By the end of the week, he’d had her in every wing of the gallery. As soon as the museum had emptied at the end of each day, he seduced her into staying, into letting him put his hands and his mouth all over her. The look on her face when he pleasured her was etched into his mind, and it haunted him throughout the day.

It kept him up at night. He wasn’t satisfied with their trysts in the museum. He wanted to be able to languish next to her, explore her naked body, figure out just what might make her open up.

It was a strange line that they had crossed. She was hardly the first lover that he’d had, but he was driven to dominate her. When he was inside her, she was his, but when he wasn’t touching her, he almost felt as if he couldn’t reach her.

She continued to push her ideas on him—and she continued to be angry and frustrated with him. Until the gallery closed. Then she was putty in his hands.

“That’s it, love,” Khalid groaned as Katie straddled him in his office chair. That evening, they hadn’t even made it out of the office. He blamed it on the tight little green dress that she’d worn to work, but he would have wanted her if she’d been dressed in a potato sack.

His hands would leave bruises on her skin, but she didn’t complain as he gripped her hips and moved her over him. Up and down. Up and down.

Ah . . .

Desperately, he wished she wasn’t wearing a dress. He wanted to bare those beautiful breasts and swirl his tongue over her sensitive nipples until she screamed.

These evening quickies were just not enough to sate his desire for her.

“Khalid!” she gasped. “Oh, please. I’m so close. So . . . close . . . yes!” Throwing her head back, she shuddered over him. Feeling her muscles clench around him was enough to send him over the edge, and he surged deep inside her.

As she collapsed on his chest, he wrapped his arms around her and held her. It wasn’t the skin-to-skin contact that he craved.

It wasn’t enough.

“I’m going on an acquisition trip on Friday,” he murmured in her ear. “I leave on Friday, and I’ll be gone all weekend.”

“Okay.” Pushing herself back, she gave him a puzzled look. “We’re usually fine while you’re gone. Did we do something last time that you didn’t like? Something wrong?”

Chuckling, he shook his head. “No, that’s not what I mean. I’d like you to come with me.”

Her eyes lit up with excitement. “You want my opinion?”

Inwardly, he cringed. He was going about things all wrong. If he lied to her and told her that he wanted her opinion, she’d expect more responsibility around the gallery. If he told her that he just wanted a few uninterrupted nights with her over the weekend, she might take it wrong.

Taking her on as a lover should not be this complicated.

“You’re not to take an active role, this trip, but you’re welcome to observe,” he said gruffly.

Immediately, her whole body went lax with disappointment. “So you’re inviting me as your lover and not as an employee.” Glaring at him, she tried to push herself off his lap, but he anchored her in place.

“Katie,” he warned her in a low voice. “Can you look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t want to spend the weekend in a hotel with me? There are things that I want to do to you that I can’t do here.”

When she slapped at his chest, he released her, only to hear her say, “If you wanted to turn me on, you should have told me that you were interested in my opinion.”

“You expect me to believe that you’re not wet again? Come here and prove it,” he growled.

“Khalid!” She shoved her dress down and bent down to pick up her panties.

Pissed, he moved quickly and grabbed her wrist. “Katie, I’m offering you a chance to observe me on an acquisitions trip. Our days and our nights are two very different things. You’re not going to let one affect the other, are you?”

She hesitated, and he knew that he had her. “Where are you going?” she finally asked as he released her.

“There’s a private collector in Turkey who recently passed away. He’d been promising me a chance to show his collection of ancient Greek pottery and paintings. He died a few months ago, and his heir is selling the collection. He’s giving me a first look.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “He’s selling it? Why?”

“Batuk had an unusually lusty side,” Khalid explained with a smirk. “His son didn’t realize how far in debt his father was until after the old man was dead.”

Rolling her eyes, Katie pulled her panties up her legs. “You’re telling me that your Turkish collector went into debt buying hookers?”

“Hookers—and quite a few mistresses who enjoyed a certain kind of lifestyle.” He shrugged.

“So he had a harem?”

“What can I say? He was a passionate man.” He ran a finger down her arm and smiled knowingly when she shivered under his touch. “Would you like to join me?”

She closed her eyes briefly, and he studied her expression. He could read pleasure there, at his touch, but when she opened her eyes again, he could see the uncertainty in her gaze. Clearing her throat, she moved away.

He knew that he already had her, that she wanted to jump at the opportunity, but it was obvious to him that she didn’t trust herself to remain in control.

He wanted a chance to see her lose some of that control around him.

After a minute, she caved, but her voice was clipped and cold. “Fine. What time should I be ready?”

“I’ll send a car to pick you up at five on Friday morning.” He buttoned up his shirt and reached for his pants. “And Katie? If anyone should question my motives, this is a business trip.”

Her eyes narrowed, and he saw the irritation in them, but he didn’t relent. The last thing that he needed was for his sister or either of his sisters-in-law to discover that he was sleeping with Katie.

She didn’t say a word as she left, and he finished dressing. As much as he hated to admit it, he was satisfied with how that had gone.

She was bending to his will, and that was exactly how he liked it.

It didn’t surprise her that Khalid had a private jet. It also didn’t surprise her when he barely spoke to her during the trip to Turkey. He spent most of the time working on his computer while she curled comfortably in the leather seat and stared out the window in wonder.

When they landed, he didn’t even touch her. There were several security guards traveling with them, and Katie knew that Khalid didn’t want them gossiping. It hurt just a little to know that he didn’t want to be open about their affair, but she couldn’t complain. She was the one who’d said that it would just be a one-night stand.

And now it was going on a month.

“What time are we meeting Mr. Batuk?”

A dark sedan pulled up, and a driver got out and opened the door for them. Khalid didn’t wait for her to get in first.

Bowing her head in a display of respect, she tried not to look annoyed as she climbed in after him. Out in public, she wasn’t his lover, She was his employee, and she had to show a certain amount of respect.

“Around two. We’ll get settled in our hotel rooms and have some lunch first.” The car doors were shut, and he tugged at his tie. “I don’t suppose that I can convince you to stay in the room while I meet with Batuk?”

Narrowing her eyes, she crossed her arms. “No.”

“Very well. I would ask that you refrain from asking questions, but I have a feeling that won’t be possible for you.”

“Khalid, I’ll be respectful. I do have experience with collectors.”

“Sheikh,” he said tersely. “While we are with Batuk, you will address me as Sheikh.”

Katie lowered her voice just a few notches so that only he could hear. “Did you expect to have a good time tonight?”

He raised an eyebrow and smirked, though he said nothing. She knew that she’d gotten her point across, but she also knew that he had a point of his own as well.

She’d let him be dominant during the day, but tonight, she was going to take control.

It turned out that Batuk’s son was just like his father. The man was eyeing her with lust as soon as they walked in the door to his late father’s home.

“Khalid, it is good to see you again, my friend,” he said heartily, clapping Khalid on the back. His round belly shook as he pulled Khalid in for a hug. “Have you brought me a delicious treat?”

Katie immediately stiffened.

Khalid looked mildly irritated, but then he smoothed his expression to studied neutrality as he gestured for Katie to step forward. “Batuk, this is my assistant, Katie.”

The large man took her hand and kissed it. His lips lingered a little too long, and Katie stifled the urge to pull her hand away and slap him. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Batuk,” she said sweetly and glanced at Khalid.

He rolled his eyes.

“Believe me, my dear, the pleasure is all mine. In all the times that Khalid has been here, he’s never brought an assistant before.” Batuk’s eyes twinkled mischievously, and though Katie had stiffened her fingers in a tacit signal that she wanted her hand to herself again, he kept a firm grip.

“Katie has an interest in curating. She’s showing promise, so I brought her along to observe,” Khalid said tersely.

“Really?” Batuk squeezed her hand, and his eyes lowered to her chest. “I love an intelligent woman. Perhaps after our meeting, I can provide you with a private tour of the pieces that won’t be for sale.”

“That’s very kind of you,” she said as she gently tugged her hand back.

“But we’ll be far too busy,” Khalid finished for her. “I’m eager to see what you have for sale, Batuk.”

The Turkish man winked at Katie. “Of course, of course. Right this way.” He held his arm out to Katie, and she had no choice but to take it. There was a slight rumble from Khalid, but he didn’t stop her. Instead, he trailed behind the two as they walked through the immense mansion.

“My father had a deep interest in the Greek culture, and he was an avid collector. Do you know much about the ancient Greeks?”

“I took a class in Greek art, but it wasn’t my concentration. Like many ancient cultures, it centers around worship and their gods. It’s through their literature and art that we know quite a bit about their culture. We’re lucky they were so prolific in recording their passions and beliefs.”

“Passion,” Batuk mused. “Yes. That’s a very excellent way of putting it.” They stopped outside two white closed doors. “I cannot wait to see your face, my dear. I believe my father’s collection might take your breath away.”

He opened the door, and Katie couldn’t help but gasp. Batuk was right. It really did take her breath away.

It wasn’t just that Batuk’s father had been into Greek art. It was that he had been into one particular type of Greek art.

Paintings and pottery dedicated to the god Dionysus: Everything in that room depicted wine, madness, and orgies.

“Passion, indeed,” she managed, and Batuk roared with laughter.

“A rather pointed collection, don’t you think?” he murmured as he pulled Katie closer. She stiffened in his grasp. “Such a beautiful display of humanity losing their inhibitions and being truly free. Tell me, my dear, when was the last time you felt that free?”

“Batuk,” Khalid growled. “I did not bring my assistant here to distract you. I will ask her to wait outside if you cannot focus on the business at hand.”

Batuk immediately released her, and with an overwhelming sense of relief, Katie stepped back. Khalid put a hand on the small of her back, and she felt a little more comforted. “Why don’t you explore while we talk?” he whispered in her ear.

Katie nodded and slipped away, and she could feel both sets of eyes on her as she walked through the glass displays. She was in the presence of millions of dollars’ worth of art, and as she studied each work, the men, the world, slipped away.

Batuk was right about one thing. Dionysus was all about lowered inhibitions and freedom. When was the last time that she had felt free? Even in Khalid’s arms, there was still a sense of hesitation. Maybe it was because they never left the gallery. Maybe it was because he was off limits, or maybe it was because she knew that when it was over, she was going to be the one with the broken heart.