The Sheik's Convenient Bride (The War, Love, and Harmony Series Book 6) by Elizabeth Lennox (1)

 

“Anything else on the agenda?” Tarek called out, relieved that this meeting was finally coming to an end.  It was a monthly meeting with his cabinet members.  All of them trying to show how important they were to his government and all trying to push him to do one thing or another. 

“There’s just one other item,” Yousef called out, already looking uncomfortable with the next topic.

Tarek looked down.  There was nothing else noted on the printed agenda.  What could the man possibly want to discuss?  And then he knew.  His irritation increased as he looked around the table.  Everyone wanted to discuss the same thing yet Yousef was the only one with enough courage to bring the subject up. 

Tarek knew that he was the last one.  The last of the four, the only holdout. 

“My marriage,” he stated blandly, leaning back in his leather chair at the head of the conference table.  The peace treaty.  Tarek sighed with irritation but knew that it had to be done.  Marriage and an heir, ensuring the line and ensuring peace, he thought with resignation.  He knew it was the best way, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.  But even he admitted it was time to produce an heir.  He was thirty-five years old.  Well past the age when he should be married with children.  It was the right thing to do for the future prosperity of Tularia. 

Leaning back in his chair, he tapped his gold pen against the papers in front of him, unconcerned that it showed his impatience.  “It is going to be difficult to find a suitable candidate.  The woman must be of Tularian ancestry.  She must be young enough to be still able to conceive since the whole reason I’m doing this is to produce an heir,” he stated firmly, looking around the table and daring anyone to disagree with him.  “And she has to be old enough so she’s not an irritating, simpering idiot.”  His eyes skimmed the table once more.  “All of you have sons and lots of them,” he called out with amusement.  But then his eyes stopped on Ahmad, his interior minister.  “Ahmad.  You have a daughter.”  He remembered the girl from when she would run around the palace as a young child.  “How old is she?” he asked.

Ahmad straightened suddenly, pride showing in his eyes.  “She just turned twenty-four, Your Highness.”

Tarek smiled as memories came back to him.  Memories of Ahmad’s awkward daughter’s somewhat ludicrous infatuation with him.  “If I recall correctly, she stated very emphatically that she was either going to marry me or an orangutan.  How is she doing with that goal?” he asked and everyone around the table chuckled as they recalled the incident.  The woman hadn’t been quiet with her childhood and adolescent crush. 

Ahmad smiled fondly at that particular reminiscence as well.  “She was just eight years old at the time, Your Highness.  But as yet, she is not married.”  He straightened even more, pleasure showing in his demeanor.  “In fact, she should be home from graduate school this afternoon.  She is flying home for the summer before she returns to find a job.”

A black eyebrow went up with that announcement.  “Where has she been going to school?”

Ahmad’s shoulders straightened even more.  “She attended Stanford.  Just graduated with honors with a master’s of business administration.”

Tarek closed his leather binder.  “Bring her to the palace.  She’ll probably do.”  He stood up, shocking the rest of the group at the abrupt nature of their ruler’s potential choice of a bride.  “Have her come for dinner tonight.”

With that, he walked out of the meeting room, his mind already ticking off the issue of his marriage as completed.  Creating an heir shouldn’t be too much a problem since he vaguely remembered the girl and she’d shown promise of being a beauty. 

Ahmad watched his boss and ruler walk out, accepting the congratulations of the other members of the cabinet.  Many were thinking that this was a huge boon to his career.  All of them would have given their daughters to their ruler in marriage in a heartbeat since that kind of a connection to the palace had incalculable advantages for one’s future.  But Ahmad had a different opinion. 

His Kylie was young and beautiful, yes.  The Sheik would have no issue with her soft, gentle beauty.  But he suspected…no, he knew, that his precious and stubborn Kylie would not easily agree to such a union. 

First of all, she’d had an embarrassing and very obvious crush on the sheik when she’d been younger.  If it had been when she was four or five years old, his Kylie might be able to brush it off and move on with a smile.  But she’d been twelve to Tarek’s mid-twenties and she’d actually yelled at one of his dates to get her hands off of her future husband.  The whole palace had been laughing about it for months.  Her jealousy had become somewhat of a liability for her presence in the palace. 

Secondly, his Kylie was not one to accept a superficial marriage.  Despite her dedication to her studies and an adept intelligent mind, at heart, she was a romantic.  Deep down inside, she wanted the love and roses kind of marriage.  Accepting a marriage from a man who had simply picked the most available woman from his cabinet members’ families was going to increase her stubbornness to a whole new level. 

He worried as he walked out of the conference room, not sure how to tell his lovely yet defiant daughter about this latest development.  He still smiled at the congratulations from the other staff members as word spread, but this announcement would bring a whole new level of worry to his life.  His Kylie was not a woman to be taken lightly.  She was strong, opinionated, highly educated and had plans for her life, none of which included marrying her ruler.  Ahmad knew that she’d planned to be here only for the summer and that was merely because he’d begged her to take a break and spend some time with him.  She’d been pushing herself so hard lately, with studies and final exams, not to mention that internship at the brokerage firm that she’d loved so much, but which had taken up all the extra hours that weren’t filled with studying.  She would not appreciate the significance of this marriage, the honor it bestowed on whomever her ruler selected as his wife.  In fact, he suspected that she would find it quite…

“Papa!” a sweet, familiar voice called out. 

Ahmad looked around, his eyes widening with delight when he caught sight of his precious girl walking towards him.  She was wearing a stern looking black suit that hugged her figure perfectly.  The lines might be severe, but there was no way to hide her feminine figure, even with black crepe wool. 

“What are you doing here?” he asked, taking her into his arms and kissing her cheeks.  “I thought you weren’t getting in until later this afternoon.”

Kylie hugged her father excitedly, then linked her arms through her father’s pretending she wasn’t blushing or anxious at being back in the palace after twelve, long, excruciating years.  Now that she was back, standing in the hallway with everyone around her smiling and nodding their heads in her direction, she suspected that all of her past foibles were going to be re-told once more in the private offices of each person here.  Her plan had been to come and show the palace and cabinet members that she was no longer the stupid, silly little girl she’d once been, but she was realizing now that it would be harder to live down her past than she’d thought.  An expensive suit and a sleek hairstyle wouldn’t eradicate the memories of all her past antics towards their ruler. 

Regardless, she told herself as she straightened her shoulders and walked with her head held high, she was only here for one month before she went back to California and started her job search.  And she wouldn’t have even come by the palace now if she hadn’t had some silly notion of proving to the world that she wasn’t still in love with Tarek, the big, bad ruler! 

Darn it!  She should have just stayed away, let sleeping dogs lie.  Now she had to get through the long hallway, even walk past Tarek’s office!  What had she been thinking?  It had been a foolish plan and all she wanted to do now was to get out of here and hide somewhere quiet, lick the old wounds that had never completely healed, and wish she could erase some people’s memories of her past foibles. 

“I don’t want to disturb you, but I was wondering if maybe you had time for lunch?”

Ahmad was relieved to have an opportunity so quickly to bring up the subject and yet still tense, not sure how to bring up the reality that she’d probably been selected to be the next Queen of Tularia.  How could he let her know without rousing that awesome stubbornness of hers?  “Lunch would be wonderful, dear.  In fact, I have plenty of time this afternoon for lunch and to hear about your finals,” he lied.  Ahmad actually had a packed afternoon of meetings and several reports to review.  But he’d clear his schedule because this marriage was just too important.  It needed to happen quickly and publicly, to let the people of Tularia know that the peace treaty that had been signed recently would last, that they could get their lives back together after the horrible war that had lasted way too long.  “Let me just check in with my assistant and let him know.  I’ll be right back.”

He touched her shoulder before moving off down the hallway towards his office.  Kylie thought about going with him but really didn’t want to run into anyone, thinking it was safer here in the dim hallway.  There weren’t as many people out here now that the meeting had dismissed, so she could relax for a few moments while she waited for her father to return. 

She’d thought it would be good for her, coming back to the palace to show everyone that she was a strong, successful woman, no longer the silly, childish teenager she’d been so long ago.  But after seeing everyone leaving the conference room, staring at her with an odd smile on their faces, she knew that it had been the wrong idea.  Her stomach clenched, knowing that they were all remembering her childhood blunders, probably recounting each of her efforts to gain Tarek’s attention. 

So instead of following her father down to his office, she preferred just standing here in the now empty hallway and avoiding any further interactions with the palace staff – all of whom seemed to have very long memories. 

She leaned against one of the marble columns, taking out her phone and looking at the recent texts that had come in while she’d been on the plane.  There were several from her friends and she smiled, laughing at some of their quips.  Most of them had already started their job search and several had sent her messages giving her tips on what they were running into.  Kylie made a mental note on some of them, laughed at others and shook her head at a few more. 

Tarek came out of his office, intent on getting that report on the environmental study that should be finished.  But he stopped cold, his eyes startled by the long, sexy legs in a pair of killer heels.  As his eyes moved higher, he had to be impressed by the tight skirt that showed off the woman’s heart shaped derriere.  His eyes paused, enjoying the view for several long moments before moving higher.  The woman had a tiny waist and hair that was swept up into an elegant twist, but several wisps had fallen out, adding a soft, romantic look to the woman’s appearance. 

This was the Kylie who had badgered him so many years ago?  Where were the braces?  Where were the braids and the androgynous jumpers?  The child’s body of years ago could not have revealed the figure that now graced his hallway and his eyes were astounded by the transformation.  His own body instantly reacted to the curves and the…legs! 

“You’re more beautiful than your younger self prophesied,” a deep voice said. 

Kylie spun around, her eyes slamming straight into the eyes of the man she’d hoped never to see again in her life.  Looking into those dark, intense eyes, every single crazy stunt she’d pulled, all of the silly exclamations she’d declared to whoever might be standing in the palace at the time, came rushing back to her.  The little girl in her still remembered the painful crush she’d had on this man.  And the woman couldn’t believe the quickening of her heart rate as she looked up at him now. 

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop the blush that pinkened her cheeks and she quickly took a step backwards, trying to put some space between his extremely large, male body and her now-trembling one.  He was so tall and standing way too close for her peace of mind.  Of course, the length of a football field would be too close!

She couldn’t see his eyes clearly because of the shadows cast by the overhead lights, but she remembered them. They were a beautiful, dark brown and nothing, not even the dim light from the hallway could diminish his height or the amazing muscles underneath the tailored shirt he wore.  He wasn’t wearing a suit jacket, which only meant that she could see the bulging muscles even better. Her heart pitter-pattered painfully before she could tell herself that she wasn’t still infatuated with this man. 

And unfortunately, fate had decided that she hadn’t stacked up enough embarrassing moments where this man was concerned.  The heels she’d chosen for today, the very shoes she’d selected to help her look more sophisticated and professional, the shoes she’d hoped would shift everyone’s perception of her from a silly girl to a confident, strong and competent woman, backfired on her brutally.  She was more used to sneakers and ballet flats as she hurried to classes or across the school campus.  So backing up on suddenly trembling legs and four-inch heels was not conducive to grace under pressure.  Her heel tripped on some invisible obstacle behind her and she suddenly felt herself falling.  No matter how hard she tried, her efforts to stop her fall, and avoid one more humiliating moment, only made it worse. 

Strong hands reached out and grabbed her arms, pulling her forward and Kylie gasped when Tarek’s hard chest pressed against her breasts. 

“Careful,” he cautioned with a strange, deep voice.  “You have an important role now.  We can’t have you bruised before you venture out in public.” 

Out of the corner of his eye, Tarek caught Ahmad’s imminent return and stepped back, his hands lingering on the slender arms of the stunning beauty standing stiffly in front of him.  Kylie’s father was stopped by a co-worker further down the hallway and, thankfully, couldn’t see or hear the conversation, but Tarek knew that he would be heading this way any moment.  Yes, the decision had been made.  This lovely woman would work out well for his purposes. 

Kylie’s eyes looked back at him, confused and not really sure what he was talking about.  Then it occurred to her that Sheik Tarek must have heard that she’d just graduated and her shoulders relaxed slightly.  He knew she was looking for a job, she thought.  “I guess so,” she whispered back. 

There was something strange going on.  He looked down at her as if…well, there was just something that felt odd about his look. 

His hands moved along her arms, caressing instead of holding her steady.  “You really do look much more beautiful than I could have imagined.” 

Since the man had always looked awesomely handsome and dangerously sexy, she couldn’t say the same back to him.  In fact, he looked even more amazing now than he had when she was twelve and so in love with him that it made her heart ache to think about him marrying someone else before she could prove that she was woman enough for him.  She’d been such a silly child, but every time a woman of marriageable age came to the palace, she’d worried herself sick trying to think of ways to prove that she would love him more than the woman with whom he was currently dining with or entertaining. 

Not that her heart was aching now, she told herself firmly.  Stepping out of his arms, she tugged her jacket down over her hips in a subconsciously defensive gesture.  Her heart was immune to him.  Yep, she was completely unaware of his charms or the amazing muscles underneath the fine silk of his shirt that was pulled taut by those bulging muscles that she was never, ever going to think about again.  Because she was over him.  Completely oblivious to his blatant, primal masculinity.  And he didn’t smell…incredible!  Nope, she hadn’t caught that amazing whiff of his masculine scent at all.  And she wasn’t itching to run her fingers over his flat stomach, to see if he still had those ridges that she remembered while watching him fight with his guards.  Shirtless.  All those glistening muscles on display. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice even deeper than before.

Kylie glanced up at him, shocked by the direction of her thoughts.  “Yes!” she squeaked.  “I’m perfectly fine,” she cleared her throat, wishing that she sounded fine. 

She shook her head, trying to banish those memories before her cheeks went up in flames from the heat stealing up her neck. 

Straightening her shoulders, she pulled her eyes away from his broad shoulders, refusing to even look at those non-tempting, bulging biceps.  Looking into his eyes as a cool, calm, professional woman would, she smoothly said, “Thank you.  That was very clumsy of me.  I just wasn’t expecting anyone at that moment.”

“Of course,” he said, smiling slightly at her fabrication.  “Until tonight, then,” and took her hand, lifting it to his lips and kissing her knuckles ever so slightly. 

He turned and started to walk away, but stopped suddenly, turning back to one of his guards but somehow including her in the conversation, even though the command obviously wasn’t directed at her. 

“Once the announcement is made, you’ll need to arrange for protection,” he said to his bodyguard.

The big man with a bulky suit jacket immediately bowed at the command.  “Perhaps we should arrange for that immediately, Your Highness,” the guard replied, glancing at Kylie and bowing slightly in her direction.  “Ma’am,” he said as if he should address her in some way. 

Tarek thought about that for a moment.  “You’re probably right, Kaseem.  And until it is arranged, make sure she’s safe within the palace.”

Kylie was glancing back and forth between Tarek and the man who was obviously Kaseem, but that was the only thing about that conversation that was obvious.  Everything else was completely…weird. 

With that, he walked away again down the hallway.  Kaseem immediately lifted his radio to his mouth, speaking softly into the microphone.  Kylie didn’t hear what he was saying, nor did she understand who they were talking about, but he snapped to one of the guards, indicating he should remain in place.  The second guard looked at her, nodded to his superior and moved closer to Kylie. 

Kylie wasn’t sure what had just happened but she was no longer alone and she was staring at one of Tarek’s bodyguards while he stood silently on the other side of the hallway. 

When her father bustled back out from his office, he was slightly out of breath but he pulled on his jacket as he said, “I’m all ready.  I don’t have anything urgent this afternoon so we can have a nice, long lunch, just the two of us.”

Kylie smiled at her father, then glanced nervously at the man still standing sentry in the hallway.  “Great, Dad.  Let’s head out then.”

Her father noticed the guard as well and looked at him curiously.  “Is Tarek nearby?” he asked. 

Kylie sighed and shook her head.  “No.  He passed by, unfortunately.  But he moved on down the hallway.”

He glanced back at his daughter, then again at one of Tarek’s bodyguards.  “So why is Raulf here?”  He looked over at the man.  “Shouldn’t you be with Tarek?”

The man bowed, his hands behind his back.  “I was assigned to watch over Ms. Joralla until…”

“Ah!” her father interrupted and his grin grew wider.  “I see, I see!”  He rubbed his hands together and looked at Kylie, his glance a bit more uncertain now.  “Let’s be on our way, shall we?”

Kylie was getting the distinct impression that she was missing something.  Something very significant.  She glanced between the man her father had called Raulf and her father, trying to figure out the silent messages that had just been passed between those two men.  “Dad, have you been promoted or something?” she asked, excitement over the possibility welling up inside of her. 

Her father chuckled and shrugged his shoulders slightly.  “I suppose you could say that, but not in the way you might think.”  He took her hand and tucked it onto his elbow.  “Come along dear.  We have a lot to talk about.  My assistant got us a table at Bawadi’s across the street.”

Her smile brightened instantly at the mention of her favorite restaurant.  “Oh good!  I love that place!  And I’m getting the pistachio baklava.  I haven’t had good baklava since I left Tularia.  You just can’t find it easily in the United States, and” she paused to laugh, “you know I’m too lazy to make it myself.”

Raulf extended his hand, palm up and shook his head.  “I’m sorry, Minister.  But His Highness asked that she remain within the palace.”

Kylie’s hackles went up with that.  Since she was the only “she” around, and she’d overheard Tarek saying something about making sure “she” was safe.  Kylie didn’t like the idea that she was the “she” they were trying to restrict. 

“Excuse me,” she interrupted and stepped forward.  “But if I’m the ‘she’ that you are discussing while standing right in front of me, first of all, that’s rude and secondly, I’m not staying here,” she told the man with the bulky jacket.  “My father and I are going across the street and we’re having lunch.  If you need him here for any reason, then just have his assistant contact him.”  With that, she took her father’s arm once more and started walking. 

Her father took a step, but then pulled back.  “You know what?  Maybe we should eat in the palace dining room,” he suggested.  Turning back to Raulf, who was lifting his radio to say something but stopped with that suggestion.  “Do you think His Highness would mind if his chef cooked us some lunch?  That would be faster and,” turning back to Kylie, “we would have more time and privacy to talk.”

The look in her father’s eyes made the muscles in her stomach tighten.  She looked at her father carefully, trying to interpret the mystery that was going on around her but nothing made sense.  “Something is rotten, Dad,” she quoted, ignoring the rest of Shakespeare’s famous line.  “What’s going on?”

Ahmad looked at his daughter’s beautiful, vivid features and chuckled nervously, trying to think of the best way to open the conversation.  But he was drawing a blank.  How does one tell a woman who loved freedom and challenges, a woman who thrived on confronting issues and finding solutions, that she was about to be married to a man she professed to feel nothing for?  “Nothing horrible, dear.”  He patted her hand but she noticed a fine sheen of sweat forming on his upper lip.  “Let’s go get some lunch.”

She followed him, but still didn’t understand what was happening.  And confusion was never a good thing.  Clarity was good.  Transparency and communication were her favorite things in life.  Well, behind chocolate.  And pizza. 

But she could also see that her father wasn’t going to explain and she suspected that, standing in the middle of a dim hallway in the palace where he worked wasn’t the best place to get him to open up.  Especially since the bodyguard was still standing behind them, his eyes roving the area as if he were expecting someone to jump out and attack at any moment. 

“Okay, let’s find some place quiet and private to discuss whatever it is that you don’t want to discuss.  But I’d rather do it across the street rather than here at the palace.  Or if it is that bad, let’s just wait until you’re home tonight and enjoy our lunch.”

Ahmad knew that this discussion couldn’t wait.  Especially if Raulf’s presence meant what he thought it meant.  “Tarek’s chef is extremely good.  I know that you’ll be surprised.” 

Kylie was surprised by his reticence to go across the street.  It wasn’t just her favorite restaurant. Her father loved it as well. “But what about the pistachio baklava?” she teased.  “I know that you love it just as much as I do.”

Raulf lifted his radio and spoke into the microphone.  “Bring the pistachio baklava to the palace,” he said to whoever was on the other end of the radio. 

Kylie turned around after hearing that and looked at the man, who simply stared right back at her as if this were a normal thing to do. 

“Why in the world would someone bring baklava here instead of just…” she looked at her father again.  “This is about this promotion, isn’t it?” she asked, tightening her hold on his arm.  “What aren’t you telling me, Dad?” she asked. 

Ahmad cringed at how perceptive she was.  And just once, couldn’t she let a detail slide?  He hadn’t figured out how to break the news to her but fate was not making this lunch any easier.  “Let’s just eat in the palace dining room.  It is private and we can talk more easily.”

Kylie was getting very nervous.  “If it is that important, let’s drive home.  It is quiet and private there too.”

He shook his head, knowing that the guards wanted to keep her here until they had better security in place to protect her.  “The palace dining room has better food.  I barely have anything in the house.”

Kylie knew he was lying.  First of all, he wouldn’t know what was in the house for meals.  The man didn’t shop.  He had a housekeeper who did all of that for him.  And secondly, she was fairly certain, based on her past visits, that he had made a list of all of her favorite foods and then asked his housekeeper to stock up on all of them for her visit. 

But she accepted that he had something important to tell her and, no matter how nervous this meeting was making her now, she wasn’t going to get it out of him until they were in the palace dining room.

“Okay, let’s eat in the dining room but this chef had better be as good as you say he is.”

Ahmad sighed with relief and they walked the short distance to the dining room.  The wait staff had already been notified that they would be eating here and the table was set for two. 

After the chef came to ask them what they would like, being weirdly effusive in his efforts to please them for lunch, they were once again alone.  Well, except for Raulf and another guy who showed up after the chef walked back to his kitchen. 

Kylie looked behind her at one bodyguard then at Raulf who was stationed by the second doorway.  “Okay Dad.  Spill it.  Are you in danger?  Are you not telling me something?”  The idea that someone might have threatened him scared her.  “Has someone objected to your position or your policies and is trying to hurt you?”

Her father shook his head, smiling slightly at her imagination.  “Nothing like that,” he told her.  He started to say something, then closed his mouth, took a sip of wine and put the glass down again.  “Oh my, that’s excellent wine.  Why don’t you try some?” he suggested.

Kylie leaned back in her chair, eyeing her father warily.  “I think I’d better stay away from the wine.  At least until you tell me what’s going on.”  She thought about it for a moment then changed her mind.  “Or maybe not.”  Picking up her glass, she eyed her father over the rim of the crystal as she said, “I’m guessing I’ll probably need it when this conversation is over.”

Ahmad grinned, still excited but also still not sure how to relay the information to his beautiful daughter.  “Well, here’s the thing,” he started out.  He stopped and took her hand in his.  “You know His Highness is thirty-five years old this month,” he explained. 

He waited until Kylie nodded her head.  It was slow, but she was still with him. 

“Well, it has come up several times in the past several years that he should marry.”

At that moment, Kylie was grateful that she hadn’t eaten anything because her stomach felt as if it was about to lurch out of her body.  She felt so sick, so horrible and angry all of a sudden that she actually had a hard time breathing. 

Ahmad watched Kylie carefully and didn’t miss the sudden stiffening of his daughter’s shoulders, nor did he miss her blinking back the tears that suddenly appeared.  She rallied quickly, forcing her face to smile and her body to dissipate the sudden stillness.  But he’d seen all the signs and his heart screamed with joy!  She might not be in love with the man…how could she be?  She barely even knew him.  But his Kylie still had feelings for Sheik Tarek.  Very strong feelings. 

He continued, explaining the political issue.  “And not only is he older than we would have liked before marrying and starting a family, there is also a peace treaty.”  He glanced around the room, ensuring that no one else was around.  He looked at Raulf, silently asking if it was safe to talk.  When the guard nodded his head, Ahmad continued.  “There is a clause in the peace treaty that ended that horrible ten-year war, that everyone agrees is probably the most important part of the treaty.”

She was relieved that he seemed to be changing the subject.  “Go on,” she told him, forcing the trembling and nausea in her stomach to slow down.  “What’s the clause?” This was all just politics.  She could handle politics.  Because of her father’s position in the government, she’d been surrounded by politics all her life.

Ahmad took a deep breath.  “He must marry and produce an heir.  It is imperative that the people of Tularia know that there will be an heir to take Tarek’s place if anything were to happen to him.  In fact, all four countries’ rulers have agreed to this.  And all four of them are putting plans in place to finalize this part of the treaty.”

Kylie took a long, slow breath, trying to absorb the news that Tarek was getting married.  It hurt more than she was willing to admit, but she tried to paste a smile onto her face and pretend that she wasn’t hurt or upset.  Yes, she was devastated by the news, but she refused to let that desolation show.  It was absolutely ridiculous for her to feel anything and she pushed every emotion, and all of those silly feelings, out of her mind.  The man should marry.  He should produce lots of little babies and go about his business because her father was right, the treaty was right.  If the country and the world could count on the fact that Tarek’s policies were to be put into place and his rule would be followed by his heirs, the peace had a better chance of surviving. 

She took another deep breath, forcing her muscles to relax and to smile despite the empty ache in her stomach.  “Wow!  Tarek is getting married.  That’s wonderful news.”  She sat very still, trying to let the pain slowly ebb out of her body.  But it wasn’t working.  Not this time. 

She pulled her hands away, folding them carefully on her lap so her father wouldn’t see them shaking.  “Who is the lucky woman?” she asked, forcing her mind to start working once more.  “Is it that princess he was seen with in Paris last year?  She was exceptionally lovely.”  She looked down at her fingers, focusing on her nails.  “Or perhaps that Italian woman?  They made a gorgeous couple.”  She rolled her eyes.  “Goodness, he’s been seen with so many women over the past few years, it is hard to figure out which one he’s truly favored.”  She forced her eyes to move higher, looking into her father’s gentle gaze.  “So who is the lucky woman?”

Ahmad held out his hand and she reluctantly put her own into his warm, comforting hand.  He held his daughter’s eyes, not letting her look away.  He needed to see her reaction, to know what was going on in her mind as he gave her the news.  “You are, my love.”

Kylie held very still, saying the words over and over again in her mind.  But no matter how many times she said them to herself, they still didn’t make sense.  “I’m sorry, I don’t think I understand.”

Her father smiled gently.  “Sheik Tarek has chosen you as his bride.  I don’t know the schedule yet, but you will be married.  Soon.” 

She continued to stare at her father, trying to figure out why he would tease her like this.  She slipped one of her hands out of his, reached for her glass of wine, drained it and then set it down on the table once again.  Putting her hand back in his, she breathed deeply, then said, “Could you repeat that?”

Her father laughed softly even as he squeezed her fingers.  “Sheik Tarek is going to marry you.”

Kylie still stared at her father.  Tarek was going to marry her?  Impossible.  Her father was only teasing her.  And she wasn’t amused.  Her father wasn’t normally a cruel man, but he probably didn’t know how much those words, and the prank, hurt her.  “Okay, so let’s have lunch then.  I didn’t know that it was such a secret but if the government doesn’t want the world to know his fiancée’s name, that’s not a problem, Dad.  You just had to say so.”  She reached out and picked up her father’s glass of wine, drained that one and carefully set the glass down on the table in front of his place setting.  A waiter moved in quickly and re-filled both glasses and Kylie considered draining both of those as well. 

Refraining from taking another sip of wine, at least for the moment, she fiddled with her napkin while waiting for her food, deciding that a change of subject was needed.  “So what have you been up to lately?” she asked.  “Are you seeing anyone?  You really should get out there and date.  The world is just waiting for you.  And some lonely woman is eager to meet the man of her dreams.”  She stumbled on the last few words but pulled herself together.  Her mother had died several years ago and it was time for her father to be happy again.  She knew he was lonely, living in that big house all by himself.  Thinking about her father’s love life also helped her to get her mind off of the imminent wedding of….

She was a strong, professional woman, she reminded herself.  She’d done something foolish in the past and she’d have to live with the consequences.  Obviously, this was some funny joke that her father wanted to play on her but she’d get through it.  Never would she have believed he could be so cruel though. 

Ahmad saw the hurt in her eyes and tried to think of a way to reassure her, to ease the sadness.  “Kylie, I’m not seeing anyone, and the wedding is real. He chose you to be his queen.”

She smiled, barely even looking at him.  “Really,” she replied with a disbelieving tone of voice.  “Or is this just some way to make me feel even sillier for my behavior all those years ago?”  She sniffed slightly.  “I was just a child and I didn’t mean any of those ridiculous claims.  I know it was wrong now, but I was a silly little girl back then.  Surely you did something when you were younger that you now regret.  It’s in very bad taste for you to remind me of my childish mistakes.”

Her father’s eyes softened as he saw the real hurt and anger in her delicate features.  She was on the edge and he had no idea how to help her.  This was where his wife, Kylie’s mother, had been so strong.  But she’d died of cancer years ago and he’d been struggling to help his beautiful daughter through the years.  “Oh, honey, don’t regret your past.  And believe me, you’re beautiful and smart and funny and all of that is forgotten now.  Besides, you’re going to have the last laugh when you really do marry Sheik Tarek.”

She snorted.  “I am not!” she asserted strongly, her chin going up as pride kicked in.  “Even if the man had chosen me as his bride, I would never consent to that marriage.”  She took a sip of her ice water.  “Imagine what kind of a weak female would consent to a marriage of convenience like that.  A political marriage would be really rough on one’s self-esteem.”

Ahmad cringed inwardly.  This was that stubbornness he’d been afraid of having to deal with.  “Darling, you can’t keep your pain in the past.  Sheik Tarek did choose you.  I don’t know how long the engagement will be, but you are his chosen bride.”

The wait staff came in with their lunch at that point and Kylie looked down at the elaborately displayed food, feeling more than a little nauseous.  “Dad, this isn’t funny.”

“It isn’t a joke,” he came right back, watching her closely, completely unaware of the delicious food in front of him.  He had eyes only for his daughter and his mind frantically tried to figure out how to help her with this situation. 

She looked up at him, saw the sincerity in his eyes and almost sobbed.  Childhood infatuations aside, she didn’t want to marry a man who didn’t love her.  “That’s crazy!  He can’t just arbitrarily pick a woman and expect her to run to his side.  What about love?  What about finding out if two people are even compatible?  He doesn’t love me.  He doesn’t even know me except as some irritating brat who followed him around and made his life miserable occasionally.  Why would he marry me?” The pain lashing through her right now was almost unbearable.  She could feel the humiliation choking her and she took several deep breaths, trying to calm down. 

He knew she was in pain and wanted so badly to help her.  “Because you are a beautiful woman with a great sense of humor, you’re smart and you’re well educated.”

“None of that makes any difference.  First of all, he doesn’t know me so he knows nothing about my intelligence or my sense of humor.  But more importantly, he doesn’t love me,” she came right back to it.  “Nor do I love him.”

He shrugged his shoulder slightly.  “Love will come later.  The two of you will have beautiful children together which will ensure the strength of the monarchy for years to come and your marriage will help keep the peace within the kingdom.”

She was pushing her food around on her plate, feeling sick when his words struck her.  “That’s what this is all about, isn’t it?  He needs kids, an heir, so he just chose a woman.”  She paused for a moment, feeling a stabbing sensation in the region of her heart but refused to admit to herself that she was hurt by the callous man’s insensitivity.  “And he didn’t even care which woman.  He just needed one who could breed for him.  I was convenient, wasn’t I?”

Ahmad thought about lying to her but they didn’t have that kind of a relationship.  They were honest with each other.  They would face the truth together.  “Well, that’s basically what happened,” her father said, feeling bad because she’d hit it right on the head.

She put her fork down and lifted her wine glass, draining the liquid once more but not even noticing the excellent vintage.  She was too overwhelmed by the hurt and humiliation that she was trying to push away.  Immediately, a waiter stepped forward and filled it for her.  She took another long sip, but refused to drink the entire glass again.  Unfortunately, she wasn’t even feeling the effects of the three glasses.  She wanted to be numb, to be able to push aside the hurt that her heart was feeling.  But the wine wasn’t doing that for her this time. 

When she took a deep breath, she lowered her glass and looked back at her father.  “Okay, so explain this to me because it really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.”

Her father shrugged his shoulders but he wouldn’t look at her so she instantly knew that something wasn’t quite right.  “What’s there to tell?  We’ve been nagging him to get married and produce an heir for years.  He finally agreed that it was a good idea and the peace treaty demanded it.  When he tossed back to us for a list of names, he chose you out of everyone that was introduced.”  He closed his mouth, refusing to say anything more.  He might need to be honest, but he didn’t need to give her the brutal truth, that hers was the only name tossed out for consideration. 

Her eyes narrowed as she watched his features flush with color.  “What aren’t you telling me?” she asked suspiciously.  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Raulf grimace and the other man stepped out of the dining room.  They knew whatever it was that her father wasn’t going to tell her!  They knew and it must be very bad!  She was the only one that was in the dark and she hated this.  She hated that people were pitying her!  It was bad enough that she was the palace joke but now people thought she was the idiot who would be eternally grateful to be chosen as their ruler’s bride. 

She glanced frantically between her father and the guards, trying to decipher whatever it was that they weren’t telling her. 

Her father shook his head and picked up his fork.  “Kylie, my dear, you are reading too much into this.  If you see something in my eyes that you don’t like, it is most likely the fact that I am going to lose my daughter.  But my consolation is that I’ll have you closer than I would if you were to go back to the States to find a job.  I like that part of it, but I’m also worried that I won’t see enough of you.  You will have a great many responsibilities after your marriage.”  He looked up at her, trying to smile but instead, he picked up his wine and took a long sip. 

She raised her eyebrows, not believing him for a second.  She glanced up at Raulf again, saw his completely blank face and knew that there was more.  She also knew that she wouldn’t get it out of her father.

“You’re not eating,” she said, noticing that he was pushing the food around on his plate just as she was doing. 

“You aren’t either,” he came right back.

Her shoulders went back and she glared across the table at him.  “I have a reason to be anxious.”

His eyes looked across to hers.  “You’re excited?”  He could hope, he thought.  But he knew that she wouldn’t take this edict.  Not his daughter.

Kylie laughed but it was a harsh, bitter sound.  “I’m not going to marry the man,” she told her father firmly and saw the eyebrows go up on Raulf’s previously impassive face. 

Her father’s knife and fork clattered onto the china plate.  He sputtered for a moment before he finally pulled himself together.  “Kylie, this is a command from your ruler.  You can’t deny him.”

She shook her head, ignoring her almost-treasonous declaration.  “No father.  I will not marry a man I don’t love and who doesn’t love me.  I don’t care who he is.”

Her father saw the man in question step into the dining room and he breathed a sigh of relief.  “Sheik Tarik!  We were just talking about you,” he said, standing up and bowing as his boss and ruler approached.

Kylie, bless her heart, stood up as well.  She didn’t bow, but her father suspected he had to be satisfied with at least a partial adherence to palace protocols.  “Your Highness,” she mumbled as way of a greeting. 

Tarek looked down at the beautiful woman and watched her skin turn pink.  He liked that about her, he thought.  She was fresh and vital, no hidden agenda.  “I gather that you didn’t know about our engagement before our last conversation,” he offered, his hand coming up to touch her cheek slightly. 

Kylie stepped back, not wanting him to touch her.  She’d turned to a babbling, clumsy idiot the last time he’d just been close to her.  She wouldn’t let that happen again.  “My father just informed me of your decision.”

Tarek hid his amusement at her movement but his hand dropped back down to his side.  There would be plenty of time to touch her perfect skin, he told himself.  His eyes traveled down her figure, noting once again how full her breasts were as they pressed against the black material.  He would be exploring this woman’s tiny waist and her long legs in detail very soon.  “So do you have any requests for the ceremony?”

She considered her father’s feelings and career for a moment, but knew she had to stand up for herself.  And no time like the present, she always said.  Facing him full on, she lifted her chin defiantly.  “Your Highness, I appreciate the…” she hesitated for a moment, trying to choose her words carefully, “honor,” she finally said, thinking that was the most diplomatic word, “you bestow upon me.  But I have to decline the honor.”  She stared at him, waiting for a response. But when he continued to look at her, his eyes roaming over her features, she had trouble keeping still.  She clenched the linen napkin in her hand and went on, “There isn’t going to be a ceremony.  At least, not between you and me.”

Tarek’s eyebrows went up in surprise.  “Excuse me?” he asked, shocked that she would challenge him in such a manner.  No one, absolutely no one, ever turned him down.  His advisors might offer him alternative ideas, but even they didn’t have the temerity to tell him no.  So he was quite astonished to hear this slender beauty doing something others wouldn’t even dare.  But he had to admit, she looked adorable trying to be brave. 

Kylie hid her shaking hands behind her back.  “I’m not going to marry you,” she told him firmly. 

Tarek almost laughed.  Looking around, he noticed her father standing awkwardly to the side and two of his bodyguards standing sentry by the door.  “We need some privacy,” he commanded.  Instantly, the bodyguards stepped out of the room and his interior minister disappeared.  The man was smart, he thought, watching the doors close behind him.  Ahmad didn’t mess around when it came to his job or his daughter.  Ahmad was a good man and he’d raised a strong, confident, beautiful daughter.  One that might be more of a handful than Tarek had anticipated, but he was up to the challenge. 

Looking back down at her, his body stirred and he was surprised by that revelation.  He knew that this whole marriage issue was so that he would produce an heir and he was completely on board with getting that task accomplished.  He owed that to his country and knew that he’d had enough time to be a single man.  Longer than he’d expected.  So this marriage business was to be resolved quickly and efficiently.  But to be interested in his wife?  That hadn’t been on his agenda, but suddenly, he was significantly more intrigued. 

Moving closer, impressed that she stood her ground, he looked down into her pretty, hazel eyes that were shooting daggers up at him.  Even that amused him and he relished the challenge of changing this beauty’s daring into soft sighs of acceptance.  “You sound awfully confident for a woman who is trembling.”  He liked that she wasn’t backing down even though he could sense her fear.  Courage, he thought.  Yes, he wanted a woman with courage who could pass that trait along to his sons.  That hadn’t even occurred to him when he’d accepted that he would marry, but now that he saw that aspect of her personality, he admitted that he was impressed.  And thoroughly, painfully aroused.  Another shock. 

Kylie saw the strange light in his eyes and her trembling increased.  Surely he could see that this was a ridiculous situation.  The man couldn’t possibly want to marry her.  Not her, of all people!  There were so many more eligible females that he could consider.  “I’m not marrying you,” she said, almost in a whisper.  “And yes, I’m nervous.  You’re my ruler and I’m defying you.”

His hand reached out and took her hand, pulling her closer.  “Is that the only reason you’re nervous?” he asked.  His hand lifted, a finger running down her cheek but he wouldn’t let her pull away this time.  His body was so in tuned with hers, and he wanted to see what would happen.  He liked touching her, he realized.  He liked it a lot! 

“You have very soft skin, Kylie,” he murmured, almost as if talking to himself. 

“Good skin care.”  She leaned her head back.  “Stop touching me.”

He smiled slightly but didn’t take his hand away.  “I don’t think so.”

A fire exploded inside of her with those words.  How dare he ignore her requests!  He might be ruler of this country but that didn’t give him the right to ignore her requests for him to back away.  “You can’t do this to me!” she cried, even as she held herself painfully still.  When he reached up again, she jerked backwards but he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her even closer, causing her to gasp and her hands reached up, pressing against his broad shoulders. 

His grin widened because he could feel her body trembling against his, even pressing closer.  Her words might be telling him to back away, but her body was telling him to keep going.  “I seem to be doing it just fine.”

She closed her eyes, her hands fisting against his massive chest but only because she didn’t want him to touch her.  It had nothing to do with the sudden need to touch him back, to find out if his skin was really as hot as he seemed.  “I don’t want this!  I don’t want you.”

He laughed, feeling her trembling increase.  “I think you are lying to yourself.  How are you going to stop me?”

She sucked in her breath, shocked at how much of his male scent filled her lungs and made her long for something she shouldn’t want.  Grabbing his wrist with her hand, she started to pull it away.  “I don’t want….”

He was absolutely fascinated by this woman.  An interesting revelation, to be sure.  She was adorable and sexy, a heady combination but what’s more, there was just something about her, something he couldn’t quite define, that had struck him ever since he’d seen her in the hallway.  Up close, that sensation was even stronger and he wanted very badly to kiss her, to find out what it was that intrigued him so completely. 

“Kylie, we’re going to be married.”  With that, he twisted her hands quickly but ever so gently until her own wrists were manacled by his strong hands.  He pulled her hands behind her back and pressed her bottom against the table behind her.  “How about if we find out just how much you don’t want me to touch you?” he suggested. 

Kylie was just about to protest when his mouth swooped in and covered her own.  She wished she had the willpower to ignore him, to simply fight the urges or pretend like they weren’t throbbing inside of her.  But at the first touch of his lips against hers, all conscious thought flew out of her mind.  She’d dreamed about being kissed by this man so many times when she was younger but nothing, absolutely none of her dreams had come close to the reality.  She heard a whimper but had no idea it came from her.  Nor was she aware of her body curving, arching to get closer to his even while her head bent backwards, wanting more from the kiss. 

His hands released her wrists, one coming up to hold her head in place while the other wrapped around her waist, lifting her high against him, pressing her incredible softness against his hard body.  His hard body that was becoming harder as he felt her response, felt her warm mouth kiss him back with a passion he’d never known existed. 

He’d had women before.  Many women!  But none had stirred him to such a frantic state so quickly and with just a simple kiss.  A simple kiss that wasn’t so simple any longer.  The bolt of lust her soft body ignited inside of him was startling but he didn’t mind.  Not one little bit. 

Pulling her even closer, lifting her higher so she fit more perfectly against his body, he almost growled when she shifted, causing a friction that sent another surge of white hot desire right up his to his brain, then shot downward, hardening his body to a more painful level. 

Lifting his head, he noticed her breathing was frantic, erratic and her eyes were glazed over with the same lust he was feeling.  “Are you a virgin?” he demanded, praying she would say no.  He desperately wanted to carry this woman off and explore what was happening between them right now. 

As her lips softened and she stared back up at him with a dazed expression, he looked down at her and the desire reached nuclear proportions when he saw the same need, the same desire reflected in her lovely features.  She’d been such a pain in the neck as a child.  But now she was all soft curves and sultry looks, an adorable nose and lips that could send a man to hell for his fantasies. 

“What?” she whispered, shifting ever so slightly against him. 

He felt her shudder when she moved, saw her pretty, white teeth sink into her full, pink lower lip and almost burst into flames.  “Are you a virgin?” he demanded again.  He slid his hands up her back, prepared to shake her if she didn’t answer him.  He needed her and he couldn’t have her yet if she was a virgin.  He couldn’t take her until after the wedding and he was damned desperate to be inside her, feel her shift against him without all these clothes hindering him.  He had to grit his teeth as his mind conjured up what her tiny little shifts would feel like without any clothes. 

Kylie was in a delirious haze of sensuality unlike anything she’d ever experienced before.  She’d kissed boys before but she’d never really felt anything.  And unfortunately, she’d always compared her dates to the man of her dreams, the man she’d made a complete fool of herself over as a kid.  None of the men she’d dated in the past could even come close to the amazing height or breadth of Tarek.  But nor had they stirred anything within her. 

She heard his question, but her eyes were closed or she would have seen the almost furious need on his handsome features.  What was worse, Kylie didn’t have enough experience with men, and this kind of almost insane desire, to know what was going through his body. 

“None of your business,” she replied, still with her eyes closed and her fists clenching his shirt.  Maybe if she…yes, she thought as she moved her hips ever so slightly, hoping he wouldn’t notice but beyond the point of caring if he did.  She just needed…something!  She wasn’t sure what it was but she knew that pressing against him felt beyond wonderful.  She loved the sparks that flew throughout her whole body as she shifted, moved and felt him pressing against her heat.  There was an odd sensation between her legs that was almost aching, nearing a painful point and she had to appease that ache somehow. 

Tarek’s hands gripping her arms shook her and she opened her eyes, saw the furious expression in his eyes and the haze of need dissipated somewhat.  At least enough so she could understand his words. 

“Kylie, I’m going to find out soon enough.  Just answer the question.”

“No!” she snapped back at him.  She took a deep breath and tried to think clearly.  She had to get out of his arms and pushed against his shoulders again, peeling her hands away from him and trying to put some space between their hips even though all she wanted to do was to press closer to him, to find a solution to the ache in her lower body. 

The surprise in his eyes made her feel mildly better. 

“You’ve been with another man?” he asked furiously.  Tarek wanted to believe he was a man with modern ideas.  He’d certainly implemented many of them in an effort to get his country back on an economic upturn since the end of the war.  But the idea of another man touching this woman sent his temper flaring to a red-hot rage.

Kylie watched, not sure she fully understood.  She’d thought he was angry a moment ago but his whole face transformed with her answer.  Now he was really angry.  What he’d been feeling before, she had no clue. 

She shook her head and forced her feet to move away from him but his hands gripping her arms wouldn’t let her.  He kept her right there, pinned by his body and the table.  “I’m not saying yes or no.   The men in my past are none of your business.  You asked me to answer the question and I told you I wouldn’t.  Whether I’ve been with another man or not is personal and I resent you asking something like that when it has nothing to do with our conversation.”  But even she had a hard time remembering what they had been discussing before he’d kissed her. 

Tarek closed his eyes, begging for patience.  When he opened them again, he forced his hands to relax on her arms somewhat.  Not enough so that she thought she could move away from him, but he didn’t want to hurt her.  “Kylie, answer the damn question.  Are you a virgin?”

She pushed against him again, but he was an immovable force.  “Tarek, leave me alone!  I’m not going to answer something so personal.  It isn’t any of your business.  Get that through your brain.  Now release me.  I’m going home.”

Tarek almost laughed at her belligerence.  It was a sure sign that she was feeling the same frustrations that were pouring through his body right at the moment.  But he had ways of getting to the truth. 

Lifting her up, he set her down on the dining room table, unconcerned about the decorum of his future queen setting her adorable bottom on the table.  Leaning towards her, he forced her backwards, his lips very close.  “You need to get this through your pretty brain, Kylie.  You and I are going to be married.  So when I ask you something, you’re going to answer me fully, and without hesitation.  Do you understand?”

All of that desire that had been tormenting her transformed into fury with his words.  Well, and the fact that she still didn’t know what to do about the ache and frustration that she was brutally trying to suppress.  “I know you’re trying to intimidate me right now and it isn’t going to work!” she told him in a low, angry voice.  She was painfully aware of the servants as well as his bodyguards who were just outside of the doors, probably wondering what was going on inside. 

He almost laughed.  “It isn’t?” he asked, moving even closer and forcing her to have to brace her hands behind her.  “Well, then, we’ll just have to try something else.” 

Kylie had no idea what he was about to do but she tried to slip off of the table before he could do it.  Unfortunately, his body was big, huge!  And he didn’t leave her much space to maneuver.  So when she moved to the right, his hands were already there, stopping her.  The next thing she knew, his fingers had unbuttoned her jacket, exposing the pretty, lace bra she’d bought and worn to give herself a dose of confidence.  The black lace left almost nothing to the imagination and when his eyes looked down, she saw the heat flare right back up to boiling point. 

“Stop it!” she ordered, but she could either balance herself or grab the edges of her jacket.  Neither option helped her.  When she tried to close her jacket, he pressed her further backwards and she had to hurriedly reach behind her or fall onto the floral centerpiece. 

“Very nice,” he murmured, his eyes taking in the full, round globes as well as the pink nubbins peeking through the lace.

She tried to scoot backwards, afraid of that look in his eyes.  The trembling that she’d just gotten under control started up once again, even more intensely than before.  “Leave me alone,” she snapped, trying to close her jacket but his hands simply brushed hers away.

When those large, calloused hands touched the white skin of her stomach, she hissed in her breath.  “Don’t!” she begged, closing her eyes to stop the sensations.  It didn’t work.  “Please don’t!” she begged. 

“Answer my question, Kylie,” he demanded, but in the back of his mind, he was hoping she wouldn’t answer.  He liked her stubbornness at the moment.  His hand smoothed against her perfect skin, moving closer and closer to his goal.  Her breasts were larger than he’d thought and the pretty, pink nipple underneath the black lace was already puckered, already begging him to touch.  “Or don’t.”  His hand moved again, his thumb sliding back and forth, moving closer and closer to that pink peak.  When his large hand cupped her breasts, his eyes enjoyed the way the flesh filled up his hand perfectly.  He lifted her breast slightly, testing its weight, feeling the soft flesh.  He was fascinated. 

Kylie bit her lip, closing her eyes and praying for a way out of this.  But when that strong hand cupped her breast, everything changed.  She didn’t want him to stop.  She thought she might just die if he stopped.  “Please,” she begged, even moving her body slightly so that thumb could reach her nipple. 

But he wouldn’t give her that touch.  His thumb slipped away.  “Answer my question, Kylie,” he growled.  His thumb hovered, waiting. 

Kylie trembled, desperate for that thumb now.  She’d never thought that one finger could cause her so much pain, but the fact that he wasn’t touching her was almost more than she could bear.  “NO!” she screamed.  “No, I’ve never been with another man!”

Tarek looked down at her, his thumb still hovering and he couldn’t deny the intense, primal satisfaction he felt knowing that she was completely his.  “Has any man ever touched you?” he asked, wanting to know all of it.  “Like this?”  His fingers moved gently, but his thumb still wouldn’t give her that touch. 

“No!” she replied, shaking her head frantically.  “Please,” she sobbed. 

Tarek saw the need and he almost roared with the pleasure combined with the frustration of not being able to touch her as he wanted to. 

Instead of giving her what she wanted, he moved back.  His fingers deftly buttoned up her jacket then easily lifted her off of the table, holding her in his arms.  He waited until her trembling subsided slightly, almost regretting what he’d put her through.  But above her head, he was thrilled.  This amazing woman who had driven him crazy in the past with her childish antics, was now all his.  No man had touched her, no man had done this to her.  Only him.  It amazed him that someone so lovely could have remained so sexually innocent, but he was going to enjoy showing her all the delights of the bedroom himself. 

“We’ll have dinner together tonight,” he told her as he straightened her jacket.  His body was still throbbing so he knew what she was going through and almost laughed at her furious expression.  She was going to be a delight, he thought.  “Until a security team is hired and trained for you, you’ll have to stay within the palace walls.  My guards will work in shifts to cover both of us.”

Kylie didn’t like the fact that he seemed completely in control while she felt as if she might just trip over her own feet.  Again.  “I don’t need a guard.  And I’m leaving the palace right now to go home.”

He laughed, kissed the top of her head.  “Until tonight,” he told her and walked out of the dining room. 

She watched him leave, her frustration and resentment increasing with every step he took.  “And what am I supposed to do all day?  Just stand around and wait for you?”

He turned just outside the room and winked at her.  “That has a nice ring to it.”  And he was gone.

Kylie’s mouth fell open with his response and she felt like kicking something.  Or throwing something heavy towards his arrogant head!  “What a sexist, chauvinistic pig!” she called out, uncaring about the others that might hear.  In fact, she hoped the whole palace heard her! 

When Raulf stepped back into the dining room, she glared at him since her previous target was now gone and her whole body was still vibrating with…anger.  She was so furious! 

“So you’re my prison guard?” she snapped, then realized how petty she sounded.  Bowing her head, she rubbed her forehead, trying to get a grip.  “I’m sorry, Raulf.  You didn’t deserve that.  You’re just following the jerk’s orders.”  She didn’t see Raulf’s eyebrows rise slightly with amusement as she sighed and looked around at the beautiful room.  “Really, what am I supposed to do until His Highness,” she said sarcastically, “comes back?”

Raulf shrugged his shoulders.  He was stumped himself since there had never been a woman who needed protection before.  “There is a game room,” he offered.

Kylie remembered that game room.  She’d taught herself to play pool because she’d heard that Tarek liked playing pool.  So she’d become an expert, wanting to impress him.  Then she’d walked by one day and he’d been playing darts with some friends or maybe an ambassador, so she’d learned to play darts as well. 

Those two skills had served her well outside of the palace.  She’d earned lots of free beers during college when guys challenged her to a game of pool or darts.  Well, until the last few years.  She’d earned a reputation as unbeatable so very few people would dare to challenge her. 

“Anything else?” she asked, knowing that playing pool alone wasn’t very interesting.

“We can provide you with anything you need, ma’am,” he explained with a slight bow.

Kylie wasn’t sure what was going on and she wished desperately that her father was here.  He always gave her sage advice and she needed some right now.  But then again, he agreed with this marriage.  He wanted her to marry Tarek.  And if she didn’t, his career might be in danger.  She was in the middle of the proverbial rock and a hard place with very little wiggle room. 

She slumped down onto the dining room chair, her head flopping onto her open hands.  She didn’t even care that Raulf and the other guard were watching her.  Or maybe they weren’t but were looking out for threats.  That thought sent a shiver throughout her body so she pushed it away.  She didn’t like the idea that she was now a target and put that anger right on Tarek’s shoulders.  Of course, he wasn’t here nor would he probably care even if she were to lay that anger at his feet. 

Kylie considered her options.  She knew she couldn’t escape the palace, the security was just too good.  Nor would she do that to Raulf and the others who would get into trouble for those kinds of antics.  Escape would probably be pretty bad for her sophisticated image, she suspected. 

“What would happen if I just walked out the front door to the palace?” she asked, lifting her head to look over at Raulf. 

She almost laughed when he simply looked back at her as if to say, “I wouldn’t try it.”  The man was very good at the silent messages. 

“Right,” she replied back, blowing air out of her mouth and trying to think creatively. 

So if she wanted to get out of the palace, she had to be smart about this.  She had to figure out what would release her from Tarek’s ridiculous claim that they were going to be married. 

She paced back and forth, nibbling on the tip of her thumb as she considered all of the possibilities.  She didn’t want to marry the man.  He needed to marry.  She was simply a convenient human being with reproductive parts that would suit his purposes.  So really, what Tarek needed was another candidate.  She needed to convince him that she wasn’t the right person for the job. 

Suddenly, inspiration hit.  “I’ll need a room, Raulf,” she stated, looking up with a huge grin.  “And white boards,” she thought through the plan.  “Several of them.  Big white boards!”  She paced some more.  “And a computer with an internet connection, a color printer…” what else would she need?  “Some dry erase markers.”  She looked up at Raulf.  “Is all of that possible?”

He mumbled into the radio he was holding in his hand, paused for a response, then looked at her with a nod of confirmation.  “It is being arranged now, ma’am,” he told her with his microphone to his mouth.  “Anything else?”

She paced some more then looked down at her shoes.  She really wasn’t used to these heels but she should figure out how to walk in them.  She’d need them for her future job because she was determined to work in some professional capacity that utilized her degree.  And becoming a baby maker wasn’t a very good use of her education.  But even as she realized that she would need to acclimatize her poor feet to these shoes, she knew that she needed comfort in order to think today.  “A change of clothes would be wonderful.”

He raised his hand again and spoke into the radio to someone, she had no idea who and she suspected that Raulf wouldn’t tell her at this point.  He looked like the super-secret kind of guy. 

She looked down at the meal that hadn’t been touched by either herself or her father and she felt guilty.  Her father wasn’t the bad guy in this and he needed something to eat.  “Would you have a meal sent to my father’s office as well?  He didn’t have time to eat lunch before Tarek stormed in here and took over.”  She took a deep breath, trying to calm down.  She couldn’t get out of this mess unless she kept a cool head about her.

Twenty minutes later, she was shown to a bright, sunny room filled with white boards, a desk with a high tech laptop and a large printer as well as a brand new box of colored, dry erase markers.  “This is perfect,” she exclaimed.  Slipping her shoes off, she walked around to sit down at the desk.  Her fingers were hesitant at first, not completely sure how to do this kind of research, but after about a half hour, she had a system.  Pictures were put at the top of the board with pros and cons down below. 

She worked throughout the afternoon, laughing at some of her findings and, when she really didn’t like a candidate, she shredded the picture.  By the time the sun was starting to lower over the horizon, she had ten candidates for Tarek’s review, all of them taped to the top of the board with reasons why he should or shouldn’t accept the woman, her education, any other men she’d dated, her political views if she could determine them and any other assets that might be valuable to Tarek. 

Stepping back, she felt she’d been as thorough as possible in the time she had.  It was imperative that she convince him tonight before any announcement was sent out to the press. 

“You seem to have done a very thorough job, ma’am,” Raulf offered up.  “If you would like to change for dinner, all of your luggage from school and your boxes have been moved into one of the suites.  I have a maid unpacking them now.”

Kylie cringed, wishing he’d checked with her before giving that order.  Good grief, he had to know what she was doing.  He’d been standing in the room while she’d worked and she was pretty sure the man could read.  “That was probably premature.”  Glancing behind her at the information, she hoped she could avoid the need to unpack. “But lead the way.  I’ll inform the maid that I won’t be here long although it would be wonderful to get out of this suit for a while.”

She followed Raulf down the hallway to a beautiful suite with a lovely bathroom and a large bed.  Both looked inviting right now.  She’d had a long trip and a long day.  The stress of finding out she was engaged was more intense than she’d realized. 

She looked around, not sure where all of her clothes were.  But she found the closet easily enough and was surprised to find everything already unpacked and even ironed.  She grabbed a pair of jeans, laughing at the idea that someone thought jeans needed to be pressed, and a tee-shirt, also ironed and even folded with tissue paper.  Finding clean underwear was more of a challenge but when she opened one of the drawers, she found not just her own bras and underwear, but a huge assortment of new pairs, all of them delicate and gorgeous, sexier than anything she’d ever seen.  She pulled out a sheer pair of thong underwear, smiling at the idea of wearing something so naughty underneath her clothes.  She loved the idea! 

But she tossed the delicate material back into the drawer, not feeling brave enough for that piece of nothing.  Grabbing a white lace bra and panty set, she almost skipped into the bathroom to shower.  She used the wonderful shampoos and conditioner as well as the shower gels that made her feel decadent. After drying off, she pulled on her new underwear and turned to see herself in the mirror, loving the way it felt against her skin.  It was barely there and felt like sin! 

She blow-dried her hair, dabbed on a bit of makeup, then pulled on her jeans and tee-shirt.  She almost felt like a new woman.  A new, naughty woman, that is.

A pair of ballet flats, a fluff of her hair, and she was ready to venture out.  She thought about doing a bit more research on her lovely ladies, as she was now referring to them.  But decided that she needed a break.  She’d been staring at the computer screen for much too long today.  Time to have a bit of fun. 

She wandered down the hallway, finding her way into the game room.  There were several types of electronic games as well as pinball machines, all of which were dark at the moment.  But with a flick of her wrist, lights came on over the green covered pool table.  She selected a pool stick, racked up the balls and angled her first shot. 

With a mighty thwack, three balls went into the pockets.  Kylie nodded with satisfaction and moved around the table.  Over and over again, she lined up her shot, aimed and fired.  Each time, she went for more difficult points, forcing her mind to calculate the angles around other balls, working off of the sides or stationary balls.  If she missed, she didn’t really care since she was all alone.

Or so she thought.

Tarek leaned against the wall to the game room, his eyes moving over the incredibly round bottom of his new fiancée.  He still couldn’t believe what a beauty Kylie had turned out to be.  And she was smart too!  He’d reviewed her college transcripts, obtained by his security team, earlier today and was impressed. Kylie had taken some very high-level economics and finance classes as well as psychology and history.  She was a very well rounded candidate for any job and he would offer her a position within his government administration, if he didn’t already have a role for her as his wife. 

Each time she moved, he was able to enjoy another part of her incredibly sexy anatomy.  He would prefer a lower cut tee-shirt though because when she leaned over to take a shot while facing him, there wasn’t nearly enough skin showing to satisfy him.  Well, to be honest, nothing short of her completely naked and him inside of her wet, hot body was going to satisfy him.  And watching her now, he suspected that even getting that wasn’t going to satisfy him for long.  He’d been thinking about her all afternoon.  In every meeting he’d been distracted by the temptation of her full breasts, that nipple that he’d denied himself earlier and so much more. 

Just watching her, he found his body hardening in anticipation. 

It was going to have to be a short engagement, he realized.  There was no way he could make it for another year or two before he took her to his bed.  He wasn’t even sure he could make it for the next month!

“You missed,” he said when she shot the ball at a strange angle.  She’d been missing a lot of shots, he thought.  Perhaps she needed a lesson in how to play pool.  And he was just the man to do it! 

Taking his jacket off, he draped it along the back of a chair, then loosened his tie.  He’d showered and changed in anticipation of their dinner together, but when he’d stepped out of his suite and enquired as to her whereabouts, he’d been told she wasn’t waiting for him in the main salon. 

When he’d heard that she was here in the game room, he hadn’t known what to expect.  Finding her here, in jeans no less, had been a pleasant surprise.  And he had to agree with her venue, although he doubted she had getting to know each other in mind when she’d come in here.  But it was an excellent idea. 

“So do you want some tips?” he asked, moving closer. 

Kylie stared at him nervously as he closed the gap between the two of them.  “I’m pretty comfortable with what I know.”

A dark eyebrow went up with her declaration.  “Didn’t seem like you were putting in many.”

She eyed him carefully, feeling a competitive spirit rise up inside of her.  “Think you’re better than me?”

He was surprised, both by the sudden sparkle that entered her eyes as well as how it affected his body.  And he liked it.  “I know I am,” he laughed softly. 

“So…if I were to bet that I could beat you, what would you give me?”

He pulled back, looking down at her more carefully, then down at the pool table, still filled with more balls than not.  “What do you want?”

“How about…” she considered her options carefully, “If I win, you marry someone else.”

He threw back his head and laughed, delighted with her once again.  He liked that spirit and hadn’t anticipated that he would find that in his wife when all of this marriage business had been suggested.  But now, he was finding that he wasn’t dreading his wedding night.  In fact, he was eagerly anticipating it.  More than eager, actually.  “Not a chance.”

Her eyes widened with that.  “Why not?”

He moved in closer, noticing that her breath caught when he brushed her arm with his.  “You can honestly ask me that after that scene in the dining room earlier today?”

She waved her hand.  “That was a fluke,” she said, trying to dismiss it from her mind. 

He moved even closer.  “How about, for every ball you get into the pocket, you can argue the merits of one of the women you researched today.”

She pulled back, surprised by his offer as well as the realization that he’d known what she’d been working on all afternoon.  “You knew I was doing that?”

“I even saw your white boards,” he told her with a chuckle. 

She thought that was a pretty good deal.  If she were articulate enough and watched his reactions carefully to figure out which of her ladies sparked his interest, he might just decide on another woman.  “Okay.  I’ll take that bet,” she said. 

“And for every ball I put into a pocket, I get to kiss you.”

She didn’t think that was a very fair deal and her body immediately started shivering, ready to reject the offer.

He interrupted her before she could say anything.  “If that kiss was a fluke, then you have nothing to fear, right?” His dark eyes lit on her hazel ones and he knew she was trying to figure out an alternative to another kiss.  But he wasn’t going to let her out of it.  He wanted to taste her lips again, to feel her soft breasts pressing against him.  Hell, he wanted all of her. 

Kylie was breathless for a moment as she anticipated the idea.  But surely it had been a fluke right?  A second kiss couldn’t be that intense.  It was only a surprised, unexpected spark that would diminish on the second kiss.  “I’m not afraid of you,” she countered, but she stepped around the corner of the table, just to be safe.

His eyes heated up in anticipation of refuting that claim.  “You shouldn’t be afraid of me.  I won’t ever hurt you.”

She snorted and started racking up the balls.  “You’re on,” she said, already starting to calculate her strategy for how to place the balls in difficult angles so he couldn’t get one in. 

“I’ll even be a gentleman and let you break.”

She thought about rejecting the offer but stopped herself at the last minute.  If he was going to concede that, then she’d take it.  She lined up her stick and forced her mind to think only of the green table and the white ball. 

With her first shot, she sunk four balls.  Turning to face him, she smiled smugly up at his surprised expression.  That will show him for thinking she was a pool hall novice! 

Tarek instantly realized that he’d been played.  She was good, he thought.  Very good.  But he didn’t mind.  He knew how to get back in control.

He moved around the table, standing directly in front of her and watched the pulse race at the base of her throat.  “You were faking it when I walked in, weren’t you?” he asked in a low, amused voice. 

His deep, gravelly voice turned her on but she ignored that, trying to pretend that she wasn’t intimidated or nervous.  Pasting a bright smile on her face, she slipped away from him, moving to her next point on the other side of the table.  “No.  I was practicing the difficult shots.  You just assumed I was an idiot.”

He watched as she bent lower, lining up her next shot. In went another ball and he had to be impressed.  “You really know how to jack the ball, huh?” he asked, watching as the cue ball jumped over his striped ball and knocked her solid colored ball into the pocket.

She ignored him and moved to take her next position.  “You’re in my way,” she told him as she approached the side where the next easiest ball would line up.

He looked down at her.  “You need me to move?” he asked, slowly leaning forward so that she had to lean back or touch him. 

Kylie was startled and it threw her off.  What was he doing?  Why was he this close?  Surely he wouldn’t…

She swallowed, looking at his lips, then up into those mysterious, dark eyes.  “Yes,” she said, but her voice broke as she smelled his clean, male scent. 

He leaned even closer, not caring that he wasn’t playing fair.  As far as he was concerned, all was fair in love and war and this woman was battling him for love which made both parts apply.  “So are you going to ask me nicely?”  His nose nuzzled the delicate, sensitive shell of her ear and his lips moved even closer so he was almost whispering in her ear. 

She took a deep breath and started to move back but he only wrapped his arm around her waist and twisted around, smoothly placing her where he’d just been standing.  “There you go,” he told her and moved down to the end of the pool table. 

What a cheater, she thought!  The man was diabolical and, as she looked up into his eyes, he knew exactly what he’d done to her!  That touch, his hard body pressed so intimately against hers, caused her concentration to fly out the window.  No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop the trembling in her hands.  She tried to line up her shot but the pool stick flew over the cue ball, barely even skimming it. 

“I guess it’s my turn.”  He didn’t laugh or say anything to indicate that he knew his touch had caused her to lose control.  But they both knew the score.

He moved into position and looked around at the table.  “You really put me in jail, didn’t you?” he asked, looking at her with a wink.  Being “in jail” meant that there wasn’t a good ball that could easily go into a pocket.  No good shot.  He wasn’t worried though.  He looked over at her, noticed her teeth mauling her lower lip and he smiled.  Bending low, he moved slightly to his left, lined up the shot and skimmed the ball.  It bounced off of the side then into the middle, tapping one of his balls into the pocket. 

“That’s one kiss,” he said and put his pool stick down on the edge of the table.  A moment later, she realized what he was about to do and tried to stop him by putting her hand up and backing away from him frantically.  “You can’t collect now!” she cried out. 

He smoothly shook his head as he stalked her around the table.  “That wasn’t part of the deal.  We agreed, one kiss for each ball sunk.  No timeline was established.”

With that, he pulled her into his arms and his mouth covered hers before she could protest.  She didn’t even have time to brace herself before that wild heat hit her.  It was almost as if all the need she’d suppressed after their lunchtime interlude roared right back to life again, essentially knocking her backwards. 

Her hands grabbed his shoulders, initially just because he’d pulled her off balance but then because she was completely out of breath, out of her element and off balance because of his kiss.  The way his mouth moved over hers was so erotic, so tempting and shocking!  She wasn’t exactly sure what to do, how to respond so when he showed her how, she mimicked his movements.  His reaction this time both frightened and excited her because it was so quick and so intense.  She felt almost light-headed when he lifted away from her. 

Tarek watched as she slowly regained focus and almost smiled at how cute she looked.  He couldn’t though, because he was so painfully turned on by the way she’d kissed him.  A woman shouldn’t kiss like that unless she was…no, that wasn’t fair, he told himself as he slid his hands back down to her waist.  She didn’t know what she was doing.  He remembered her hesitation, her innocent, almost clumsy response initially and how she’d simply repeated his own motions while kissing.  That was what had gotten him in trouble, showing her how to kiss.  He wouldn't do that again anytime soon.  His body couldn’t take much more of her innocent seduction. 

“I believe it is your turn,” he told her. 

Kylie blinked, trying to remember what was going on.  Her turn?  Her turn at what?  Her eyes dropped to his lips and she thought about moving over to him and…

Huh?  She blinked, looking around her.  Kylie suddenly realized what she was thinking and blushed, turning her head away.  Pool!  Yes, it was her turn at pool. 

No, it was his turn, wasn’t it?  He’d just sunk a ball.  But, if she gave him another shot, and he sunk another ball, was he going to kiss her again?

She picked up her pool stick with shaking fingers, not willing to give him another chance.  If he was conceding his turn, she’d take it. 

Looking around the table, she wasn’t sure what to do.  It wasn’t just her fingers that were shaking now.  Her whole body was shaking, her knees were trembling and her mind was mush. 

She spotted his smug smile and knew he was counting on her being flustered. 

With determination and several deep breaths, she pushed the kiss from her mind and focused on the pool table, trying to figure out an easy ball to sink.  There!  By the corner, she thought.  Moving closer, she lined up her shot and sunk the ball.  Whew!

“That was an easy one,” he told her as he leaned against the wall where the pool sticks were stored.

What could she say?  She silently agreed with him.  But she didn’t care.  That was six balls, six women he had to hear about. 

Tarek watched with growing fascination as she surveyed the table.  Did she even realize that her tongue was sticking out the side of her mouth?  Or that her butt looked absolutely delectable in those jeans?  Had she planned this? 

Probably not, which only made it sexier.  He liked her in jeans.  He loved the way she moved with unconscious grace and a slight swish to her hips that looked hot as hell. 

She missed on her next shot and he moved into place.  With one hit, two balls fell into the pockets and she looked up at him warily.  He laughed at her expression.  “I’ll hold off for now and collect later.” 

Kylie swallowed, wondering how she was going to get through this night.  She’d never be able to endure eight of those kisses if he was able to sink all of his balls into the pockets.  She’d be a goner! 

Looking at the table, she thought frantically.  If she could get her balls sunk first, the game would be over.  She had two more to do.  She could do this. 

He was lining up his next shot and she waited for just the right moment.  Just as he pulled back, in a conversational tone she said, “Your energy policies are going to ruin your country,” she said and smiled smugly when his ball went on a random path, barely knocking some of his and her balls but none went into a pocket.  They then spent the next twenty minutes arguing about his economic policies, how they tied into energy issues and domestic problems, completely ignoring the game in progress. 

“You’re just stalling, aren’t you?” he finally asked when there was a pause in the argument. 

He looked down at her and she felt only slightly bad for the argument.  It had given her a reprieve in a way, but it had also stimulated her intellect.  And no, she hadn’t created the argument to stall the game.  She’d only meant to cause him to miss his shot. 

But now that they’d gone through all the pros and cons of his energy policy, she thought he had a darn good strategy.  She couldn’t help but admire the reasons behind why he was doing some things, even if she’d disagreed with it before this moment.  “My turn,” she called out and moved into place, not giving him credit for his sound policy, just moving back to the game. 

She sank one more ball, only one more left on the table when she stupidly looked up at him.  He had been quiet the whole time but when she found him, leaning against the wall, she realized that he was staring at her butt! 

And that was the end of the game.  She couldn’t get her last ball to go where it was supposed to go, no matter how much she told herself to focus.  So on his next turn, she was still so frazzled, she couldn’t think of any way to distract him. 

“I win,” he told her smoothly as he sunk his last ball.  “I’ll collect the rest of my payment later.  Let’s go eat.  I’m starving.”

He took her hand and led her down the long hallway to the dining room.  As soon as she entered, she felt her eyes move to the place on the table where he’d kissed her.  She knew exactly where her bottom had landed and where he’d….

She blushed and took her seat, spreading her napkin onto her lap then taking a long sip of the ice water. 

“What’s for dinner?” she asked.

“I never know what the chef is going to prepare,” he told her, nodding to the wait staff who quickly brought out covered dishes. 

At the moment, Kylie was too relieved that he wasn’t going to collect on the pool debt.  And she was starving as well since she’d skipped lunch.  She should be exhausted since she’d flown half way around the world, but there was something energizing about Tarek.  Sleep was the last thing on her mind at the moment. 

“Oh my, this smells delicious,” she said as the waiter placed a plate in front of her piled high with shrimp and scallops still sizzling in the butter.  “Is that saffron rice?” she asked, eagerly anticipating the nutty flavor of saffron.  It was so hard to get and so expensive! 

“I suppose,” he replied, watching her with amusement as she tasted the rice first.  Most people went for the seafood but his future wife wanted the rice.  Go figure. 

She felt his eyes on her and was self-conscious, not sure what he might be thinking now.  So she just started chatting, spouting the first fact she could come up with.  “Did you know that it takes seventy-five thousand crocus flowers to get only one pound of saffron?”

“Really?” he asked, intrigued despite himself.  He picked up his fork and tasted the rice himself.  It really was spectacular.  “This is good,” he agreed. 

She was babbling nervously, but couldn’t seem to stop spouting the inane factoids.  “The spice comes from the three stigmas on the flower which has to be harvested by hand.  There’s no way to pull the spice off of the plant with a machine, which is why it is so expensive.”

“What else do you know about cooking?” he asked.

She shrugged and shook her head, relieved that he wasn’t teasing her for being nervous around him. “I know how to press the buttons on the microwave.  But I’m not a big fan of cooking.  I like eating though,” she smiled and stabbed a tender scallop that was perfectly seasoned.  “Oh my!  This is so good!”

They argued about politics for most of the meal and Kylie once again had to give him credit for understanding much more than his policies might indicate.  He’d balanced so many interests, trying to find the best solution for the most people. 

As dessert was served, the conversation yielded to more personal issues, preferences and dislikes, social problems and family issues, both of them having large families with lots of aunts, uncles, cousins and more distant relations, which automatically came with family stress, support and problems. 

When the waiter brought out brandy, she took her glass and leaned back against the back of the chair, looking at him with renewed interest.  “I didn’t agree with a lot of your policies before today.  But I’ll give you credit. I’m impressed.”

He bowed his head in acceptance of her praise, laughter in his eyes.  “I’m so glad to have you on board with my opinions.”  He put his napkin onto the table.  “Shall we move into the salon so you can explain to me what you did all afternoon?”

Kylie had to admit that she was a bit more reluctant now.  But then she remembered her history with this man.  And the way he’d selected her to be his wife.  Instantly, her resolve was reinforced. “Yes.  Let’s do that,” she said, the smile dropping from her eyes.