Rough Surrender Read Online Free PDF Page B

maid, no clothes. Heavens, how could I possibly take a room? And then there’s been all this kerfuffle over dead bodies in the river. Goodness, such an upsetting night. Faith will come with me.”
    After having been silent for so long, Faith’s voice came as a pleasant surprise–flowing through him like warm honey. “No. I’ll stay the night. I adore adventure, Mrs. Willoughby, and the Heliopolis Palace Hotel looks like something out of my dreams. I always wanted to stay somewhere with a minaret.”
    “Faith!”
    “Oh goodness! I’m simply taking a room by myself. I assure you I won’t be inviting half the eligible bachelors up there once you’re gone.”
    Holding back a grin wasn’t easy. Faith had a backbone indeed. Determined little woman, wasn’t she? Though, hell dammit, in a few days she’d be haring around the skies trying to kill herself. Flying around the pyramids? What nonsense.
    “Oh.” Mrs. Willoughby sounded miffed. “I will see you tomorrow then.”
    It was time to exercise that control he’d just reaffirmed. “Very well. Mawson will drive you back. Pick me up here, Mawson. Same place.”
    The man nodded. “Yes, sir.”
    Leonhardt tallied his plan. Take Faith to the reception desk, say a quick goodbye and be back out here to wait for Mawson in say, ten minutes. He tightened his mouth. Yes. Easily done. Except, from the way his cock swelled against his pants, his body had other ideas. Tonight his body would be somewhat disappointed.
    The enchanted expression Faith showed as they walked under the four-story high Moorish arch and into the reception area stirred as much delight in Leonhardt. With the brilliant chandelier lighting her in exquisite detail, he took the time to truly study his little aviator.
    The tiny crease on her brow as she frowned at his inspection, her water-clear gray eyes and the curt way her bottom wiggled as she strode toward the concierge’s desk... Ah, all so wondrous. Her figure beneath the French couture dress curved in all the right places. For a second, he dared to imagine what she’d looked like sans dress, sans corset–just pure naked woman. Even better, naked with chains wrapped around her and a few stripes on that backside.
    Damn. Tamp down that thought .
    Even if he didn’t touch her again, Faith would liven up the next two weeks. He hadn’t looked forward to simply talking to a woman for a long time. With the frivolous Great Week of Aviation happening, he’d been given seven days off to enjoy himself. Though enjoyment and flying seemed diametrically opposite in meaning. Maybe she could explain it without him ever leaving the ground. Better yet would be if she stayed on earth too. He sure as hell wasn’t happy with her going up there to break her neck.
    * * * *
    He was watching her, again. Faith sighed as she reached the desk where the dark-suited concierge waited. After sending her female senses soaring back there at his workshop, Leonhardt had treated her like some sort of Ming dynasty vase. Not a single finger had he laid on her, and goodness, places on her, in her , were throbbing that she’d never known could throb.
    Something needed doing. What, she wasn’t sure, but she was pretty certain Mr. Leonhardt Meisner would know, and that was the problem. She hadn’t come to Cairo to dally with a man, no matter that her stepfather, Henri, wanted her married. Jeremy wasn’t husband material, though she was certain Henri had sent him a telegraph advising of her marital status. A proposal was entirely possible.
    She glanced sideways. Leonhardt had arrived and placed himself a full arm’s length away–avoiding her, definitely. Did he think she had the plague? She looked up...and up. Why ever were men made so dashed tall? She wrenched away. Gawking at him would surely encourage more of his inappropriate behavior and she didn’t want that. Did she?
    While Leonhardt explained the situation to the prim concierge, she turned over that thought. What if the old