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Staring out over the ballroom, Marty hoped the operation worked out quickly She had a feeling that if it didn’t, she and Khalid could be facing ined "Then he isn’t here in the States yet?" she asked as she turned to Khalid

He pulled her to his side, his fingers clasping her hips possessively "Not yet"

Marty nodded slowly It wouldn’t be long, she told herself Ayid Mustafa would take whatever chance he had to destroy Khalid

As she stood next to Khalid, she noticed so The way he held her, close to his side The way his body turned into hers She had never seen him hold another wo one at his side

He loved her

She stared at hi silently that she had loved him most of her life She had loved him with a certainty, a confidence that the day would come when she would have at least a chance to steal his heart

Had she ht it possible There were ti his hand settle possessively at the sain, she turned to stare up at hi harder and harder to hold inside her

"Dance withon her to accept "Shayne’ssoon, ourselves"

He was doant, but his arrogance was always tinged with logic, with reason

"Always" Her hand tightened on his as she let him draw her out onto the dance floor

As he took her in his ar once again He was the spark inside her soul

Laying her head against his shoulder, Marty closed her eyes and let herself silide of his body, the war inside her to si as possible, to hold the ainst her ear was soft, though the tone of his voice reflected a steely strength thathis

It wasn’t fear she glimpsed in his eyes; it was a certainty that if his brothers weren’t dealt with, then he would lose more than he could bear to lose

He would lose her

"One way or the other, it will be over soon," she agreed

"I won’t let theleamed in her eyes, and that terrified hi Marty in the sa her As he stared down at her he knew that nothing in his life, no other woth glittered in her gray eyes, mixed with compassion and a sense of fun She never took herself too seriously, and she never let hier revolving around her There was no denial of it She didn’t fight it Hell no, she was ju up at hih his eyes Dark, desperate ecame to an end, Khalid led her back to where her fathers stood

"We identified our caller" Joe edged close to the his voice low "He’s part of the Saudi ae" He nodded to the tall, heavily robedto the ao We think he’s preparing to meet with the assassin"

"Why?" Marty asked, her voice low "What information could he have?"

Zach shook his head "That’s what I intend to find out"

"We’ll leave, as well," Khalid stated "Let us know the reed, before bending his head to kiss Marty’s forehead gently "Be careful baby," he whispered "Yourhappened to you"

Saying their good-byes to their host several minutes later, Marty wondered what could have warranted aso quickly

She didn’t have the answers she needed, and the questions tormented her There was a new one to add to the list, as well

What had happened to Lessa, and what had she meant to Khalid? Had he loved her? Had he already lost the woh she was his brother’s wife? Even though he had been the third rather than the first?

Glancing at Khalid beside her, she took in the quiet expression, the flat, allitter in his eyes That look had been there since the moment they stepped from the dance floor "My parents have invited us to lunch next week," she told him quietly, as the limo drew closer to the estate "I told them I’d have to be certain your schedule is free"

She watched his nostrils flare as he breathed in deeply

"I’m free," he finally said