Читать книгу The Sheikh's Baby Scandal - Carol Marinelli, Carol Marinelli - Страница 11

CHAPTER THREE

FELICIA BRISKLY MADE her way along Dubai’s The Walk, towards the restaurant she had booked for their lunchtime meeting. There was no time to linger, or to take in the delicious view. Kedah’s multiple assistants were kept far too busy for that.

At the age of twenty-six, Felicia Hamilton had a job.

A real one.

Instead of her regular four weeks or so of work for a full year’s pay, and a long pause between jobs, Felicia now found herself working the most ridiculous hours as she travelled the globe with Kedah. Oh, their mode of transport was luxurious—Kedah had his own private jet—but even a mile up in the air there was little downtime. Kedah considered his jet another office, and it was the same at his luxurious hotels.

She’d never have agreed to a year of this had she known.

Except not only had she agreed to it—Felicia herself had been the one to insist on it. He had told her exactly what to expect at the interview. He’d even offered her a trial period, which she’d declined!

Oh, what a fool. Had she taken the trial then she would have been finishing up by now!

Or would she...?

Even after close to eight weeks spent working hard for him Felicia still didn’t believe that Kedah just wanted her as a PA.

She wasn’t even very good at it.

Felicia was the one who generally gave orders. Now each day she stared down the barrel of her to-do list, as did his other assistants. One PA would never be enough for him.

There had to be another reason she was here.

Felicia was trying hard to work it out, but really there was little time for daydreaming. Her schedule was relentless.

She was up at six each day, and it was often close to midnight before she crashed—just as Kedah hit the town with his sweet and oh, so pleasing date of choice for the night.

Felicia honestly didn’t know how he did it.

Since meeting him she was on her second lot of concealer, to hide the shadows under her eyes.

There had been a tiny reprieve last night. Kedah had asked her to book theatre tickets for himself and his latest bimbo—which she had done. But while his absence had given Felicia an early night, she had spent it sulking.

This morning Kedah had been off looking at potential hotel sites, and she had sat in bed on the phone, liaising with his flight crew for their trip to Zazinia tomorrow.

Now she was meeting him for lunch, to go through the agenda for his trip home. There the artist would be able to work on his portrait, and there his father would discuss a wedding with his son.

That had to be the issue, Felicia decided. She was quite sure that Kedah had no desire to marry.

The restaurant she had chosen was dark and cool, and uninviting enough to keep the less than extremely well-heeled away.

‘I have a booking,’ she said. ‘Felicia Hamilton.’

‘Of course.’

When she had booked the restaurant Felicia had told them she was meeting an important guest and would like their very best table. She hadn’t told them just how important her guest was, though.

It was a little game she played, and she smiled as she was led through the stunning restaurant to a gorgeous low table.

Indeed, it was beautiful.

There were plump cushions on the floor and the table was dressed with pale orchids. As she lowered herself onto a cushion she could hear the couple behind her laughing and chatting as she set up her work station.

She took a drink of iced water as she waited for Kedah to arrive, and again tried to fathom what trouble his wedding could pose.

There might be a baby Kedah? Felicia pondered. A pregnant ex, perhaps?

But, no, she was quite sure that Kedah would handle that in his own matter-of-fact way.

What about a pregnant prostitute?

That would surely rock the palace and destroy any chance for Kedah to remain as Crown Prince. Though she couldn’t really imagine Kedah having to pay for sex—or even caring what others thought if he chose to do so.

Felicia took another long sip of iced water. She tended to do that when she thought of Kedah in that way—and she thought of Kedah in that way an awful lot...

Despite her very strict ‘Never mix business with pleasure’ motto, Felicia occasionally indulged in a little flirt with him—or rather, a very intense flirt. And there were odd moments when she felt as if her clothes had just fallen off. He made her feel naked with his eyes, although he was always terribly polite.

Felicia knew she’d have trouble saying no if he so much as crooked a finger in her direction. He hadn’t, though—which was just as well, because he’d be in for a rude shock. There was no way Felicia would turn into one of those simpering Your pleasure is all mine, Kedah women he had a very frequent yen for.

Sweet.

That was the type of women he chose—or rather that was how they appeared until they were dumped. Then it was Felicia who dealt with their angry, tearful outbursts.

She had almost been able to picture Beth, the actress, kicking her neighbour’s blind cat when she’d told her that Kedah would not be taking her calls anymore.

‘Have you thought about a gift?’ Felicia had asked her, while trying to keep a straight face.

Yes, she had found out on her third day of working for Kedah that his aggrieved exes were sent a brochure from which to choose a gift.

No diamonds or pearls from Kedah—jewellery was too personal, of course. But a luxury holiday brochure was theirs to peruse. After all, what better than a week in the South of France or a trip to Mustique to help soothe that wounded heart? The only downside was that Sheikh Kedah would not be there.

He had already moved on to the next.

Beth had chosen to take her broken heart for a little cruise around the Caribbean. Felicia might have told her she’d have stood far more chance of a repeat night with Kedah if she’d told Felicia to pass on to him precisely what he could do with his brochure.

No one ever did.

But, while Kedah seemed at ease with his wretched reputation, there had to be more to why he wanted her nearby than to introduce her to the managers of all his hotels around the globe.

Why did Felicia need to know that the Dubai hotel manager was an anxious sort but a wonderful leader? Why had he taken great pains to have her meet his accounts managers and his team of lawyers?

It just didn’t make sense.

She looked up because, from the rustling and whispers amongst the patrons, it would seem that someone stunning had just arrived—and of course there he was.

She had recovered from the faint-inducing sight of Kedah in a suit, but here in Dubai he wore traditional attire and each day was a delicious surprise to the senses. On this fine day the angels had chosen for him a robe in cool, completely non-virginal white, and such was his beauty and presence that he turned every head as he made his way over.

His keffiyeh was of white-on-white jacquard, with knotted edges, and was seemingly casually tied. He was unshaven, but very neatly so. His lips were thick and sexy, the cupid’s bow at the top so perfect one might be forgiven for thinking it tattooed. But this was all natural. Felicia had inspected that mouth closely enough to be very sure of that.

He looked royal and haughty and utterly beautiful, from his expensive cool head right down to his sexy leather-clad feet. Then his eyes lit on her, and the beautiful mouth relaxed into a warm smile—one that didn’t just light up his features, but his whole being.

Auras were supposed to be indistinguishable, even non-existent, yet Kedah wore his golden glow like a heavy fur coat.

He was a wolf in prince’s clothing. Felicia knew that.

Such delectable clothing, though!

And such a stunning man...

Of course it wasn’t only the women who noted his suave arrival—inevitably the head waiter came dashing over, clearly troubled at the inadequate seating arrangements for such an esteemed guest.

‘You didn’t say that you were dining with Sheikh Kedah,’ he admonished her.

‘I did say I was meeting an important guest,’ Felicia said sweetly.

‘Then please accept our sincere apologies. We have given you the wrong table—it is our mistake. Allow me...’ He was gathering up her phone, her tablet, the whole mini-office that she set up whenever she met with Kedah.

‘Of course.’

Felicia smiled to herself as she was bundled over to a stunning table—one where there was no chance of hearing their neighbours’ conversation. The only sound was the gentle cascade of a fountain, the view of the marina was idyllic, and here the floor was entirely theirs.

‘You played your game again,’ he commented as they sat down opposite the other.

‘I did.’ Felicia nodded, and then met and held his gaze.

His eyes were thickly lashed, and he had a way of looking at her that honestly felt as if she were the only person present on the planet. He gave his absolute full attention in a way that was unlike anybody Felicia had ever known.

‘Why don’t you just say in the first place that you are meeting me?’ he asked, because this happened rather a lot when Felicia booked their meetings.

‘Because I like watching them fluster when you arrive.’

Kedah would like to see Felicia fluster—and yet she was always measured and poised and gave away so little of herself.

He would like to know more.

The thought continually surprised him. Kedah did not get involved with staff, yet over the past few weeks he had found himself wondering more and more about Felicia and what went on in her head.