Page 105 of Hired Husband

“Are you both safe?” he asked next. “There are a lot of people looking for you.”

“We figured as much, but we are safe, sir. This has just been a lot, so maybe we’ll lie low for a few days.”

“That would be for the best,” Dad said. “Stay with her, Isaac. Make sure she’s as okay as she can be, and I’ll handle everything from my side.”

“Yes, sir,” he agreed. “Thank you. We appreciate that.”

Dad hesitated for a second. “Good night, Isaac. Tell Jasmine we love her.”

“Will do. Good night, sir.”

When he hung up, he set his phone down on the coffee table and brushed a damp strand of hair behind my ear before he leaned over and kissed my forehead. “Do you need anything?”

“Other than a new identity?” I asked softly, feeling my lips inch into a smile. “No, not really. I’m exhausted, though. I think maybe I’ll just get in bed.”

“Let’s do it.” He swiped his phone up again and switched it to silent. Then he led me over to the enormous hotel bed and opened it up, climbing in with me and pulling me into his arms after settling the covers back over us.

I curled into his side and closed my eyes, not really expecting to fall asleep. My mind and my heart were both still racing, so many unknowns hanging over us right now that I thought I’d be lying awake all night, but instead, with Isaac’s heart beating steadily under my ear and his strong arms around me, I drifted off almost immediately, falling into a comfortable, mercifully dreamless sleep right away.

CHAPTER 43

ISAAC

Neither of us said much as we ate breakfast in our suite the next morning. We picked at pastries and sipped our coffee, but every time I tried to talk to her about what was going on, she either shrugged or hummed, then went back to her food.

Every now and then, she’d look up, catch me watching her, and offer the tiniest smile, but then she disappeared back into her own thoughts. Meanwhile, I desperately wanted to ask what was going on inside that brilliant head of hers and if she regretted running away with me yesterday.

If she was terrified, I wanted to ease her mind, and if she was pissed at me for not respecting her wishes, I wanted to know how I could make up for it. I reached across the little round table and took her hand. She squeezed it, offering yet another tiny smile before she turned her head and looked back out across the Pyramids. I realized that as much as I wanted to talk to her about the future and what we would do next, she obviously wasn’t ready yet.

We’d barely finished eating when my phone buzzed with a message from Deja. I glanced at it, then pushed my chair away from the table and spoke quietly. “Our car is here. Your sister went to your place and packed a bag for you. It’s already in the trunk. I just need to grab my stuff out of the rental car. Then we can go.”

Without a word, she nodded and stood up, a little pale as she slung her purse over her shoulder and glanced at the couture gown laid out across the bed. “Deja will have that collected, right?”

“Yep. She’s got it covered. Don’t worry.”

Early this morning, she’d also had clothes for the day and some toiletries sent over from a local store, so at least Jasmine had something to wear. But I doubted she’d even noticed the comfortable-looking sandals or soft sundress. She hadn’t bothered with makeup either and she’d thrown her hair into a sleek ponytail, sliding her sunglasses out of her purse as we left the suite.

When I reached for her hand in the elevator, she took it, putting the glasses on just as the doors started sliding open. Thankfully, there was no gaggle of press or curious onlookers waiting in the lobby. So far, it seemed we’d managed to keep her location under wraps.

A black SUV was waiting under the hotel’s porte-cochere. The driver opened the door for Jasmine while I went to check out and leave the rental car’s keys with the front desk. Colin would be picking it up later, along with the gown, but they hadn’t wanted to risk coming here before we’d left.

The receptionist assured me they would have the gown and the keys ready for him when he arrived. I settled our bill and joined Jasmine in the backseat of the car. The driver didn’t ask any questions, apparently not caring that he was basically transporting two fugitives.

Jasmine wordlessly reached for my hand as he pulled away from the hotel, but she didn’t look at me, just absentmindedly watched the city roll by instead. I settled back too, trying very hard not to feel too guilty about the circus Colin and Basel were probably currently dealing with.

My brother had assured me that they had it well in hand and that Basel hadn’t even threatened to slaughter me yet. I took that as a positive sign, but we weren’t out of the woods yet.

I stroked a thumb along the side of Jasmine’s hand as Cairo faded from view. The driver took us a couple hours north toward the Mediterranean Sea. Deja had a private yacht waiting for us at a small marina. It would take us the rest of the way to Alexandria, as well as serving as our accommodations once we got there.

It was frightening how thoroughly she’d thought this through and how fast she’d managed to put it together. Not only would doing things this way minimize our risk of being seen coming and going from a hotel, but it also gave us the option to set sail immediately if reporters should find us.

Within ten minutes of boarding the yacht, the crew had welcomed us, the engines had rumbled to life, and our things had been taken to a cabin below deck. I could only marvel at the efficiency of it all as I wandered to the railing and watched the shoreline drift away. The rhythmic sound of waves against the hull helped ease some of the tension inside, but not much. Yesterday, my only focus had been stopping her from officially getting engaged, but now I wasn’t entirely sure if we were hiding, waiting, just breathing, or maybe even all three.

Our future was strangely blank and incredibly uncertain. David could disappear quietly or declare war. GlobalStar might not want me anywhere near that project anymore. It was very possible that they’d void the contract and award it to David instead. Again. If so, I didn’t care. Recent events had forced me to examine what was most important in life. Between work and Jasmine, I would always choose Jasmine for as long as she wanted me.

I might’ve made her life immeasurably harder by refusing to let her sacrifice herself, but every time doubt crept in, I remembered the way she’d run toward me.

That has to count for something, right?