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Sighing, Lauren peered through theand saw the jagged outline of the capital city set against sprawling desert land in the distance Turreted dorily clutched the sight to herself

“Aren’t you leaving?” she asked the woman

“I accompany you to New York,” she said demurely, “and then, return to Behraat”

Lauren set her glass on the table so fast that the cold water spilled on her fingers

This was going too far She’d decided to tolerate the jet because she didn’t want to draw Zafir’s attention by co a qualified nurse’s time

She had learned from Farrah that woh for the growing dees of the city where families still refused to let the women see male doctors

“Please ask whoever’s in charge to take me back to the commercial airport”

“But the sheikh himself—”

“If he has a problerabbed her handbag, “he can come see me himself”

The woasped

“You have your wish, habeebti,” came the sudden, soft reply behind her

Lauren whirled so fast that she was dizzy

Zafir The sheer force of his presence was like a blast of toe-curling heat Her insides pluly

“You’re also going to wish,” his tone was silky se as he dismissed the nurse with a flick of his head, “we had never h with you”

With that veiled threat, he threw a file at her The contents scattered with a soft whisper that nevertheless felt like a thudding roar As though even the flimsy paper didn’t dare disobey his command, a sheet fleard her

Goose bumps broke out on her skin She didn’t need to read the paper to knohat it said The red file with her nania, the seal of the palace physician, was enough

“Tongue-tied, Lauren?”