Page 22 of The Geek and the Sheikh

“In that case, a slight distraction is in order, sire,” James replied.

Before Jameel could ask what James meant, the steward lifted his arm, revealing a small gun in his hand, and fired two shots. James closed the back door behind Jameel, opened the driver’s door, and climbed in. Junebug could feel her mouth hanging open. The move had been right out of a James Bond or Lara Croft movie.

“That was totally cool,” she said, leaning forward.

“Yes, very cool. Seatbelts,” Jameel reminded through clenched teeth.

“I believe you had an address you wished to go to, sire,” James said.

Already forgetting about putting on her seatbelt, Junebug twisted in her seat and stared out the back window. There were two cars rapidly approaching from behind. She reached for Jameel’s hand and squeezed it.

“We’re being followed,” she warned.

James’s eyes flickered to the rearview mirror and Junebug swallowed when the man not only sped up, but blew through a red light. She scrambled to put her seatbelt on when her butt lifted off the seat.

Strong fingers gripped the buckles and snapped the twin pieces into place when she kept missing due to sliding all over the place. Jameel’s soft grunt alerted her to the fact that her elbow had connected with his ribs. A noise was jolted out of her own mouth when her head hit his chin. She reached up and rubbed the sore spot.

“You’ve got a hard chin,” she informed him.

“You’ve got a hard head and a sharp elbow,” he retorted.

She grinned back at him and gripped his arm as James took a sharp left. Her eyes flashed in alarm before she remembered that the English drove on the opposite side of the road. Between all the wiggly lines painted on the road, the warning signs, the traffic, and the narrow lanes, she was glad that she wasn’t the one driving.

“I don’t know how to drive,” she blurted out.

“Uh… why not?” Jameel asked.

"Well, I haven't needed to but now if I die it seems like something I should have done except that's a pretty dumb bucket list 'cause that's not even a list. I need to write a list, a good list. Later. When we live. Positive thoughts."

Junebug started to slide along the seat before Jameel pressed his thigh into hers and wrapped his arm around her to keep her still. She snuggled down against him. The two vehicles were still following them but weren’t as close.

“You really are an excellent driver, James,” she commented.

“Thank you, ma’am. I’ve had a bit of training,” James replied, turning the steering wheel hard to the right and entering a narrow alley.

“Yeah, that’s something we are going to have a conversation about later,” Jameel growled.

“Of course, sire,” James replied with a sigh.

How James could navigate the BMW i7 M70 sedan through the narrow space without crashing, Junebug would never know. She spent most of the short distance with her eyes closed.

“You can look now,” Jameel said.

She stared in the direction that they had just come. She didn’t see the cars anymore.

“Did we lose them?” she asked.

“It would appear so for the moment, ma’am,” James replied.

“I’m Junebug, but you can call me Bugs,” she said.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Six

Jameel studied the nondescript brownstone as James pulled into the narrow driveway and followed it around to the back of the house. The Brownstone was located in a nice, upper-middle-class neighborhood lined with ancient oaks and cars. Lights from surrounding homes lit the darkness.

James pulled forward under a covered area. Shielded lighting illuminated the back of the house without damaging their night vision. James parked the car and exited the vehicle, scanning the spacious backyard before he opened the back door of the sedan.

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