Page 11 of The Sheik's Embrace

Zayed’s eyebrows furrowed. “So, who is in her apartment?”

“I don’t know, Your Highness. I want to bring them in for questioning, but thought I should check in with you first.”

Zayed thought about that for a moment. “Send the police over and ask for identification. In the meantime, I’ll check in with Tara and see if she has any additional information on who might have invaded her home under the pretense of searching for a lost wife.”

Chapter 12

Tara stared wide-eyed at the new message. “Did you receive the hamburgers? Satisfaction Survey Request”

They were here? Good grief, Tara’s fingers trembled as she typed a response. “Cereal was delicious. Always perfect for dinner.”

Then she stuffed the phone away and hurried to her office.

Unfortunately, she’d had her head down instead of looking where she was going, worrying about Kaia. What message could she send that would encourage Kaia to get away from that horrid place? Kaia needed to live her own life and not worry about Tara. But…?

“Oomph!”

Strong hands gripped her upper arms and Tara looked up into the dark eyes of Zayed.

Instantly, she realized her gaffe. “I’m so sorry, Your Highness!” she gasped. “I wasn’t paying attention and just…I’m just so sorry. That kind of lack of awareness won’t happen again.”

The grip on her arms softened, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he moved closer.

“Run into me anytime you want,” he said, his voice low and…was his voice more gravelly than usual? She wasn’t sure, nor could she really focus on that since he was so close. She wanted to step closer, to feel his arms wrap around her. She wanted to feel his heart beat in his massive chest. She wanted…!

Clearing her throat, she stepped back, using her free hand to smooth down her grey dress.

“I have your…,” she started to say.

“We need to talk,” he announced, interrupting her litany of morning meetings and people that wanted to speak with him. “Let’s go into my office. Chaid is going to join us. He has some information.”

Tara’s heart thudded in panic. Had she done something wrong? Oh no! He’d discovered that she’d slept in his office last night! Wracking her brain, she tried to figure out…the blanket! She’d woken up warm and cozy only to realize that there was a blanket draped over her! Had Zayed found a blanket and covered her?

No, maybe one of the security guards had discovered her. Zayed had asked her to join him for dinner last night, but then the ambassador had arrived and those plans had changed. She’d been relieved when she’d been allowed to retreat from the diner invitation, although she couldn’t put her finger on why. She and Zayed had shared many meals over the two years she’d worked for him. Although, those had been working meetings. Last night’s invitation had seemed…more personal, somehow.

So maybe the guard who had found her and covered her with the blanket had reported that she’d violated the sanctity of Zayed’s office. Obviously, that information had been brought to Zayed’s attention.

“Darn it!” she whispered, following meekly into his office.

Chapter 13

Zayed watched as Tara stood in front of him, trembling, her chin wobbling with whatever terrible thoughts were flashing through her head.

“Tara, you’ve done nothing wrong,” he told her in as gentle a tone as possible. “You should know by now that I consider you to be a very valuable…member of my staff.” He looked up just in time to see Chaid’s eyes shift. Had the head of his security division just rolled his eyes?

Zayed made a mental note to speak with the man later.

Turning back to Tara, he stepped closer. “Tara, I ordered someone to go to your apartment yesterday. They discovered…” he stopped because he realized that Tara had stopped breathing. Tilting his head, he asked, “Do you already know what they found?”

“Was it…?” she asked, but her voice choked before she could utter the last part of her question.

“Your building manager unlocked the door for a man who claimed he was looking for his wife and that his wife lived in your apartment. There were two women with him, but they didn’t identify themselves. Do you know anything about someone married to a man from Kentucky? Isn’t that where you’re from?”

She swallowed and he saw tears fill her green eyes. “Yes, Your Highness. I’m from Kentucky. And yes, I know my husband is looking for me.”

Zayed heard the words, but he couldn’t process them in his brain. Husband? Tara was married? She had a husbandthat was searching for her?! But…Chaid had searched for her marriage certificate! There hadn’t been one!

He glanced over at his head of security, but he was equally stunned.

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