The Sheik and the Bought Bride by Susan Mallery Page A

butterflies.
    “This is no big deal,” she whispered to herself. “It’s just Kateb.”
    Whom she had recently seen naked and made love with.
    She was both excited and nervous, while oddly uncomfortable. Not a combination of emotions designed to puther into a meditative state, she thought, trying to find humor because it was better than fear or worry.
    She left the harem and went in search of the offices. All working palaces had offices where the day-to-day details were handled. Government required files and computers and good lighting. Even in a thousand-year-old palace.
    As she explored, she told herself that she’d traveled with Kateb to be his mistress, but the concept wasn’t real to her. It was a scene in a book or a movie—not her life. No wonder she was still finding her way. Yet last night it had been very real, complete with incredible sex with a sheik she barely knew. If she’d been asked before they’d been intimate, she would have sworn she wasn’t capable of being swept away so completely. Now she knew differently.
    But was it the circumstances or the man? Which was better? That she’d given in to passion because it had been a long time and the guy knew what he was doing? Or was it specifically about him? Was there something else? Something more powerful and frightening?
    She didn’t want it to be the latter. If it was, she was in danger. She could be hurt or worse. Look at her mother. No—she wasn’t attracted to Kateb in a relationship kind of way. Her heart was firmly locked away and nothing was going to change that.
    Which left chemistry. Fine. They were good together in bed. She hadn’t experienced that sort of attraction before but as long as she didn’t make it more than it was, she would be fine. Think of the calories she could burn in a night with him.
    She made her way to the rear of the palace, then followed a couple of guys in Western dress up to the second floor. Stone walls gave way to sensible drywall and offices. She walked toward a serious man in a suit, sitting behind a large desk.
    “I’d like to see Kateb,” she told him.
    The man was probably a couple of years younger than her. He was the equivalent of a receptionist, but she could tell by the way he looked at her that he thought he was just a little better than everyone else.
    “The prince is busy.” His tone of voice dismissed her.
    “How do you know I don’t have an appointment?”
    “Because I manage his calendar.”
    She doubted that. Kateb would have a personal assistant who took care of the details. Desk Boy would probably have a copy on his computer, nothing more.
    “You might want to tell him I’m here,” she said, smiling pleasantly.
    Desk Boy looked her up and down. “I don’t think so,” he said. “Now if you’ll excuse me.”
    He turned back to his computer.
    Victoria wanted to slap him. Instead she gave him an even bigger smile. “The blonde thing should be a clue. Do you see many Americans out here? I’m guessing you don’t. You should also listen better when you’re getting your coffee, because I’m going to guess that there’s been plenty of chatter about Kateb’s new mistress. That would be me. Now you can take me to him or I can find my way there myself and complain about you. Either works. Which is it going to be?”
    “I know who you are,” Desk Boy said with a sneer. “I know exactly who and what you are. Go away.”
    Victoria took a step back. She felt as if she’d been slapped. Culturally, mistresses were slightly below the queen but above everyone else. It was considered respectable, even an honor, to be the prince’s mistress. While she’d had personal issues about sleeping with Kateb, she’d never worried about how she would be treated by his people.
    She didn’t know what to do or say. Before she couldcome up with a plan, she sensed someone coming up behind her. A heartbeat later, she felt a warm hand on the small of her back as Kateb moved next to her.
    “She is