He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I don’t speak about my feelings, Doctor Ross.”
Harper stood up and set her untouched glass down on the table. “Then your nieces will continue to flounder, trying to figure out on their own how to deal with the emotions that are roiling inside of them. It will take a long time for them to trust the world, if ever. Because they won’t understand the world anymore. They are pretending that they aren’t sad because you don’t appear to be sad. But deep down inside, those little girls are crying and painfully confused. What’s worse, they can’t trust something they don’t understand.”
“They will grow to be strong leaders,” he snapped, standing as well and glaring down at her.
Harper refused to be intimidated. Sure, she might be attracted to him, but she could ignore that sensation. Right now, with him being such an arrogant jerk, it was easy.
Nodding her head, she pretended to give him the respect his title demanded. “Good night, Your Highness. I’ve given you my advice. Since you disagree with my assessment, I’ll head home in the morning.”
With that, she carefully placed her glass on the table beside the leather chair and quietly left the room. Yes, she’d leave here tomorrow. But her heart would ache for those little girls who would grow up not understanding how to handle their emotions. Any time something happened to them, they would rebel and lash out at the world and it would be tragic. They could easily end up being those girls that show up on the tabloids partying with random men and getting into legal troubles as they struggle to grasp appropriate ways to cope.
It would be hard for them and for the family.
Her heart ached for what they would go through, but since she had only met two…wait, there had been that other giant that had confronted her in the parking lot. Had he been the third brother?
Most likely. So she’d met three of the girls’ uncles. Which begged the question, where was the aunt? Was she mean and horrible? Or was she one of those partying princesses?
Harper hoped that wasn’t the case. She wanted to believe that even the extremely wealthy in this world could learn to love and be loved, to explore their emotions in a healthy way.
But she’d seen it too often. This family was in some pretty major trouble.
Chapter 4
“What in the world?”
Harper stared at the enormous man with the two little girls, one sitting on each leg and with a thick, muscular arm around each of their backs to support their slim bodies.
She was so stunned at the image of Amit holding his nieces that it took his rich, deep voice to break through her surprise.
“I remember one time when your momma tried to climb a tree in Kenya. We were traveling through the country on an official visit with your grandparents at the time. She wanted to pretend to be a giraffe.” He paused as if remembering and Harper’s heart ached with a strange sensation as she watched the powerful man cuddle the girls. “We all thought she was lost,” he explained. “My parents, your grandparents, were organizing a search party and warning your mother’s security team that they were all fired because your momma was lost. A few minutes later, your mother strolls casually into the dining room, covered in scrapes and bruises because she fell out of the tree, completely oblivious to the chaos her disappearance had created. She looked around, casual and curious, and asked why everyone was so angry.”
Harper watched as one of the girls, she wasn’t sure if it was Ellora or Elsa, leaned her head against his broad chest. The small child still didn’t speak, but the tiny show of affection was perfect! It was a breakthrough, although the girls still weren’t speaking.
“Can either of you tell me a story about your mother that you remember?”
Harper noticed that he didn’t ask about their father, which was telling. But still, this was progress.
The girls were silent. Amit didn’t admonish them for not offering a story. Instead, he hugged them more tightly. It was exactly what the girls needed.
“That’s okay,” he said, his rough, husky voice full of the approval that they craved. “You probably don’t remember any stories. So, I’ll tell you the stories I remember. Will that be okay?”
Both girls nodded, which was another massive breakthrough!
Harper turned and slipped silently out of the nursery, not wanting to disturb the tender moment. She’d never felt her heart ache like this when any of her other patients had a breakthrough! She angrily swiped the tears from her cheek as she stomped towards his office. She needed to talk with him, but didn’t want to do it just now. She needed a bit more time to recover, to find her equilibrium again. After that sweet, tender moment with his nieces, and the fact that he had clearly listened to her last night, her opinion had softened.
With a smile, she walked towards his office and waited. When he finally came around the corner, Harper stood up and smiled, folding her hands in front of her.
“Doctor Ross,” he grumbled, his eyes moving up and down over her figure. He didn’t pause as he walked into his office, but nor did he close the door. Harper stood there for a moment, wondering if she should go in or just…leave.
She squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and followed Amit into the office.
“Close the door,” he snapped.
She jerked to a stop and glared for perhaps a full second, hazel eyes clashing with blue. In the end, she lost the battle and turned, softly closing the door.
“I thought you were leaving us,” he growled, leaning back in the huge, leather chair, his fingers laced over his taut, flat stomach as he watched her squirm.
“Yes, well, I will leave. I just…I wanted to thank you, on behalf of your nieces, for stopping by and talking with them this morning. It’s…” she hesitated, unwilling to compliment him, but knowing that it was the right thing to do. “It was very sweet. And I appreciate you taking my advice.”
“Is that all that I need to do? Talk to them? Give them hugs?”
She shifted, feeling like a bug under a magnifying glass as he watched her. How he could accomplish that effect when he was lower than she was an impressive feat.
“No. A few conversations aren’t going to resolve their heartache and confusion. But it’s a good start.”
“So, now that I’ve done one of the things I should be doing with my nieces, you’re still ready to hit the road?”
Harper opened her mouth, not sure what to say. “I’m not really needed here,” she finally said.
“You don’t think so?” he asked. His voice was smooth and sexy. For a moment, she felt a spear of heat hit her and she wasn’t sure how to respond. Were they still talking about his nieces? For some reason, she suspected that the topic had changed. Surely, he didn’t mean that she should stick around for…him?
Impossible. So instead of acknowledging the insanity of that idea, that this dynamic, powerful and intimidating man could be attracted to her, she pushed the possibility away. He was just…well, she didn’t know him well enough to explain away that strange sensation. Instead, she focused on the girls that desperately needed her help.
“If you still think that I can be of assistance with your nieces, I would be happy to stay and assist however I can. And I’m eager to start the research interviews with some of the teachers in your country.”
Harper watched him, noticed the strange light in his eyes and once again felt that strange heat shimmer through her. “Yes, Doctor Ross. I believe that you are very much needed here.”
She stared at him for a long moment, again getting the impression that he was talking about something else, something that had nothing to do with his nieces. But the “something else” that popped into her mind was so preposterous, she quickly pushed the possibility away.
“Okay. Right. Well, then…” she felt that irritating awkwardness again. “I’ll just…get ready for the interviews then. I’ll work with your staff to find a good time to talk with your nieces as well. I’ll submit my schedule to you as soon as I finalize the deta
ils.”
He nodded his head slightly, those hazel eyes still watching her with that same intensity. “That sounds like a good plan, Doctor Ross.”
Harper stood there for another long moment, feeling…tingly. What did that mean?
With a deep breath, she nodded, then abruptly turned on her heel and left the office.
Even as she pulled the door closed behind her, Harper could feel the weight of his gaze on her.
Amit stared at the doorway where the lovely doctor had just left, wondering why he felt such an intense desire to…kiss her. To pull those damned pins out of her hair and run his hands through the soft tresses. Hell, he wanted to pull her into his arms and discover if her lips were as soft as they looked or if her body was as curvy as it seemed to his hungry eyes.
She felt it too, he realized. He’d recognized the tension in her eyes because he felt it too. He’d also seen the way her body reacted, her breasts tightening and those pointed nipples ruining the effect of her stiff clothing, revealing her awareness of their mutual attraction.
Doctor Harper Ross was a fascinating woman. She was so soft and beautiful. And yet, she took pains to hide her beauty underneath severe hairstyles and stiff clothing. Every time he saw her, she wore basically the same outfit, only varying the colors slightly. He suspected that she dressed that way in order to be taken seriously. But to his mind, her clothing didn’t disguise the fact that she was sensuously alluring.
So, the lovely Harper was trying to ignore their attraction? Amit considered letting her get away with that. He had so many responsibilities consuming his time. And yet, he couldn’t seem to get her out of his mind. She was even invading his dreams. So, perhaps it was time to explore this attraction.
Amit relished the idea of overcoming every obstacle in order to achieve his ultimate goal. That of having Harper Ross in his bed.
Chapter 5
Feeling energized and happy about getting through to the intimidating sheik and warmed by his story about the girls’ mother, Harper stepped into the nursery, thinking to help the nanny clean up after the day’s lessons, assuming that the girls were eating dinner with their family. So, when she spotted the two girls sitting alone at the table, her temper fired up.
“Seriously?!” she grumbled, catching the eye of the nanny who was sitting in a chair, slightly out of sight. Turning to the nanny, she fisted her hands at her sides. “The girls are eating dinner alone?”
Surprised, the nanny straightened in her chair, glancing at the girls, both of whom looked startled as well…and not particularly interested in their food.
“They always eat here in the nursery,” the nanny explained as if that should be obvious, a touch of admonition in her tone. “His Highness is very busy with important matters.”
Harper opened her mouth to tell the nanny that the two girls were vitally important too! But saying anything to the nanny would be pointless and a waste of her energy.
So instead, Harper walked over to the table and sat in one of the small seats that were perfect for their five-year-old bodies. Not so perfect for her own, but Harper didn’t complain.
“Ladies, I want you to know that both of you are very important! And I’m going to have a little chat with your uncles and aunt about this situation.” She looked down at the meal. “Do you like eating apples?” she asked.
The girls looked down at the slices of apples beautifully spread out on their plates like a blooming…something…and shrugged noncommittally. In the middle of the apple slices were grapes that had been cut in half and a melon slice. Now that she was at their level, Harper saw the fruit formed a smiley face with the apple slices acting as the “hair” and Harper made a mental note to say something to the chef. The smiley face was cute, even if the food was completely inadequate for a growing child. Seriously…just fruit? Five year olds needed calcium and protein and lots of healthy fats for their developing brains. This obsession with slenderness, even at five years old, was insane!
Harper grinned, understanding that they still weren’t ready to speak just yet, but encouraged because they were responding to her questions, which was significantly better than the blank stares she’d received yesterday. “I hear you, ladies.” With a wink, she stood and looked around. “Goodness, this place is bland.”
Ignoring the horror on the nanny’s face, Harper left the nursery. Stopping the first servant she ran into, she asked, “Do you have any idea where His Highness is at this moment?” She used the man’s title with only a touch of sarcasm, remembering that the servants and guards loved their leader.
“I believe he is in the gym, ma’am,” the servant replied with a small curtsy.
Harper headed into the area where she suspected the gym would be. Personally, she hated exercising, even though she preached it to the rest of the world. Yeah, exercise was good for the heart and the mind. But she hated sweating! She hated gyms in general and the smell, feel, and judgement of the other occupants. Then again, Harper also hated the feeling she had every night when she stepped into her house, exhausted from a long day of work that was compounded by the rush of guilt she felt when she had to once again berate herself for not finding time in her schedule to run like a gerbil on a treadmill.
It further infuriated her that the man who was so busy running a country, could still find time to exercise but he couldn’t share a meal with two little girls who were confused and in pain, lonely and desperate for any sort of human affection.
If she hadn’t been so furious, she would have realized that this gym was bigger and scarier than any other gym she’d seen. The equipment didn’t look like anything she’d seen before and was far too complicated for her exercise-phobic mind.
But she focused on finding “His Highness”. So when her gaze lit on the ginormous weights going up and down, she knew that she’d located her prey.
“You!” she snapped.
Immediately, several guards straightened and stepped forward. Amit stopped and looked at her, his hand lifting to halt his guards. The guards stopped, but they clearly didn’t like it. Nor did they like that she was disrespecting their employer and leader.
Amit sat up on the bench press machine, his muscles aching from the strain. “And a good day to you as well, Doctor Ross. What have I done wrong today?” Amit asked as he watched her approach. Did the gorgeous woman do anything at a normal pace? Her walk across the gym looked like she was about to attack. His guards thought so as well.
Amit chuckled, shaking his head at her defiance. Grabbing a towel, he rubbed it across his sweat-drenched face as he waited for her approach.
“How is it that you have plenty of time to…” she gestured at the surrounding equipment, “…do whatever that is, but you can’t find the time to share a meal with your nieces?”
He looked at her as if she’d just told him that they were dining with gorillas or something equally outrageous. “A meal? Aren’t they eating in the nursery?” he asked, glancing at the clock over the door.
She huffed a bit, throwing her arms up in the air. “Yes!”
He waited, trying to figure out why she was so upset. “And…I should be eating with them?” he prompted. “In the nursery?” He almost laughed at the idea.
Doctor Harper Ross, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes with exasperation. “Yes! In the nursery or, even better, in the dining room with these other mysterious aunts and uncles! Family meals are the best way to connect,” she explained. “Eating together, sitting down for a meal, allows everyone to share their days together. Breakfast is a way for you to ask the girls what they anticipate might happen during the day, what lessons they are looking forward to, what they might dread. It also demonstrates good eating habits. They’ll eat what you eat and you can talk to them about good nutrition.”
“I believe I hired a very capable nanny to do that for me.”
Harper bent down, poking her finger against his chest. Obviously, she didn’t mind the sweat-soaked shirt. Unfortunately, Amit couldn’t help but notice th
e sweet smell of her shampoo.
“They don’t need a hired servant. They need you!” she explained through gritted teeth and poking him with every other word.
Amit stood up slowly, watching her eyes as her head fell back with his height. “First of all, that nanny came to us highly recommended. And secondly,” he took her hand, his fingers encircling her wrist, absently noting the delicate bones and the rapidly beating pulse at her wrist. “If you ever poke me again,” he lowered his head so that their noses were almost touching, “I’m going to show you a much better way for you to use those fingers when you’re touching me.”
They stood there for a long moment, staring into each other’s eyes. He noticed her irises dilate and her breath hitch. For that moment, feeling their pulses beat together, he knew that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her.
She broke the intimacy of the moment by jerking her hand away. He allowed her retreat. This time. But soon, very soon, her take-no-prisoners approach was going to break his control and he’d have to react. He could picture tossing her over his shoulder. Then he’d show her exactly how to use that passion!
Damn, that idea was so much more powerful now that he knew that she was just as interested!
Unfortunately, before he could point that out, the lovely doctor turned around and stalked out of the gym.
He watched her go, admiring the soft sway of her hips in the formal slacks, the slender waist, and the energy with which she seemed to do everything. Nothing was slow with this woman. As soon as that thought popped into his mind, he thought about going slow with her, pinning her down with one hand while teasing every inch of her delectable body with his mouth and his free hand. He couldn’t wait to hear her muttered, angry protests as he caressed every part of her, ratcheting up that passion higher and higher. He wondered if she would be silent or vocal when she climaxed in his arms. Would she scream? Or would all of that passion explode silently?
Seduced by the Sheik (The Raminar Family Book 1) Page 4
