Page 10 of Prince of Her Heart
He was too handsome.Tooeverything.He had the kind of presence that short-circuited logic, and Tabitha could already feel the tremble starting low in her stomach.Her mother thought she was still hung up on Martin?
Puhleeze!
That had been a shallow infatuation.This—whateverthiswas—was much worse.
Ramzi was impossible.A future king.A man with power, vision, and a voice that could undo her composure with a single word.Women threw themselves at him—gorgeous, titled, model-perfect women.The idea that he might see her as anything more than a skilled employee was laughable.
“Breathe,” he said gently.
His voice was softer now.Lower.Definitely huskier.
She tilted her head back and met his eyes.Dark.Intense.Watchful.
“You deserve to revel in your success for a moment,” he said.“You just earned a seven-figure bonus.And I’m transferring one thousand shares of stock into your name.”
She stared at him.
Seven… figures?
Her lips parted, but no sound came out.She blinked, trying to process the sheer scale of what he’d just said.
Finally, she found her voice.“I… sir… um… Your Highness, that’s too much.”
He shook his head and placed a warm hand at the small of her back.The touch sent a jolt straight through her.Without a word, he gently steered her toward the leather sofa near the window.
“It’s not enough,” he said simply.
She sat stiffly, still clutching the folder like a life raft.
Ramzi poured two glasses of scotch from the decanter, despite the early hour.He handed her one before taking the seat across from her.
“If you hadn’t dug up that photo of Jeff Bondras on the yacht with the Hestra executives, Mark never would’ve signed.That one image changed everything.It forced him to accept that his grandson had betrayed him.”
He took a sip of the amber liquid, watching her over the rim of the glass.
“Andyou’rethe one who found the sand additive,” he added.“You saw what no one else did—what it could mean, what it couldbecome.”
He lowered his glass, his eyes locked on hers.
“Do you have any idea how much that will save my country, Tabitha?That one building material will reduce costs in the billions.And more importantly, it’s going to allow us to build affordable housing for people who’ve never had anything to call their own.”
She stared down into her glass, flushed from his praise.A heady mix of pride and panic swirled inside her.Being this close to Ramzi—his attention, his approval—it made her feel exposed.No one had ever made her feel this kind of raw awareness just by sitting across from her.
“There’s still so much to do,” she whispered, clinging to the safety of work talk.
“You’re right,” he said, raising his glass.“But for now, we’re going to pause and celebrate a major victory.”
He clinked his glass gently against hers.
Tabitha watched as he brought the crystal to his lips, the movement slow and fluid.Had his tongue flicked out to taste the scotch first?Her breath caught.
She stared.
And wondered—what would he taste like?
Would his kiss be smoky like the scotch, or even better?Would he be intense and smooth, or demanding and rough?
He lowered the glass, resting it against his knee as he leaned back into the leather chair with casual dominance.
