Zain was exhausted. Dinner had run longer than he thought as debates over some of the unresolved issues flared. He had managed to put the thought of a naked Mila waiting for him out of his head while he and Jamal worked to garner support for agreements between the countries. Once dinner was over, Jamal had offered to stay behind to talk with Tahjad. It looked as if the king might be swayed to support the nanotech lab before the meeting but had insisted on talking to Jamal. Zain left Jamal and a contingent of guards to hammer out the details.
Zain and Dylan pulled up to his house. Cade and Annie were going to take the night shift downstairs. “Thanks, Dylan. Get some rest. I thought this would be an easy assignment for you all,” Zain said shaking his head.
“No big deal,” Dylan said in his normal, less-is-more fashion.
“It is a big deal. I don’t know who to trust so you all are having to work long shifts to keep us safe. I’m putting your lives in dangers . . . my best friends.” Zain ran his hand over his short hair. Not only was Mila in danger because she meant something to him, but his friends were, too. The guilt of it had been weighing heavily on him all day.
Dylan shrugged. “This is a vacation for me. You’re our friend. It’s what we do. Now, that’s the extent of my male bonding that doesn’t include a bottle of bourbon and an I-might-die-at-any-second scenario.”
The corner of Zain's lips tilted up as he watched his friend get back in the car. Zain used his key to unlock the front door. Jackson and Cy both had guns trained on him by the time the door opened.
“Hey, guys,” Zain said as he shut the door.
Cy and Jackson looked at each other in confusion. “If he’s Zain, who’s upstairs?” Cy asked a second before a scream ripped through the house. Zain didn’t wait for Cy or Jackson to take the lead. He was already halfway toward the stairs before Jackson sprinted past him with his gun drawn.
“Shh,” Zain heard from his room as the screaming continued. “Why are you screaming? You asked me to kiss you!”
“Shit,” Zain cursed as he shoved by a now-frozen Jackson. He looked into his bathroom and saw why. Mila was completely nude and Gabe stood staring at her in bewilderment.
Cy lowered his weapon as Zain rushed to cover Mila with a towel. “You should have told us it was you. We thought it was Zain and then almost shot your brother when he showed up,” Cy lectured.
Mila shivered as he wrapped her up in a towel. Zain stood in front of her, blocking her from view of the men crowded into his bathroom. The confusion and fear in her eyes had him spitting mad. “What the hell, Gabe?” Zain asked as he shoved his brother out of the bathroom.
Gabe was Zain’s twin in almost every way. His eyes were slightly lighter and he was a smidge shorter than Zain, but that was all. Most of his friends could only tell a difference in the way they spoke. Zain was more serious. Gabe, not so much.
“You told me to come home for an old switcheroo. I just thought a woman who snuck into your room and then ordered me to kiss her wouldn't care if it was me or you doing the kissing.”
“Damn, son,” Cy said as he shook his head pitifully at Gabe.
Jackson covered his eyes. “This isn’t going to be pretty.”
Zain rammed his fist into his brother’s stomach, sending him crumpling to the ground as he gasped for air. Mila cringed as Gabe fell to the floor. She looked between the twins. “I thought your brother was in South America.”
“He was. I asked him to come home this morning. He’s going to be me for a while.”
Gabe coughed as he struggled to stand up. “And I was enjoying that until you punched me. What is going on? You always kick the groupies out.”
“Mila isn’t just some woman looking to get nailed by a prince. She’s my girlfriend, you ass!”
Gabe didn’t bother to look embarrassed, probably because he wasn’t. Gabe’s globe-trotting, bachelor attitude didn’t do embarrassed. “I’m impressed. She knew I wasn’t you the second I kissed her.”
Blind rage at the idea of someone else kissing Mila sent a second punch into Gabe’s midsection. The air was forced from Gabe’s lungs as he gasped for air. “Okay,” Gabe said as he held up a hand in surrender. “New girlfriend is off limits. I get it. At least you didn’t punch me in the nuts like she did. Never has someone been able to tell us apart so fast.”
Zain turned and grinned at Mila. “You hit him in the nuts when you figured out he wasn’t me?”
Mila nodded, then leaned around Zain. “Sorry about that. I guess I shouldn’t hit royalty, but you kind of deserved it.”
By that time Cy and Jackson were working hard to smother their laughter.
“True enough,” Gabe admitted as he struggled to stand up again. “Sorry about that, Mila. Zain’s never been really serious about any girl before.”
Zain read the look Gabe sent him. Gabe wanted to know why Mila was different and what was going on. “Guys, why don’t you go downstairs. Mila and I will meet you in a minute. I’ll explain everything then.”
Gabe gave a flourished bow to Mila. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Mila. I await with bated breath to hear of your grand love affair.”
Most women tittered at Gabe’s antics. Zain couldn’t even begin to count the number of women who fell at his feet when Gabe did his little bow routine. Although, he normally followed it up by taking the lady’s hand and kissing it. Wisely, this time he left that part out. Zain looked at Mila to gauge her reaction and caught her rolling her eyes. Gabe blinked and looked slightly injured as he stood back up.
“I think I’m losing my touch,” Gabe whispered to Jackson as they walked out of the bathroom.
Zain turned and pulled Mila into his arms. “I’m sorry I wasn’t the one who met you in the bath.”
“Mmm, me too. I guess you’ll just have to use your imagination.” Mila leaned up and placed a quick kiss on his cheek before dropping her towel and sashaying her bare bottom to the bedroom.
“You little devil!” Zain called after her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Mila got dressed quickly as Zain told her about dinner. She enjoyed the easy-going nature of the talk. Even the shock of kissing Gabe had worn off in the comfort of being with Zain. When she was finished, he took her hand and walked downstairs with her.
“Do you all know that a squirrel is in the kitchen?” Gabe called out when he heard them on the stairs.
“Yes, we found him this morning,” Zain told him as they headed for the cage. Gabe was grabbing a beer from the fridge. Cy and Jackson had taken a seat on the barstools.
“He has a broken ankle. And he seems hungry.” Mila took Gabe’s place at the fridge and pulled out some more food for Squirrel.
“What’s his name?”
“Squirrel,” Zain and Mila said at the same time.
“Dear Lord, you two are made for each other. Zain had a cat when he was younger. Can you guess her name?” Gabe teased. “Your children will probably be named Boy and Girl.”
Mila snickered as she opened the cage door to feed Squirrel. She liked hearing Zain with his friends and family. It was something foreign to her. While her parents loved her, they weren’t really the teasing type of family. Her father was always a happy sort, but her mother was far too serious about appearances to dare wade into those waters.
Squirrel hobbled over and blinked his big eyes. Mila smiled at him and ran a finger lightly down his back. “Aww, do you miss your mommy?” Squirrel pushed his head against her hand. When she lowered it, he climbed into her palm. She slowly moved her hand from the cage and cradled Squirrel to her chest. Squirrel nuzzled against her and curled up.
“So, are you going to tell us what’s up?” Cy asked. “I’ll need to let everyone know Gabe’s here, too.”