Page 18 of The Sheik's Embrace

“Arabic was harder.”

“Arabic and English are very difficult languages to learn.”

“Kaia and I studied the verbs together, then went to the library and watched videos,” she admitted. “It was harder, but whenever Kaia and I learned a new language, we spoke only that language to each other. It helped us learn things faster.”

“That’s impressive.” He stood up and came to her side. “I’m serious about marriage, Tara. You are a very beautiful woman. Not only that, I’m sexually attracted to you.” He took her hands. “I suspect that you are attracted to me as well, am I correct?”

She stared up into his eyes, swallowed hard, then nodded slowly.

“Good.” He lifted her hands again. “How about this? Why don’t we finish work today and, no matter what happensduring the day, we will have dinner together, just the two of us, tonight?”

She smiled, amused by his suggestion. “Didn’t you try to have a quiet dinner last night?”

He gave her a teasingly mock glare. “Yes, and I believe you are the one who scheduled the ambassador to speak with me over dinner, thereby escaping a private conversation with me.”

She blushed again and Zayed was learning to truly enjoy that telltale sign.

“Do you deny it?”

She shrugged and looked away.

“I thought so.” He chuckled and tucked her arm onto his elbow. “Also, since the people in your apartment aren’t related to you, I will have the police arrest them.”

“For what?” she asked, intrigued. “Elijah truly believes that he’s my husband. He honestly believes that he has the right to enter my apartment.”

“Delusions aren’t justification for breaking the law, Tara. I don’t care if he believes he is king of the jungle. He broke into your home and that’s against the law.”

She shrugged, obviously unconcerned. Then she stopped and looked at him again. “He wasn’t alone?”

“I’m sorry?”

“You said that you’d arrest them. Not him.”

“Right.” Zayed shrugged. “I don’t know who is living in the place, but I was under the impression that he had some people with him.”

Her eyes were wide and terrified then. “It wasn’t Ethan, was it?” she whispered.

“I don’t know, but I’ll find out. I can attend the interrogation personally.”

“You can’t! You’re not law enforcement!”

He blinked at her, then threw back his head and laughed. “Tara, you know who I am, right?”

“Of course I do. You’re the ruler of Pitra.”

His laughter softened to a chuckle. “Exactly. So if I want to sit in on a police interrogation, I guarantee that no one will stop me.”

She rolled her eyes as she slipped away to her office. “Don’t abuse your power, Your Highness.”

“Oh, and that’s another thing,” he started, leaning against the frame of her office doorway. “Since we are officially engaged, you need to call me Zayed.”

A moment later, he stepped out of her office, whistling as he walked down the hallway to his first meeting. Hell, he wasn’t even sure where his next meeting was being held since Tara usually directed him. And she was looking beautifully stunned back in her office.

Didn’t matter that he might be heading in the wrong direction. He felt good!

Chapter 17

Elijah huffed as he watched his sister and mother being lead to a police car. He’d gone out for a walk in the park down the street, trying to clear his head. He’d arrived back at Tara’s apartment building just in time to see his womenfolk being arrested!

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