this woman’s. The creamy yellow sundress was perfectly cut to enhance this woman’s curves, low cut in the front in order to show just the right amount of cleavage to be alluring without being slutty.
“I don’t have an appointment, but he’ll see me,” she replied, laughing softly.
In her wildest dreams, Dana couldn’t pull of a laugh as sexy and sophisticated as that and she clenched her teeth in frustration.
“His Highness has a very busy schedule today,” she said, trying very hard to be polite, but it was difficult since all she wanted to do was reach across the desk and scratch the other woman’s eyes out. Instinctively, Dana knew that this woman with her cloying perfume and perfectly styled hair, sophisticated makeup and all the mannerisms of a supremely confident woman, was “The Competition”.
Not that she wanted Hassan, she reminded herself. She didn’t like him. At least not at the moment.
And then a thought occurred to her that made her feel as if she’d been punched in the gut. Was this woman the reason Hassan hadn’t come to visit her last night? Had he been wrapped in her long arms and sexy legs? Had he done to this woman all the wonderful, magical things he’d done to Dana the previous night?
Dana had to concentrate on breathing, her anger so overwhelming as she pictured her handsome Hassan and this woman doing what she and he had shared together. There was an instant hatred that she had trouble suppressing.
“Just tell him Farida is here. He’ll come running. Just wait,” the woman said and winked.
Dana picked up the phone and transferred the information that Farida was here to see him. “I’ll be right out,” Hassan replied and hung up the phone.
Dana wanted to lash out at him but controlled herself. “He’s on his way,” she replied with a forced smile.
Farida grinned right back. “I told you so! I love it when my fiancé is so prompt and attentive. Don’t you?”
She didn’t wait for a response but turned on her perfectly shod foot and walked out of Dana’s office in Hassan’s direction. Dana saw him meet her halfway but had to look away when Farida lifted her face in anticipation of Hassan’s kiss. Dana couldn’t endure the scene and busied herself with the files that had been piling up on her desk.
Dana glanced at his schedule and was furious that he was throwing it all off for a woman like that. He had to know that his meeting with the Minister of Defense had been on the schedule for weeks!
Of course, if he was going to throw off his day, it might as well be with someone like Farida. She was perfect; sexy, sophisticated, probably wealthy and knew how to go about in his world. Why would he want to be with someone like Dana? She played hot and cold, afraid to let anyone know that she’d actually been with him. Farida wasn’t embarrassed. Good grief, she practically announced it to anyone who would listen. And even those who didn’t want to listen!
At six o’clock, Hassan still hadn’t returned and Dana was too furious to work any longer. She’d done enough for the man, she thought and shut down her computer with more force than was necessary. Ignoring the stack of files that needed to be worked as well as all the transcription and little details that had piled up because Dana had been too distracted this afternoon to be efficient, she closed her laptop and pressed the button on her phone that would send her calls to the palace operator.
She was walking down the hallway, trying desperately hard to get her emotions under control but had no way of doing that. Her two body guards were walking behind her which meant she couldn’t go home since they’d probably stop her.
Or would they?
She turned around and opened her mouth to ask, but the taller one just said, “No,” shaking his head to emphasize his point.
She grimaced and looked back at him. “You don’t even know what I was going to ask,” she said, her hands fisted by her side.
He shrugged his massive shoulders. “You were going to ask if you could go back to your apartment,” he replied as if his assumption was the most obvious thing in the world.
Since that had been exactly what she was going to ask, there was no response she could offer so she closed her mouth and turned around, heading back to the suite she’d slept in last