Page 3 of Forbidden Passion

“No. No, thank you for the invitation, but I have a very full schedule.”

She didn’t, but he couldn’t know that. She was literally flying into St. Gallen, Switzerland, doing her speech, then listening to the other speakers before flying out two days later. Normally, she scheduled meetings with clients or arranged to meet colleagues. But Ciara hadn’t done any of that for this conference.

“Of course you do,” he replied smoothly. “Well, I look forward to hearing your words of wisdom. Thank you for personally calling me to let me know your plans. I appreciate your consideration.”

Why did he have to make that statement sound like something…more intimate? Or perhaps, it wasn't merely the words themselves, but the almost-sexual cadence hidden within, a dark melody that struck a sensual chord within her, sending a delicious shiver of awareness down her spine.

Ciara licked her lips, trying to remember what she was doing. Phone call. Getting out of being close to the man that riled her…temper. “Right. Well, I will see you…soon, then.”

And she ended the call. For a long moment, she didn’t move. She couldn’t face the pile of issues on her desk for several minutes.

Finally, she turned and looked around. Why did her office look so…normal? She’d just had a conversation with Sheik Falk and…and what?

Ciara sighed and shook her head. “You’re losing your mind!’ she whispered to herself.

“Your Highness,” Jessy interrupted, stepping into her office, “I just wanted to let you know that I’ve booked a suite at The Rochester Hotel in St. Gallen.” She glanced down at her notebook. “It’s not as large as the suite at The Lustor, but there will be enough room for you and your bodyguards. There wasn’t a room for me, so I reserved a separate room for myself, if that’s okay?”

“That’s fine,” Ciara replied, smiling with relief. “Thank you for helping with the new arrangements last minute.”

Jessy nodded. “I’ve also printed out your speech and made reservations for dinner with your friends who are flying in the next day.”

“Perfect!” she sighed. “That sounds wonderful.” The attendees to the conference were flying in on Thursday night. She would fly in on Friday morning and would do her speech that afternoon. She’d have all night to recover, which, because of the anticipated stress levels, would include an enormous ice cream sundae with chocolate and caramel syrup and an extra big dose of whipped cream. It was the same dessert she treated herself to every time she had a big speech.

Ciara wasn’t like her brother. Ramit handled the stress of his job by working out in a gym for two hours daily. Ciaraenjoyed her morning exercise routines, but she wasn’t a gym nut like her brother.

Or like Falk. Yeah, she didn’t understand men like Falk and how they could just work out for hours on end. She grew bored with running after forty-five minutes. And weight lifting? Yeah, she did it. But only for twenty minutes or so.

The image of Falk and his muscles popped into her mind.

Goodness, she wondered what he looked like without any clothes on. Were his thigh muscles as buff as his arms and shoulders? She certainly hoped so.

As soon as that thought finished, she blinked, startled by the strength of her desire.

“Good grief!” she whispered, then spun around and began sifting through the latest reports on her desk.

Chapter 2

Taking a deep breath, Ciara waited, her heart pounding against her ribs. She felt nauseous and desperately wanted to run away. Instead, she pulled her shoulders back, lifted her chin, and took another deep breath.

“…Princess Ciara al Qadar of Ditra!” the speaker announced.

Carefully, Ciara walked out onto the stage, then to the podium, gazing out at the audience but not allowing herself to focus on the individuals. She set the papers with her speech onto the podium, took a deep breath, then forced her features into a calm expression. “Thank you so much for the warm welcome,” she began, moving her gaze over the crowd in order to include everyone in the greeting. She nodded again as the applause slowed and everyone resumed their seats.

Turning, she looked to the left and…darn it! He was here! Of all the people that she truly wanted to avoid, Falk was here and he looked…amazing! The dark suit molded to his powerful muscles. His dark hair and dark gaze drew her eyes like loadstones!

Betrothed, she mentally chided herself. She was betrothed to Zayed!

Falk shifted in his seat, lifting one dark eyebrow, as if waiting for her to begin.

Heart now pounding for an entirely different reason, she pulled her eyes away from Falk and looked out at the audience. And that’s when it hit her! Her worst fear! Standing in front of an audience and her speech had evaporated from her mind.

What was she going to say? What was her speech about again?

The silence in the packed ballroom was nearly deafening.

Glancing down, she nearly wept with relief when she found her notes on the podium. She’d have to give Jessy, her personal assistant, a big, whopping bonus! Briefly, she lifted her hand and touched the pages. Jessy had even printed out her speech in extra-large print so she could read them easily.

Clearing her throat, Ciara skimmed over the first few words and, with overwhelming relief, remembered what she was here to discuss.