The Sheikh's Collection. Оливия Гейтс

our way.”

      Elena rolled her eyes. “You were on your way, all right, but that had nothing to do with the bambino.”

      Caught by the former nanny like a juvenile delinquent stealing candy from the market. “We shall take charge of him now.”

      Elena moved in front of him and smiled. “I will watch him for a while until you and Miss McAdams return.”

      “Where are we going?” Piper asked before he could respond.

      “Your presence is requested in the conference room. Both of you.”

      Perhaps the first information from the engineers, although he had a difficult time believing they’d have anything significant to report in such a short time. “Shouldn’t we wait to meet with the conservation crew until after Rafiq returns?”

      “Rafiq arrived a few minutes ago,” Elena said. “He called the meeting.”

      Damn it all to hell. He’d been summoned to take his place in the king’s hot seat. “Did he happen to mention anything about water conservation?”

      “I would speculate he’s interested in conserving the military commander in chief’s reputation.” Elena cradled the baby closer and patted Adan’s arm. “Good luck, cara. You are absolutely going to need it.”

      Depending on what his brother had in store for him, he could very well need to call out the royal guard.

       Five

      Dead silence—Piper’s first impression the minute she followed Adan into the conference room for the so-called meeting. And she had no doubt she knew exactly what was on the agenda—quite possibly her head delivered to her personally by the king of Bajul.

      He wore a black silk suit, dark gray tie and a definite air of authority. His coal-colored eyes and near-black hair would qualify him as darkly handsome, and somewhat intimidating. Very intimidating, Piper realized when he pushed back from the head of the mahogany table and came to his feet. Adan might be an inch or so taller, but his brother’s aura of sheer power made him seem gigantic.

      The mysterious Mr. Deeb stood nearby, absently studying his glasses before he repositioned them over his eyes. “Please join us,” he said, indicating the two chairs on each side of the stoic monarch.

      Adan had already settled in before Piper had gathered enough courage to walk forward. She could do this. She could face Rafiq Mehdi with a calm head and feigned confidence. Or she could turn and run.

      Choosing the first option for diplomacy’s sake, she claimed the chair opposite Adan as the king sat and folded his hands before him on the tabletop. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. McAdams,” he began, “though I would have preferred to have done so under different circumstances.”

      She would have preferred not to meet him at all today, if ever. Sucking up seemed like a fantastic idea. “The pleasure is all mine, Your Excellency. My grandfather has said some wonderful things about your leadership. And you may call me Piper.”

      “And you may address me as Rafiq, since it seems you have become a part of the royal family without my knowledge.”

      Piper swallowed hard around her chagrin. “Actually, that’s not—”

      “Are you going to jump to conclusions without hearing our side of the story, Rafiq?” Adan asked, a serious hint of impatience in his tone.

      The king leaned back and studied them both for a moment. “I am giving you the opportunity now.”

      “I have a son,” Adan said. “That whole wife issue was simply a misunderstanding, and that is all there is to the story.”

      Rafiq released a gruff laugh. “I fear you are wrong about that, brother. I know this because I have heard the entire sordid tale. And I do believe that included you delivering the ‘wife’ proclamation yourself.”

      Piper noticed an immediate change in Adan’s demeanor. He definitely didn’t appear quite as confident as he had when they’d entered the room. She had to come to his defense due to her contribution to the mess. “Your Excellency, I’m in part responsible for—”

      Adan put up a hand to silence her. “It was simply an error in judgment on both our parts. We were attempting to protect each other and my son.”

      “Yet instead you have created a scandal at a time when we are trying to convince our people this conservation project is worthwhile,” Rafiq replied. “Their attention has now been diverted from the need to relocate some of the farms to an illegitimate child born to the man in charge of protecting our borders.”

      “Never use that word to describe my son again,” Adan hissed. “I may not have known about him, but he is every bit a Mehdi.”

      Rafiq looked extremely surprised. “I never thought of you as being the paternal sort, Adan. That being said, it is my understanding his true mother is the narcissistic Talia Thorpe.”

      Evidently the royal family and staff held the model in very low esteem. “That’s true,” Piper interjected before she could be cut off again. “I was simply pretending to be the baby’s mother to delay the questions over his parentage.”

      “Yet everyone now believes you are his mother,” Rafiq replied. “That has created quite the dilemma.”

      “I promise you I will handle this,” Adan said. “I will retract the marriage statement and explain that Samuel is my child from a previous relationship.”

      Rafiq straightened and scowled. “You will do no such thing.”

      Adan exchanged a look with Piper before bringing his attention back to his brother. “You would have us continue the lie?”

      “As a matter of fact, that is exactly what you will do,” Rafiq began, “until you find some way to be rid of the model, for both yours and your heir’s sake. Naming her as the mother will only wreak more havoc. The woman is known for posing in the nude in several photographs.”

      The king’s condescension ruffled Piper’s artistic feathers. “Some do not find nudity offensive. It would depend on what the photographer was attempting to convey.”

      “Centerfold photos,” Adan added. “She posed for several magazines, in print and online. Some of those publications are obscure and questionable at best.”

      That did change everything from an artistic standpoint. “Are they widely circulated here?”

      Adan looked somewhat sheepish. “After word got out that we were involved.”

      The king turned his full attention to her. “Ms. McAdams, if you would kindly continue the charade until your departure, then we will make certain you are compensated.”

      She could not believe someone was offering to pay her for a humongous fib that could alter her own life. “No offense, Your Excellency, but I can’t in good conscience accept money for my silence.”

      “Temporary silence,” the king added. “And I was not suggesting a bribe. However, I will award the contract to your corporation upon review of the bid. Once you have returned to the States, we will issue a statement saying you felt it best that the marriage be dissolved on the basis of irreconcilable differences, and that you feel your son should live in his homeland.”

      “And what do you propose we do with Talia?” Adan asked. “Bind and gag her before she leaks the truth to the media?”

      “She we will have to pay,” Rafiq stated. “I am certain it will cost a fortune to have her relinquish her rights as well as execute a legal document forbidding her to have any claim on the child. Fortunately, you have the means to meet her price, however high that might be.”

      Adan released a weary sigh. “Rafiq, this could all backfire no matter how carefully we plan. Talia could refuse