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 throat, she lifted her chin, doing exactly what she’d advised several of her patients over the years to do; accept what she’d done wrong and apologize for it.
“Your Highness,” she started, but paused when the dark eyebrow lifted over those strangely lovely eyes. Her heart fluttered alarmingly as she wondered how a man with such a savage presence could have such beautiful eyes. It was the lashes, she decided, tilting her head slightly.
“Doctor Harper?” the man prompted.
Harper jumped, realized that she’d been caught staring, and shook herself to push away those distracting thoughts. “Right. Um…” she cleared her throat, looking down at the floor. But because she didn’t like the subservient mannerism, she lifted her head and looked him directly in the eyes. “I need to apologize for my rude behavior yesterday,” she told the man, ignoring the slight curl of his lips. Lips that seemed…cruel. In fact, his whole face appeared cruel. It was only the hazel eyes and those crazy long lashes that softened his face, making him seem…well, definitely not approachable. But absolutely dominant!
“You were tired,” he finished for her.
Harper watched as he leaned forward, the movement straining the material over his arms and she swallowed hard at the evidence of his muscles. Good grief, did the man bench press elephants?
“Are you ready to meet my nieces?” he asked, pulling her attention away from his muscles.
Harper licked her lips. “Um…yes. But, before I meet them, could you tell me more about the situation?” At his nod, she continued, “The message I received before accepting this assignment was only that the girls had lost their parents and had stopped speaking. But I don’t know how old they are, how the parents died, who their closest relatives are, what’s going on within the family, if they have any other siblings or relatives living with them.” She waited, but he didn’t respond. His thin lips pressed together and she saw the closed off look in his eyes.
“I’m not trying to pry, sir…uh…Your Highness,” she corrected, stepping closer. “My goal is to understand the family dynamics. Having this information prior to meeting the girls will give me valuable information that will help me understand, and give me the background to guide the girls in our conversations.”
The man stilled, his eyes narrowing further as she spoke. Harper moved forward, her passion for her work banishing her fears and his effect on her senses.
“Sir…I mean, Your Highness…children’s behaviors don’t happen in a vacuum. You see…”
Amit lifted a hand, stopping her passionate explanation. Her ardent questions were just one button too many for him. The first had been watching her walk into his office, her hips unconsciously swaying as she moved. It had taken him a moment to bring himself back under control because she’d literally taken his breath away.
It had nothing to with her outfit and everything to do with the woman underneath those hideous clothes. If he had the power, he would banish the miserable white blouse and stiff, brown slacks to the trash heap. How did such a stunningly beautiful woman find such awful clothes? Her white shirt wasn’t wrinkled today, but it was buttoned up almost to her neck. She probably thought that the subdued professionalism gave her a serious look. Unfortunately, her beliefs were wrong. Her demure clothing only enhanced her image as a stunning, very expensive call girl and he had ridiculous fantasies about her throwing those dark-rimmed glasses away, pulling the pins out of her long, blond hair as she tossed it around and…
Damn it! He had to get his mind out of the gutter. He was acting like a horny teenager! This woman was a renowned psychologist with a vast wealth of knowledge. She was here to do research and help his nieces. Nothing else!
“Please, have a seat,” he offered, not daring to stand up because his reaction to her figure and those soft, full lips, not to mention his active imagination, was having a prominent effect on his body. He needed a few minutes to get himself back under control.
Unfortunately, when she sat down in one of the leather chairs in front of his desk, the stunning woman leaned forward. With anyone else, the gesture would be fine. But when Doctor Ross did it, and yes, he was using her professional name to try and remind himself of her role here, she looked…eager. Not eager to help his nieces, but eager to reach out and touch him, to kiss him and…
Damn it!
“Thank you,” she replied, then shifted, crossing her legs and pulling a notebook out of her bag.
When she bent like that, his eyes automatically watched and he caught a glimpse of…shadows! Damn it, he hated that conservative shirt. It wasn’t as if it hid anything. The material cupped her full breasts, showing him exactly what he was missing.
“As I was saying, these questions are important and I promise not to reveal any of this information outside of the palace. Your privacy is very important to me.”
She clicked her pen and looked down, the overhead light setting off sparks of light in her soft, blond hair. “So, do these girls have any other siblings?”
“No.”
She wrote something on her notebook, then looked up at him. “And their age?”
“Five.”
She blinked and wrote his answer down.
“Any other family members here?”
“My two younger brothers and my sister all live here at the palace as well.”
He watched as she gave him another of those pretty blinks, then her lips curled up into a smile. Instantly, his body tightened all over again.
Tilting her head, he watched as a wisp of blond hair shifted with her movement. “Did one of your brothers meet me at the airport yesterday?” she asked.
He shrugged, not sure where this was heading. “Yes. Gaelen did. He’s eighteen months younger than I am and Minister of Defense here in Izara. Why?”
She laughed softly and the sound soothed over his temper, easing it ever so slightly.