Visions of another pair of eyes, deeply expressive and framed with kohl, intruded on his thoughts, and once again he felt a stab of guilt that he might feel an attraction to another woman—and one so different from his fianc'ee. But what choice did he have? Joharah was gone, and reports overnight had only confirmed what Kamil had discovered. Taj needed to take a wife, and soon, if he was to put paid to his cousin’s moves to angle the sheikhdom under his control.

He greeted the other pilot and strapped himself into his seat, his mind exploring every memory and nuance of that kiss.

Besides, he told himself as he picked up the flight charts to look them over, if he had to marry anyone, and convince Qasim that it was a real marriage, then it was far better for there to be some kind of attraction between them.

And there was definitely that.

THE interior of the plane was nothing like she’d ever seen before. Morgan was used to commercial airlines, with their row upon row of close-fitting seats and vinyl everything, but after being guided to the right through a short passage, she saw the cabin opened into what looked more like a lounge room, with a scattering of armchairs and tables sprinkled around the sides of the jet. Richly patterned carpet adorned the floor, and artworks lined the polished walnut walls. And from the glimpse she’d had, the rest of the plane’s interior was divided into more rooms beyond.

The dark-eyed flight attendant showed her to a plush leather chair, alongside which Nobilah was already enjoying a pre-flight glass of juice. Tajik, she noticed, had vanished.

She buckled her seatbelt and accepted the glass of juice that had arrived unbidden. ‘You mentioned that we’d be there tonight,’ she said to the older woman. ‘How long is the flight?’

‘Around fourteen to fifteen hours. I’m afraid there’s not much to do but read or watch movies until then.’

‘Sounds terrible,’ joked Morgan, finally starting to recover now that Tajik wasn’t around to throw her into a spin.

‘Where are the others?’ she asked a little while later, curiosity getting the better of her as Tajik failed to appear. ‘Kamil and Sheikh Tajik.’

‘Kamil will no doubt be in his office, sorting out the paperwork.’ Nobilah pointed to a narrow cabin they’d passed on the way in. ‘And Taj will be in the cockpit.’

‘He’s flying the plane?’

Nobilah laughed and patted Morgan’s hand. ‘Don’t look so alarmed. Taj is an excellent pilot. Now, what film do you think we should watch first?’

Morgan offered her opinion, and then settled back into her comfortable chair for the takeoff. If Tajik was busy in the cockpit, rather than here in the lounge, then maybe this flight wouldn’t be the ordeal she’d imagined. And, given he’d left her with not a word, maybe she’d read too much into that moment on the stairs.

As maybe she’d read far too much into that kiss.

Yes, he was attractive and charismatic, and he had a way of looking at her that made her heart lurch to a standstill, but he was the ruler of an independent Arab country. Way beyond anything in her experience. Way out of her league.

He’d be well used to escorting the world’s most beautiful women to the world’s most beautiful places. And no doubt he was equally at home making love to them. In which case that stolen kiss last night in a dimly lit gateway probably didn’t even register with him. Beyond making a point of how morally suspect she was, of course.

But then why had he told her that he kept thinking about it too? Unless he was reminding her of how easy she’d seemed?

Morgan squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose. It was only yesterday she’d first met Sheikh Tajik. And it was only yesterday she’d learned of her sudden trip to Jamalbad. No wonder her nerves were frayed. She needed to unwind and get things back into perspective. She might as well enjoy the flight, and then, once back in Jamalbad, he’d be busy ruling his sheikhdom, or whatever it was that sheikhs did, while she’d no doubt be ensconced in the women’s quarters with Nobilah. She’d probably hardly ever see him.

Which suited her just fine.

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