Harlequin Presents--August 2021--Box Set 1 of 2 by Dani Collins

Author:Dani Collins
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2021-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWO

FOR WHAT FELT like the hundredth time that day, Star forced herself to reread the English translation of the description of how Duratra had been one of the largest academic centres during the height of the Ottoman Empire. But she just couldn’t concentrate. Instead of finding clues or traces of Catherine or the necklace within the paintings and history of this beautiful country, she was hoping to see Kal—despite being aware of how unlikely it was.

She’d gone over and over their encounter in minute detail from the moment she’d left him in the courtyard until her latest breath. Although she’d initially thought him a tourist like her, she now thought that perhaps he worked at the palace. While she’d not wanted to give Wahed a reason to ban her from the palace exhibition, she now wondered if Wahed and Kal knew each other. Not that she’d asked the security guard when she’d seen him that morning.

No, sometimes it was better not to know, because this way she could imagine him as the undercover Prince of a neighbouring kingdom, here on a top-secret mission. Perhaps he was trying to correct some great wrong and he would need her help escaping Burami and together they could ride off into the desert and...

And then she laughed out loud at herself, not noticing how she had startled the other people in the very quiet room. She had never ridden a horse and couldn’t imagine that riding bareback would be comfortable. But being in his arms? Once again, Star felt herself flush from head to toe. Looking at him had been like looking at the sun. Heat. All-consuming heat that she’d had absolutely no control over whatsoever.

No one had ever had that effect on her. She’d read about it so many times but had honestly thought it just a metaphor. She’d wondered at it, had brought out the memory of him standing there, searching her face, her eyes and whoomph! Head to toe. Every time. Even now she felt that pink heat stain her cheeks and, lost in her own world, fanned her face, nearly taking out a large German tourist with her elbow.

As she moved further into the room, golden glints and rich magentas caught her eye and she came to stand before a tapestry that took up nearly the entire length of the room. It was exquisite in detail, despite the clear effects of age, inscriptions flowing beneath the images, and instead of fighting for space at the explanatory plaque, Star wanted to stand back. Take it in, just as it was.

She wondered whether Catherine had ever seen this, whether she had stood looking at it, searching for meaning the way that Kal seemed to have searched her eyes. She forced her mind away from him and onto the fact that she was on the second day of her search.

Time was running out for Star to prove to her sisters that she could play her part, that she could travel to the other side of the world without needing their support, protection or concern.

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