The Sheikh's Collection. Оливия Гейтс

came up close and personal with his incredible eyes. Eyes that were just this shade of brown and remarkably as clear as polished topaz. “Actually, no, I’m not waiting for anyone,” she finally managed to say in a tone that sounded as if she was playing the frog to his prince, not the other way around.

      He rested his hand on the back of the opposing chair, a gold signet ring containing a single ruby circling his little finger. “Would you mind if I join you?”

      Mind? Did birds molt? “Be my guest.”

      After setting his drink on the table, he draped his overcoat on the back of the chair, sat and leaned back as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. Then again, this was probably the norm for him—picking up someone in a bar. For Piper, not so much.

      “I’m surprised you’re not keeping company with a man,” he said. “You are much too beautiful to spend Saturday night all alone.”

      She was surprised she hadn’t fainted from the impact of his fully formed grin, the sexy half-moon crescent in his chin and the compliment. “Actually, I just left a cocktail party a little while ago.”

      He studied her curiously. “In the hotel?”

      She took a quick sip of her drink and nearly tipped the glass over when she set it down. “Yes. A party in honor of some obscenely rich sheikh from some obscure country. I faked a headache and left before I had to endure meeting him. That’s probably a good thing, since for the life of me, I can’t remember his name.”

      “Prince Mehdi?”

      “That’s it.”

      “I happened to have left there a few moments ago myself.”

      Lovely, Piper. Open mouth, insert stiletto. “Do you know the prince?”

      “I’ve known him for a very long time. Since birth, actually.” He topped off the comment with another slow smile.

      She swallowed around her mortification while wishing for a giant crevice to open up and swallow her whole. “I’m sorry for insulting your friend. I just have an aversion to overly wealthy men. I’ve never found one who isn’t completely consumed with a sense of entitlement.”

      He rimmed his finger around the edge of the clear glass. “Actually, some would say he’s a rather nice fellow.”

      She highly doubted that. “Is that your opinion?”

      “Yes. Of the three Mehdi brothers, he is probably the most grounded. Definitely the best looking of the whole lot.”

      When Piper suddenly realized she’d abandoned her manners, she held out her hand. “I’m Piper McAdams, and you are?”

      “Charmed to meet you,” he said as he accepted the handshake, and then slid his thumb over her wrist before letting her go.

      She shivered slightly but recovered quickly. “Well, Mr. Charmed, do you have a first name?”

      “A.J.”

      “No last name?”

      “I’d like to preserve a little mystery for the time being. Besides, last names should not be important between friends.”

      Clearly he was hiding something, but her suspicious nature couldn’t compete with her attraction to this mysterious stranger. “We’re not exactly friends.”

      “I hope to remedy that before night’s end.”

      Piper hoped she could survive sitting across from him without going into a feminine free fall. She crossed one leg over the other beneath the table and tugged at the hem of her cocktail dress. “What do you do for a living, A.J.?”

      He loosened his tie before lacing his fingers together atop the table. “I am the personal pilot for a rich and somewhat notorious family. They prefer to maintain their privacy.”

      A pretty flyboy. Unbelievable. “That must be a huge responsibility.”

      “You have no idea,” he said before clearing his throat. “What do you do for a living, Ms. McAdams?”

      Nothing she cared to be doing. “Please, call me Piper. Let’s just say I serve as a goodwill ambassador for clients associated with my grandfather’s company. It requires quite a bit of travel and patience.”

      He inclined his head and studied her face as if searching for secrets. “McAdams is a Scottish name, and the hint of auburn in your hair and beautiful blue eyes could indicate that lineage. Yet your skin isn’t fair.”

      She touched her cheek as if she had no idea she even owned any skin. “My great-grandparents were Colombian on my mother’s side. My father’s family is Scottish through and through. I suppose you could say I’m a perfect mix of both cultures.”

      “Colombian and Scottish. A very attractive combination. Do you tan in the summer?”

      A sudden image of sitting with him on a beach—sans swimwear—assaulted her. “I do when I find the time to actually go to the beach. I’m not home that often.”

      “And where is home?” he asked.

      “South Carolina. Charleston, actually.” She refused to reveal that she currently resided in the guesthouse behind her grandparents’ Greek Revival mansion.

      He hesitated a moment as if mulling over the information. “Yet you have no Southern accent.”

      “It disappeared when I attended an all-female boarding school on the East Coast.”

      He leaned forward with obvious interest. “Really? I attended military academy in England.”

      That certainly explained his accent. “How long were you there?”

      His expression turned suddenly serious. “A bloody lot longer than I should have been.”

      She suspected a story existed behind his obvious disdain. “An all-male academy, I take it.”

      “Unfortunately, yes. However, the campus was situated not far from a parochial school populated with curious females. We were more than happy to answer that curiosity.”

      No real surprise there. “Did you lead the panty raids?”

      His smile reappeared as bright as the illuminated beer sign over the bar. “I confess I attempted to raid a few panties in my youth, and received several slaps for my efforts.”

      She was consumed by pleasant shivers when she should be shocked. “I highly doubt that was always the case.”

      “Not always.” He leaned back again, his grin expanding, his dimples deepening. “Did you fall victim to the questionable antics of boarding-school boys?”

      She’d fallen victim to playing the wallflower, though she hadn’t exactly been playing. “My school was located in a fairly remote area, and the rules were extremely strict. The headmistress would probably have shot first and asked questions later if a boy ever dared darken our doorstep.”

      His eyes held a hint of amusement. “I’m certain a woman with your looks had no difficulty making up for lost time once you escaped the confines of convention.”

      If he only knew how far off the mark he was with that assumption, he’d probably run for the nearest exit. “Let’s just say I’ve had my share of boys darkening my doorstep. Most had last names for first names and more money than sexual prowess, thanks to my grandfather’s insistence I marry within his social circles.”

      “Not a decent lover among them?”

      Only one, and he’d been far from decent. She imagined A.J. would be a seriously good lover. She’d seriously like to find out. “Since I’m not into kissing and telling, let’s move off that subject. Do you have a significant other?”

      “I did have an ‘other’ almost a year ago, but she is no longer significant.”

      “Bad breakup?”