His For A Price |z.h|

13

"Mr. Malik sent another message this morning." There was reproof in Liam's voice. "He wished to speak to you. Asked that you be fetched." He paused. "I had to tell him once again that you could not be found."

"I went for a walk." Niall returned evenly, replacing his empty coffee cup on its saucer. "He can hardly expect me to hang around the house all day in case he makes contact."

The expression on Liam's face indicated that was probably exactly what his employer required.

He said heavily. "If you were at the pool or on the beach, there would not be a problem." He paused again. "But, as we all know, you are not. and when Mr. Malik returns he will ask questions. "

"Which I shall answer and then ask some of my own." Niall said crisply.

Liam looked anguished. "You must not - cannot do such things. You concern yourself in matters you do not understand and you risk much anger."

"On the contrary, I know exactly what I'm doing and why. Besides, you boss is not the only one with a temper." The blonde added recklessly.

And my being in love with him does not make him right all the time, he thought, watching Liam trudge despondently away.

He poured himself more coffee and sat back, looking out across the moonlit garden.

He'd known from the start, of course, that his prolonged daily absences would be noted and conclusions drawn, and he'd already run the gauntlet of reproachful looks and muttered remarks from Hara and Adonis.

But this was the first time he'd been openly challenged about where he spent his time and its possible consequences.

Although it's not all unalloyed delight for me either, he thought with a faint sigh.

He had not anticipated that Soula would make him welcome, but he hadn't foreseen quite the level of sneering contempt that would greet him every time he appeared at the house. And he knew that, if it hadn't been for Shanaya's growing delight in his company, he might well have given up.

Souls was no great housekeeper, either, and to jufhr by the amount of cigarette butts in the saucer on the living room table each day, she smoked like two factory chimneys.

Her cooking was marginally better however, and there was usually a pot of reasonably palatable stew on the stove, and a batch of fresh bread.

The real bonus, however, was her habit of absenting herself. Sometimes for a couple hours or more , as soon as Niall and Shanaya had settled into their routine. She never offered any explanation for her disappearance and Niall didn't ask for one either, especially as Shanaya seemed far more relaxed while her mother was away.

The language barrier was less of a problem than he'd envisaged. Shanaya, once she was less shy, proved to be a bright child, with an inquiring mind and a reasonable vocabulary. By Using picture books or simply pointing to things Niall was able yo expand his own knowledge of Arabic and reach the little girl the English equivalent. Shanaya's physical coordination was improving rapidly, too, now that she was allowed to run about without any frilly frocks to dirty or damage.

There was a pile of coloring books and drawing pads and a box of crayons all unused and gathering dust on a shelf in the living room, plus a tub of play-doh and Niall used those to keep Shanaya entertained indoors in the heat of the day. He also made sure that the child had a short rest after her lunch, overcoming her initial resistance by singing her softly to sleep usually with Ten Green Bottles.

At other times they were outside, either with the ball, or playing hilarious games of hide and seek and tag among the olive trees. In a large shed at the rear of the house, home to an elderly and disused olive press, Niall also discovered a small tricycle, still in its original wrappings, and under his guidance Shanaya soon learned to master it.