A week went by and Laura found herself busier than ever. Between meetings with local ecologists and trips to various sites around Djeva, she was in the city or on the road more than she was at the palace. Which was probably a good thing, given that she’d finally called her boss at the production company and told him what was going on. He’d blustered and berated her until she’d mentioned the deal she’d made with Prince Raheem to secure their production company exclusive filming rights. That took most of the wind out of his sails. Plus, she’d managed to finagle a bit of wiggle room for herself in there too, stating that if she became unhappy with the production company’s treatment of her during their stay in Djeva, Raheem would revoke their filming privileges indefinitely. That shut him up for good.

Still, she didn’t trust the guy. He was far too greedy and self-indulgent for his own good and she wouldn’t have been surprised to see him show up one day at the palace, demanding to see her. So her being gone was good. The fact she’d gotten a nice tan and also spent each day learning all she could about Djeva’s natural resources, beautiful architecture, culture and wildlife, was all icing on the cake. What’s more, all these people were suddenly coming to her, instead of her having to hunt them down. Raheem’s name and family connections went a long way.

All of it made her realize how lacking in resources her usual position at the production company was. Once this was over, she planned to sit down with her boss and have a nice, long discussion about what she expected from them in the future. Thanks to the money Raheem was paying her, she could afford to speak her mind. If the production company went along with it, fine. She’d continue to work for them. If not, well, she didn’t need their job anyway.

As she snapped photos of the passing desert out of the window of the Range Rover she was being chauffeured around in today, Laura hoped her work on Raheem’s project would also help to boost her standing professionally as well. If she could do well and help his wildlife refuge succeed, then perhaps other high-profile clients would consider hiring her as well. After all, she had a long future ahead and the funds she made from this job would only last so long.

Laura smiled, staring out at the line of distant sand dunes. It really was beautiful here and this place was going to look spectacular on film. She couldn’t wait to get back to the palace to show Raheem her shots from the day.

They continued on into the city of Al-Qustra proper and stopped at a red light. Laura was fiddling with her camera when the back door opened suddenly. Fearing it might be a car-jacking, as so often happened back in California, she was shocked to see Raheem climb into the seat beside her. She blinked at him, stunned, as the driver accelerated through the now-green light.

“What are you doing here?” Laura asked. “I thought you had meetings today.”

“I did.” Raheem ran a hand through his thick dark hair and grinned over at her. “They are done now. I texted your driver and he told me where you were, so I thought I’d join you for the rest of the afternoon, if that’s all right.”

“It’s great.” Her smile widened. Truth was, they hadn’t seen as much of each other over the past week as they had initially and she sort of missed him. Not in a romantic way, because that would be ridiculous. They were work associates. They barely knew each other. They were from two different lifestyles and cultures. It would never work between them. Still, Raheem was easy to talk to and kind and friendly and whenever she was with him she felt like she had his full attention, even though he had a whole country to run outside of her. Being around him was nice, fun. Intoxicating.

Yeah. Enough of that, she chided herself. No sense falling for the guy when she’d only get her heart broken in the end. That would just be stupid and Laura was anything but dumb.

“So, what’s on your agenda?” Raheem asked as they wove through the midday downtown traffic.

“Well, I’m not sure. I ended up getting most of the shots I’d had planned for today already.” She handed him her camera to scroll through the digital images while she talked. “I figured I’d just hang out in the city, check out the shops, maybe pick up a couple souvenirs to take home with me.”

“Sounds marvelous.” He admired her photos then handed her back the camera. “Those are excellent. You are very good at your job, Laura. Smart, talented, with an eye for finding the beauty in everything.”

Heat prickled her cheeks under his praise and she looked away. “That’s what I’m paid for.”

“About that.” Raheem settled back in his seat, stretching his arm along the back, his fingertips barely grazing her shoulder and sending shivers of awareness through her. “When was the last time you received a promotion at this production company of yours?”

“Oh, well. I haven’t been there long and I don’t really have big-name projects under my belt yet, so promotion hasn’t come up yet.”

“So, never?” He raised a brow at her and she nodded, uncertain and embarrassed, though she couldn’t say why exactly. “That’s what I thought.”

Raheem sat forward and rattled off something to the driver in rapid-fire Arabic and moments later, they pulled up at the entrance to an expensive shopping mall. Without waiting for the driver, Raheem got out and walked around the vehicle to help Laura down then told the driver to return in an hour.

Taking her hand, he led Laura inside the chic establishment lined with designer stores and luxury labels from around the globe. At the end of a marble-and-gilt corridor, Raheem took her into a shop featuring the most glorious silk scarves she’d ever seen. Rainbow hues of every color imaginable covered shelves along the walls and flowed from towering racks in the center of the store. An assistant immediately came over and bowed to Raheem and Laura then asked in perfect English what they might be looking for. Sunlight glittered down from several huge skylights above, making the entire space resemble more of an enchanted, prismatic cave of wonders. Though they were in the middle of a busy mall, there was no sound here except the soothing strains of sitar music from speakers hidden somewhere beyond and the faint trickle of water from a small fountain near the corner. Laura felt as if she’d been dropped into the middle of an Arabian Nights fairy tale, starring just her and Raheem.

“Get whatever you like,” he said. “My treat. As payback for all the times you were overlooked at your production company.”

“Oh, I couldn’t.” Laura had no idea how much these sumptuous scarves and pashminas and shawls cost, but she was certain she could never, ever afford any of them. “Really. I can’t.”

“Yes, you can.” Raheem excused himself to the assistant then took Laura’s hand again and led her farther into the store, near the very back where clouds of brightly colored silk shielded them from the view of any prying eyes. He placed his hands on her shoulders and bent slightly to meet her gaze. “Listen to me, Laura Bliss. You deserve every good thing life has to offer you. You deserve so much more than what you’ve gotten in the past, and it’s my duty and my honor to show you your true worth, while you are here in my country. Understand?”

She nodded, feeling oddly distracted. Maybe it was all the expensive silk surrounding her. Maybe it was the slight fragrance of cloves and spice in the air. Maybe it was his firm, soft, full lips hovering so close to hers that she was having a hard time concentrating on his words and not wondering how those lips would feel on hers as he kissed her.

Stop it. He’s your boss. He’s off-limits.

He’s seriously gorgeous.

“Laura?” Raheem frowned slightly, leaning in a bit closer, concern filling his warm golden eyes. “Are you all right? Tell me what’s wrong. Tell me what you want.”

In a daze, without thinking, she closed the small distance between them and kissed him, right there in the middle of the scarf store. For one second a tiny warning bell clanged inside her head before being crushed beneath the overwhelming rightness of him pressed against her.

For his part, Raheem stiffened in her embrace for a second then held her tight in his arms, his lips moving over hers and taking command of the kiss. She gasped when his tongue traced over her lips and he took full advantage, sweeping inside to taste her.

She slid her hands up his shoulders and into his soft, dark hair, clasping gently. He moaned and her knees wobbled with want. He smelled of sunshine and sandalwood and pure, clean male. His kisses were flavored with mint and coffee and something uniquely him and Laura couldn’t get enough. More, she needed more. Would die if she couldn’t get more of him.

Raheem seemed to feel the same as he crushed her even closer against him, tearing his lips from hers to kiss his way across her cheek to her ear, where he whispered dark endearments in his native language. She was lost, lost in lust and wonder and—

The warmth of Raheem’s body was suddenly gone.

There was a rustle of fabric then the rack of scarves shielding them from view parted as the assistant came to check on them. Panting and wide-eyed, Laura and Raheem stared at each other across the span of several feet. Her heart was pounding in her ears and her legs were shaking. Raheem kept staring at her mouth, making her lips tingle with his remembered kisses.

“Is there anything I can show either of you?” the assistant asked, apparently oblivious to the sexual tension sizzling through the air between them.

“No, thank you.” Raheem cleared his throat and straightened his tie, knocked askew during their heated embrace. Laura envied him the swiftness with which he regained his composure, because she still felt like a complete mess inside. “We need to be leaving now.”

With that, Raheem took Laura’s elbow and guided her out of the store then out of the mall, his touch as impersonal and cold now as it had been intimate and heated during their kiss. As they climbed back inside the Range Rover and headed for the palace, Laura was torn between the amazing awareness still sizzling between her and Raheem and the sickening fear that she could very well have just made the worst mistake of her life.