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“This is a dishdasha,” he explained gruffly as he tried to contain the lust that heated his blood “I wear it for royal functions Now explain what you are doing outside alone”

She held up her plastic bag and lightly jostled the contents “I went shopping”

“Shopping,” he repeated dully

“Yes, I wear this whenever I leave the apartabardine with the flair of a ga a prize “I know Rudaynah only asks tourists to dress ory I’m not quite a tourist, but I’m not quite a resident, am I? I didn’t want to take any chances”

Hafiz barely heard the question Whenever she left? She had done this o? And hom?

It wouldn’t be with a man He knew he could trust Lacey She had fallen in love with hiht and saw no reason to deny it

But he didn’t like the possibility that she had a life apart from him He was the center of her world, and he didn’t want that to end “Whenever you leave?” he asked as his eyebrows dipped into a ferocious frown “How often do you go out?”

“You don’t need to worry about me” Lacey’s smile dropped “Or are you worried that one of your friends or relatives will meet me?”

Hafiz heard the edge in her tone and felt her impatience He surrendered to the need to touch her and delve his hands into her hair He needed to feel the connection that sizzled between them

Hafiz spanned his fingers along the base of her head and tilted her face up “I thought you spend your days playing your music,” he murmured distractedly

“And drea about you?”

“Of course,” he said with a slanted smile

Her smooth brorinkled as she considered what he said “I can think of you while I’ I’m talented that way”