Page 11 of Hiding in the Sheik's Arms

A mystery for another day, Joran told himself. It occurred to him that palace life might be more intriguing than he’d thought growing up. Perhaps he would stick around for a while. Just long enough to figure out what Tasha was hiding and discover why his former step-mother had hidden away a daughter.

Perhaps he should also stick around to help this new half-sister get over her grief. Joran remembered his own mother and how devastated he’d been after her death. When their father passed away as well, it had been Khal who had helped Joran and Raj through the devastation. Khal, always the strong, solid member of their family, had hugged his brothers tightly and told them that they would be fine.

If Joran ever got married, and that was a very big “if” he thought, then Joran wanted to teach his sons to be good brothers, like Khal.

Then something occurred to him. Had he been a good brother in return? Khal shouldered all of the responsibility for running the country on his admittedly broad and capable shoulders. But Khal had looked tired before he’d left the office. Was he working too hard? Did Khal need assistance in…? What area of running a country could Joran offer help with?

Joran dismissed the thought. Khal would ask for help if he’d needed something, wouldn’t he?

Chapter 8

“I think there’s something going on between Khal and Tasha,” Raj blurted, walking shoulder to shoulder with Joran down the hallway.

Raj had always known there was a special bond between Joran and Khal. They’d had a couple of years together before Raj had come along. He’d always felt like an outsider, unable to breach the circle of trust and friendship that Khal and Joran shared.

That was one of the main reasons he spent as much time away from the palace as he did. Granted, Raj missed home. The Lativa palace might be a massive structure that had stood tall and strong over the centuries. But growing up, their parents had made the private, family area of the palace special. They’d had family celebrations together, just the five of them. They’d played games together, rejoiced in each other’s achievements, and just…been a family.

That sense of connection had disappeared after their mother’s death. The reasons for coming home had died right along with his mother. So, he hadn’t. Come home, that is. Raj had made his own way in the world, using his inheritance to buy up ailing properties, fix them up, change the management, and making them profitable again. He’d invested those profits into bigger projects, more complicated and more profitable ventures. Raj understood that he preferred using his head to maneuver through the complexities of a large-scale commercial development deal to the emotional complexities of being around brothers that he didn’t truly understand and, if he were honest, didn’t feel as if he belonged anymore.

And it was true that he loved the ladies. There was nothing better than losing one’s self in the arms of a beautiful woman. The mindless pleasure of sex made his world a bit less…lonely.

Until the morning-after when he woke up alone, because Raj wouldn’t allow himself to spend the night with a woman. Never! It was one of his rules. A condom and his own bed were his protection against the myriad problems that could arise from his lifestyle.

And he liked his life, he reminded himself. He loved having beautiful women sitting across the table from him during a meal, smiling and telling him funny stories. He loved taking them to their beds and feeling their bodies climax while clenching tightly around his shaft. And there was nothing more glorious than the satisfied smile of a woman after he’d given her a climax.

If his life was a bit lonely and…okay, boring sometimes…well, that was just fine. There were too many people who would kill to have his life. He had money, beautiful women, and…well, what more could a man want?

If he sometimes longed to have a woman look at him the way that Tasha did at Khal…Raj pushed that thought out of his mind. It wasn’t going to happen. He was a loner. Finding new companies to invest in, discovering a new property to develop, that was his life.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Joran demanded.

Raj glanced at his brother. They were about equal in height and brawn, but there was still the normal fraternal rivalry between them. A good natured rivalry, thankfully. Still, it took a startled moment for Raj to remember what he’d said. Khal. And Tasha? Right.

Raj nodded at the palace entryway, silently urging his brother to head towards their sister’s arrival point. “I think Tasha is in love with our big brother,” he said in a contemplative tone.

“That’s ridiculous,” Joran snorted, keeping pace with Raj as they hurried toward the formal entryway that was reserved for important palace guests. “Khal wouldn’t keep her around if Tasha had feelings for him. Khal is all about working. He doesn’t allow distractions in his life. Every moment of his day, and most likely, his life, is all about Lativa.”

Yeah, that was true, Raj thought. And wasn’t that a bit sad? Khal was six years older than Raj, and was the ruler of their amazing country. Every waking moment, Khal was living, breathing, and working towards a better future for Lativa. He never stopped. He worked every waking moment to fix the country, to bring it back to its former glory, and make Lativa powerful again.

And it was working.

Raj wondered if Khal’s process was similar to what happened when Raj worked through a property development deal. What did his brother do to bring about success in a project? Raj loved figuring out the various issues in bringing a commercial entity back to life, either a company or a property, and…well, fixing them. Did Khal have the same love of figuring out problems and resolving them?

“Oh, hell no!” a female voice snapped, interrupting Raj’s contemplation of his oldest brother.

Raj blinked, coming back to the present. His eyes focused on the young…girl? Woman?

Surely, this couldn’t be the long-awaited sister! The woman standing in front of them, glowering up at them withfamiliar dark eyes, wasn’t a child. And why was she so angry? The scowl she wore didn’t diminish her beauty. Not even slightly! She was beautiful!

The big-brother instinct kicked in as he stared at the beautiful teenager standing in front of him.

“Well?” she snapped, flipping her long, outrageous hair over one shoulder, one hip cocked as she glared at them. With her multi-colored hair and her heavy makeup, this she-demon looked like the teenager from hell!

Chapter 9

“I willnotbe guarded by neanderthals!” Marianna asserted firmly, chewing the gum that she wished she’d spat out hours ago. She eyed the two enormous men standing in front of her while the guards behind her went through her luggage. “Just go!” she snapped, wanting to run and hide. She hated everything about this place. She hated the heat and the constant sunshine. She hated that her mother had passed away, and she hated that she’d been ordered by a lawyer to pack her bags without any explanation.

And Marianna missed her mother so much that she ached with every breath she took.

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