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Yet the very fa him into the unknown realms of fantasy The past was a place he did not revisit At least never before now His restless and nomadic nature saw no point to it For hi friendships His destiny was to stand alone

Then why are you breaking your own rules? taunted a small voice in his head

He did not rise to greet her when she got to the table, and, interestingly, this small lack of courtesy wounded her Could he not just have pretended—gone through the motions of normality?

‘Hello, Hashim,’ she said, as calmly as possible

‘Sienna’ Not a flicker of emotion crossed over the diamond-hard features ‘Please sit down’

‘Thank you’ She glanced up at the waiter, who pulled her chair out, and then there was nowhere else to look other than into the enight swept over her, and she felt a moment of sheer physical weakness until she remembered her vow of earlier Professionalisin?’

‘So quick to do business?’ he murmured

‘One should always strive for professionalism,’ she answered coolly

‘Ironically, that is what Abdul-Aziz always says’

Sienna remembered the aide who had seemed to so dislike her ‘And is he here with you now?’

Hashim shook his head Hot-headedly, he had blah he had only been doing his job But for a while the Sheikh had seen his—and he was as superstitious as the next Qudamah man So he had sent him home, and in a way the split had been necessary—for the oldera royal aide He had begun to love the fatherless Hashim as a son And Hashim had no need of extra love

‘Abdul-Aziz was posted back to Qudamah,’ he said ‘He is married noith a son of his own’

‘Married?’

‘Yes’ And then, because this exchange seemed almost too cosy, too familiar, he allowed his eyes to drift over her face ‘Aren’t you going to thank me for the calendar?’ he questioned deliberately

She had wondered when he would get around toit, and she had practised her response until she had it word-perfect ‘No, I’m not And if you continue to talk about it then I alk out of here right now’