Page 31 of The Sheik's Kiss

However, after the hacking incident yesterday, he’d have to stop the projects, he thought. Just until he knew who was behind the hacking. He’d deal with them the same way he’d dealt with all of the others who had interfered with his secret efforts.

Thinking through the projects, he suddenly realized that he couldn’t stop the contracts. The projects were more than halfway through in most cases, so stopping them would create a buzz. People would start asking questions. And audits! He’d kept projects going because there was always an audit at the end of every contract!

He could…? Hasan hit the side of his head, trying to come up with a plan.

The money from the kickbacks was in a separate account under his aunt’s name. Plus, all the money from the illegal contracts had been pulled in from different government agencies, he reassured himself. Also, that account was protected by a different country’s laws. So, maybe he was safe? Maybe those additional payments from the contractors wouldn’t be discovered! Even if the hacker was to look into his bank accounts, whoever was spying on him wouldn’t know about the accounts in Switzerland and Grand Cayman.

Yes, that was possible. But what if that bitch started asking questions? What if she already knew about the side income that he’d created for himself? What if she’d been the one to hack into his computer?

It wouldn’t be a problem, he told himself as he continued pacing. Biting his thumbnail, he worked through the excuses in his mind. His aunt lived in Switzerland. He could fly out there today and…and what?

Kill her. Yes, that sounded like a good plan. His aunt was wealthy after marrying that businessman several decades ago. First, if anyone asked about the bank account or if they discovered the renovations that were being done on his home, he would just tell the authorities that his aunt loved him and sent him extra money. And if she were to…oh, say, fall down a staircase, well, that happened to older people a lot! They didn’t have good balance. Everyone knew that. If the old woman died, then she couldn’t tell the auditors that she wasn’t the source of Hasan’s additional income.

It sounded like the perfect plan, Hasan decided.

If this woman, this stranger to their world, was going to come into his domain and investigate, and all evidence points to that happening right now, then Hasan needed a plan. A rich, adoring aunt was the perfect excuse for the extra cash that he was spending.

Yes, Aunt Odelia would be the perfect justification for his new-found wealth, especially since the money from the contracts was under her name.

Chuckling, Hasan sighed with relief now that he had a plan.

Maybe he should get rid of the bitch too. Yes, he could lure this new foreigner out of the palace and…and what kind of accident could he organize? He had several men that would do whatever he commanded of them, for the right price. Maybe a car accident? Wasn’t there a restaurant or a bar located right across the street from the palace? He’d heard about several palace employees talking about it. They would go there after meetings at the palace, bragging about all of the tasks they were working on. Everyone who crossed the street and entered that place reveled in the prestige that came with meetings at the palace.

Yes, that would work. If the woman was going to interfere with his business, then he was going to interfere with her life!

Hasan felt no guilt at organizing an “accident” for the bitch who was messing with his plans. After being promoted to the head of Urban Affairs and all of the ridiculously juicy, well-funded projects that fell under his purview, he’d lived a very comfortable life for the past ten years. Who cared if a bit of extra cash came into his possession? He did his job and no one was actually getting hurt.

Until now!

Chapter 9

“Zahir, we shouldn’t–” Mandy stopped as a servant appeared with a bottle of wine. She waited patiently while the man poured the wine, her body still tingling.

She heard Zahir chuckle, but couldn’t look at him.

Lifting her glass, she took a delicious sip of the perfectly chilled, white wine, then carefully set the glass back down on the table.

“Please share the joke, Your Highness. I’m not sure that we–”

Another servant stepped into the room, placing a bowl of soup in front of each of them.

With a frustrated sigh, Mandy waited while the servant ground pepper with a flourish over each of their bowls, then disappeared again.

“We should be left alone for at least five minutes,” Zahir explained, lifting his spoon as he watched her carefully.

Mandy was uncomfortable under his intense perusal. Or maybe she was uncomfortable that he could so easily do…that…to her. She felt…out of control. Yes, that was it. She didn’t like that he could…!

“Talk to me, Mandy,” he urged. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I can see that you’re upset.”

She wiggled in her chair and set the soup spoon down, unable to sample what was most likely a delicious soup because her hand was shaking.

Her cheeks heated and Mandy hated that she was so transparent. “I don’t like…,” she stopped, trying to find the words to explain her issue.

“Are you about to say that you didn’t like what I just did to you?” he offered.

“Yes!” she snapped. The amused expression in his eyes made her realize what she’d just said. “No, of course I enjoyed it.” She huffed a bit. “I don’t like that you can just…take me into a room and make me feel so out of control, Zahir.”

He chuckled and that sound sent a sharp stab of longing through her.

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