Chapter 8
The next day, Victoria arrived in the school room, dreading the next passive aggressive confrontation with the sour governess. But instead, she found Arina and Bajan playing in the school room. And laughing! They were actually laughing. It was music to Victoria’s ears. The servant, named Gita, was down on the floor, doing a puppet show with them. Victoria had no idea what they were saying since they were currently speaking in Arabic, but she suspected it was just a silly play.
Victoria found out that the severe Ms. Mattingly was dismissed the previous day. Victoria was grateful to Dharr for really listening to her. The evidence was in the fact that the children were currently laughing and enjoying themselves instead of sitting straight and learning something that was developmentally beyond their abilities to comprehend.
Unfortunately, that meant that Victoria would have to go see Dharr yet again and thank him. She didn’t want to but she couldn’t think of an alternative. She considered sending a note, but that seemed too impersonal for what he’d done for the children.
Sighing, she knew she’d have to seek him out and thank him. Bracing herself for being near him again, she started the long walk through the palace to his offices. She gave herself a pep talk, trying to convince herself that she could be nice, polite, direct and grateful and not lose herself in the man’s charm and charisma. She would maintain a distance of several feet, knowing that even a small touch from him without a crowd around her would make her body respond in ways that she knew were better left unexplored.
Who was she kidding, she thought when she entered the outer offices and asked if he was available for a moment. Victoria grimaced inwardly, remembering how her body had reacted to his touch last night even when they were surrounded by fifty other people. And she was excited about being with him tonight. She wanted him to keep her near, to feel his touch on her back and smile down into her face as he listened to her opinion.
“His Highness will see you immediately,” Dharr’s assistant replied as soon as he’d announced that Victoria was here to see him.
Dharr watched as Victoria walked into his office. As soon as she was inside and the door closed behind her, he could see the wariness in her eyes. And it made him feel good. He didn’t like her being wary of him, but he knew that it was because of what he could make her feel.
Slow, he told himself. He needed to take it slow. She was like a tiny hummingbird sipping the nectar but ready to take flight at the slightest sense of danger. And instinctively, she considered Dharr dangerous.
She was right. He meant to have her. One way or another, he would have her in his bed and would find out what he had missed out on all those years ago. A small spark of anger fired inside his chest when he remembered that he wouldn’t be the one to initiate her into the world of love making as he’d wanted to so many years ago, but he would enjoy her body none the less.
Perhaps it was better this way, he thought as she slowly approached his desk where he was standing, watching her. He considered her more beautiful now than she had been initially. There was something about her, a maturity, a confidence perhaps, that only enhanced her loveliness. And back then, he was starting to feel something for her. Now, he would make sure it was only sex. Good sex, he told himself. He smiled and knew it was a ferocious smile because he was thinking of all the ways he would enjoy her incredible, sexy body.
She was smart too. He’d made a good choice when he’d gone after her to help his niece and nephew. There had been many other people who would have done an adequate job. But he’d wanted her. After seeing Victoria with the children, he knew that her methods were much better than the governess’s strict controls.
“Good morning, Dharr,” she said, stopping on the opposite side of his desk
“Good morning, Victoria. To what do I owe this unexpected visit?” he asked, noticing that she kept her hands behind her back. He suspected that it was because they were shaking but he didn’t mind. The action only served him more since it thrust her breasts outward, giving him a delightful view of their round firmness.
“I just heard that you released Ms. Mattingly from her contract. Is it true?”
“Yes. You said she was part of the problem. So she is no longer employed by me.”
Victoria nodded, feeling wonderful that he accepted her advice so willingly and completely. “I’m grateful. And so are the children. They were watching a puppet show put on by Gita, one of the palace servants, when I left them. They were laughing,” she smiled, excited to tell him the news. “They were actually smiling and laughing, Dharr!” she said, clasping her hands in front of her and almost jumping in her exciting news.
Dharr grinned, more entranced by her than by the news that his niece and nephew were progressing. He’d known that would happen eventually. Children were resilient. He considered correcting her use of his first name but then rejected the thought. He’d allowed her to call him that since their first meeting although no one else but his immediate family had that privilege. He wondered if she knew how few people were allowed to address him that way. He didn’t think she did. Nor would she care if he told her.
“That’s good news,” he said. “I’m sure they are well on their way to a full recovery. Thanks to you.”
Victoria flushed with pleasure at his praise and looked down at the desk, unable to hold his intense gaze. “Well, I guess I’d better get back to the children,” she said haltingly. “Do you still need help tonight?” she asked, her eyes seeking his out, hoping that he did need her again. She hated to admit it, but she was looking forward to seeing him tonight and feeling his arm around her back and waist.
“Yes, if you are still able to accompany me, I would be grateful for the assistance,” he replied.
“Absolutely.” She looked up, then down again, biting her lip in indecision. “Well, then, I guess I’ll head back,” she said, feeling silly standing there looking at Dharr. He just looked so incredibly handsome in his charcoal suit. The jacket was tossed over a chair beside his desk but his crisp, white shirt stretched across his broad shoulders. Her eyes dropped to his arms which were crossed over his chest, the cuffs of his sleeves folded back so she had a glimpse of his muscular forearms.
“Was there something else?” Dharr asked softly. He could see her eyes and knew that she was looking at him. But would she dare to admit it? He leaned forward, his eyes giving her permission to look all she wanted.
But in the end, she simply shook her head. “No. That’s all. I’ll see you tonight,” she said quickly then turned on her heel and walked out of his office.
Dharr enjoyed the view of her long legs and firm derriere encased in the slim fitting jeans. When the door closed behind her, he finally looked away, smiling inwardly. She wanted him and that was obvious. But how did he get her to act on those feelings?
Dharr turned and stared out the window, considering all he had learned that morning. He wanted her, that was a given. But although she was making progress with the children, he wasn’t making any progress with her. He had brought her here with the dual purpose of helping the children but also exorcising her ghost. And he’d made no progress to date. It was time to change that.
He smiled mercilessly. She’d said a few days ago that the children needed him to be around more often. Well, if that’s the case, he would do it. And if Victoria just happened to be there as well, then he would make the best of that situation. He’d listened to her advice so far and the children were recovering with leaps and bounds. He’d just continue to listen, and act, on her advice.
Victoria wore a simple, black cocktail dress that night. She’d pulled her hair back into a knot, tightly pinned at the base of her head. She smiled brightly to him when he arrived at her door. “What’s the occasion tonight?” she asked, falling into step with him as he led her through the hallways of the palace.
“Tonight is more relaxed,” he explained. “It is only a few CEOs and their wives who are old acquaintances. I think you’ll like them.”
“Old acquaintances?” she asked, hoping he would elaborate a little more.
“College friends,” he said. “There’s Lord Alfred Manning and his wife Sarah and Prince Jeffrey Asam and his wife Jasim. I went to school with Alfred and Jeffrey.”
“Ah,” she said, understanding but her nervousness increased slightly. This wasn’t an affair that he would need a companion, was it? And if it wasn’t, what did that mean about her presence tonight? Could he just want her to be with him? A delicious feeling swelled inside her.
And true to his word, the evening was definitely fun and relaxing. They ate out on a beautifully decorated veranda. Jeffrey and Alfred were handsome and charming men who were obviously in love with their wives. Victoria noticed that the men didn’t like their wives to stray too far, and their wives weren’t immune to their husbands either. The meal was delicious as usual and the laughter put Victoria more at ease than she’d been since Dharr’s arrival at the school. She loved hearing stories about Dharr and the trouble the three men got into while at Oxford. And if Dharr treated her exactly like his friends treated their wives, she just accepted it, feeling included and accepted.