Seduced by the Sheik (The Raminar Family #1)- Elizabeth Lennox Page 0,56
I can see that you are absolutely miserable, you’ve lost weight, and I haven’t seen you smile since you returned.”
“I just…” she stopped, her eyes filling with tears again. “I should go!”
Leslie laughed. “Don’t worry about us. We’ll find someone to replace you. You’re very good, so it’s going to be hard. But go!” Leslie stood and headed out of the room. “I want an invitation to the wedding!” and then she was gone, although Harper vaguely heard her boss laughing as she walked down the hallway.
Chapter 21
“This is crazy!” Harper whispered to herself as she stepped off of the plane. The airport terminal was busy and she wasn’t exactly sure where to go. The last time she’d flown into Izara, she’d flown via a private jet. There had been no need to wait for her bags or to find a taxi service.
Sighing, she hefted her tote bag higher onto her shoulder and looked at the instructions on the ceiling. They were in Arabic, but underneath, they were repeated in English. With relief, she walked down the long corridor, following the instructions and the flow of people with the assumption that they were heading toward the baggage claim area.
“I should have left most of my stuff at home,” she muttered as she reviewed the arrivals board. Thankfully, it was easy to determine where to get her luggage and, even better, the extremely efficient airport baggage handlers had already unloaded the bags. It was simple to spot her own black suitcase and collect it.
“Okay, now what?” she muttered, looking around. “A taxi.”
The taxi sign was easy to follow and, with relief, she stepped into the air conditioned vehicle. “I need to go to the palace,” she told the driver.
The man’s reaction might have been comical if she weren’t so nervous. He was already shifting into drive when she mentioned the palace, and did a double take. “The palace?”
Harper nodded. “Yes, please.”
And with that, she leaned back against the plastic covered cushions of the taxi.
Traffic was heavy at this time of the day, but she watched, fascinated, as the driver worked his way through the cars. It took forty-five minutes to reach the palace gates and the cost was more than she’d expected. “Um…would you mind…waiting for me?”
“No way, lady!” the cab driver stated after he took her money. “The guards won’t let me stay here.”
With that announcement, he stepped out of the driver’s seat and moved to the trunk, pulling her suitcase out and setting it down on the sidewalk. “Good day!” he said, waved in her general direction, then dove back into the taxi and drove away as if he might be arrested for lingering.
Harper looked around, not sure what to do next. She had a heavy tote bag and her cumbersome suitcase. “This is stupid!” she muttered.
“You can’t stay here, ma’am.”
Harper turned, seeing several guards armed with heavy machine guns. All of them glaring at her.
“I’m sorry, but I need to speak with Amit…um, I mean…Sheik al Raminar, please.”
One snickered, and the other three intensified their glares. “Ma’am, you need to move away from the gate,” the one in charge ordered.
Harper’s mouth fell open, and she stepped back. “I just…!”
“Ma’am, if you don’t move, we’ll be forced to take action.”
Harper gasped. “I…!”
“Harper!” a familiar male voice called out.
Harper saw the startled reaction from the guards, and spun around to see who had called to her. “Gaelen!” she breathed, her shoulders slumping with relief. “I’m so sorry to do this. I shouldn’t have shown up unannounced and…”
“Get in the car!” he ordered, scanning the area. She was surrounded by his body guards, her suitcase taken from her and deposited in one of the black SUVs.
Still, Harper hesitated, not sure what was going on.
“This way, ma’am,” one of the body guards urged, guiding her towards the SUV. Gaelen had rolled up the window but another guard was holding the door open for her.
Harper should have known better than to show up here unannounced. “I’m so sorry!” she blurted out as she stepped into the cool interior of the SUV. The door was immediately slammed shut and the SUV started moving. “I just…I need to talk to Amit.”
Gaelen leaned back in the leather seat, eyeing her oddly. Prince Gaelen could be just as terrifying as his older brother.
“Why are you here?” he demanded.
Harper sighed. “I realized something important. And I…” she wasn’t sure what to say.