Chapter 7
I wake up to the sound of traffic outside my apartment. Today will be my last day here. I’ll be moving to the property my boss arranged for me.
I must admit I was surprised by the size of the new apartment and where it is located. London is an expensive city, and the place I’m at now is no bigger than a studio. What the Sheikh is giving me has two bedrooms and is situated on a quiet, wooded street.
The only problem is that it’s not as close to his offices, and I was worried about how long it would take me to get there. However, as if reading my thoughts, he told me that I’ll have a driver at my disposal, which shows me the advantage of working for a powerful Sheikh.
I look at my two suitcases containing all the belongings I brought to London and think about the conversation I had with my mother on the phone yesterday.
She didn’t even care where I was going to live.
Talked the whole time about how she and my father had been excluded from social events in Boston since the scandal hit the press regarding the pension fund he managed.
I don’t know why I’m still surprised. Mom doesn’t care about anything other than herself.
I turn to the alarm clock on the bedside table just to confirm that I need to get up, even though the chance of meeting my boss today is almost nonexistent.
I’ve been going to his offices all week, but since the interview, I’ve only seen him once, and he was with the man I found out to be his advisor—Adil.
Sheikh Kamal treated me in a completely impersonal way, different from that first day. However, I held my breath almost the entire time I was in his presence.
Mostly, I’ve been undergoing some sort of crash course with his secretaries to familiarize myself with the Sheikh’s routine, including the security measures I must take, because I can’t forget that although he’s a CEO, first he is the head of government of his Emirate.
I get up and head for the shower, thinking that I’ll have to use my lunch break today to buy a dress for the party to which I’m accompanying the Sheikh. I also need more clothes. The ones I brought won’t be enough to start with.
I realize how foolish I was to think that two suitcases of clothes would suffice to accompany Kamal on his trips and dinners.
I’ll have to make a dent in my budget. I intended to open a savings account, as per Zoe’s advice, but the new wardrobe will be my only expense besides the few meals I make at home, so I don’t see it as a big problem.
I step into my boss’s office, ready to start another day of work, which so far has been less glamorous than I initially thought, but I almost have a heart attack when I come face to face with Kamal, his advisor Adil, and two other men who bear a striking resemblance to the Sheikh.
There is no need for introductions. I’m sure they are Princes Irfan and Zarif, my boss’s brothers.
They are as handsome as their older brother, and I can’t help but wonder about the blessed genetics they have.
However, my attention quickly shifts to Sheikh Kamal, and for a moment my world stops.
I need to find a way to react more naturally to his presence, because every damn time it’s as if I’m transported to a parallel universe where only the two of us exist.
I tighten my grip on the strap of the bag on my shoulder, digging my nails into my palms to force myself back to reality. It’s hard to look away from that face, as handsome as it is proud. Eyes that seem to read my thoughts and feelings, a mouth that can only be described as sinful.
Even though the group is composed of handsome men, Kamal has something else that makes my knees weak.
It has been a few days since I last saw him, and instead of the attraction diminishing from the time apart, it is like it’s intensified.
I know someone is speaking, but I can’t pay attention, hypnotized by my boss’s gaze as he tilts his head to the side, analyzing me as if I were a mannequin in a window. It should irritate me, but it has the opposite effect. Being the focus of his attention is incredibly exciting.
A towering obstacle stands between me and the Sheikh, and only then do I snap out of it.
“So, you must be Madeline,” he says.
I look at the guy who is standing a little closer than would be conventional. His face is as handsome as his brother’s, but I’d say several years younger. Unlike the Sheikh, he’s clean-shaven, and I don’t know if that’s why his expression looks friendlier.
“Hello,” I say.
“And you have a delightful voice too.”
Jesus, it should be illegal for sexy men with accents to be so charming as well.
“My name is Zarif, beautiful Madeline,” he says before taking my hand and bringing it towards his lips.
Before he touches my skin, Kamal’s voice thunders, “Step away from my assistant, Zarif. As I’ve already warned Adil, Madeline is off-limits.”
The brother’s smile widens, and he takes a few more seconds before letting go of my hand.
“Pleasure to meet you, Your Highness.”
“Zarif, sweetie. Why so formal?”
I’m at a loss for words, but the arrival of the other brother saves me from the awkward situation.
“Pleasure to meet you, Madeline. I’m Irfan.” Unlike the charming relative, he just shakes my hand.
“Pleasure to meet you,” I reply, stepping away from both of them and heading toward my boss’s desk. “Is this a bad time, Your Excellency?” I know he asked me to call him Kamal or “my Sheikh,” but I feel awkward addressing him informally in front of strangers.
“No. They were just about to leave.”