page3 (1/2)

“I’ Republican and it kills my dad” Bob’s satisfied smirk said a lot about why he leaned to the left politically

Lina sighed and shook her head “I swear you go to the rallies simply out of reactionary rebellion”

“Didn’t you tell me once that you decided to study politics because your dad told you not to?” Bob asked pointedly

The princess nodded, not looking the least bit phased “It was a little ative reaction to my interest in the subject did spur me on However, how I react to what I’ve learned in my studies is the result of personal convictions I hold beliefs different froet a rise out of n to notice, butand soative impact on my life”

“In ay?” Bob asked

Lina ed the subject Apparently Bob was not a close enough friend to be aware of Lina’s position as daughter to a desert king

CHAPTER TWO

OVER THE NEXT WEEK, Hawk learned that, though Lina could be described as nothing less than involved, she had no friends that knew the truth about her In fact, while she had many people she spent time with, she had none Haould classify as close friends period At least the report about her he had received had been correct in that regard Even if it had been wrong about so much else

And nothing in the report had prepared hiht it would be so he could use to stay close to her, but discovered quickly that it was farhis job

How could he protect her when he was distracted by how her ebony hair shone in the sunlight? His fascination with her waist-length hair had been born the first time he saw her wear it down It looked and felt like silk And how did he kno it felt?

He couldn’t stop hi it And Lina didn’t seem to mind While she shied away fros short and one-armed with even her female acquaintances, she leaned into Hawk’s touch Not that he had touched her…that way But he wanted to Badly His fingers actually ached to brush against the luscious curves hidden under her clothing

It wasn’t that she wore anything overtly sexy, but it was the way she moved, with an innate sensuality he was certain she had no idea she possessed

Like right now, she was sitting across from him at the Starbucks her friend Bob had first mentioned The way she held her head in attention while Hawk spoke highlighted the delicate curve of her neck and drew his gaze down to s that were ly by the cotton of her T-shirt He was pretty sure she wasn’t wearing a bra Or the one she had on was so thin sheit, because for the last severalfor a taste of the sweet flesh

“Sebastian?” she asked in a soft…almost uncertain voice

His gaze shot fro red When was the last time that happened? He was a twenty-seven-year-oldboyhood behind too long ago to remember it, if indeed it had ever been a phase for him “Yes?”

“I…uh…I wondered if you wanted…um…”

“Yes?”

She was silent for several seconds, chewing on her botto too dao for a walk down State Street”

“Sure If you’ve got the tiuard believed that she was studying This time, at home

When Hawk had learned Lina kne to bypass the security and leave the apartment she shared with a chaperone next to the one that housed her security detail, he’d been ready to strangle souards were at the top of Hawk’s list How many times had the princess left her home unprotected? Hawk had not revealed the security breach to the fah

He was operating under the umption that the threat to her fa any risks He would give a full report with detailed suggestions for i security for the princess when this situation was over He had another operative fro when he slept And she was supposed to be sleeping With the feisty princess one could never be sure