Page 36 of Earned Husband

I sighed but obeyed, knowing full well that if I couldn’t get through to Khaled, I was never going to get through to my father.Whatever they wanted from me, it seemed I would only find out back in Egypt.

After racing upstairs to my bedroom and carefully folding all my clothes, I slid the piles neatly into my suitcase, huffing and puffing in a fit of absolute frustration and rage, but no one cared. Honestly, no one even came past my room.

When I was done packing and had secured everything in the bag, I tossed my suitcase out the door into the driveway, just needing to stomp my feet and vent a little bit. I knew it was childish, but they were seriously testing the limits of my patience.

To my surprise, however, when I walked out after my suitcase, Colin was there, just getting out of his car. Heat rushed to my cheeks when I saw those gray eyes track toward my suitcase first, then slowly drifted back to me.

I was in no way, shape, or form ready for the rest, still in my relaxed state. I was wearing a pair of silky pajamas from my family’s brand, at least, but still, I was barefoot, I hadn’t brushed my hair, and I wasn’t wearing a speck of makeup.

Hell, forget makeup. I’m not even wearing a proper bra. Just a freaking sports top with some support in it under my shirt.

I nearly buried my head in my hands, but instead, I kept my chin up and tossed my hair out of my face, flashing him the most winning smile I could muster. “Good morning, handsome.”

Urg. Why can’t I stop flirting with him, and what is it about him that makes me want to tease him? This is ridiculous.

Colin didn’t seem to mind, though. He cautiously walked around his car, like he was afraid I might fling a suitcase at him, but there was something that looked like it wanted to become a smile playing on his lips.

“Good morning, gorgeous. Running away?”

I blinked back my surprise. When I’d thrown out that nickname, I hadn’t expected that he would even acknowledge it, let alone return it.

As he rounded the car, he picked up my suitcase and set it on the bottom step. I lifted my gaze back to his. “I’m thinking about it. Why? Can you give me a ride?”

He smiled. “Where to?”

“I haven’t quite gotten that far yet.”

“Well, I’d be happy to be your getaway driver this morning.” He slid his hands into the pockets of his light gray slacks, glancing up at the house behind me. “Have you got everything you need, or can I help you carry the rest?”

“Give me five minutes and I’ll be back.”

Within twenty minutes, I was dressed in the outfit I’d set out for the day, doing my makeup in Colin’s car while he drove. I still wasn’t sure where we were going, but I also didn’t really care.

“So, what happened?” he asked mildly. “Are you just hitting your running away era late or was it something else?”

“I’m flying back to Egypt with my family tonight,” I explained as I applied mascara while we waited at a red light. “I was about to call and tell you that I couldn’t go to dinner anymore. I didn’t want you to think I was making up excuses.”

“That’s okay. I’m glad I caught you, though. I knew you were leaving, but I wanted to talk before you did, so your running away was perfect timing. It allowed me to kidnap you.”

“I’m not sure it qualifies as a kidnapping if its consensual,” I said lamely, stunned that he’d known I’d be leaving when I’d only found out less than an hour ago myself. “How did you know? Is there a group chat I’m not a part of?”

As I asked the questions, we pulled into the driveway of a very nice townhouse on the Gold Coast. Colin took a deep breath, evidently needing a moment to collect himself as heparked. “This is my house. I wanted a private place to talk and this is as private as it gets for me.”

I stared up at the quaint townhouse, eager to get some insight into him in a very intimate way—by seeing how he lived. “That’s okay. I’d prefer to speak privately myself and this seems like our best bet.”

He turned to smile at me, then climbed out of the car and came around to open my door. Once again, I was struck by the gesture. There really weren’t many men left who did that kind of thing, but with him, it seriously wasn’t annoying or offensive.

“In that case, welcome to my home,” he said, unlocking the door when we reached it. “I bought the place last year, so there’s still some stuff I want to do, but at least I’ve unpacked all my boxes. Well, most of them.”

Curious to see the place he called his own, I walked in when he waved for me to precede him, immediately surprised by how cozy it was. He had rugs all over the hardwood floors—quality stuff, too. Scatter cushions and blankets draped across the backs of massive leather sectionals. The fireplace definitely seemed well used.

I smiled at him over my shoulder. “This is all yours? It’s huge for just one person.”

I wasn’t even trying to stroke his ego. The space really was large, with high ceilings and wide windows that made it feel even more spacious.

He chuckled. “Yeah, I know. When I bought it, I was sort of hoping I wouldn’t be living here alone for long, though.”

I stopped walking to glance at him again. “That was a refreshingly honest answer.”