Mila, Liyah, and Amira all stood silently around her bed as she packed. Sahaar had no doubt called them, but they weren’t pleading for her to stay. In fact, they had even given her a hand with her preparations to leave.

“Katie,” Liyah said softly as she perched on the edge of the mattress. “We want you to be happy. And if going back home makes you happy, then we’ll support you—as long as you promise to come back and visit us.”

“Thanks.” Katie swallowed hard.

“The problem we’re having is that it doesn’t look like going home is going to make you happy,” Mila chimed in as she started to pace. “You look miserable, and I can’t figure out why! Is working with Khalid really all that bad?”

Amira shook her head. “She’s not just working with Khalid. She’s fallen in love with him.”

Her observation rocked the small group.

“She’s right, isn’t she?” Liyah breathed. “I didn’t even see it. Oh, sweetheart.”

“You’re sleeping with him?” Mila frowned. “How could you not tell us?”

With a shuddering breath, Katie collapsed on the bed. Relief swept through her. She hadn’t considered her relationship with Khalid a secret, but now that it was out, she realized how heavily the burden had weighed on her.

“At first, I didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t like a planned seduction. It was just frustration and passion, and I didn’t even know that it was going to be a thing, but then it turned into a thing.”

On a roll, it all came out, and she got up and started to pace. “But what could I say? He was hot and cold. He acted all passionate and loving, and then he was distant and rude. He doesn’t have feelings for me, and I couldn’t tell you guys because while you’re my friends, you’re his family!”

“Oh, you’re making me dizzy.” Liyah reached out and grabbed her hands to force her to stop pacing. “Katie, Khalid is our family, but so are you. If you wanted a confiding ear to talk to, we would have listened. But that’s neither here nor there right now. You can’t run away just because an affair went south. You didn’t come here to find love, did you?”

“No.” Katie shook her head. “I came to find my roots. To make a difference in the art world.”

“And have you done that?” Mila inquired.

Katie smiled softly. “Honestly, I feel more at home here with you ladies than I ever did at home. I feel accepted—and I thought I was getting somewhere at the gallery, but that doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Of course it matters!” Amira suddenly burst out. “Just because things aren’t working out with Khalid doesn’t mean that you should run away. My brother is an idiot, Katie, but you have to believe that he doesn’t get involved with women like you.”

“What?” Katie cocked her head and stared at Amira. “And what do you mean by that, exactly?”

The gorgeous woman pushed herself off the dresser and shook her head. “I mean a woman of substance. For years, Khalid has hidden behind women he can use and toss aside with little effort. It’s easier for him. To get involved with you broke every ounce of his self-control, and that means something!”

Katie’s lips curled in disgust. “I’m used to men losing their heads around me. I just thought that he saw more than a pretty face when he looked at me.”

“He does.” Amira shook her head. “This might be hard to believe, but Khalid was so different when he was painting. He was free. He joked and teased and knew how to have a good time, but when Father gave him the gallery to run, he changed drastically. He stopped painting. He became cold and withdrawn.”

Katie let that sink in. As much as she wanted to tell Amira that she would stick it out and see if Khalid changed, she knew that she couldn’t take much more of this back-and-forth. “I appreciate what you ladies are trying to tell me, but I already bought a plane ticket.”

Seeing their reaction, knowing that they were going to argue, she tried to sound as solid as possible as she explained her plan. She didn’t think she could hold back the tears for too much longer. “I’ll go in to work in the morning and finish up the paperwork, and then I’m going back to the States. Maybe I’ll be back one day, but I don’t think I can continue to work in Dubai’s art world and pretend that I don’t have feelings for Khalid. I do love him, but it’s never going to be enough to keep us together.”

“I think you’re making a mistake,” Amira said quietly.

“Nevertheless,” Mila interrupted quickly, “we are your friends, and we’ll be here for you. At least let us take you out tonight for one last hurrah?”

Katie nodded. “I would like that very much.” She would have so many good memories about Dubai, and she would treasure every moment spent getting to know these three wonderful strong women.

She only wished that she was half as strong as they were.

Khalid was simmering with rage. Amira’s text had come through an hour ago, but it didn’t take long to confirm what she’d texted.

Katie was leaving Dubai.

It was one thing for her to quit the gallery. That was probably for the best. He was always distracted when she was there, and if he found her another job, one she was more suited for, then at least he could focus on the gallery again.

But—leaving the city? There was no way he was going to allow that.

As had become her habit, she arrived at the office thirty minutes early.

He gave her fifteen minutes to come to him and tell him the truth. He watched from his office as she sorted through the paperwork and packed a few things away.

Finally, he couldn’t wait any longer. Angrier than he’d ever been in his entire life, he stormed into her small office.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he demanded.

Lifting her head in surprise, she blinked at him. “Um . . . I’m packing my things? I gave you my notice.”

“You failed to mention that quitting the gallery also meant that you were leaving Dubai.”

Her hands stilled, and she sighed. “Which one told you?”

“What matters is that you didn’t tell me.”

Katie stood, and there was a strange determination on her face. “My plans after I quit this gallery are none of your business. You don’t get to know what I’m doing, Khalid.”

“The hell I don’t! You are mine, Kadija! You will leave when I am ready for you to leave. I’ve canceled your ticket. You aren’t leaving.”

“You canceled my ticket? You can’t do that!”

“It’s already done. Have you forgotten how much power I hold?”

He could practically see the resentment welling up inside her, and to his horror, she burst into tears. “Why? Why would you want to keep me here? We don’t work, Khalid, and I can’t keep doing this!”

He knew that Katie cried when she was angry, but these weren’t tears of frustration. She looked completely helpless as she slumped into the chair behind her desk.

He wanted to comfort her. He wanted her to stay, but he had no idea what to say.

“You’re made of stone, Khalid. You can’t treat me like a thing and expect me to stay. You don’t know what you want,” she sniffed.

“I know very well what I want,” he growled. “I want you.”

“But for how long, Khalid?” She wiped the tears away and stared at him, challenge in her eyes.

What was she asking of him? “Can’t we just enjoy the time that we have now?”

“Yeah. I could enjoy my time with you—except that I never know what’s going on in that head of yours.” Katie shook her head as she grabbed one last stack of papers and shoved them into her tote bag. “It looks like I’m going to be a little more delayed getting home, now that I have to buy another ticket. Thank you for hiring me, Khalid. I’m sorry that things didn’t work out between us.”

Shocked, he stared as she stretched out her hand toward him. “Katie,” he said softly. “Don’t do this.”

Another tear rolled down her cheek as she dropped her hand. “Goodbye, Khalid.”

His jaw dropped as she gathered her things and slowly walked out. His heart sank to his stomach when he realized that he was losing her.

He had no idea what he could say to keep her, and he wasn’t sure he was ever going to see her again.