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“If he is a man of honor,” Maysa began, “he will accept the responsibility of raising a child.”

If only she could claim he was a man of honor, but all signs pointed to the contrary. “I suppose only time will tell.”

Maysa closed the chart and came to her feet. “I suppose you will learn soon enough. In the meantime, you’ll need to take better care of yourself, including getting more rest.”

As much as Kira had always dreamed of having a child, reaching that goal now hadn’t figured into her immediate plans, especially when considering her duties at the palace. “I have no idea how to balance work and this pregnancy. And I can’t imagine what my parents will say when I tell them.”

Maysa frowned. “They would not welcome a grandchild?”

“Since my mother’s Canadian and open-minded, she would be fine with it. My father, on the other hand, is from Bajul and quite the traditionalist. He would not be pleased to know his unwed daughter is giving birth.”

Maysa rested a hand on Kira’s shoulder. “If you determine the timing is not right for you, perhaps you should consider adoption.”

Since she was an adopted child, a fact few people knew, she had mixed feelings about that option. “I don’t know if I could hand over my baby to strangers.”

“Some believe that is the most unselfish thing a woman can do for her child, myself included. Regardless, you do not need to decide immediately. I am going to prescribe prenatal vitamins that you should begin taking.”

When Maysa turned to the counter and began scribbling on a prescription pad, Kira slid off the table and pressed her palm against the small of her aching back. At least now she knew why she’d been so tired and slightly nauseated. At least now she could explain the absence of her period. At least now she could formulate a plan for the future and decide if it would include the father of her baby.

It suddenly occurred to her that perhaps she should reconsider Tarek’s offer. Not only would she get some rest, but two weeks might be enough time to determine if he wanted children, and hopefully whether he would be father material. If neither applied, she could decide where she would go from there.

As soon as she returned to the palace, she would seek out Tarek Azzmar and ask a few more questions about his proposition. Only then could she establish if spending more time with him would be worth the risk.

“Miss Darzin is here to see you, sir.”

Tarek glanced up to find the young woman he’d recently hired standing in the doorway to his private study. He hesitated, surprised by the announcement. “Send her in, Adara.”

After the servant disappeared, Tarek set the quarterly reports on the teakwood end table, rose from the club chair and waited for what seemed an interminable amount of time before Kira appeared, looking as beautiful as the first time he’d noticed her across a crowded reception hall.

After tugging at the hem of her blue blazer, she swept one hand through her chin-length golden-brown hair and surveyed the room. “It’s nice to see you’ve completed all the décor.”

“It is very nice to see you.”

“Thank you,” she said with cool formality. “Everything looks extremely different from the last time I visited.”

The visit Tarek had not forgotten. The tour of the newly built, empty mansion had ended with a passionate encounter on the floor of the grand ballroom. “I still have some work to do on the third floor suites. How was your appointment with the physician, if you do not mind my asking?”

“I received a clean bill of health.” She then strolled into the room and breezed past him to study the volumes of books on the shelves behind his desk. “You have very eclectic tastes when it comes to novels. I had no idea you were so interested in true crime.”

He slid his hands into his pockets and approached her slowly. “Did you come here to approve my reading material?”

Finally, she faced him. “Actually, I came here to discuss the trip to Cyprus. I have a few more questions before I make my decision.”

His optimism rose when he thought she might have reconsidered his proposition. “What would you wish to know?”

“You’re certain we would be gone only two weeks?”

“Unless unforeseen issues arise. Granted, you would be required to stay only that length of time. Should you decide to depart earlier, I agree to accommodate your request.”

She folded her arms beneath her breasts and attempted a smile. “Then you don’t plan to hold me hostage against my will?”

Her assumption angered him somewhat. “I would never hold a woman captive.” At least not in the literal sense.

“That’s somewhat reassuring.”

“Do you have more questions?”

“Yes. I still have concerns about your motives.”

He could not fault her for those concerns. “Are you worried that I will attempt to seduce you? Perhaps persuade you to make love with me on my private beach, in my private pool or in my rather large steam shower?”

She pointed a finger at him. “That’s exactly what concerns me most.”

He opted to feign ignorance. “As it was when we made love the first time—”

“The only time we had sex,” she interjected.

He hoped to change that soon, yet he would use gentle persuasion, not coercion. “As I was saying, I would never force you to do what you do not wish to do. And I assure you, my motives involve business, not necessarily pleasure, although I am not averse to that.”

“You’ve made that quite clear, and that worries me,” she said as she brushed past him and claimed the chair he had recently vacated.

Following her lead, he dropped onto the leather sofa across from her. His eyes followed the movement of her hand as she ran her palm down her thigh to smooth her skirt. He immediately imagined that hand on his body and then, with effort, forced the fantasy away. “Rest assured, if you join me, I will maintain my distance if that is what you desire.”

“That’s what I desire,” she stated, yet her faltering gaze led Tarek to believe she was not at all certain.

“I will respect your wishes.” Unless their incontrovertible chemistry dictated otherwise.

She appeared unconvinced. “Tarek, you’re a brilliant businessman, but you’re still a man. You possess two brains and if the situation arises, so will your secondary brain. You would have to maintain a great deal of control.”

He would not attempt to debate her on that point. “You will have your own quarters at your disposal and you will have to endure my presence only during our business dealings.”

She began to twirl the silver band on her right ring finger. “Look, I enjoy your company and I have since we first met. I’m just not in the market to enjoy it too much again.”

Feeling satisfied over the admission, he inclined his head and studied her. “Then you did enjoy our encounter?”

She hesitated a few seconds. “I suppose I have to admit that I did, with the exception of the marble floor.”

“That is why I allowed you to be on top.”

“After you had me on my back.”

“On your back so that I could quickly remove your clothes and run my mouth down your body to facilitate your—”

“We don’t need to go there.”

He could not suppress a grin. “Ah, but I already have, and considering the sounds you made, I do not believe you were disappointed.”

She quickly stood and sighed. “I’m not in the mood to take a journey down memory lane, so I’m going to return to the palace now.”

Tarek came to his feet. “Shall I expect you on the plane tomorrow?”

When she did not immediately respond, he held his breath and hoped. “I’ll let you know tonight, when you’re dining at the palace.”

He frowned. “I did not realize you were aware of the invitation.”

She sent him a disparaging look before crossing the room. “It’s my job to know everything about the royal family and their esteemed guests,” she said on her way out.

After she disappeared, Tarek checked his watch, reclaimed his chair and picked up the phone to make his daily call to the other female in his life. If he did not do it soon, he would regret the oversight. A few moments passed before he was greeted with the familiar, quiet, “Ahlan?”

He opted to answer in English, not Arabic, to test her acumen, as he had since teaching her the language. “Did you receive my gift, Yasmin?”

“I did!” she said with the marked exuberance of a typical five-year-old. “He is lovely.”

That was not how he would describe the street-roving mutt. “I am glad you are pleased. Will you take good care of him?”

“Yes, I will. I promise to feed him and give him water and take him for walks. What shall we name him?”

“That is entirely up to you, Yasmin.”

“I will have to think about it. When are you coming home? Soon, I hope.”

No matter what said he told her, he would disappoint her. “I told you about the new resort before I left Morocco. I still have much work to do on it.”

“You are always working. I wish you would take me with you.”

That would be impossible at this point in time. Very few knew of her existence, and he wanted to keep it that way. “Perhaps someday. In the meantime, take care.”

“I will.”

“I shall see you in a month when I return.”

A span of silence passed before she said, “I miss you.”

“I miss you as well, Yasmin.” And he certainly did, though too much affection would serve neither of them.

As soon as he hung up the phone, Tarek began to contemplate his previous conversation with Kira and her erroneous assumptions.

It’s my job to know everything about the royal family and their esteemed guests…

Little did Kira know, she was not privy to most aspects of his private life, as it had been with all friends and former lovers. Not only in regard to the child, but she was also unaware that he retained an important piece of the Mehdi puzzle. Only he held the key and no one else, not even the current monarch and his brothers. He harbored a great secret that might have died along with his parents, save an old man’s conscience and overwhelming guilt.

Since gaining that knowledge, he had been bound by a pledge to keep the information guarded out of respect for his mother, yet he had grown weary of the pretense. He wanted answers. He demanded answers. He vowed to do whatever he must to gain that information, and he hoped Kira Darzin could aid him in his search.

From the minute he’d met her, he had sensed she would know much about the Mehdis, and he would continue to gain her trust in an effort to convince her to confide in him. That had been his primary goal in the beginning, until he had crossed the boundaries into ill-advised desire. He had not intended to be as preoccupied by her and he would do well not to let his base urges rule his rationality.

If his plan with Kira did not succeed, he would continue to covertly search for confirmation through every means possible, work his way into the royal sons’ good graces, then he would properly introduce himself as the bastard son of the former king of Bajul.

Their brother.

Two

Every evening at six o’clock sharp, Kira prepared to deliver her usual courtesy call. It was incumbent that she made certain all needs were met, though tonight that wouldn’t be easy, considering she would have to face the father of her child. After she walked into the elaborate dining room, she found the lengthy mahogany table populated with the usual royal residents—King Rafiq and his wife, Maysa, along with the newlyweds, Adan and Piper—and one not-so-usual sophisticated man dressed in a beige silk suit, sitting to the right of Rafiq. Anyone who didn’t know the Mehdis might mistake Tarek Azzmar as a relative, when in reality his only ties to the royals were big business, Middle Eastern roots and an abundance of good looks.

When Tarek leveled his gaze on her, Kira’s thoughts spun away like a desert whirlwind. She sincerely wanted to look away, yet it was as if he had her completely under some macabre magical spell. “Magical” would definitely describe his thorough kisses, his very skilled hands, his expertise at lovemaking, his obvious virility….

“Is there another bun in the oven, Kira?”

Taken aback by Adan Mehdi’s query, Kira directed her attention to the youngest prince, her face splashed with heat. “Excuse me?”

He held up the empty basket. “We are out of bread.”

Apparently, she was plagued by secret pregnancy paranoia. “I’ll see to that immediately.”

“And, Kira, if it’s not too much trouble, I’d like more water, please,” Adan’s auburn-haired wife added as she leaned back in the chair, providing a peek at her rounded belly. “I’m so thirsty I think I’m giving birth to a trout, not a mammal.”

Kira experienced a brief bout of envy when Adan and Piper exchanged a loving look. At least they had each other. At least Piper wouldn’t be raising her baby alone.

Whether that would be the case for Kira when it came to her own child still remained to be seen. “I’ll be certain to have the server deliver you an entire pitcher of water, as she should have done at the beginning of the meal. She’s new and still trying to gain her bearings. I also believe she’s a bit starstruck over her introduction to royalty.”

Piper’s grin expanded as she waved a hand toward Tarek. “I think she’s quite taken with our guest.”

Kira ventured a glance and discovered Tarek didn’t seem at all disturbed by the conjecture. When he failed to reply, she focused on the eldest Mehdi son. “Is the dinner tonight to your liking, Your Majesty?”

“As usual, the fare is excellent,” Rafiq replied as he regarded Tarek. “Would you would like more of the chicken kabobs, Mr. Azzmar?”

Tarek pushed his empty plate aside and leveled his gaze on Kira. “Not presently, but it was delicious. I particularly enjoyed the garlic yogurt sauce. Please give my compliments to the chef.”

Adan presented his usual dimpled smile. “Perhaps you would like to deliver the message yourself and inspect the help further, Tarek.”

Piper elbowed her husband, causing him to wince. “Stop it, Adan. I’m sure Tarek is more than capable of finding a date.”

Adan grimaced. “Bloody hell, wife. I like it much better when your pregnancy hormones lead to pleasure and not pain. I was simply suggesting Tarek might be interested in keeping company with a woman who is obviously smitten with him.”

“Your bride is correct,” Tarek added. “I am very selective when it comes to female companionship. Although the server is attractive, she is much too young, therefore she does not hold my interest.”

After the billionaire nailed her with another pointed look, Kira snatched the basket from the table and began backing toward the door. “I’ll let the chef know you’re all pleased with the meal and I’ll send someone out with more bread and water. Good evening.”

With that, she spun around and strode into the nearby kitchen, muttering a few mild oaths at herself over her inability to ignore Tarek. She mumbled a few more aimed at the businessman who seemed bent on keeping her off balance.

“Please take more rolls and water to the table immediately,” she said to the recently hired, very pretty fresh-faced staff member. “And from this point forward, pay more attention to the family and guests’ needs. Prince Adan requires more bread than most, and always make certain there is a pitcher of water close at hand in the dining room.”

The young woman quickly took the basket, filled it with rolls, grabbed a water pitcher and scurried away, her brown ponytail bouncing in time with her gait. Kira then leaned back against the steel prep table while the chef remained at the stove, where Kira’s own mother had once stood, preparing the finishing touches on dessert as several of the staff members engaged in clean-up. She rubbed both temples with her fingertips and closed her eyes against the beginnings of another nagging headache. The reason for that headache happened to be seated in the dining room, acting as if he practically owned the palace.

One arrogant man. One gorgeous egomaniac. One weakness she couldn’t afford to have.

“Might I have a few moments alone with you, Miss Darzin?”

Speaking of the sexy devil himself. Kira’s eyes snapped open at the deep timbre of his now-familiar voice. “Actually, I’m rather busy at the moment, Mr. Azzmar.”

Tarek strolled into the kitchen as if he were king of the castle, hands planted in his pockets. “Then I would be happy to speak with you about our plans while you continue your duties.”

Conversing with him in front of the staff could be detrimental on several levels. She could only imagine what they were already thinking. “I suppose we can discuss your needs in the corridor.” And that sounded entirely too suggestive. “Needs as in your need for an administrative assistant.”

“Ah, yes, that need.” He swept a hand toward the opening to the hallway. “After you.”

Kira rushed out of the room, unable to avoid the curious glances of the employees. She continued down the passage with the current thorn in her side trailing behind her and pushed out the doors leading to the courtyard. Once there, she turned and practically face-planted into Tarek’s broad chest. “Do you mind giving me some space?”

He took a step back. “Is this better?”

Better would entail having the persistent man standing several yards away, not less than a foot in front of her. “As long as you don’t come any closer, that will do.”

His expression turned somber. “Do you fear me, Kira?”

“Of course not.” Not in a traditional sense, yet she did fear the way he made her feel—vulnerable.

“Do you believe I would never do anything to harm you?”

“Yes, I believe that.” He wouldn’t, at least not physically, but he had dealt her an unsolicited emotional blow six weeks ago.

He released a rough sigh. “Then I must admit I am somewhat confused by your recent attitude. When we first met, I had several opportunities to attempt to seduce you, yet I did not. Instead, we spent many hours engaged in casual conversation, and only conversation, until the night we spent together. I assumed we had established a measure of trust between us.”