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The way Kaza said “hot” had sounded incrediblysexy.
“What do you do for a living,Master?”
Kaza rubbed the end of my ragged kaftan between his fingers, and Iblushed.
“You don’t smell like a fishmonger.” He grabbed my hand and inspected it. “Your fingernails are too dirty to be aseamstress.”
He was toying with me, I could tell, but I let him keepguessing.
“Far too beautiful for a princess,” herambled.
Icoughed.
“No. I'm serious. Most royalty I've met would make you want to bring up your lunch.” He whispered in my ear. “Inbred.”
That had me clutching my stomach andlaughing.
He winced a little as he folded his arms behind his head. Obviously, the lamp did not steal away all hispain.
“I bet your talents lie in strategy, quick thinking, and keen observation,” hecontinued.
Now he was reallyplaying.
I began stroking his hair to shut him up. “Shh. Go tosleep.”
He moaned and closed his eyes. “You're a thief,” he said as if struggling to get the words out. “That's how you found ourlamp.”
I tucked my head, my cheeks blazing hot as a bonfire. How could he read me so well? Was I that much of a giveaway? Right then, I wasn’t sure how I felt about him knowing my profession. Did he judge me for stealing from others? I’d never let what someone else thought of what I did to survive bother me before, but now, for some reason, I cared about this genie’sopinion.
His fingers interlocked with mine and squeezed. “You must be a hell of a thief because you stole my heart from across theroom.”
I laughed and punched him in the chest. “Do you say that to all thegirls?”
He rubbed a lock of my hair. “Only the sweaty ones who have lots ofmoles.”
Gods. That made me snort. I hadn’t expected to have such an enjoyable time withhim.
“That’s very sexy, Master,” hesaid.
I shoved him in the chest for joking with me. “What makes you think I’m a thief?” I asked, curious how he had mepegged.
He gave me that dazzling smile that took my breath away. “Call it genie magic. When your breast grazed our lamp, we all knewit.”
Gods.Not the breast thing again. I swear he said that to get a rise out of me. It was my whole chest, not just my boobs. I had the bruises to proveit!
My gaze dipped to my filthy, ratty clothes and picked at them. Curiosity chewed away at me like a rat. I wanted to know what else the lamp had toldhim.
But first I had to explain myself. “I steal to feed my brother. I’m not proud of it. We don’t have a trade or an education. My brother is sick often and I can’t hold down a job if I have to look afterhim.”
Not once did he blink, look away, or even make a face to indicate his disapproval. Who would have thought the joker had a serious side tohim?
“Twelve years ago, Ali and I left the orphanage because they abused us,” I continued, unable to end my blabbering. “The master used us as slave labor, rather than putting us through school like the sultan demanded of everyorphanage.”
Kaza brushed away my dangling hair. My whole body buzzed. I didn't want him to stop talking or touchingme.
“The thief title is nothing to be ashamed about, my beautifulmaster.”
Despite his confident words, I didn’t agree with him. In Utaara, I was a filthy street rat, nothing more. But I had much more to giveHaven.
