Page 60 of My Arabian Billionaire

“Are you truly doing this?” Altair asked.

“You, of all people, should understand why the present situation leaves me no choice but to do it.” Only one-third of the council was needed for a motion to be considered, and according to Mahmud, there were at least fifty who wanted him to abdicate.

If Khalil chose to fight this motion, a hearing would be set, and he would be temporarily stripped of his powers. This would leave Ramil without a king, and it was too damn convenient that the timing coincided with a sudden terrorist threat.

“Have you heard anything about Mahmud conspiring with the terrorists?” Khalil asked his army commander.

“Unfortunately – no.” Altair’s tone wasgrim.

“Then my hands are tied.” Khalil’s was equally grim. Mahmud was one of the kingdom’s wealthiest sheikhs, and Khalil had no doubt the older man had enough clout to sway the other sheikhs into followinghim.

“And Harper?” Malik asked quietly.

Khalil turned to face the other sheikh, his smile not reaching his eyes as he murmured, “You’ve always had the softest spot for my queen, Malik.”

Malik didn’t smile back. “She is different from the rest. But I do not loveher.”

Like youdo.

The sheikh’s lips tightened at the unspoken words that hung heavily in theair.

“Enough with this.” Tarif’s tone was brusque. “What’s done is done, and the king has made a decision.”

The sheikh looked at Rayyan. “You have nothing tosay?”

“You know the kind of man I am, Khalil.” The blue-eyed sheikh’s tone was emotionless. “I understand why you must do this, and as long as you let her know before she finds out from anyoneelse---”

“You have nothing to worry about on that score.” Four pairs of stunned eyes swung towards him at his words, and Khalil smiled humorlessly at their reaction. “I have been informed that she was standing outside my doors when Mahmud spoke withme.”

Malik drew his breath sharply.

“She heard what Mahmud offered and she heard me accept.”

* * *

Harper didn’t knowhow long she had been seated in front of the vanity, brushing her hair, before the connecting door between her suite and the sheikh’s opened without warning. She stiffened, and when the sheikh strode inside a moment later, his dark gaze meeting hers through the mirror’s---

A shaft of pain struck her at the sight of him, unexpected and crippling, and the hairbrush she had been holding slipped from her suddenly nerveless fingers. It clattered to the marbled floor, the sound jarring, and Harper drew her breath sharply.

A second later, she bent to reach for it the same time the sheikh crouched down, and their fingers grazed against each other.

Harper jerkedback.

Khalil’s fingers tightened around the handle. “Is something the matter?”

“Nope.” She swung away clumsily as he rose back to hisfeet.

As he placed the brush back on the vanity, he said quietly, “I can’t help you solve your problems when you don’t---”

“I said there’s nothing wrong.” The words came out in a horrifyingly shrill scream, and she saw the sheikh freeze through his reflection on the mirror.

Harper started to shake on her seat, aghast and ashamed.

She had screamed at him. She had just gone ahead and screamed at him and – it didn’t feel right. Even if she had every reason to scream at him, it just didn’t feel right.

This wasn’t – this wasn’t her at all, dammit.

“I’m sorry.” Her voice came out a horrible stammer. “I didn’t mean to---” Ah God, it was too hard to talk, and she stood up, almost causing her chair to overturn in her haste. But as she turned to walk away, the sheikh caught her by the elbow, and his touch nearly broke her, despair making Harper unable tomove.

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