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"What does that mean?" He’d called her that twice She wasn’t sure if he just kept forgetting her naes with e not to let her eyes widen as she took in the prices on the ed for a steak Mr Ja treated, but she wasn’t used to being treated this well "Yes, sir I don’t knohat that antly slid his napkin over his lap "It’s the Arabic equivalent of sweetheart"

She hid a smile At least men were the same across the world She’d been around hty, sweetheart or darlin’ They were either trying to be char na "Oh, that’s nice So, what exactly can I help you with, Mr al Mussad? I assu all the research notes and projections from Tal"

"Tal?" Kade asked

Rafe didn’tthe field research in Bezakistan for the Clean Energy Project, brother"

Kade leaned forward "Seriously? Tal? Is he shitting us?"

Rafe sent his brother a deeply quelling look before turning back to her, and Piper frowned It was as if the tere having a secret conversation through a series of raised eyebrows and short hand gestures

"I have received the information from Tal," Rafe assured "But I wanted your opinion Gavin Jaraduate work in econo she was proud of, it was her degree It had taken her five years because she’d had to work full tiraduated with honors "Yes, I have an undergraduate degree in econoraduate ith a specialization in the econoy sources"

"Very impressive So you believe this project of Black Oak’s will be viable?"

She was intensely excited at the prospect Bezakistan could be a huge econoiven your country’s unique position in the world’s fuel market and how open your economy is, you have the opportunity to one to an almost coine what you could do with a coy, and solar power You could change the world You could bring power to countries that can’t afford it"

Bezakistan was the perfect testing ground The country was rich with oil, but they also had millions of acres of deserts, perfect for solar power and wind harvesting Their infrastructure was one of the soundest in the world, and al was controlled by one man: Sheikh al Mussad And, as Dex Jae this luncheon, she was sitting with his brothers

God, she hoped she didn’t make an idiot of herself

"But is it a financially viable model?" Kade probed

This was the hard sell She and Tal had been working on this proposal for ical standpoint But she knew athering all the data Tal would present it to his sheikh "Not in the first five minutes, but I think the patents alone on soy could make up for theat her like she had a brain in her head Rafe sat back, his ar above her shoulders Gosh, he was attractive His pitch black hair was perfectly cut and intelligent dark eyes looked out froazine Kade was equally appealing Piper had to re to listen to your infor for a waiter "Would you like so to drink while we do? Wine, perhaps?"

And be a slavering pile of goo by the tio that she couldn’t handle liquor She was nervous as hell, but it would be worse to fall asleep on the gorgeous gods of men who held her career in their hands "No, thank you I’ll just have soh he looked almost disappointed "Three iced teas and a plate of the oysters, please We should be ready to order lunch in a moment"

The waiter scurried off

Kade set his menu aside "How do you feel about travel, Piper?"

"I’ve never been outside of Texas I read a lot about the world I have a list of places I would love to see, but I just haven’t had the opportunity yet"

"Why,her his undivided attention "You’re young Many young people, even in et out and see the world I have heard many Americans like to backpack across Europe"

Kade sniffed a little "I don’t knohy I stayed at a hostel once My fathers were very angry with the way I was spending money, so I attempted to conserve I see nohy sois apparently a very sine the very urbane Kadir al Mussad surveying her father’s ranch "I still would have loved it I’m from West Texas Trust me, once you’ve stood doind of a herd of cattle, you can handle a little huraduation fro to drive up the West Coast froht a little convertible and put all kinds ofwith a couple of friends"

"What happened?"

Oh, so s Her heart clenched as it always did when she thought about those months "Life happened My father died suddenly My mom had passed away a few years before that after a battle with cancer I had to stay with ht it would just be for the summer I had a scholarship to the University of Texas in Austin I assuuardian for etso personal? She always talked too much These men had invited her to lunch for business, not to hear her life story "I’ about patents"