Prologue
Zadir’s feet pounded, left right left right left, on the treadmill inside the palace gym. He was sick of running but going nowhere, yet the physical therapist assured him this would help him heal. Heal. What a joke. There was no healing from what he’d done and he knew it. He would be lucky if his father ever trusted him again. As it stood now, he could barely even look at him and found they had next to nothing to talk about.
Six months ago he’d smashed his car into a brick wall, well a brick home to be more specific about it. After surgery, a concussion and several broken ribs he was finally get back to normal. Physically. The other damage was harder to repair. Rashid had paid to fix the home he’d slammed into, even though no one had told him to. He scoffed as he ran, thinking about the day the family had shown up—with flowers—to thank him for repairing their home. The home he’d smashed into. Instead of looking like a callous jerk, he smiled and told them it was the least he could do. They’d been so grateful that long after they left, he’d felt guilty. If Rashid, the good brother, hadn’t seen to it they would have been left homeless because they couldn’t afford a lengthy hotel stay.
That was nothing compared to the cost he’d had to pay. His heart raced as his speed increased. He was on the final leg of his daily run and smiled when there wasn’t even a twinge of pain in his ribs. “Thank goodness.”
At least something was going right for him. His father, holding Alzari Holdings hostage, insisted he move back into the palace until his reputation has been suitably rehabilitated. If he chose to live elsewhere, he would forfeit his birthright as CEO of Alzari Holdings. He hated it, but damn he wanted that job. It was his. He’d been preparing for it his entire life. To get it, he would now have to please his babysitter when all he really wanted to do was please her.
Zadir shook his head, beads of sweat flinging from his now too long wavy black hair and slowed the treadmill to a stop. He reached for his towel, wincing at the pain that lanced through his midsection, and draped it over his face. The sound of heels, very tall heels, on the floor alerted him that he had a visitor. He smiled when Shala walked into the gym, looking out of place and twenty different kinds of sexy in a teal dress that left her arms bare and the black stilettos she wore gave her petite frame endless bronze legs, which he ogled mercilessly. “Shala, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
She sighed to rein in her temper. They both knew that her presence in his life was not a pleasure. “Are you ready for tonight?” She crossed her arms and looked up at him, trying to avoid staring at the way the muscles in his arms bunched with every move.
Zadir groaned at the mention of his twin brother’s engagement party. Tonight was the official party to announce the fact that the golden boy would soon be married. What Jovanbar and the rest of the world didn’t know, was that Rashid would soon be Sheikh. He had already withdrawn from Winchester because their father was sick and wished to step down and seek treatment in private. “Must I attend?”
Shala sighed and pasted a small smile on her face. “You know the answer to that Zadir. Rashid is your brother and Sabrina is your only friend, why wouldn’t you celebrate with them?”
He looked her over. Shala had turned into a beautiful woman with curves for days and all he thought about was how he could get her into bed. “You should be my date.”
After a beat, she finally answered. “I’ll be there in a professional capacity, so I’ll be there to keep an eye on you.”
He scowled. “I don’t want you to keep an eye on me, dammit! I want you on my arm.”
A small gasp escaped her cherry red mouth. “You can’t say things like that, Zadir. We have a strictly professional relationship and I think we should keep it that way.”
He raised an eyebrow at her, disbelief written all over his face. “Is that really what you want?” Her answer took too long to touch her lips and Zadir stepped off the treadmill and took the spot mere inches in front of her. His mossy green gaze was fixed on her, never moving not even when he removed his shirt to show off his newly sculpted body. It was the one good thing that came from the past six months. Zadir was now ripped after hours in the gym and seemingly endless physical therapy. He didn’t miss the flash of desire in Shala’s eyes, and a satisfied smile was his only response. Her eyes were on him as he walked way, he felt the way they bored into his back muscles and down his tapered waist to rest on his ass. It was a great ass. He stopped and turned, giving her a wink when he caught her staring. “I’ll pick you up at six thirty,” he called to her.
“I never agreed to anything,” she shouted at his retreating back.
He heard the playfulness in her voice and it reminded him of the shy girl from years ago. “You’ll agree. After all,” he turned with a cheeky smile, “who knows what kind of trouble I might find without proper supervision?”
She glared at him, her amber eyes glittering.
His laughter echoed down the hall until it finally disappeared into a hidden stairwell that lead back up to the palace.