Modern Romance September 2016 Books 5-8. Natalie Anderson

gives you several hours to make up your mind. She can easily be cancelled.’

      Oh, yes, if there was a scale of playboys then Kedah would definitely be at the extreme end.

      In all her imaginings—and, yes, there had been plenty—they were talking one moment and then somehow had moved seamlessly to bed. Never had she thought she’d be so frankly propositioned. That Kedah would have her cancelling his date so he could slot her in.

      Thankfully he’d just made it a whole lot easier to say no!

      ‘I don’t need several hours to make up my mind,’ she answered. ‘Enjoy your night.’

      She turned her head as a car approached. It would seem that the surveyor was here.

      ‘I’m going to enjoy my afternoon off.’

      ‘Do.’

      * * *

      She didn’t.

      The lap pool was paid a visit, but it did not clear her head, and a lengthy massage, although divine, did little to relax her.

      Dinner for one felt lonely that night.

      But she made herself sit through it.

      Ten p.m. came, and when it had safely passed she went up to his suite.

      He was out.

      Clearly Kedah waited for no one.

      The maid was there, preparing the bed, and the butler helped her to pack up his things for their early-morning start.

      She stared at the bed with a mixture of pride and regret.

      Pride that she had not succumbed.

      Regret that she would never know how it felt to be Kedah’s lover.

      She set his alarm for four and headed down to her own suite. As she opened the door, still cross—so cross with him for his suggestion—still he made her smile.

      There were chocolates on her pillow.

      Many, many chocolates on her pillow. All perfectly wrapped.

      But more than that, as she walked into the bathroom to strip, she was met with a rainbow of colour.

      Kedah wasn’t boring, and even towels could be sexy, Felicia thought as she showered and then chose from the selection.

      There were deep crimsons and burnt oranges—but she bypassed them and reached for another towel...one possibly the shade of hooker green.

      She should be offended, and yet Kedah had removed that. From the day she had met him she had rightly guessed that he saved his issues for outside the bedroom. If sex was reduced to a business arrangement then so be it for him.

      Could she do it, though?

      Could she simply submit for the bliss of knowing what it was like to be made love to by him?

      Kedah seemed to think it was doable. But then he assumed that she was tough and that he was simply another client.

      Oh, no, he wasn’t.

      He was slowly stealing her heart.

      What if she never revealed that?

      Felicia had been trained to hide her true feelings from a very young age. This could possibly serve as the ultimate test.

      Wrapped in her towel, she walked to the bed and peeled open a chocolate. As she tasted it, dark, sweet and silky on her tongue, she saw a note.

      Handwritten by him.

      Think about it.

      She couldn’t stop thinking about it—no matter how she tried.

       CHAPTER FOUR

      WHERE WAS HE?

      A pre-dawn Dubai sky offered no answers as Felicia peered out through the window of her hotel suite. There were yachts lit up on the marina. No doubt there were parties aplenty still happening, and if Kedah was running true to form he might well be down there amongst them.

      His butler had just called her to say that there had been no response to his wake-up call.

      ‘Can you go in and check?’ Felicia had asked, but the butler had explained that because the ‘Do Not Disturb’ light was on he couldn’t, even though it was doubtful Kedah was there.

      Apparently the Sheikh had returned to the hotel after midnight, but had been seen heading out again around two a.m.

      When Felicia tried his cell phone it was off.

      He was always on time, Felicia told herself as she headed into the bathroom and checked her appearance. She would have to change on the plane, as Kedah had told her the dress code was strict in Zazinia, but for now she was wearing a navy shift dress. Before heading out she would add to it a small short-sleeved bolero to cover her arms.

      Felicia really needed her concealer this morning, after a night spent pondering their conversation, but she decided to do her make-up on the plane too.

      Right now she was too busy ruing the hours she had spent considering getting further involved with Kedah if his reaction was simply to stay out all night.

      Hell, yes, she was angry.

      She had worked with him for eight weeks and the last four had been spent travelling.

      Soon they would be back in London and a safer distance would be easier to maintain.

      To think she might have succumbed at the last hurdle!

      She wasn’t just cross with Kedah, she was angry with herself as she marched out of her bathroom. She went to put up her hair, but simply didn’t have the upper arm strength or the concentration this morning.

      Another thing that could wait for the plane.

      There was a knock on the door to her suite, and she opened it to the bellboy who had come to collect her luggage.

      ‘Has Sheikh Kedah’s luggage been taken down?’ Felicia checked.

      ‘Not yet,’ the bellboy informed her. ‘We cannot go in if the “Do Not Disturb” light is on.’

      ‘Even if he’s probably not there?’

      ‘Even then.’

      Felicia let out a tense breath as the door closed and she was again left alone with some choices to make.

      She had access to his suite—of course she did. Last night she and the butler had packed his belongings there, leaving the necessaries out for the morning.

      All Kedah had had to do was tumble into bed with the requisite blonde and then get up on time.

      She headed out to the elevators, but instead of going down to the foyer, where they had arranged to meet, she used her security pass and pressed the button for the royal floor.

      A rather worried butler greeted her.

      ‘The “Do Not Disturb” light is still on. I really cannot go in.’

      ‘Well, I can.’

      The butler was slightly startled at her assertive tone, but she took out the swipe card for the room, gave the door several sharp knocks and then entered.

      Please, she begged silently, if he’s in here then let him be alone.

      The suite was in darkness. There was the sound of running water and she wondered if he had fallen asleep in the sunken bath. The sound came from the pool, she realised as she saw the drapes gently billowing in the breeze and realised that the huge glass doors were open.

      She walked silently over the thick carpet and out to the stunning alfresco area. It truly was an oasis. High in the sky, there was a colourful garden and a large pool that jutted out over the ocean.