The Sheikh's Baby Scandal

Felicia Hamilton commanded quite a fee.

‘What about your personal life?’ he asked.

‘That’s not your concern,’ Felicia answered.

‘Be sure to keep it that way,’ Kedah said. ‘I don’t want to hear that your boyfriend is upset because you missed his birthday, or that your mother-in-law has surgery next week and you need some time off. Care factor? Zero.’

Felicia’s response was to laugh, and for once it was genuine. Honesty had been somewhat lacking in her life, and she would far prefer the truth than a dressed-up lie.

And now she waited—how she waited—for that cool facade to crack and for Kedah to admit that he had royally stuffed up and needed his past to disappear. But instead he spoke of hotels and designs, and she stifled a yawn as he told her about Hussain, a graphic designer he regularly used.

‘He’s excellent. He actually studied with my father many years ago. We have worked on many designs together—mainly in the UAE.’

Felicia stifled another yawn.

‘Why don’t I show you some examples of my work—as well as a few of the hotels we shall be visiting in the coming weeks?’ Kedah said, and then dimmed the lights.

Felicia wondered for a brief second if refreshments might be in order after all. Was she about to get a private screening of the trouble Sheikh Kedah was in? A steamy sex tape? The Crown Prince bound and gagged in a seedy encounter, perhaps?

Kedah watched that tongue pop out and moisten those lovely lips as she sat straight in the chair, giving him her full attention.

Then he smiled unseen as her shoulders slumped and she sat through the forty-minute presentation that took her through some of his luxury hotels. She fought to keep her eyes from crossing as she watched it.

What the hell...?

‘Do you have any questions?’ Kedah invited as he flicked on the lights.

No! She just wanted him to cut to the chase and reveal the truth. ‘Not at this stage,’ she said.

‘There must be things that you want to ask me?’ he invited. ‘Surely you have come prepared? You will have looked me up?’

‘Of course I have.’

‘What do you think your role might entail?’ he asked as he went through her file.

Maybe he was shy, Felicia thought. Though that made no sense. He looked far from shy. But perhaps he needed a little help revealing his dark truths, so she decided to broach things gently. ‘I would guess, from my research, that I’ll be running a dating agency with only one man on the books,’ Felicia said, and watched him closely for a reaction.

Kedah merely looked up from the papers and stared back at her as she continued.

‘Though of course rather more discreetly than my predecessors.’

‘Discreetly?’ Kedah frowned.

‘You tend to hit the glossies rather a lot.’

‘That’s hardly my staff’s fault.’

‘Well, they should monitor what’s said. If a woman’s upset...’

‘As far as my sex life goes, you would just have to deal with the bookings and the brochure, Felicia...’

‘Brochure?

He didn’t enlighten her. ‘What I am saying is that you do not police comments or apologise on my behalf. I am quite grateful for “the glossies”, as you call them, for if women expect anything more from me than a night in bed, possibly two, then that is their own foolish mistake. They cannot say they haven’t been duly warned.’

No, not shy, Felicia decided as he continued to speak.

‘But I do expect discretion from all who work for me. Naturally you will have to sign a confidentiality agreement.’

‘I told Anu yesterday that I shan’t.’

Kedah, who had gone back to going through the papers, glanced up.

‘Nobody would employ a PA without one.’

‘If you look through my references you’ll see that they do.’ She gave him a smile, as if she was asking if he took sugar with his coffee—one lump or two? ‘You either trust me or you don’t.’

‘I don’t,’ he responded. ‘Though please don’t take it personally. I don’t trust anyone.’

‘Good, because neither do I.’

Kedah was fast realising there was nothing apart from her appearance that was delicate. She was actually rather fascinating, and any doubts he might have had about her being up to the job were starting to fade.

He had no intention of telling her his situation just yet, of course, but he had decided that he wanted her onside. ‘We can’t go any further without you signing one.’

‘Well, we can’t go any further, then,’ she said, and reached for her bag.

He didn’t halt her.

‘Thank you for wasting my time,’ she added, and gave him another flash of that stunning smile.

Kedah noted that it didn’t quite reach her eyes. They were a dazzling emerald-green—a shade that was one of a forest reflected on a lake...emerald, yet glacial.

He watched, quietly amused, as she began to flounce off.

‘Sit down, Felicia.’

There was such command to his tone that it stopped her.

His voice wasn’t remotely raised. If anything his words were delivered with an almost bored calm. But he might as well have reached for a lasso, for it was as if something had just wrapped around her. Oh, Felicia heard his words—yet she felt them at the base of her spine, and it tingled as he continued speaking.

‘I haven’t finished with you yet.’

CHAPTER TWO (#ulink_91d0d9fc-02e5-5064-8e9a-cedeecec03d6)

IF EVER A voice belonged in the bedroom, it was Kedah’s.

Not just a bedroom.