Turkish Delights Series by Liz Crowe Read Free Book Online

voice, feel his hands on her skin—she had no frame of reference for it. Her driver kept staring at her.
    “Why are we here, missus?” She could tell he was nervous. He took his role as driver slash bodyguard very seriously. “There is nothing here for young ladies. It’s a place full of rough, peasant workmen.”
    “I’m getting out.” She grabbed her silk scarf and opened her door before he could protest. He jumped out but she melted into the crowd around the tall construction fencing. The guy would wait, she knew. He’d never go home without her. She found a doorway and eased it open as she tied the scarf under her chin. The propriety for head covering was less about religion, more about simple vanity in this cosmopolitan city. But Vivian realized she had already pushed serious boundaries even coming here; showing up with her hair showing would make the whole place apoplectic.
    The clamor of loud construction deafened her. The men brushed around her as if she weren’t even there. Heart pounding, she tried to look natural—as a young foreign woman at a large Istanbul work site. What had she been thinking? An older man approached her, and she ducked behind a pile of dangerous looking metal, avoiding him.
    She put her hand to her throat, close to bolting by the time she heard her name. Levent dashed over, gripped her arm, and pushed her to a makeshift building that served as some sort of office. His eyes were dark with anger, as he shoved her down in a chair and tossed his hard hat onto the table. He looked tired as he ran a hand over his face and knelt down in front of her. Vivian’s heart stuttered. She’d messed up. She reached out for his hand, her natural tendency to react and meet anger for anger losing out against her extreme need to hear his voice again.
    “What were you thinking, Vivian? You are not supposed to….”
    Vivian put a finger over his lips. “I missed you today. I’m sorry.” He clutched her hand to his heart.
    “You must go. Where is your driver?” He stood. She resisted, stayed in her seat. He frowned at her. The door opened, and he moved to stand in front of her. The man yelled at him, something about being late, not handling the plumbers, his face red and angry. Vivian bit her lip. She had gotten him in trouble. She waited it out, listened as Levent calmed him, soothed the situation like a pro, his voice low and even, not matching the other man’s angry tone. He started toward the door, holding his hand out behind him indicating she should stay put and keep quiet.
    She crossed her legs and tried not to let her temper get the best of her. She just wanted to see him for crying out loud. He didn’t need to be so bossy. But she obeyed him as he put an arm around the other man’s shoulder. When he shut the door, he hit the deadbolt lock, turned and glared at her. She stood. Forget this. Her chest tightened. The last thing she needed was another man bossing her around.
    “Sorry. Never mind.” She brushed past him, held down the urge to put her arms around him, apologize for being so difficult. She really should have known better than to come here. This was Istanbul in nineteen sixty-eight. Women didn’t simply wander around alone on construction sites or anywhere else. She had put herself and him at risk.
    He put a hand on hers as she struggled with the lock. “Stop. Vivian. Just, stop. Please.”
    But a familiar, comfortable and wholly unhappy anger settled over her psyche. He could take a long walk. She was done listening. She jerked her hand away, yanked the door open, and stomped down the rickety steps.
    “ Dur !” He switched to English. “Stop! Do not take another step without me beside you. Vivian, I am serious.” She turned slowly and stared at him. His exotic beautiful face filled with emotion. But she couldn’t bring herself to respond. “ Guzelim . Please.”
    She heard him but she refused to acknowledge his command or the endearment. She shoved her way through the