I had two assistants now. Three if you count Tinba. One came to me and said, "The Prince wants you to be at his Palace, Friday at one p.m."
"What is the rest of the message? What do we prepare for? Am I to stay?"
She was flustered, "I tried to find out; I even called Prince Tulan's secretary. He confirmed that was the entire message."
I hated things that are out of the normal. Never had the Prince communicated such an incomplete message. I thought and though about all I had done. Could he have found out about some of my deceptions? Could anything be going wrong? Was something bad in the World Press?
Kinba helped and we searched and struggled to discover more. The world saw the Sultan as a beloved, benevolent ruler and the Prince as a visionary concerned about his people. Water distribution was way ahead of schedule. Electric generation and distribution was a little behind but the plans to catch up were approved. The Prince knew about the growing medical facilities and chose to overlook them. Tinba tried all her contacts, including Summer. We got no additional information.
By early Friday, every member of the hospital, The Palms, water operations and electrical operations were concerned. What had I done wrong?
The Prince gave me fifteen seconds of his time. "Mr. Carter, I want you to take another servant. Also, tomorrow, meet with me at nine in the morning. I have several things to discuss with you."
I was escorted back to my room. From the patio I heard a familiar voice say, "Mr. Carter, do you need someone to clean your fish ponds?"
I turned. It was Gina. Tears rolled down my face but I could not speak or move. For the first time in all the years I had loved her, she had come to me. She finished the trip and folded into my arms. We kissed and kissed again, until I had to have some answers. My words flowed so rapidly that they barely made sense.
"You should not be here. The Prince will never let you out again. I am so happy to see you. Why are you here? You look really good? Why......?"
Gina stopped me. "I'm here because I love you. I missed you. I came to you."
I was crying now. "I've wanted that for so long. I'm just afraid that I will see disappointment in your eyes again. This is not Portland. I cannot leave and I'm afraid you cannot either."
"You never could shut up. Remember when I used to dance for you and tell you, 'Don't say anything, just listen'? Well do it again. Please be quiet. Hold me. Love me."
My body and mind were in turmoil. I wanted her here but hated that she had risked so much. I could not protect her this time.
Over the next two hours, Gina told me what all she had done for the last year. How she had missed me. How she had hoped I would be home soon and she could come to me. About her visit with Yoni. How she knew she had to come back to Albai to be happy. How she had contacted Prince Tulan. How he had agreed she could return. How she had never asked, if she could ever leave again.
We ate a light dinner and walked until after sunset. We returned to the room, bathed together and went to bed early. I could not get my mind to stop. Gina knew and took over, "Even if we only have tonight, make love with me, let me be yours and let's make our first memory when we both admit that we are in love."
My world narrowed. Nothing else was important. She let me undress her, like she was my special present. She lay open and ready, while she watched me strip and come to her. She slid away, positioning me on my back and knelt beside me on the bed. My cock wasn't hard. She tenderly closed her hands around it and lowered her head. This was the touch of a frequent lover. Practiced. Knowing what I liked and wanting to please me.
I was hard. I tried to position her and started to kiss her body to get her ready for me. "Dave, I need you to be in me. To feel your body and your love."
Her legs spread; I got between them. Her eyes were moist when my cock nudged into her slit.
She said, "Kiss me."
My cock slipped into her as I lowered my body and our lips touched. My weight forced her to exhale and I drew her breath deeply into my lungs. Even after a year, our kiss was familiar. When our tongues caressed she pushed up, taking the last of me into her body. I thrust down. She whimpered and kept up our soft kisses.
There were two parts of us. Our hips thrust together needing sex and release. Our mouths, tongues and lips wanted to feel love and to know that things were right now. Her body tensed, another whimper escaped her lips. My strokes into her became faster and harder. She whimpered again.