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Gemma had arrived the day before and had hardly had any time to get used to this new, exotic, colorful country. One she'd never expected to visit. But, the offer from Rashid had been just too generous to ignore. He was offering her a huge sum of money, simply to be the face of his soon-to-be-launched social media platform. Rashid was nothing if not ambitious, and he had big plans for what would amount to a region wide version of what folks used back home.
They mingled with the guests, and soon Rashid was holding court again, just like he'd done earlier. Gemma's mind drifted as Rashid performed for his guests, showing of his latest prize.
Her.
All he talked about was his business and the prospects for growth and how Gemma was a key part of that. Rashid was obviously popular. Gemma had sensed that from the moment she had arrived. Whenever Rashid's name was mentioned, it usually provoked a respectful response and a lowering of eyes and voices. Rashid had power in this city. That was clear.
But, now Gemma had been introduced to another man, a sheikh this time, who seemed to possess a different kind of power. Like Rashid, Ahmed owned his own type of media organization, although Gemma didn't know quite how it differed from Rashid's. Maybe Ahmed had less ambitious plans for his. Gemma didn't know for now.
What she did know was that Sheikh Ahmed was one unbelievably sexy and gorgeous man. From the moment she'd turned and seen him standing there, looking right at her, Gemma had felt a powerful, unsettling attraction which had settled upon her with inexplicable speed.
She'd stood there, in the garden, next to the fountain, and she'd found it hard to believe what she was looking at, not to mention the effect he'd had on her.
Mesmerizing was the word which leapt to mind.
Sheikh Ahmed had affected her, causing herpulse to race, her heart to quicken, and she was sure, her face to flush involuntarily. She had been fortunate that it was night and his effect on her had been masked by the soft, evening light.
Sheikh Ahmed wasn't the kind of man she was used to meeting, these days. Because of the work she did, most of the men she encountered lacked the hard edge that she'd noticed instantly in Ahmed. It must be because of his desert heritage, she had assumed.
By contrast, Rashid looked like the kind of Qazhar man who was more at home sitting behind an office desk gazing at a spreadsheet. He was shorter than Gemma, heavy-set and with features that were strong, too strong, she felt. There was something about Rashid's gaze which was unsettling to Gemma. There was an intrusive quality about that gaze that made Gemma shift nervously every time he looked at her.
None of that applied to the man she had just encountered in the garden.
No.
Sheikh Ahmed was an entirely different kind of man, altogether, Gemma told herself as she fixed her features with a blank, pleasant smile, desperately trying to hide any hint that she was thinking about Ahmed.
Sheikh Ahmed had a powerful physique. She had been able to tell that from the way he held himself, his proud, slightly defiant bearing. He had broad shoulders and a powerful, wide chest. He was slightly taller than her, something she had become powerfully aware of when he'd moved closer to her.
He'd towered over her, an impressive presence. That had prompted her to make the offer that they sit together for a short while.
While sitting on the bench, she had had a chance to see his features up close, and her response had been instantaneous.
He was an astonishingly handsome man. She'd felt an instant reaction to their close proximity.
The sheikh's features were chiselled and sharp, deep brows and high cheekbones being the main distinguishing details. He had heavy, sensuous lips that promised instant satisfaction. That thought had caught her by surprise and she had turned away from him to mask her flushed cheeks.
It hadn't been his physical heat she'd felt as she'd sat there right next to him. She'd felt her own heat flare up with a perplexing and mystifying swiftness.
But the aspect of his appearance which most captured her attention, which most affected her, were his eyes. They were the darkest, deepest pools she had ever peered into. There was so much passion in those eyes, that on more than one occasion, as he'd looked at her, she'd felt something warm shift in her middle. Even, at one moment, she'd felt a flickering of heat at her core.
That had truly taken her by surprise.
She'd had to remind herself that she had only just met sheikh Ahmed. That they were total strangers to one another. That they had nothing in common, and no history. That she knew nothing about him, apart from the basic facts she had offered him, all of which she'd culled from Rashid.
Ahmed had done nothing except follow her to the garden with the sole intent of stealing her from Rashid. His interest in her was just business, wasn't it?
So, why was it that she had felt like that while she had sat next to him on that bench? Why was it that he had affected her like no man had done in a long time.
Perhaps that was the problem, she reminded herself, smiling at Rashid. Gemma had spent the last couple of years as far away from meaningful attachments as humanly possible. Relationships had been the least of her concerns.
In fact, she was looked upon as the queen of avoiding relationships. It fit in neatly with her public persona, the one she'd cultivated online, the one which tried to show off how good life could be without relationships.
Without a man in your life.
Just as she held that thought, with all of its disappointing reality, she looked over and saw sheikh Ahmed walk right into the room.
Gemma froze as she watched him weave his way through the crowd of guests, smiling broadly at some, chatting happily with others. He halted when he reached another man, of similar appearance to Ahmed. The other man handed Ahmed a glass of what looked like a flute of champagne.
