Free Gambling With the Crown by Lynn Raye Harris Page A

was a new development and one she did not appreciate whatsoever.
    “You are a perfect princess, Your Highness,” Guido said, smiling and bowing as she picked up the buttery-soft leather handbag he’d selected to go with her outfit. Emily wanted to tell him not to bow, but she stopped herself. This was a performance, and she most definitely was a princess. For now.
    She glanced at herself again and swallowed. Her mother stared back at her from beneath the sultry makeup and curve-hugging clothing and Emily wanted to scream. She’d worked too hard to bury that sensual creature that lurked inside her and now it was staring back at her, mocking her.
    Just because I look like you, she wanted to say, doesn’t mean I am you.
    Guido escorted Emily to the outer room, where Kadir was waiting. He looked up when she entered. His eyes seemed to widen and she told herself not to be pleased at that. The flare of feminine vanity she felt was not welcome. Oh, how she used to preen when a man looked at her with appreciation. She would not do so now.
    Kadir’s gaze skimmed over her slowly. And then his mouth curved in a smile that made her heart skip a beat. “You look amazing, Emily.”
    Heat seared into her. “Thank you.” Because what else did you say to something like that?
    She felt self-conscious more than anything, because now everyone was looking at her in ways they never had before. She’d found it easier to blend into the background, to be unobtrusive. Her job required that of her.
    Guido snapped his fingers and a pair of smartly dressed saleswomen appeared with boxes and bags.
    “These will see her through the first couple of days,” he told Kadir. “The rest will be delivered to Kyr immediately upon completion.”
    “Grazie,” Kadir said. “As always, you have pleased me greatly.”
    A sharp feeling sliced into her then. She remembered now why Guido’s name was familiar to her. She’d been so distracted by everything today that she hadn’t dwelled too much on why. But she had seen his name on bills. For shoes, clothing, jewels, handbags and silk scarves.
    Of course she had. She wanted to put her hand to her temple and rub, but she didn’t. What did she care if Kadir was buying her clothing at the same place he had bought things for his lovers?
    Kadir might be a player of the worst sort, but one of the things he had never done was make Emily buy gifts for his ladies. He took care of that himself—and now she knew how. He picked up the phone and called Guido.
    Emily smiled and thanked Guido and his staff personally, and then Kadir ushered her out the door and into the waiting limousine while a man in a dark suit and headset stood beside the car door, looking quietly lethal.
    Once they were inside, the bodyguards seated in this car and the one following, the driver pulled into traffic and began the return trip to the airport.
    Emily fixed her gaze on the passing city and tried not to look at Kadir. But she knew he was looking at her. In fact, he hadn’t stopped since they’d gotten into the car. Her skin prickled with awareness that she tried to squash down again.
    She did not need to be aware of Kadir. Not like that.
    Finally, when her nerves were stretched to the breaking point, she whipped her gaze to his. “Is something wrong? Am I not being unsuitable enough for you?”
    Kadir looked all dark and handsome and broody in his corner. He somehow managed to appear supremely relaxed and completely tense all at once. The tension was in his eyes rather than in his body.
    “You are perfectly unsuitable. I am quite pleased thus far.”
    She ran her fingers over the fabric of her dress and stomped on the tendril of panic unwinding in her belly. “Well, that’s a relief.”
    She couldn’t help the bite of temper in her voice. Or the sarcasm.
    “You have changed, Emily.”
    “You aren’t used to seeing me with my hair down.” She waved a hand over her body. “Or dressed like this.”
    “That is not what I’m