiding so that Dash and his team could discover who was trying to kill him.
Again!
Closing his eyes, he tried to remind himself of that. But with Rosalee only a few feet away, it
was difficult to remember that someone was trying to murder him. She was sweet, innocent, and so
fiery hot that it made his body burn for her!
Killing. Assassination attempts, he thought again. He needed to call Dash. They needed a
plan!
And he needed money to buy a phone. Without a phone, he’d have to break into Rosalee’s
house again to call Dash. He didn’t like doing that. It felt like an invasion of her privacy. Probably
because it was an invasion of her privacy. He didn’t have an alternative. So he’d have to be fast.
“I’m not taking your eggs this morning, guys,” he heard Rosalee telling the chickens. “I’m in
too good of a mood to be pecked. So, you’ll just have to suffer a lumpy roost tonight, and maybe
tomorrow, you’ll be more considerate when I collect the eggs.”
With that, she headed off towards the house. Kasim stood up, the better to watch her leave.
Well, he was watching her ass in the tight jeans. Admiring her ass in the tight jeans, he clarified!
He was going to take her out to dinner, he decided after she disappeared into her house.
There was a small pizza place down the street from the town square. Or maybe he could make a
picnic! Yes, that would probably be better. They could have cheese and crackers, a good bottle of
wine, and watch the sun set. They could talk and…if they were alone, he could kiss her. Yes, that
would work out much better than a pizza place where the locals would wonder why their local beauty
was out with a stranger. It would also lessen the possibility of running into this James fellow. Kasim
had enough marks against him. He didn’t need some rich ass coming along, giving Rosalee the
opportunity to compare and contrast the two men vying for her attentions.
But he had some business to attend to first. As soon as he started towards the house, he could
hear the dog barking inside. He unlocked the door with the wires he’d found in the barn and made a
mental note to buy Rosalee a better door lock with any extra money he had left over after their picnic.
Picking up the phone, he dialed Dash’s number. Yesterday, he’d had to go through the main
lines for his friend’s security company, because Kasim couldn’t remember Dash’s phone number. All
of his personal contacts were in his cell phone and he had no idea where that phone ended up. But
yesterday, Dash had given him the direct line.
 “I hope this is you,” Dash said by way of a greeting.
Kasim rolled his eyes. “It could be anyone, you idiot,” he shot back.
Dash’s deep chuckle was a balm to Kasim’s irritation. “Right on time, as usual. So, here’s
what I’ve found out. First of all, your uncle has taken control of the government.”
Kasim waved that away. “That’s fine. I trust him.”
“You shouldn’t,” Dash countered immediately.
That caught his attention. Stiffening, he glanced out the window as his attention focused.
“What have you discovered?” he asked, bracing himself for a betrayal.
“It isn’t something that I’ve actually found. There’s no smoking gun,” Dash explained. “In
fact, I can’t really explain why my spidey senses are tingling with this guy. It’s just a gut feeling that
he’s behind everything. Possibly even what happened to you years ago.”
Kasim’s mind whirled with the implications. Rubbing his forehead, he tried to think through
all of the problems that this level of betrayal meant, both to him personally as well as the problems to
his country. “My sister is still in Alistar!” he growled. “I need to get her out of there!”
“I’m already on it,” Dash confirmed. “Last time, Taylee was in Switzerland in boarding
school. But I know that she’s in the palace now and could be in danger. Here’s my plan,” he
explained how he was going to get into the palace.
When Dash was finished, Kasim threw back his head, laughing. “That sounds perfect! Do
you think Marco can arrange it?”
“Already talked to him. I have a guy flying out tonight. He’ll land on one of Marco’s ships
and will get everything in place. Is there a number where I can contact you when everything is
ready?”
“Not yet,” he said, looking around at Rosalee’s tiny house. “I don’t have a cell phone yet.”
“Tell me where you are and I’ll have one delivered to you.”
“I can’t….”
“Stop!” Dash interrupted. “I know you have that hang-up about accepting money or gifts from
us. But this is absolutely necessary. You must see that! I’m typing a message to one of my agents now
with the coordinates of the phone you’re talking on at the moment. I don’t need your address.”
Kasim sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “You are one scary dude.”
Dash merely grunted. “You have no idea. Talk to you later.”
Kasim ended the call, then looked around at Rosalee’s house. It was small, but everything
was tidy and organized. It was also warm, inviting one to sit down for a cup of tea or to talk while
she cooked. There weren’t a lot of knick-knacks lying around, indicating that she wasn’t someone
who enjoyed clutter. And somehow, he could actually smell her scent. It was soft and feminine,
flowery and pretty. Just like the woman!
However, he didn’t investigate further. He’d invaded her privacy enough. Kasim slipped out,
ensuring that the door was locked again and the dog was still inside after slipping the dog a couple
treats. Kasim also tested the dog with the hand signals he’d seen Rosalee give the dog and, sure
enough, the animal followed every signal brilliantly.
His next issue was clothes. He desperately needed a change of clothing. Thinking of the
Rutherford guy, Kasim headed in the direction in which Fox had trotted off after his morning
breakfast. If Fox was going to visit his ladylove who lived next door, it made sense to follow the
horse.
Sure enough, he found Fox and a pretty mare standing together by a fence line. They were
happily munching on a bale of hay that someone had kindly spread out on both sides of the fence.
Obviously, Bessie’s owner knew of the romance between her and Fox, and was willing to let the two
of them hang out together.
Points for the ass, as long as he stayed away from Rosalee.
Looking off in the distance, Kasim spotted a house. An enormous house, actually. Not to
mention, several other horses, a well-manicured stable, and even a pool. There was a pool house and
another building off in the distance that might be a guesthouse or an office area.
Kasim watched for several minutes, assessing the area before making a decision. It took him
fifteen minutes to make his way around the perimeter of the house, then another five to get into the
house. But as soon as he found the owner’s suite, he knew that he’d hit the jackpot. Whoever this
“James” person was, he had good taste in clothing and was pretty close to Kasim’s size. He grabbed
several shirts and jeans, sure that the man wouldn’t miss them. Then he left the same way he’d come
in, with no one the wiser.
Back at Rosalee’s stable, he walked down to the creek and took a freezing sponge bath, then
pulled on the clean jeans and shirt. He wasn’t sure what time it was, but headed towards the road,
determined to get to the hardware store as quickly as he could. Maybe he could stop by and grab a
cup of coffee from Rosalee’s shop before he started work. He would like to see her smile. It would
be a lovely way to start his morning.

Rosalee watched as the man she’d been thinking about almost non-stop since yesterday
entered the coffee shop. He literally took her breath away in dark jeans and a tan shirt, everything
tucked into the waistband of his jeans to reveal a lean waist and flat stomach. His shoulders…
goodness those shoulders were a work of art!
“Good morning,” he said with an easy smile.
Rosalee felt her cheeks turn that embarrassing pink again, but she smiled up at him
regardless. “Good morning. You look fresh this morning!”
One of those dark eyebrows lifted and she realized what she’d said. “ I didn’t mean that in a
derogatory way!” she gasped. “I just meant that…I mean…!”
He smiled and touched her hand with a finger. “I understood, Rosalee,” he told her softly.
“You look lovely this morning, too.”
 “Oh!” And her blush intensified. This was humiliating. “Well…um…what can I get you
today?”
“Just a cup of coffee,” he told her.
“No cream or sugar? How about a dash of chocolate syrup?” she offered.
He chuckled and shook his head. “I’m afraid I’m one of those boring people who prefers my
coffee straight.”
She twisted her lips, but then smiled again. “I don’t suppose that you’d be interested in one of
my chocolate bombs?”
He blinked at her and cocked a quizzical eyebrow. “What is a…chocolate bomb?” he asked.
She pointed to the case where large orbs of milk and dark chocolate were on display. “I fill
up a big cup with hot milk, then the customer puts one of those in. The hot milk melts the chocolate,
revealing more flavors inside the chocolate. I have straight chocolate, mint, raspberry, and white
chocolate. During October, I have pumpkin spice chocolate bombs and during February, I mix up
some licorice chocolate bombs.” She swiped the counter with a cotton cloth. “I haven’t figured out a
good recipe for July 4th, but I’m thinking something spicy. Like a firework.”
He chuckled. “That’s brilliant! It certainly differentiates your coffee shops from the rest.”
She grinned. “That was the idea.” She shifted to grab one of the insulated cups. “And I
seriously love chocolate.” She shrugged. “It was a match made in heaven!” She poured him a cup of
her American blend coffee, and popped a lid over the steaming brew. “Here you go. Enjoy!”
“Thank you, Rosalee,” he replied, taking the cup. “What time do you get off work today?”
Rosalee’s breath caught in her throat and she stared at him for a long moment. Was he going
to ask her out? No way! A man like Ken wouldn’t ask out a woman like her! She’d had this
conversation with herself last night. There was no point in getting her hopes up.
“Oh, the usual time,” she finally got out. “Around five, as long as everything is calm here.”
She felt the rush of words bubbling up. Rosalee told herself to shut up, to stop babbling. And yet, the
verbal diarrhea came forth. “Sometimes, we get a rush of people in the late afternoon and I only have
one person working then. So, if we get a rush, then I try to stick around to help out. It’s just that…”
Patty, the evil elf who was sooo going to get mopping duties this afternoon, snuck up behind her and
put a hand over her mouth.
“She’d love to have dinner with you tonight,” Patty told Ken with a mischievous grin.
Rosalee’s eyes widened and she shook her head. Well, she tried to shake her head. Patty
wasn’t helping.
But Ken merely grinned and nodded. “Would six o’clock be too early for dinner?” he asked.
Rosalee froze. Six o’clock? Too early for what? For all of the yummy, naughty things that
she wanted to do to and with him?
“Six o’clock would be excellent!” Patty confirmed sweetly. “You can pick her up at her
house. She lives on a farm out on Route Six.” Patty released Rosalee’s mouth. “If you come to a
massive, beautiful mansion, then you’ve gone too far. She lives in a small house tucked back into the
woods. So if you come to the huge house, just backtrack until you find a red mailbox. That’s her
driveway.”
Ken lifted his cup of coffee in thanks. “I’m pretty sure I can find it,” he told Patty, then his
grin widened when he looked at Rosalee. “I’m looking forward to tonight, Rosalee.”
And then he left. He simply walked out of the coffee shop and strolled down the sidewalk
towards the hardware store. Rosalee stared at his back and…okay, at his butt…thoroughly stunned at
what had just happened.
When Ken was out of sight, she spun around to glare at Patty. “What have you done?!” she
hissed.
Patty and Mark, the other employee helping with the morning shift, laughed softly. Patty
merely shrugged innocently, and grabbed a clean towel to start wiping down equipment. “He’s super-
hot and totally into you! You were about to blow it by coming up with some reason why you couldn’t
go. So really, I was helping you. You are so welcome, by the way.”
Rosalee stared at her, jaw nearly on the floor. When her mind finally cleared, she lifted her
hands in a pleading manner. “He wasn’t going to ask me out for dinner, Patty!”
“He totally was,” Patty assured her with a knowing nod.
Mark agreed. “As the only male in this conversation, I can give you the male perspective and
he was definitely going to ask you out.”
“He was not!” she hissed, then glanced out the window. But Ken was out of sight. He was
probably in the hardware store. She sighed, closing her eyes as she leaned back against the counter.
“He is so completely out of my league!”
Mark blinked at her, then shook his head. “You’re gorgeous, Rosalee!”
Rosalee opened her eyes, her lips twisting into a grimace. “I’m average, Mark,” she
snapped, huffing and looking around for something to keep her hands busy. Unfortunately, Patty and
Mark were already doing everything that needed to be done while they waited for the morning rush to
begin. She glanced at the clock, willing time to move faster so that she had something to distract
herself from the fact that her employee had trapped a gorgeous man into having dinner with her
tonight. Ugh!
Thankfully, one of her regulars came in, giving her something to do. For the next several
hours, there was a steady stream of customers, both tourists heading into the city for a day of
exploring the museums in Washington, DC, as well as the locals who stopped by for their morning
dose of caffeine.

Kasim worked hard, quickly unloading boxes and stocking shelves. Several customers
needed assistance loading their trucks with the heavy supplies and he was happy to help them. It was
an exhausting day, but the tasks weren’t enough to keep him from thinking about Rosalee. Was she
thinking about him? Why had she tried to back out of having dinner with him? What was she doing?
Was she working too hard? Were her customers treating her well? Did she have good employees?
All of these questions kept echoing through his mind. So, when it was time to collect the
trash, Kasim accomplished the task with an eagerness that was far beyond the call of duty. He pushed
through the back door to the alley, found it empty and lingered there, hoping to see Rosalee as she
took out the trash for the coffee shop.
He was just about to give up, assuming he’d missed her somehow, when the door opened.
His right hand froze on the door handle, waiting. Sure enough, her dark head peeked slowly around
the door, waiting to make sure that the coast was clear.
However, he wouldn’t let her get away with that.
When she spotted him, she froze, her eyes widening. For a brief moment, he could see the
intention in her eyes to dash right back inside to safety. Thankfully, she sighed and accepted her fate,
hauling the heavy bag of garbage out into the alley.
“You don’t have to take me out tonight,” she told him.
Kasim picked up the heavy bag she’d dumped onto the gravel and tossed it easily into the
dumpster. Brushing his hands together, he turned around to look down at her. “Why do you say that as
if it is a chore, Rosalee?” he asked, his hand lifting to brush against her cheek, as if he were pushing
her hair away. He wasn’t. Kasim just wanted to touch her, to feel the softness of her skin. It was so
much less than what he truly wanted from her, but it was enough for now.
“You’re…gorgeous Ken,” she whispered. “I’m not. I know I’m not the type you would
normally take out for dinner. But I sincerely appreciate you not embarrassing me earlier. That was
quite chivalrous of you.”
He couldn’t manage to stop the snort of amusement. If Rosalee could read his thoughts, she’d
never again refer to him as chivalrous! He was the exact opposite of chivalrous! Hell, at the
moment, he was thinking about how her breasts pressed against the softness of her sweater and
wondering what it would feel like to kiss her. To taste her and know what she sounded like when she
was aroused.
And because the temptation was so much, he didn’t resist. Instead, he lowered his head,
kissing her gently as he cupped her cheek tenderly. When he straightened, he noticed that her eyes
were still closed, even as she let out the breath she had been holding. And since she looked so utterly
tempting, he kissed her again. This time, it was more than just a brush of their lips. He lingered,
enjoying the sensation. When he felt her lips press lightly back, he felt a flood of victory and kissed
her again. And again!
He felt her hands creep up along his arms and almost lost control as he pulled her in,
wrapping an arm around her waist while his other hand held her head steady, tilting slightly to the left
so that he could deepen the kiss, nibbling at her lips until she opened for him.
He was just about to kiss her again when a loud noise shattered the silence of the ally.
Jerking around, he pushed Rosalee behind him, immediately searching for cover!
 Joe stepped through the backdoor of the hardware store. “Hey Ken,” he called out, lifting a
package in his hand. “Someone just stopped by to give this to you. He said to tell you that he had to
dash, but that you’d need this immediately.”
Kasim heard the only word that mattered. Dash had dropped off a cell phone. Damn it!
He’d truly been enjoying the reprieve from his real life. A cell phone meant business and
interruptions. It meant that people could talk to him again, interrupt his life once more.
He tamped down the resentment and nodded sharply. “Thanks Joe,” he called back,
reminding himself that he didn’t need to protect Rosalee from Joe. He was a good man. Kind of a
lousy storeowner to tell the truth, but he’d been selling the same products to the same people for
decades. The man had his ways of doing things and Kasim respected him for his consistency.
He turned back to Rosalee. “I’ll pick you up at six o’clock,” he said, enjoying the blush that
washed over her lovely cheeks.
“Right,” she sighed and hurried back inside. “Thanks Joe!” she called out with a friendly
wave. “Have a good night!”
“You too, Rosalee!” Joe called back.
Kasim took the package and noted that it was heavier than just a cell phone. That meant that
Dash had included something else that he would need.
“Pretty woman,” Joe commented easily as they walked back inside.
“She is,” Kasim agreed, tucking the package under his arm.
Joe paused and Kasim waited, wondering what the older man might say. “She’s a good
woman, Ken. She works hard and is a valued member of this community.” Kasim tensed, wondering
if Joe was going to say that Rosalee should date within the community, and that she was worth more
than a random transient, like him. Instead, Joe smiled. “You’re a hard worker too. Harder than
anyone else I could have hired. I know that you’re in some sort of trouble, son. So if there’s anything
I can do to help, just say the word. You’re good people. Rosalee is a prize, but I think you are too.”
Kasim relaxed and nodded his appreciation. “Thank you, Joe,” he said with heartfelt thanks.
“I don’t know if there’s anything you can do to help, but I appreciate the job.”
Joe huffed a bit and nodded. “Good enough. Also, Sheriff Jenson is a good man. I know you
don’t want to involve him in whatever is going on, but I can vouch for him. He’ll treat you right,
whenever you’re ready.”
Kasim nodded again, but there was no way he’d involve the local sheriff in this mess. This
was trouble of a much higher caliber than what a local law enforcement officer could handle.
Joe nodded, looking a bit awkward, and sighed. “Thank you for your help today. You’ve
done the work of two people.”
“My pleasure,” Kasim replied.
Joe chuckled. “I’m guessing that you have a date tonight?”
 “Yes, sir,” Kasim said with a grin that he couldn’t seem to suppress.
“Well, have fun.” Joe chuckled as he moved to the front of the store. It was Friday night, so
he was going to lock up for the night and head on home. The hardware store would open early on
Saturday, but would be closed all day on Sunday. That was another throwback to the past that Joe
maintained. Most stores remained open on Sunday now but Joe attended church services on Sunday
morning, then had a meal with his wife, children, and grandchildren. As he’d explained to Kasim, he
wasn’t about to give up church and family just for a bit more money on Sunday. So, the man closed
his doors on Sunday and Monday, not even allowing someone else to be in charge of the store on
those days.
Kasim didn’t argue with the man. Joe was a good soul and if he wanted to remain closed on
those days, so be it.
Kasim left the store and headed towards one of the benches in the town square. He wasn’t
going to open the package in front of anyone who wanted to look.
Tearing open the top, he peered at the contents. Dash hadn’t just sent him a cell phone. He’d
sent a few thousand dollars in cash, a driver’s license with the name “Kenneth Stinson” on it, several
credit cards and, bless the bastard’s heart, keys to a vehicle! As soon as he pulled the cell phone out,
it rang.
“About time,” Callum grumbled.
“Are you okay?” This from a feminine voice that Kasim recognized as Angela’s. “What can I
do to help?”
Kasim chuckled. “What do you know?” he asked as he tucked the package under his arm and
pressed the button on the vehicle key fob. Immediately, a black sedan parked in front of the hardware
store beeped. It wasn’t a new sedan. Well, it might be new, but Dash had “dirtied” it up a bit, so the
car wouldn’t stand out. There was a coat of dust covering the car, just enough so the vehicle looked
well used but not abandoned.
“I don’t know. Where is Dash? What has he found out?”
There was a slight pause, and Marco joined the conversation. “Dash is working on sending a
box that is currently being delivered to your sister that contains one of his agents. We need you to call
your sister to warn her about what’s going on so she doesn’t scream when the guy pops out.”
Kasim chuckled at the idea of one of Dash’s agents hiding in a wooden box. Marco was
right. Taylee would scream if she opened a strange box to find a man in it. “Okay, will do. Was he
able to find out anything before he left to supervise the Jack-in-the-Box agent?”
“Not yet, but his techs are working on it,” Callum replied.
“Okay, well, let me call my sister and warn her then.”
“That’s probably best. Your sister is a bit…”
“High strung,” Angela filled in. “She’s worried about you. She’s called me several times
and I’ve done my best to assure her that you’re okay, but I don’t think she believes me.”
 “Thanks Ang,” he said, settling into the driver’s seat of the sedan. He had to push the seat
back. Whoever had driven the sedan here was much shorter than he was. Thankfully, the sedan might
look benign on the outside, but it had all of the bells and whistles on the inside. “Now that I have a
phone again, I’ll call for updates.”
“We won’t wait for your calls,” Callum added. “If we find out anything, we’ll call you
immediately.”
“Thanks everyone,” he said, the sincerity in his voice ringing through loud and clear.
“Just stay alive,” Angela ordered, her voice firm, but he could hear the concern in her tone.
“I will do my best,” he assured her, as well as Marco and Callum. The men were just as
worried, but they wouldn’t say as much. Angela was their emotional outlet and he loved her all the
more for it.
They ended the call and Kasim wondered what the other three were going to do next. He
wouldn’t put it past them to show up here, demanding to see him.
But for the moment, he needed to get to the grocery store and buy the ingredients for a picnic.
Thanks to Dash and his brilliance, he had more than enough money to spoil Rosalee. However, he
stuffed the thick wad of money under the driver’s seat. He didn’t want to use Dash’s money for
tonight’s dinner. All his life, he’d had enormous sums of money. He’d inherited a huge amount of
wealth from his father and he was extremely good at increasing that wealth through investments.
But the roll of twenties that he’d earned through his efforts at the hardware store was what
he’d use for tonight. He wanted to treat Rosalee tonight. The other money was Dash’s money,
although Kasim would definitely repay him once he was back in Alistar. Tonight, it would be just the
two of them.

“Give me something!” Jatua snapped, bursting into the guardroom. He’d fired all of the
guards who had failed so far. These men were loyal only to him. The explosion several days ago had
been a major failure all around and he refused to allow ineptitude in this palace!
The man Jatua had established as the captain of the new guards straightened, his eyes
narrowing in anger. Jatua wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. The man needed to know his place,
and yet Jatua also needed men who were willing to do whatever was necessary to accomplish the
missions. That willingness to do anything usually came with a bit of an attitude.
As long as it didn’t become a problem, Jatua would allow it.
For now.
“We’ve searched all the hotels where your nephew might have gone to stay. We’ve
interviewed the hotel staff and no one has seen His Highness,” the man reported.
“Are you interviewing the check-in personnel?”
“No, sir,” the man replied, pointedly not using the elevated title. Jatua would deal with that
once he was established as the ruler of Alistar. Unfortunately, he needed to find Kasim before he
could rise to leader! “We left that to the local law enforcement personnel. My team went to the hotel
cleaning personnel and the back room staff. They’re the ones that need money more than the front
office personnel. They are also the people more likely to see a larger number of guests.”
“And?”
“Nothing, sir. We’re still looking, but I’d like to expand the search to the suburbs. I think that
your nephew might be-“
“No!” Jatua snapped. “Kasim is in the city somewhere! He’s probably talking with his
powerful contacts, laying low while he figures out what happened.” He paced a bit, drumming his
fingers against his thigh as he considered the danger if he didn’t find Kasim before…well, before.
Kasim wasn’t an idiot. He’d figure out what had happened. Jatua needed to get his people in place
before Kasim put the pieces of the puzzle together.
“Talk to the embassy personnel,” Jatua snapped, turning back to the guard captain. He was
short and stocky, but incredibly intelligent. The infernal question that kept circling in Jatua’s mind
was if the man was both willing and merciless enough.
He’d test him over the next few days, Jatua decided. If the captain wasn’t both of those
things, then he’d find someone who is.

Her terrified scream rent the air, but a large hand immediately covered her mouth. Taylee’s
heart pounded against her chest as she struggled against the hand. Where were her guards? Why
didn’t they hear her?
They were new, she remembered. Her former guards, the ones that had protected her for
years, had been fired. Jatua, her uncle, had declared that the old guards lacked skills and had brought
in a new team. Unfortunately, these new guys were a bunch of idiots.
Case in point, she was standing in front of an enormous crate that should never have been
delivered to her room without being inspected first. If the crate had been adequately inspected, then
the man inside the crate would have been discovered, and she wouldn’t be trying to remember how to
get out of this particular hold.
“I’m here from your brother,” the man whispered into her ear.
Taylee didn’t believe him. In fact, she stiffened her muscles, preparing to shove her elbow
into his ribs.
“Don’t!” he whispered again, shifting his body slightly so that she couldn’t reach the soft spot
underneath his ribs that she’d been aiming for.
“My name is Tony Evans. Your brother, Kasim, is a very close friend to my boss, Dash.”
Taylee gasped. She tried to turn around so she could see the man’s face. “Let me go!” she
mumbled around the hand still covering her mouth.
“I’ll let you go if you promise not to scream again.”
 Taylee’s eyes narrowed and irritation started to seep into her mind. But she reminded herself
that this man had stowed himself into a box in order to get into the palace for a reason. He’d put
himself in danger, for Kasim. That decided her.
“I won’t scream,” she promised.
Immediately, he removed his hand from her mouth. He released his grip around her waist as
well, stepping back slightly. Slowly, she straightened her clothing and took a deep breath.
Then froze as she took in the enormous man standing in her bedroom. “Goodness, I didn’t
realize that there were other men as tall as my brother in this world.”
The man’s eyes darted around the room, ignoring her comment. “We can discuss the height
differential later. I need to get into the guardroom. Can you give me a run-down on what’s happening
here in the palace?”
“Yes. This way,” she whispered as she pointed to the doorway.
Chapter 5

He hadn’t been able to find a wicker basket, but the older lady at the deli counter had smiled and
waved his concern away as she’d collected a small assortment of meats and cheeses that would
suffice for a romantic picnic. She’d also suggested visiting the bakery department for something
sweet and to grab a bottle of wine. “She’ll be so impressed by all this, she won’t even realize that
you don’t have a wicker basket, love.”
Kasim had shaken his head in amusement at the casual use of “love”. But he rather liked it,
he thought as he stepped up to the door. He smoothed a hand down over another of the shirts he’d
pilfered the other day, hoping that it looked nice enough. He also hoped that the wound in the mare’s
hind leg was healing well enough. He’d visited the guy’s stables on his way out last time and had
noticed the mare limping slightly. The wound wasn’t big, but it could fester, especially since the
mare liked to hang out with Fox near the fence line. Kasim had applied a salve on the mare the other
night and cleaned out all of the stalls as payment for the stolen clothing. He acknowledged that the
clothes were still stolen, even though he’d done some chores around the stables as compensation, but
the manual labor, as well as the mare’s care, helped ease his conscience a bit.
The blue shirt and dark jeans, hopefully, looked “right” for a picnic in the country. He
certainly wouldn’t want to wear a pair of slacks.
He took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. It was answered immediately by Rosalee, who
looked…beautiful!
“You’re here!” she gasped, smoothing a hand down over her own jeans and sweater. She’d
changed, donning a fluffy red sweater that caused his fingers to tighten on the fabric bag he was
holding. His mouth went dry at the lovely woman standing in front of him. She looked soft and…
delicious! He wanted to kiss her. Hell, he wanted to gather her up in his arms and make love to her
until she was crying out his name.
“Um…?”
Picnic, he reminded himself. And maybe a goodnight kiss at the end. Just a picnic, he
thought. This had to be just a picnic. He wanted to get to know Rosalee. He wanted to understand
how her mind worked, what she liked and disliked, why she’d chosen to start a coffee shop rather
than some other sort of retail store. He wanted…hell, he wanted to know everything about her! He
was even fascinated by the way she blushed right now.
He lifted the bags. “I thought we could have a picnic, if you know of a place?” He’d been
thinking of bringing her out to the back pastures where they could watch the sun go down while they
sipped wine and talked. But he’d remembered at the last moment that he shouldn’t know about her
pasture. As far as Rosalee knew, he’d never been out here. And there was no way he could tell her
that he’d been sleeping in her stable for the past several nights and “showering” in her creek right
after she left for work each morning.
Nope, that would be a secret that he’d eventually tell her, but later. Much later!
 “A picnic would be absolutely lovely!” she gushed.
A canine nose pressed between her legs and Rosalee glanced down. She signed something to
the dog and, although Kasim couldn’t see the tail, the wiggling of the dog’s body indicated that he was
happy.
“Can Jasper come with us?” she asked. Her eyes moved behind him to the sedan parked
behind her SUV on the driveway. “Not in your car, of course. But I have a very pretty place back
behind my house. Jasper could run around and play with Ruppert and we could enjoy our picnic.”

Rosalee was terrified that she’d just made a huge mistake. Why would the man want to stay
here? He looked absolutely wonderful in a casually expensive way. His jeans were posh and she
was fairly certain that the shirt was wool and of better quality than anything she’d ever be able to
afford. Plus, he looked hot! Super-hot! Like…male model hot! Those broad shoulders and flat
stomach…oh my! He was even more delectable than James Rutherford, and the residents that came
into her coffee shop thought James was the height of yumminess! There wasn’t a woman in town that
hadn’t drooled over James when he came in for coffee. Every female from the age of fifteen to eighty
had opinions about the man’s impressive butt.
But whereas James was big and bulky in the chest and shoulders, Ken was built more like a
runner or swimmer. He still came across as powerful, but in a leaner, more potent way.
“That sounds perfect,” he replied.
His deep, sexy voice was almost husky now. Was he thinking about sex? Or was that just
her? Which was absolutely ridiculous. The man was here for a picnic. Plus, she never thought about
sex! Unless she was reading a book and a steamy scene came up. Sex just wasn’t really a big part of
her life.
Oh, she’d had sex before. And it was fine. But she’d always found it…well, a bit tedious
and more geared towards the man. She certainly never really found much satisfaction from the actual
act. She’d always enjoyed snuggling afterwards though. That had been nice.
Not nice enough to continue a relationship with her previous boyfriends though.
“Why don’t we just…go through this way?” she offered. The pause was because she was
trying to remember if she’d cleaned up her house. Had she loaded the dirty dishes into the
dishwasher? She normally just hand washed her dishes. It didn’t make sense to run a dishwasher
when she was the only person who was dirtying the dishes. But she’d baked the other night. So she’d
had more dishes than normal to wash and…Yes! Yes, she’d put everything into the dishwasher.
Whew!
“Are you okay?” Ken asked.
Rosalee gazed up at him, wondering what his cheek would feel like. There was a bit of
scruff there that looked deliciously enticing!
Again with the “delicious” term! She simply wasn’t like this! What was it about Ken that
made her body tingle with need?!
 She glanced over at him nervously. “I don’t usually invite men into my house.”
His dark eyes shimmered mysteriously. “I promise to not make any assumptions about where
tonight will go. I just want to enjoy a picnic with you, Rosalee.”
She smiled, relieved by his assurance. Granted, they were just words. Actions were much
more important. However, she sensed a deeply held integrity within the man.
“This way,” she led the way through the kitchen. Thankfully, her small family room and
kitchen were tidy and it was a small enough house that the kitchen led through to the back door.
Finally, when they were once again back outside in the evening sunshine, she relaxed and smiled up at
him.
“You don’t seem like the type who normally works for Joe. How many hardware stores have
you worked for?” she asked, leading him down the slight incline towards the stables. She meant to
introduce Ken to the animals. Not the chickens. She hated the chickens. They were mean, but she
wouldn’t do anything to hurt them, nor would she get rid of them. Someday, she’d figure out how to
pluck their eggs out of the nests without getting pecked. But until that day, she’d continue to hate them
for their meanness.
“This is the first time I’ve ever worked in a hardware store. I had no idea there were so
many types of nails.”
She laughed. “I didn’t know that either. In fact,” she stopped, looking down at the chicken
coup where she’d noticed the wire mesh coming loose. But it wasn’t loose. Not anymore. “When
did that get fixed?” she muttered, bending down to poke at the chicken wire.
“What are you looking at?” he asked, bending down as well. He was so close that she could
feel the heat emanating from him. It took all of her concentration to remember why she’d paused.
Pointing, she tugged slightly at the wire that enclosed the chicken coop, keeping the evil beasties safe
from foxes and hawks. “I’d made a mental note to talk to Joe about fixing this last week. But I’d
forgotten about it. There’s a wily fox that really loves to eat chickens.”
“You’re concerned about the chickens?” he asked, implying that she might feel an emotional
connection to the wee beasties.
“Absolutely not!” she exclaimed. “Until I got them, I’d never realized how mean chickens
could be. They are truly evil creatures!”
“Evil?” he asked, chuckling in response.
“Right down to their vicious, feathered hearts,” she replied, nodding for emphasis as she
stood up.
He stood as well. The way he moved so that part of his body was slightly behind hers
appealed to her. For some reason, it felt as if he were protecting her. When he shifted again,
guarding more of her back, she couldn’t stop the warm sensation from enveloping her.
“How can chickens be evil? They look pretty…benign to me.”
“They lay eggs every night,” she told him. “And in the morning, I come out to collect the
eggs. It’s not like I can actually do anything with all the eggs except give them to my friends in town.
The baker uses as many as I can gather for her. Apparently, fresh eggs make a huge difference in
cakes.” She sighed and shrugged, waving him towards the stables. “However, the chickens don’t
like it when I take their eggs. They can’t do anything with them. They have to know that the eggs
won’t give birth to their babies. Or maybe they don’t know that and they’re just being protective. It’s
all a mystery,” she sighed and pushed open the coral gate. “They peck at my hands every time I try to
gather the stupid eggs, which hurts!”
He chuckled and pulled the gate closed, ensuring that it locked behind them. She led them to
the stables. “This is Ruppert,” she announced when the donkey rushed over to them and nuzzled her
hand. Rosalee smiled, scratching the rough-looking fellow behind his oat-colored ears. “He’s the
smallest, but he’s the king of the herd.”
Ken chuckled, patting the donkey’s neck. “He looks like a very fine king,” he commented.
Rosalee looked at him curiously. “That’s strange.”
“What is?” he asked.
“Normally, Ruppert is slow to warm up to strangers. He’s very protective of everyone in the
barn area,” she explained, looking around for Jasper who was galloping back to them, with his pink
tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. She gave him the hand signal to slow down and the dog
lowered his speed to a loping gait, giving Ruppert the chance to recognize Jasper’s scent and relax as
the dog approached.
“Ruppert rules Fox, my gelding, and all of the cats. They come and go and I feed them,
although I suspect that several of the cats who hang out around here during the day actually head home
to a warm house at night.”
Kasim could have told her that they didn’t. Head home, that is. Since they slept on his chest
every night although he was pretty sure that the cats were feral.
“But I’ve taken them to the vet for their shots, make sure they get flea and tick medicine, and I
feed them every night and in the morning. They keep the mice population under control, so they are
welcome.”
“That’s very generous of you,” he said, still stroking Ruppert’s neck. He bent down and gave
Jasper the sign for “come”. The dog immediately approached, bouncing with excitement.
“You know sign language?” Rosalee asked, impressed
Kasim lifted his head, realizing too late that he’d revealed that he knew the signs she used
with the dog. “Only a few hand signals,” he replied honestly.
“Jasper has been deaf since birth. He showed up on my doorstep and we’ve worked things
out over the years. He’s a great helper, aren’t you boy?” she asked, rubbing Jasper’s ears. The dog
lifted his head, looking as if he were grinning with doggie ecstasy. Lucky dog, Kasim thought.
“Okay, let’s head out and find a good spot for dinner!” she said, grabbing one of the wool
blankets she kept in the barn. She signed to Jasper and he fell into step beside them as they wandered
out into the still-green grass.
 “I love fall weather,” she sighed. “Or maybe I just love the fact that I don’t have to mow this
grass every week!” she laughed.
“You have a riding mower, don’t you?’
“Nope. I have to do it all by a push mower,” she groaned. “It’s not so bad. Ruppert and Fox,
that’s my gelding’s name, are pretty good at keeping the grass down to a manageable level. I really
only need to mow it in the spring, after we’ve had a heavy rain. By August, the sun is so hot, most of
the grass withers. Then the rain starts up again in September and the grass grows again until
November when it gets too cold to need mowing until spring.”
“Why don’t you buy a riding mower?” he asked, following her through the pasture.
“Cost,” she replied, shrugging away the expense. “You know how it is,” she laughed. “We
have to work for every dollar. I suppose, in a few years, once my shop really gets going, then I’ll
splurge and get a riding lawn mower. But for now, I don’t mind mowing every couple of weeks. It’s
only about four or five months out of the year.” She smiled up at him. “I guess it’s the price I pay to
live here in all of this beauty!” she explained, waving her hands towards the beautiful surrounding
area.
“It’s worth it,” he agreed and Rosalee wasn’t sure if he meant that the area was beautiful
or…if she was beautiful! When he looked at her like that, she felt beautiful! It was a heady
sensation, but she couldn’t hold his gaze.
“How about over there?” she offered, pointing to a big rock jutting out of the earth. The top
was relatively flat and it would get them out of the grass. “No crickets there!”
“Looks perfect to me,” he agreed, and they shifted direction, heading for the rock. Jasper
didn’t follow. He headed towards the crickets that were teasing him by jumping up into his face,
tickling his nose. He kept snapping at them, but they were fast little bugs and vanished back into the
grass.
“He’ll figure it out eventually,” Rosalee laughed.
“He’s smart enough to learn sign language,” Kasim replied, as she lowered herself to the old
barn blanket. “I’m sure he can figure out the silent taunts of the end-of-summer crickets.”
“Exactly,” she laughed and folded her hands on her lap as he lowered himself beside her.
“Ken, how old are you?” she asked.
He hesitated for a moment and he pulled a bottle of wine out of the bag, two paper cups, and,
surprisingly, a bottle opener. Goodness, he’d thought of everything!
“Why do you ask? Is age important to you?”
“Not really. At least, not in the grand scheme of life. I suppose it’s just an ordinary question
that people getting to know each other would ask.”
“I’m thirty five,” he admitted. “And you’re…” he handed her a cup of red wine, “…twenty-
five?” he guessed.
Rosalee laughed. “Twenty-seven,” she corrected, then hid her face behind the cup, sipping
the wine. “Oh, this is really good!’

Kasim didn’t bother to tell her that the wine wasn’t that good. He normally drank thousand
dollar bottles of wine, so this twenty dollar bottle would merely be…he paused after taking a sip. It
was actually significantly better than he’d anticipated.
“I saw this crime drama once. This guy was on trial for forgery,” Rosalee began. She was
gazing down into the cup.
“He wrote a bad check?” Kasim asked, pulling out the crackers, cheese, and sliced meats
from the deli department, laying everything out on the paper bag as their “tablecloth”.
She laughed. “No, actually, he forged fine wines. He made millions of dollars selling
regular wine, but changing out the labels so that they looked expensive.”
“That seems pretty rare. I didn’t know that wine forgery was a thing.”
“I didn’t either until I watched this show. But the guy basically said that most people don’t
really know much about wine. They know what they like and didn’t like, but when it came to the
really expensive stuff, most wine consumers wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a twenty
dollar bottle and a thousand dollar bottle. To ninety-nine percent of the world, the two wines taste
exactly the same. There are only a few people in the world with a palette sensitive enough to truly
appreciate fine wine.”
Kasim looked down at the red wine in his paper cup. “I imagine that’s accurate,” he replied,
wondering if he’d been spending too much for wine over the years. He’d have to do a bit of a test
when he was back home to see if there truly was a difference between a twenty dollar and a thousand
dollar vintage.
“Do you like brie?” he asked, handing her the knife so she could cut herself a slice of the soft,
creamy cheese.
She snorted. “Puleeze! I don’t think there’s a cheese that has been created that I don’t like!”
She carefully cut a slice of cheese and placed it on a cracker. “Oh, this is so good!” she whispered.
“I love cheese and crackers! And ham and cheese and crackers!”
He watched her, noting the way she closed her eyes and tilted her head back slightly. “I’m
glad that I chose the right dinner for our first night together.”
She nodded her agreement. “So, why are you working at the hardware store? You don’t
seem like the kind that would be satisfied with a menial job.”
He shrugged, not wanting to lie. “It’s exactly what I need for the moment. I don’t think I
could do it forever. But for right now, it’s perfect.” The job allowed him to stay here in town,
undetected, while Dash gathered information.
Kasim wasn’t in much of a hurry for that to happen though. Once they’d figured out who had
tried to kill him, these quiet moments would be over. He’d be back to working twenty-hour days
without any privacy, no time for himself, and constant interruptions.
 This…this was nirvana. Sitting here watching the sun set, sipping wine out of a paper cup
and enjoying a conversation with a beautiful woman, knowing that only four people in the world knew
where he was.
“Will you tell me a bit about yourself?” he asked, cutting more cheese and placing it on a
cracker for her.
She took the cracker with a smile. “What do you want to know?”
“Everything,” he replied honestly. “Where did you grow up? What was your favorite subject
in school? Why open a coffee shop? What’s your favorite dessert?”
Rosalee laughed and Kasim thought that the sound was enchanting. “That’s a lot of
questions.” She popped the cheese and cracker into her mouth. “Are you going to answer all of those
questions as well?”
He grinned. “I grew up in a country called Alistar. My favorite subject in school was
always math with chemistry coming in a close second. I don’t own a coffee shop, but if I were to
open one, I don’t think I’d be ingenious enough to come up with the idea of a ‘hot chocolate bomb’ so
I think you’re brilliant.” He took another sip of wine and lifted his eyebrows invitingly.
“You skipped one,” she pointed out, handing him a cracker topped with salami and cheese.
“Dessert?”
“Yes. What’s your favorite?”
“Anything with chocolate. Although I rarely have time for dessert.”
She gasped, staring at him with wide-eyed horror. “You don’t take time for dessert?”
He shrugged. “It isn’t my preference. Life and work just seem to get in the way of enjoying a
leisurely dinner. And unfortunately, dessert is usually the victim of my normally busy life.”
She nibbled on another cracker, eyeing him carefully. “You don’t normally work retail, do
you?”
“No. In fact, I can honestly say that I’ve never worked in a store in my whole life.”
“What do you normally do?” she asked softly, leaning back on one arm as she surveyed him.
Kasim knew that they were getting into dangerous territory. He didn’t want her to connect the
dots. He couldn’t allow her to connect the news reports to his presence here. It would put her, as
well as the other residents, in danger.
“I have worked in several different positions during my career. But Joe’s hardware store is
probably the most physically demanding.”
She nodded her head, smiling at his admission. “But you’re clearly a strong person. So,
whatever you do during your days,” her gaze dropped to his shoulder and the muscular forearms that
were revealed when he’d rolled up his shirt cuffs. “It’s working,” she finally finished.
Kasim could feel his body responding to her words and the caress of her eyes. It was almost
instantaneous, this need to touch her, even though he was doing his damnedest to keep his distance.
 “What about you?” he asked, changing the subject. “Tell me about your high school jobs.
How did you get here?”
They talked and watched the sun set, drank the wine, and enjoyed the softness of the night air
as the sun slowly disappeared. They both turned on the flashlights on their phones for light, neither of
them ready for the evening to end. Kasim pulled out a box of chocolates and she laughed, commenting
that it was his favorite dessert.
“See? You’re already getting to know me and understand my excellent taste!” he teased.
Unfortunately, he noticed that she was smothering a yawn and knew that he needed to get her
home so she could get to sleep.
“You’re tired,” he noted and started packing up the picnic. “Let me walk you back to your
house. Are Saturdays busy at the coffee shop?”
He stood up and reached down to take her hands, helping her to her feet. “Not as busy as
Thursdays and Fridays. Saturdays are steadier. The weekdays have a rush in the mornings and lunch,
and sometimes an afternoon rush. The commuters that head into Washington, DC, Arlington, Fairfax,
or Tysons Corner are always in a hurry to grab their coffee and hit the road. But Saturdays are a bit
easier because people aren’t in as much of a hurry.”
“So, will you have dinner with me again tomorrow night?”
She grinned as they reached her back porch. “Another picnic?”
He shrugged. “I was thinking something more traditional.”
“Such as?”
“How about a pizza in town?”
She nodded, still smiling up at him. “That would be nice,” she replied.
There was a long, awkward silence and Kasim wondered how he was going to kiss her
without needing to pick her up and carry her inside. But, there was absolutely no way that he was
going to leave without a kiss.
Bracing himself for the onslaught of desire his next move would create, he leaned in and
brushed his lips against hers. He tried to keep it light. He tried to leave it at just a sweet, relatively
innocent kiss.
But Rosalee lifted a hand and pressed her fingers against his chest, as if she were trying to
balance herself. But it sent a jolt of desire through him that was so all consuming, he couldn’t
breathe. He dropped the fabric bag, ignoring the thud of the wine bottle, and wrapped his hands
around her waist, pulling her in close as he deepened the kiss. This time, he didn’t need to tease her
lips to coax them into parting. She lifted her head, mouth already open as her sweet sigh and
delicious tongue enticed him to a deeper kiss.
He pulled her even closer, electrified by the way her breasts felt against his chest, the press
of her hips against his. He couldn’t hide his body’s reaction, it was too obvious and too hard for her
to ignore. But he heard her whimper and the sound almost made him go insane with lust. She was
just too damn soft and felt so perfect against him!
But before the kiss spiraled completely out of control, Kasim pulled back, his fingers
tightening on her waist as he debated if he should kiss her again, or just drive away.
“Thank you for tonight,” she whispered. “I had a wonderful time.”
Well, he supposed that Rosalee was dismissing him now. He ground his teeth together,
wondering what he could do to convince her to share just one more kiss.
But she turned, pushing open the doorway and his eyes dropped to her perfect ass. He hadn’t
felt that part of her anatomy with his hands, but he would soon. Very soon, he was going to memorize
every inch of her body. And there wouldn’t be any denim to hinder his exploration of her amazing
curves
“Good night, Rosalee,” he said, stepping back. “If I don’t see you at our usual haunt, then I’ll
pick you up here tomorrow at six o’clock.”
She laughed, knowing he’d referred to the dumpster behind their buildings. But she waved to
him and he turned, strolling down the steps to his car.

“There is no news, sir,” the guard captain announced as soon as Jatua stepped into the room.
“Find him!” Jatua snapped. “I cannot move forward with my plan without evidence of
Kasim’s death!”
“Yes, sir. We’re aware of your plans.” The captain didn’t seem to understand the intensity of
Jatua’s rage. Either that, or the man didn’t care. Neither option was good. Jatua needed people to
react to his fury!
“What is your next step for finding my nephew?”
The captain sighed. “I went ahead and ordered my teams to expand their search. They’re
showing pictures to other hotels and businesses in the suburbs.”
The vein in Jatua’s forehead almost burst with that news. “Pray tell me what the hell you
think my nephew is doing in the suburbs?” he growled.
“Hiding, sir,” the man replied evenly. “He has no reason to stay inside the city and every
reason to get out of it. If I were he, and I wanted to stay hidden for a while, then I’d head out of town
and lay low while my friends and contacts investigated.” The man was pissed off now. “Sir.”
The captain added that last just to appease him, Jatua was sure.
The man continued, ignoring, or unconcerned with, Jatua’s increasing fury. “You’ve ignored
my advice for too long. It’s been almost a week since your nephew disappeared. All you’ve done is
snap at me and we’ve made no progress.” The man made a visible effort to calm down. “How about
if you let me do this my way for the next two days? If I don’t find any evidence of your nephew, then
I’ll admit that you were right and we’ll do it your way, focusing our attention inside the city.”
Jatua wanted to spit in his face. But maybe the guy had a point. He’d come highly
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