Page 4 of The Sheik's Embrace

Tara was stunned for a moment, not sure what he meant. Then she jumped in surprise, her startled eyes lifting to look into his darker gaze.

“I’msosorry, Your Highness,” she gasped, bowing her head as she’d seen the servants do when they’d addressed him. She’d never gone all submissive on him like this before.

But then, she’d never made such an egregious mistake like ogling the man before.

His soft, husky laughter soothed her in an odd way. He proceeded to his desk, then did a little shake of his head, almost as if he’d changed his mind. And even that was an odd reaction. Sheik Zayed el Mastrion was a perpetually decisive man! He was able to absorb massive amounts of information, evaluate everything, and issue instructions immediately.

His decision making abilities had fascinated Tara from the moment she’d started working for him.

“Come sit with me, Tara,” he commanded, his voice soft, but that bite of authority was there.

She almost rebelled against that tone, but then she remembered how kind and generous he was. So instead of snapping at him, or taking a swing at him, she moved jerkily towards the sofa and chairs. He patted the leather cushion next to him, but she chose one of the leather chairs, perching primly on the edge. Then she opened her notebook, slipped the pen out of its leather loop, and looked at him, waiting for instructions.

Immediately, he shook his head. “This isn’t about work, Tara. And you know it.” He shifted, leaning forward with his elbows propped on his knees, his long, lean fingers dangling between them. “I want you to explain that message you received during the council meeting and why it scared you so badly.”

Darn it. She lifted her eyebrows questioningly. “The message?” she queried. "Fake it," she reminded herself silently. She and Kaia had mastered the art of feigning innocence, confusion, contriteness—whatever emotion the situation demanded for a swift escape. Since their escape, the sisters had become adept at wearing masks, skillfully diverting unwanted questions and shielding the secrets they preferred to keep buried.

“I don’t know why someone would deliver hamburgers to me.”

His lips pressed together for a moment and Tara suspected that he was trying not to laugh.

Tara shifted on her chair, her pen poised over her notebook. “I imagine the message was meant for someone else. Nothing to be concerned about.”

“Except for the fact that, whatever that message meant, the coded warning sent you into a closet, Tara,” he argued. “Which begs the question, why are you hiding your fear from me?” He leaned closer. “You know that I’ll protect you from whatever might harm you, right? You know that I will never let anyone hurt you.”

She smiled, warmed by his words as well as the kindness he always showed her. Not many people got to see this side of Zayed. He had to be strong and fearless in front of his people and his advisors. The political machinations within the palace were constantly shifting and changing. Zayed rose above the manipulations, letting some plots move forward while squashing others if they didn’t serve his purposes.

It was yet another nuance of the man that she…respected. Tara needed to stop thinking about her feelings for him. They were pointless and could put him in danger if…well, that wouldn’t happen! It couldn’t!

“Your Highness, I am here to serveyou. It is my duty to protect you as much as possible.” She tapped her pen against her notebook. “Not the other way around.”

“I beg to differ, Tara. You are…,” he paused, searching for a word.

Tara filled in the silence for him. “I’m an employee.”

He tilted his head slightly. “Do you really think that’s all you are to me?”

She shrugged and looked down, praying that her longing wouldn’t show in her eyes. Longing for this man, for who he was behind the world leader facade. She longed for the strength and the gentleness he rarely allowed anyone to see. Zayed adeptly hid that aspect of his personality, but she felt privileged to have seen it. She knew it was there, influencing his decisions.

“I’m merely your personal assistant, Your Highness. That’s all.”

“You think so?” he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s notallyou are to me, Tara. And you’re going to understand that very soon.” He stood up and walked over to his desk, Tara following, her pen at the ready. He spouted off a list of instructions and she wrote them all down, adding her own notes on the side. Then he finished, “And I’ll need you to take notes over dinner tonight as well.”

She added that to her growing list as well. “Who will be at dinner tonight?” she asked, mentally reviewing his calendar. There wasn’t an official dinner tonight, but that often changed during his meetings. Sometimes, he’d issue instructions to one of his directors, then invite them to dinner so that they could discuss the situation further.

“You,” was all he said. “What’s next on my agenda?”

Tara was startled for a moment, but quickly looked down at the day’s schedule she kept pinned to her notebook. “You are speaking with the finance minister in,” she glanced at the time, “three minutes to go over last quarter’s employment numbers. After that, Ambassador Chillan asked for time with you.”

“That’s fine.” He moved towards the door, heading to the conference room. “What are we having for dinner?”

Tara was stumped. He’d never asked that question before. “I don’t know, Your Highness, but I’ll find out at once. I’ll let you know by the end of your finance meeting.”

He nodded his approval, stopping with his hand on the knob to the conference room. “What’s your favorite meal?”

Tara stopped, her mouth falling open. “My…?” she halted, shaking her head to try and dislodge her confusion. “I don’t think I have one.”

He stared at her for a moment and Tara could tell he knew she was lying.

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