Page 5

Chapter Four

E dee peeked her head into the bathroom as Brooke finished applying mascara. “Oh, you look hot .”

Brooke frowned. “Is it too much ?”

Edee snorted. “Honey, if you’d have let me dress you, I’d have put you in a mini skirt that barely covered your ass. You’re in a dress that hangs to your ankles. It’s not too much. It’s you. It’s just right .”

She stepped back from the mirror. “Edee, that was weird tonight, right? I mean, the way Malik reacted on my behalf ?”

Shrugging, Edee headed back into the main area of the suite. “He didn’t like seeing you manhandled and he really didn’t like that douchebag calling you a whore .”

“Right, but why?” asked Brooke, trying to make sense of the way Malik had made her feel. “He doesn’t know me .”

“Because real men don’t hurt women or call them whores. And he’ll get to know you,” said Edee. She slipped on her heels. “Stop overthinking it, Brooke. You always do that .”

Her friend was right. She did tend to overthink everything. She slipped on her knee-high, heeled brown boots, much to Edee’s dismay. Edee hated Brooke’s choices in fashion .

Edee groaned. “All right. We’re nearly thirty minutes late. They probably think we stood them up .”

Brooke snorted. “They probably forgot they even asked us to join them. I bet they’ve already all found other women to keep them company. None of them look as if they’re hurting in the way of attracting the ladies .”

Edee stuffed money into her bra and smiled as she headed for the door. She opened and then turned, staring at Brooke. “I don’t think they forgot they asked us to join them .”

Snorting, Brooke finished zipping her boots and then looked around the room for her small backpack that doubled as a purse. “Have you seen my bag ?”

Edee glanced out into the hall and then back at Brooke. “I really hate that bag. And it’s not needed .”

“Of course I need it. I never go anywhere without it,” argued Brooke. “You can never be too prepared. What if I need a flashlight, or tissues, paper and a pen ?”

“Brooke, I love you but you are so weird,” said Edee with a snort. “Let’s go .”

Brooke bent, looking under the coffee table. “We’re already late because of my mini freak out about everything. And I think you’re wrong. Those guys looked like they have lines of women at the ready. They won’t notice we aren’t there yet .”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be too sure of that,” said Edee, sounding amused. “In fact, I can guarantee they didn’t start the party without us. Okay, most of them didn’t. Get a move on or I’m going to start throwing stuff at you just to watch your freakish reflexes work .”

“I don’t have freakish reflexes,” Brooke said, bending more .

“Brooke, I think your reflexes need to be studied, because trust me, they’re freakish,” said Edee. Something in her voice told Brooke her friend was about to prove a point .

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the TV remote coming at her. Calmly, she snatched it out of the air and kept looking for her bag .

Edee laughed. “ Freak .”

“Diva,” Brooke shot back .

“Thank you,” replied Edee .

“Found it,” said Brooke as she spotted her bag tucked partially under the sofa. She wiggled to reach it and her backside felt hot all of a sudden. Like it was getting stared at. She reached farther and grabbed the bag .

“Dear Lord, woman, you really need to stop shaking that rump or you’re going to have a super-hot dude trying to mount you,” Edee said, laughing .

Brooke came up too fast and bumped the back of her head on the coffee table. “ Ouch !”

Edee laughed more. “The idea of getting mounted wigged you out that much ?”

Sensing something coming at her, Brooke put her hand out without looking behind her and caught a small figurine that had been near the entrance to the suite. She set it down on the coffee table. “Stop throwing stuff at me .”

Getting off the floor, Brooke turned to find Malik standing just inside the door to the suite. He was dressed in an off-white dress shirt that looked expensive. The shirt was partially undone, showing off some of his chest and tattoos. The black leather pants he wore fit him like a glove. He wore a gold watch and a gold bracelet. His hair was down and hung to his mid- back .

She’d thought he was sexy when he was in a shirt that looked like it had survived a fire. The man was downright delicious cleaned up. She blinked as her throat went dry. “How did you figure out our room number ?”

“He paid the desk clerk an obscene amount of money,” said Striker from the hall .

Edee cackled with laughter. “See, doesn’t look like he found another woman to keep him company. He brought the Scottish jerk though. Win some. Lose some .”

“Yer full of piss and vinegar, lass,” said Striker with a growl. “Want to do it ?”

Edee rolled her eyes. “Come on, big guy. Let’s head down to the restaurant and let these two have a moment together. You okay with that, Brooke ?”

She stared at Malik, unable to think clearly. “Am I okay with that ?”

He flashed a large white smile that nearly made her melt. “I’m fine with that, but if being alone with me makes you uncomfortable, I’ll understand. I don’t want you nervous around me, Brooke .”

“Then you should probably button your shirt more,” she blurted, her gaze locking on his chest again .

Edee laughed more. “Bye, Brooke. See you in a bit. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do .”

“Gee, that really limits it,” returned Brooke before wringing her hands in front of her .

Malik entered the room more and the door closed behind him .

Brooke tensed .

He sighed. “I’ll wait in the hall. I don’t want you scared of me. That is the last thing in the world I want .”

She moved forward fast, needing to make contact with him for some unknown reason. She tripped and fell into him. His large arms encased her and warmth shot through her entire body .

Looking up, she found his lips so close to hers that she did the only thing that made sense—she kissed him. His lips parted and his tongue darted into her mouth. A low growl started deep in his chest, only serving to excite her more. She swirled her tongue around his, her hands finding his chest. His hands made their way to the small of her back. He jerked her against him fully, taking the kiss to another level .

He eased a hand up her back slowly and then slipped it into her hair, tugging lightly. She tipped her head back, granting him better access to her mouth. He took it and she found herself cupping his scruffy face .

He walked her backwards and she went willingly, never feeling this wanton before. She felt as if she might burst into flames if he didn’t touch her more. The next thing she knew, she was being eased onto the sofa. Malik moved up and over her, never breaking their kiss .

She barely knew the man and she was making out with him in a serious way. This was so out of character for her that it jarred her back into reality. She stopped kissing him and froze under him .

He withdrew his tongue from her mouth but remained on top of her. He stared down at her, his dark gaze smoldering. She nearly kissed him again but knew it was all moving too fast. She needed a moment to adjust to this wild side. To him .

“I should get off you, shouldn’t I?” he asked as if he wasn’t sure of the answer .

Brooke couldn’t help but smile up at him. “Probably, since I’m on the verge of another panic attack here .”

He eased off her, his movements stiff. When she realized why, her eyes widened. He extended a hand to her, helping her off the sofa. “I’m sorry about that .”

“I kissed you . You didn’t kiss me first,” she said softly, surprised by the truth of it .

She was not sexually aggressive—at all .

Well, she hadn’t been until Malik. Now she just wanted to throw him down and jump his bones. That caused panic to well in her more .

He touched her cheek tenderly. “How about we eat and get to know one another ?”

A shaky breath left her as she retrieved her bag. “Yes. I’d like that .”

Malik took her hand in his and led her from the suite. They walked hand in hand down the hall, as if they’d been a couple for ages. It felt right. Like this was how life was supposed to be .

“Where are you from?” she blurted, wanting to fill the silence .

“Here, but I’ve not lived here for a very long time, and it didn’t look anything like this when I did live here,” he said, slowing their pace as if he didn’t want to get to the restaurant too soon. “What about you? Where are you from ?”

“When I was little I lived with my parents in South Carolina,” she answered. “Then when I was five, I went to live with my maternal grandmother in Ohio .”

“Why is that?” he asked, seeming to actually be interested .

She drew to a stop. “My parents died. My grandmother raised me after that. She passed away right after I graduated from high school. So, I just really have Edee that I count as family .”

He reached up with his free hand and smoothed her long brown hair over her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry .”

“Normally, I go to great lengths to avoid talking about it all, but I feel like I have to tell you all of it. I don’t know why. Weird, huh ?”

“I’m struggling with the same thing,” he confessed. “I want to tell you things that I don’t normally get into with women. Things humans shouldn’t know about .”

“Humans?” she asked, laughing softly at his word usage. “You’re really an alien from outer space, aren’t you? It would explain the accent that I can’t place, yet it’s kind of familiar too. Weird .”

“You have found out my secret,” he said, his lips twitching. He raked his gaze over her. “How old are you ?”

“I’ll be twenty-four in a week. How about you ?”

“Older than twenty-four,” he replied .

“Twenty-seven? Twenty- eight ?”

Malik appeared uncomfortable with the question. “Are you hungry ?”

“I am,” she said, moving as he started to walk again .

He pressed the button for the elevator and then eased closer to her. She liked knowing he wanted to be near her as much as she wanted to be close to him. It made her feel less needy .

They entered the elevator and Malik slipped his other arm around her waist. As the doors closed, he looked down at her. “What brings you to Egypt ?”

“Believe it or not, Edee and I won a trip that neither of us remember signing up for,” she said, squeezing his hand slightly. “We just got our master’s degrees and when this offer came up, we took it. Seemed like perfect timing—a way to celebrate. It’s my first time outside of the States .”

“How long have you been here for and how long before you leave?” he asked, and for a second she could have sworn his dark brown eyes had hints of amber in them. When she didn’t see it again, she chalked it up to a play of the lights .

“We arrived today. We’d just gotten to the hotel when you saw us in the lobby. We’re here for two weeks .”

His gaze hardened. “If that asshat comes near you again — ”

She snorted. “Thanks. I think. What about you? When did you get here and when are you leaving ?”

He closed his eyes slightly. “I don’t want to lie to you, Brooke .”

“What does that mean?” she asked before realizing what he was saying. She thought back to his military-like clothing earlier. Had there been something to it all? “You can’t tell me, is that it ?”

A nod was his only response .

“Can you tell me how long you’re here for?” She didn’t want to look clingy but she honestly felt like she needed to hold tight to him for fear he’d be gone .

His gaze darted away. “ No .”

Brooke thought harder on what she was doing. She was holding hands with a man she barely knew. She’d made out with him, which was totally not her norm. To top it off, he could be gone at any moment and she’d never see him again. It wasn’t as if she knew anything about him that would help her locate him later. They were basically two strangers passing in the night .

Two strangers with a lot of chemistry .

Too much chemistry .

She wasn’t sure she’d bounce back after spending a night with him, only to never see him again .

She worked her hand from his and hugged herself to keep from touching him once more. It was all she wanted to do, but the pull to him was unnatural. Too intense. And she certainly didn’t make a habit of bedding men one night and never seeing them again the next. Hell, she didn’t make a habit of bedding anyone .

Malik reached for her but then stopped. “You’re upset with me .”

“I’m not a one-night-stand kind of girl. Thank you for your help in the lobby, but we should part ways now. This is too much .”

The elevator doors opened and Brooke stepped out. She intended to find Edee, make sure her friend was behaving herself, and then head back to the room to think about the way Malik made her head spin .

Malik stepped out of the elevator behind her and pressed his body to hers. He slinked his arms around her waist and drew her back against him. He pressed his mouth to her ear. “I arrived here almost a week ago. If my team is called away, then I’ll need to go. If I can, I’ll try to stay, but there are things at work I can’t tell you about. It’s not that I don’t want to tell you. Please know that. And I know you’re not the type for a one-night stand. You should know I’m not the type to be there come morning—but I want to be there come morning with you, Brooke. Let’s spend time together to see where this might go. Please .”

She couldn’t move. The feel of his long, hard erection was pressed to her back. Her entire body lit with need. Brooke knew she should cut her losses and steer clear of him. He’d just admitted to being a womanizer, and the odds that he’d fed her a line about wanting to be there come morning were great. That being said, she wanted him. She wanted all of him .

Risks be damned .

As Edee always reminded her, you only live once .

“Okay, let’s go to dinner,” she said softly .

He put his mouth to her ear. “Thank you .”