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He contained his surprise and gazed inquiringly at her. "You did?"
Gemma nodded. "There isn't much in the media world that slips by me. In case you hadn't noticed, It's my business, too."
He peered at her. "I know that," he announced in flat voice.
"Gemma," she said stretching out a hand.
At first he was surprised at the sudden change. He took her hand, feeling the warmth of her skin, the softness of her hand in his. He shook her hand briefly and gazed into her eyes as he did so. He saw something that surprised him. There, just behind her eyes, he was sure he saw a flicker of surprise, a hint of emotion as she held his hand. But, a moment later, it was gone and she had regained her composure.
"Nice to meet you, Gemma," Ahmed said. And he truly meant it, he realized.
He released her hand and wondered what his next move should be. But, before he could say anything more, she sat back down on the stone bench.
"May I join you?" he asked.
She gazed up at him, and he was sure he saw her eyes narrow, deliberating whether she should allow him that privilege. He was sure he saw her gaze drift briefly down the length of his body, taking in the sight of his dark suit and back up to the open-necked collar of his white shirt. She seemed to approve.
"Sure," she said patting the seat next to her. He started to move, but then she spoke again, taking him by surprise. "I think I can take that chance," she added. That comment made him pause for a moment. Her blue eyes shimmered with mischievous humor.
He smiled at her. "I'm glad you're willing to take the risk of talking with me."
As he sat down, she shook her head. "No business talk."
He felt a sudden disappointment take hold of him. "What do you think I'm after?" he asked.
Her gaze flickered slightly. "I think I know what you're after, sheikh." Her voice had a sudden edge to it, one that had been missing moments before. The extra meaning in what she'd said took him aback. He decided to ignore the suggestion that had been contained in her words.
He lifted his brows in surprise. "You know about my background."
"Sure. Doesn't everyone know about you? You're one of the most prominent sheikhs in Qazhar. You're a member of one of the most important families in the kingdom. And you have your own, modest media company. You're interested in expanding." He laughed quietly and she gazed at him. "Is that about right?"
"I'm impressed." He tilted his head to one side. "I don't whether to be flattered or insulted," he said and grinned.
She rolled her eyes. "I don't think you're someone who is easily insulted. Or flattered," she said.
"Have you been following me?" he teased. "Online, I mean."
She smiled, realizing that he was trying to match her move for move. "I exist online. Don't you know that?"
"Of course I do," he replied. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about."
She lifted a brow. "So you did follow me with selfish intentions in mind," she stated. She gave him another knowing look, and once again he sensed he was being tested.
"Are you like this with all your partners," he said. Her features darkened slightly. "Your business partners, I mean," he added quickly.
She sighed and her lips tightened, the previous good humor vanishing in an instant. She turned away from him.
He paused, assessing whether he'd made the right move, knowing deep inside himself that he'd probably crossed one of her unspoken boundaries.
He thought about the way she had just spoken to him. Her voice sounded different in reality, he reflected. Of course he'd seen some of her videos online, so he was familiar with the way she spoke.
But, somehow, being so close to her like this, she sounded different. Somehow less cheerful. And then he realized what it was which was different. There was a weariness in her voice, almost a tiredness that he could tell she was working hard to disguise with all that fake humor.
He glanced at her, and she looked right back at him, saying nothing. He was right. There was a tiredness in her eyes.
She quickly looked away, as if sensing that he was examining her more closely than she would have liked.
"What do you think of Qazhar?" he asked, hoping he could repair the damage with an ordinary question.
