Claimed by the Desert Sheikh. Оливия Гейтс

her legs. She sank onto the sofa and tried to remember to breathe.

      “Jon. Is everything okay?”

      “Sure. I’m calling to check on you. I haven’t heard from you and wanted to make sure everything was all right.”

      “I’m fine,” she told him. “Everything is fine.”

      Which it was—so why was she suddenly fighting tears?

      Probably the loneliness, she told herself. She missed her dad and she missed Jon.

      “You sure?” he asked.

      “Of course. Work on the car is going really well and you’ll never guess. There’s going to be a royal ball here, and I’ve been invited.”

      “Good for you.”

      “It’s kind of a strange thing, but I think it will be fun. And I’ve made a few friends. There’s a great secretary here who is also American. We’ve been hanging out together.” Maggie talked a little more about her life then said, “How are things there?”

      “Busy. It’s quarterly season and you know what that means.”

      She did. Jon was a corporate accountant. While she couldn’t relate to his world of numbers and reports, she knew he liked it.

      “How’s Elaine?” she asked, because the alternative was to say that she missed him and she refused to go there.

      He hesitated. “Maggie, I …”

      “I’m allowed to ask and you’re supposed to answer,” she told him. “Don’t we at least have that much left?”

      “It’s not that. I hate how things ended between us. I want it to be better and I’m not sure talking about Elaine is the best way for that to happen.”

      Heat burned on her cheeks. She knew he was thinking about the last night they’d been together. When she’d called him sobbing about her father and he’d come over, because that’s the kind of man he was. Then she’d kissed him and …

      She pushed the memory away. In theory, they were equally at fault. It wasn’t as if Jon had said no. But somehow she always felt that she was the one to blame.

      “I’ve let it go,” she told him and realized she meant it. She still felt stupid, but she wasn’t longing for a repeat performance. “You’ve let it go. We’re moving on. So answer the question. How’s Elaine?”

      “Good. Great. We’re spending a lot of time together.”

      She could hear his affection in his voice. Maybe it was more than affection; maybe it was love.

      “I’m glad,” she said firmly. “You deserve someone great in your life.”

      “You, too. But watch out for those princes at the ball. They play by different rules.”

      That made her smile. “I’m hardly in danger, Jon.”

      “You’re exactly what they’re looking for.”

      She glanced at her scarred hands and thought about the long days she spent in a garage working on cars. She doubted a lot of princes dreamed about a woman like her. “If you say so.”

      They talked for a few more minutes, then said goodbye and hung up. As Maggie replaced the phone, she realized she didn’t hurt as much as she thought she would. That talking to him had actually been … nice.

      She probed her heart, trying to figure out if she had regrets that things were over between them. There was tenderness there, but it was a whole lot more about missing her friend than missing her lover. Maybe she hadn’t been lying when she’d said they’d both moved on. And wouldn’t that be a good thing?

      “They’re not comfortable,” Maggie grumbled as Victoria rolled her hair with heated curlers.

      “Beauty is pain. Suck it up, honey.”

      Maggie eyed her friend. Victoria was a blond stunner, with her hair piled on top of her head and makeup emphasizing her beautiful features.

      “So you practically had to cut off a leg to look like that?” Maggie teased.

      Victoria laughed. “What a sweet thing to say. Hold on to that thought because when I’m done with your hair, I’m going to pluck your eyebrows.”

      “I don’t think so.”

      “You’re going to have to trust me.”

      An hour later Maggie stared at herself in the mirror. “Wow.”

      “I know. You had all that potential just lurking. Maybe now you’ll take a second or two and put on mascara in the morning.”

      Maggie knew that was never going to happen, but she had to say she’d cleaned up a lot better than she’d ever imagined she could.

      Her hair had been pinned up in a loose style that allowed a few curls to tumble down to her shoulders. Makeup made her eyes look big and her mouth all pouty. Victoria had lent her a pair of dangling earrings that sparkled, and the dress fit her perfectly, emphasizing the few curves she had.

      “I like it,” she said slowly, then shifted her weight and winced. “But the shoes are killing me and don’t say beauty is pain again.”

      “You’ll get used to them.” Victoria linked arms with her and stared at their reflection. “Damn. I’m still short.”

      “You’re gorgeous.”

      “We both are.”

      Her friend was being generous, Maggie thought, but she was in the mood to accept the compliment.

      There was a knock at the door. The two women looked at each other.

      “It’s your room,” Victoria pointed out. “So I’m not expecting anyone.”

      Maggie walked to the door, nearly falling off her high heels as she moved. She opened the door and found Qadir standing there.

      “Good evening,” he said. “I am here to escort you two ladies to the ball.”

      Maggie stared at the handsome prince in his tuxedo. He looked perfect, but then he always did. “Really? That’s so nice. Thank you. We’re about ready.”

      She stopped talking and held in a groan. That’s so nice? Could she have said something more stupid?

      He stepped into the suite. “Hello, Victoria.”

      “Prince Qadir. You’re looking especially royal this evening.”

      He smiled. “Thank you. You’re both very beautiful.”

      Victoria grabbed Maggie’s arm and pulled her into the bedroom. “You know he’s here for you, don’t you? I’m just a pity date.”

      “What? No. He’s not. He’s my boss.”

      “So he’s carrying on a time-honored tradition. Be careful, Maggie. You lead with your heart.”

      Maggie rolled her eyes. “Please. Qadir isn’t here for me. He’s just being polite.”

      “Uh-huh. Do you see Nadim being polite and taking me to the party? Qadir is intrigued and when the man in question is a prince, you need to be careful.”

      Maggie appreciated her friend’s warning, but there was no need. Qadir would never see her as anything other than his employee. Not that she wanted him to.

      The two women collected their evening bags and returned to the living room. Qadir escorted them both downstairs and led them to the elevator.

      When the doors opened on the main floor, she could hear music. There were dozens of people in the wide hallway, all moving toward the massive open doors at the far end.

      There were lights everywhere. Bright chandeliers and sconces illuminated the well-dressed crowd.