Page 13 of The Sheik's Kiss

“Do you enjoy your job?” she asked, shifting the focus away from her.

He shrugged. “I didn’t really have a choice of careers.”

She blinked, startled. “But…you…?” she stammered, not sure what she was trying to ask.

“I sort of fell into it after my father’s passing,” he teased, repeating the words she’d used to describe how she’d discovered her love of forensic accounting.

Mandy laughed, but it was short and self-conscious. “But surely there are some aspects of your work that you find enjoyable, right?”

He shrugged again. “I was raised to rule Sidrina. I don’t know any differently.”

“How is one raised for one specific job?”

“Tutors, mainly. I had a nanny when I was a toddler. Then a governess when I turned five years old. After that, I had a series of tutors that taught me various subjects, and then I was sent off to boarding school in Switzerland. After that, I went to Oxford University and then I came home to rule alongside my father. He passed away about five years ago and,” he waved his fork dismissively. “The rest is history.”

Mandy opened her mouth to reply, but before she could speak, a knock sounded on the door. A moment later, Masri, Zahir’s personal assistant poked his head into the room. “I apologize for interrupting, Your Highness, but that phone call you’ve been waiting on has come through.”

Mandy immediately stood up, grabbing her bag and the files. “I shouldn’t have taken up so much of your time, Your Highness. I know that you’re very busy.” She started towards the door, but she paused and turned back.

“It was a pleasure dining with you, Ms. Sullivan,” he replied, standing as well.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” she started to say.

“For what?”

She opened her mouth, then hesitated, thought about her answer, then said, “When you first came to me and told me about finding a new fiancée so quickly after your broken engagement, I was upset. I judged you as unfeeling and cold.” She tightened her grip on the stack of folders, feeling awful. “But I get it now. I understand and I will do whatever I can to help you.”

After delivering her apology, Mandy turned and rushed out of the room. She made her way towards the front of the plane, hoping that it would be an appropriate place to sit down and work. She found an empty chair and sank down into the soft leather. The seat was smaller than the one she’d just left, but still much more comfortable than the cramped, tiny spaces on a commercial flight.

It took her several minutes to pull herself together. But finally, she was able to concentrate and get to work.

Zahir was only half listening to his phone conversation with the prime minister. His thoughts centered on Mandy and her parting words. What did she understand? What had he revealed to her? Mentally, he reviewed their conversation, but he had to admit that he’d been more focused on the shifting expressions on her lovely features. She was a beautiful woman and Zahir doubted that she was aware of her appeal. Plus, she hid behind dark, stiff suits, as if wearing something more feminine might diminish her professional appearance.

Perhaps it would. She was so lovely, that maybe she needed the stiff suits to be respected. He knew that, despite several leaps forward in women’s issues, they still faced constant challenges in the work force.

For the next several hours, he worked with only half of his normal concentration. He wanted to speak with Mandy again, to find out if she’d made any progress or if she had any thoughts about the potential candidates in the files he’d handed her.

Unfortunately, there was no break in his schedule. It didn’t matter that he was flying thirty thousand feet over the earth. The plane had state of the art technology that allowed him to run the government no matter where he was.

His intense schedule had never bothered him before. And he wasn’t bothered now, so much as wishful of a few more private moments with Mandy. However, he’d had more time with her this morning than probably ten other people combined today.

He’d find more time to be with her once they’d landed. He would tell his assistant to block out time every day once he was back home.

Chapter 3

“Are you the matchmaker?” Mandy asked, extending her hand to greet the lovely woman. Instant envy struck Mandy as she stared at the other woman. She had beautiful blond hair that cascaded over her shoulders in soft straight lines. Her blue eyes and the dimple on her left cheek when she smiled added character and a quirkiness that Mandy would never achieve.

“I’m Raven Markley,” she began. “I’m actually a psychologist, but my specialty is behavioral analysis.” Mandy opened her mouth to ask, but Raven lifted her hand, stopping her question. “Yes. Just like on the FBI television show. And yes, I used to help the FBI track down serial killers, but,” she grimaced, “I burned out. This is a much more interesting, and less stressful, job.”

Plus, she was nice! Damn her, the woman seemed genuinely nice! Mandy wanted to hate her for being so beautiful. But her smile was completely genuine and her eyes bright as she shook hands.

“Wow! I can’t imagine what it was like hunting down serial killers.”

Raven sighed, followed by a derisive chuckle. “It was both incredible and horrifying. The mind of a killer is truly shocking.”

Mandy nodded her agreement. “So now you help people find their perfect mate?”

Raven nodded, clasping her hands together. “It’s just as rewarding. I enjoy interviewing people and figuring out who the best match is for certain people. So far, I have an eighty-five percent success rate.”

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