"Miss Dupont?" His voice matched his appearance - polished and professional.
"Yes?" Mandy blinked at him, a little startled.
"I'll take your luggage down while you check out at the front desk." He gestured toward the loaded cart with a practiced smile.
Mandy hesitated for a moment, as she hadn't expected any assistance with her luggage, and he looked the farthest thing from a bellboy. Still… it was a five-star hotel, so who knew? She exited the room, and followed the man to the elevator as he pushed the luggage cart.
Making her way to the front desk, she paid attention to how she felt. Her legs swung in an easy, smooth stride, and she all but buzzed with energy. The checkout process went smoothly.
When Mandy stepped through the hotel's automatic doors into the late morning heat, however, she stopped short. A sleek black limousine waited under the covered entrance, its polished surface gleaming in the golden light. The uniformed man who'd collected her luggage efficiently transferred her bags to the trunk while Bach and Mozart's carriers sat safely on a luggage cart nearby.
As Mandy stood blinking at this unexpected development, the rear passenger door opened smoothly. Kieran emerged, his tall form unfolding gracefully from the vehicle's interior.
"Sabah el khayr," Kieran's deep voice rolled the Arabic greeting perfectly, the familiar sounds washing over Mandy like desert wind.
Mandy's mind stuttered to a halt as she took in Kieran's appearance. For the second time since meeting him, she saw him in modern clothing rather than his usual formal Djinn attire. The effect was... striking.
He wore crisp black slacks and a deep blue button-down shirt, the sleeves rolled precisely to his forearms. The fabric looked impossibly fine, probably some ridiculously expensive designer brand she couldn't pronounce. Even in the growing Arizona heat, he maintained an air of cool sophistication.
The overall effect was casual by his standards, but still screamed "aristocrat at leisure" rather than truly relaxed. Mandy doubted Kieran could ever completely shed his innate princely bearing, even if he tried. Every movement, every gesture carried that indefinable air of authority that came from centuries of commanding respect.
His pure white hair caught the morning sunlight, creating an almost ethereal effect against the dark clothing. Those piercing ice-blue eyes regarded her with their usual intensity, though she caught a hint of amusement in their depths as he observed her obvious surprise.
She managed to stammer, "S-sabah el noor." Astonishment made the words feel clumsy on her tongue.
Kieran's eyes crinkled slightly at the corners - not quite a smile, but close. "I thought perhaps you would permit me to deliver you personally to the next phase of your adventure." He gestured toward the waiting limousine with an elegant motion.
Mandy blinked at him. His unexpected thoughtfulness left her momentarily speechless - and, it must be admitted, a little bit giddy. The kindness touched her deeply, warmth spreading through her chest. She hadn't expected anything like this.
"I..." Mandy's voice trailed off as she struggled to form a coherent response. "Thank you," she managed finally, meaning it with every fiber of her being. "This is incredibly kind of you."
The uniformed driver carefully secured Bach and Mozart's carriers in the spacious back seat. Her cats seemed completely unfazed by this development, settling into their temporary accommodations with typical feline adaptability.
"Oh! My car!"
Kieran held up one elegant hand, a rare twinkle dancing in his eyes. "Your vehicle is already at the Airbnb."
She stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Of course it is!"
The sheer absurdity of worrying about mundane logistics when dealing with a Djinn prince struck her as hilarious. Here she stood, in a completely transformed body, being offered a ride in a luxury limousine, and her car had been teleported to her destination!
Kieran's ice-blue gaze swept over her, lingering on the cheerful embroidered blouse, making her skin tingle with unexpected warmth. "That suits you well," he said, his usual stern expression softening by a fraction - so brief she might have imagined it.
Mandy brightened, unable to contain her smile. "Thank you."
A glow spread through her chest at his approval. Her pulse quickened, and she immediately scolded herself. Honestly, what was she thinking? She might suddenly feel pretty, and younger, but she was still sixty-seven years old. Far too old to get flustered over a handsome man's compliment like some starry-eyed teenager. Even if that man happened to be a devastatingly attractive Djinn prince with eyes like arctic glaciers and a voice that could melt steel.
Mandy firmly squashed the flutter in her stomach. She was being ridiculous. Completely and utterly ridiculous.
The limousine glided through Tucson's streets, its smooth motion unlike anything Mandy had experienced in her decades of driving. Bach and Mozart lounged regally in their carriers, apparently deciding this mode of transport met their exacting standards.
As she watched the familiar streets of the city roll past, she was very aware of Kieran sitting across from her, his tall form somehow managing to look completely at ease. His presence filled the back of the limo with that subtle thrum of magic she'd come to associate with him.
As they headed northeast, the urban sprawl gradually gave way to more natural desert landscape. Saguaros stood sentinelagainst the late afternoon sky, their arms reaching toward heaven. The Catalina Mountains loomed ahead, their rugged peaks painted in shades of purple and gold by the late morning sun. Mandy admired the way the light played across the craggy ridges, creating deep shadows in the canyons between them. She'd seen these peaks a thousand times, yet their wild beauty never failed to stir something in her soul, especially now as wisps of clouds drifted across their ancient faces.
The limo turned onto a smaller road, winding its way up into the foothills. Mandy's breath caught in growing anticipation as the elevation increased, offering increasingly spectacular views of the city spread out below.
The driver made a graceful turn onto a narrow, private drive lined with mature desert landscaping. Ocotillo branches waved their crimson blooms in the breeze as the vehicle climbed higher, finally cresting a small rise.
