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Yes, she was flustered again and that was right where he wanted her And Rafe was a bastard because there was no doubt he’d dressed her for this occasion The brilliantly colored sundress was lovely and modest, but he couldn’t ht the sunlight Rafe had trussed her up like a gorgeous bird ripe for the plucking

"I would have waited," she murmured

"But I could not" He let his hand drop He was actually surprised that when he looked back on the incident, hethere listening to the Prime Minister talk about deeply i for the seconds to tick by until he could talk to her, her slow accent soothing hiht you here for selfish reasons I thought to dazzle you with everything I have to offer I have obviously failed"

That gorgeous skin flushed, and he knew he had her She just stared at him, clearly uncertain what to say

"I will leave you be, Miss Glen Again, I apologize for the deception I can only hide behind round Please allow my brothers to show you to the rooms I have prepared for you I will leave you be until such tiood rest and please enjoy my country"

Tears pooled in her eyes, but he couldn’t let those sway him It was time to make his exit and allow the wonders of the palace and her own soft heart to work in his favor He bowed politely and turned to go, Dane stepping in beside hi former SEAL had a frown on his face "That was a pretty piece of manipulation if I ever saw one You’re a ruthless son of a bitch, Tal"

He walked forward Dane wouldn’t be the last person he pissed off By the tiht lose everyone

But he would keep his crown One way or another

Chapter Six

Three days later, Piper walked out of the conference room, her laptop in hand and her heart heavy

Two days of h to tell her that everyone here took her opinion seriously She’d overnment officials, and a representative of the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanis, deferring to her, allowing her to speak for the country Gavin Ja her as the representative for both Black Oak Oil and the country of Bezakistan

And Gavin had been effusive in his praise for Talib al Mussad Just the night before, he’d taken Piper to dinner and told her stories about the sheikh and his brothers She didn’t miss the fact that he spoke about his own lifestyle, too, and howHannah with his brothers Baby number three was due soon, and all three brothers were thrilled They loved their wife They had an a life full of joy and love Piper was happy for the James family, but couldn’t fathom why her employer had shared so rasp that the al Mussad brothersalone, at least for now Tonight, they intended to hold a banquet to both celebrate the official alliance between Black Oak and Bezakistan, as well as welcome her to their country Rafe, Kade--and even Tal--had made it plain that afterward they would like it very ave up her solitary bed for theirs So far, she’d been de? Was it really so important that Talib had hidden his full name from her? She actually understood why he’d done it, and it wasn’t like her to hold a grudge His subterfuge had hurt more than she’d believed possible, and she’d let that rule her actions since her arrival Now, she was beginning to ask herself some hard questions If he’d been anyone else, would she have been quite so upset? Had she been using her anger as an excuse to keep Tal at arue? Piper wrinkled her nose Likely so And it probably wasn’t fair to hi to Bezakistan had been, at least in part, about opening herself up to new experiences But the first thing she’d done was close herself off when fear gripped her

With a sigh, Piper looked out over the balcony Every turn in the palace was a surprise She stopped and looked out over the city She’d come so far from where she used to be No doiven actual aparte office space And an assistant who constantly talked about how aht, Miss Glen?"

Tal’s voice pulled her frolanced back his way He looked utterly perfect in his dark suit The only hint that he wasn’t coan under his ear and disappeared into his shirt collar along with the dark hunger that lurked in his stare

She so by"

He stepped in beside her It was the first tiotten close, and her whole system went on full alert Rafe and Kade spent most of their days with her, but she could feel the distance now They were polite, but more reserved than before A sad atmosphere hovered around them because the al Mussad brothers were a take-it-or-leave-it deal Accept one, accept them all, and she’d turned down the sheikh Since then, she’d been firory and it hurt

Piper didn’t understand why Rafe and Kade hadThey’d taken her to bed without their eldest brother Maybe Tal hadn’t known about her Or he hadn’t wanted the woman But Piper knew that, for whatever reason, he wanted her

Still, she couldn’t help but feel brutally manipulated

"My ancestors built the palace to be at the center of the city Much of this structure was redone, but the core has stood since the fifteenth century" A satisfied look passed over his handsome face "Bezakistan is small, but we’ve withstood invaders froence and efficient use of our natural resources I hope we continue to do so I pray we bring this country into a whole neorld We’re on the precipice, Piper We can do it We can lead the world I about the change to green, renewable energy"

She had to grin because he was really good at selling the pure intentions stuff "You’ll make a fortune off the patents alone"