Seduced by the Sheik (The Raminar Family #1)- Elizabeth Lennox Page 0,6

her room, she was more in control and ready to tackle her assignment.

Her next issue was figuring out how to begin her assignment.

The hallway outside of her suite was long and empty. She wondered where to find someone who could explain her assignment. Harper knew that, due to her research on grief in small children, she was here in Izara to help two girls who had lost their parents suddenly. But…where would one find these girls?

Because of the urgency of this assignment, she hadn’t had time to do much research on this country. She knew that it was powerful in the region, as well as in the international economy, but she wasn’t one to follow the news that closely. She read articles about psychology, about sociology and medicine, keeping abreast of the latest studies in her field. On any given day, Harper read through the larger headlines to find out what was happening in the world, but she preferred to focus on issues closer to her home as well as issues pertaining to her patients or her students and the classes she taught at the university.

“Oh, for the familiar comfort of my normal routines,” she whispered under her breath.

Instead of hibernating in her room for a few more hours, Harper straightened her shoulders, looked around, then decided to go right. Thankfully, she ran into a servant a few minutes later. “Excuse me,” she called out, hoping that the servant spoke English. She knew a smattering of Arabic, but not enough to communicate clearly.

“Yes, ma’am?” the servant replied.

Harper pulled out the contract and double-checked the name on it. “I’m looking for someone by the name of Rashid. I’m supposed to meet with him about…”

“This way,” the servant replied immediately and started walking.

Harper blinked, startled by the abrupt response, but hurried to follow the servant. They went down two more hallways, then ended up in what she assumed were the administrative offices of the palace. Everyone looked to be industriously working at their desks. They passed by small offices and larger open areas filled with cubicles. Finally, the offices became larger and then they stopped outside of an area that looked vaguely familiar.

“Mr. Rashid is here,” the servant said, and gestured towards the closed door.

“Thank you,” Harper said, but the servant was already gone.

Tentatively at first, and then, because she hated being scared of anything, she knocked again, with more force. She was half expecting that giant to answer her knock, but smiled with relief when the smaller man she’d met yesterday opened the door.

“Hello, I’m…”

“Yes, Doctor Ross. Please, come in!”

Harper was startled, but also relieved that she was in the right place. She tugged her tote bag higher on her shoulder and tentatively stepped into the room. The man behind her closed the door and, almost immediately, the low hum of productivity disappeared. In its place was an ominous, tense silence. Looking around, Harper noticed a large desk on one side of the room that must be Rashid’s. There was that big, heavy door with guards on either side of it that she’d entered yesterday.

Now that her mind was working again, she knew that the huge man behind that door was very important. She also remembered that she’d yelled at him. Harper even seemed to recall poking the man in the chest! “Oh no,” she breathed, earning a startled glance from Rashid. “Sorry,” she muttered.

The man barely hesitated before he opened the door and announced. “Doctor Ross is here, Your Highness.”

Harper cringed.

“Send her in,” that slightly familiar deep voice called out.

So much for a reprieve, she thought. But her professionalism came to the rescue and she squared her shoulders, pasted a professional smile on her face and, when Rashid stepped out of the way, she nodded to him as she moved deeper into the office.

The office was just as lovely as it had been the day before. The early morning sunshine streamed down over the beautiful courtyard plants and the enormous desk was still in the same place it had been the previous day.

And yes, the huge man that she’d yelled at was sitting in that leather chair, watching with narrowed eyes as she walked towards his desk.

Because Harper had always been an excellent student, she’d never been called to the principal’s office. But she imagined that this experience was very much like what all those belligerent students dealt with as they were confronted with their misdeeds.

“Um…” she glanced over her shoulder when she heard the door snick shut. Clearing her