After thanking him, she headed up to her room, trying to decide how she felt about the fact that a dress delivery waited for her inside an area she had locked and secured. Her father claimed that danger hung over her to the point that he wanted to force her to leave the country, yet someone on his staff had presumed to enter her personal space here.

As she entered her room, she eyed the garment rack standing next to the couch. She discovered four complete outfits, each one tasteful and simple in a way that matched her personal style. She had her choice of red, silver, black, or blue. Her mother had obviously had everything to do with the choices. She settled on a rich, royal blue sheath that had wide shoulder straps and fit tight all the way to the floor. A slit up one leg reached just above her knee. Silver embroidery formed an elaborate design along the neckline and down the V-shaped opening in the back. The material glittered and shone in the light when she moved.

On the table, she found bags and boxes that contained jewelry and hair and styling accoutrements. She wouldn’t need any jewelry with this dress because of the appliqués.

After she took a long shower, enjoying the hot water with good water pressure, she dried her hair and secured it in a simple French twist. She dug around in her bag and found some makeup that she hadn’t touched in five months. Looking through the boxes of shoes, she found silver heels. As she slipped her feet into them, she wondered if she’d even be able to walk in heels all night after months of wearing boots. The matching blue clutch held her cell phone and room key with just a little space to spare.

At 7:40, she walked down the hallway. As she approached the elevator, it opened and Rick stepped out. When he saw her, his steps faltered until he just stopped moving. He looked at her with wide, unblinking eyes and a stoic expression.

She nervously ran her hand down her stomach, then brushed at the skirt. “Hi.”

He nodded. “Hello.” The rich baritone of his voice hung in the air.

“I, uh, have to join my father for dinner at the president’s home.”

His beard moved with his smile. “And here I was hoping you’d gotten all dressed up for me. I would have loved to have dinner with you again tonight.”

Her heart fluttered. “I would too. Unfortunately, the Secret Service whisked me away this afternoon.” She nervously pointed toward her room. “I don’t know who did it or how, but I had clothes and shoes waiting on me. It’s all incredibly interesting. Well, annoying really, but also interesting.”

He looked toward her room and narrowed his eyes. “They went into your room?”