has Ali,” he said, his gaze sliding to hers.
Now she was starting to squirm. It might be a stretch for royalty, but peasants like herself had a great deal of experience in the art of sweating and squirming. How could she diplomatically excuse herself so brother and sister could discuss this privately? She didn’t relish being on the spot and talked about as if she wasn’t there.
Johara turned her big, black eyes on her brother. “As we also said, Ali is a nurse trained in labor and delivery. She’s been present in that capacity at many births. She has experience. Her presence in the palace at night will calm my nerves. And the doctor said I should remain calm. Why are you hesitating, Kamal?”
A good question. Ali was wondering the same thing. He met her gaze but his own was unreadable.
“Ali has come halfway around the world and is settled in the American compound,” he said. “It would be presumptuous to ask her to disrupt her life once again. Besides, the palace is farther from the hospital.”
“Five minutes away,” Johara protested. “Ten at the most.”
Just what Ali was going to say.
“This could be an unpardonable imposition, little sister. It is not as if you have no one else to turn to.”
“It can’t hurt to ask her.”
He leaned down and kissed his sister’s cheek. “I think you should get some rest. You look fatigued.”
“I am a little tired,” she agreed.
“I will handle this,” he said. “Go and lie down. Never fear. You will come to no harm. I will see to it.”
She nodded. “Ali, thank you for staying with me. I appreciate it very much.”
“You’re welcome.”
When his sister was gone, Kamal stood and walked to the other side of the glass-topped coffee table. “I apologize if my sister’s request has made you uncomfortable.”
It wasn’t the request, but his attitude that made her ill at ease. But probably it wasn’t appropriate to say that to a prince. Especially the prince whose pet project was the hospital where she worked. If he wanted to throw his royal weight around and fire her, who would tell him he couldn’t do it?
Her world wouldn’t come to an end if she lost her job, but it would put a serious speed bump in the path of solidifying her future. And what other position would afford her the adventure opportunity of a lifetime? She should let His Royal Snootiness off the hook and say thanks, but no thanks. Except she had a perverse impulse to not make it easy on him.
“Your sister has nothing to apologize for.”
One dark eyebrow rose. “Meaning I have done something which requires an apology?”
She decided not to answer that directly. “Princess Johara is young, pregnant and scared. She merely said she wanted me to stay with her. That in no way made me uncomfortable. It was your reaction that puzzles me. Why don’t you want me here?”
“I have no feelings one way or the other. I was merely attempting to let my sister know that it is thoughtless to turn other people’s lives upside down at her whim. Some are intimidated and do not realize it is permissible to refuse a request from a member of the royal family.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m not intimidated,” she lied. “I can stand up for myself and say no.”
“Then I will tell her that you are unable to accept her invitation to live here in the palace until her baby is born.” His tone was rife with male satisfaction and it bugged her.
“That’s not what I meant. I am able to accept. I’m just not certain I want to.” She had the satisfaction of surprising him. It was written all over his handsome face.
“Is that so?”
“You’ve presumed to know what I would do.” What happened to her polite thanks, but no thanks? Where was this spine of steel coming from? From his mightier-than-thou attitude, that’s where, she thought. “If you want to know my answer, try asking me.”
By gum, if she wanted to stay in the royal palace with his sister, she would do it.
His dark eyebrows rose and he straightened to his full height, planting his feet just a little wider apart. He reminded her of the conquering hero surveying his victory. It was a good look and he wore it well. But she couldn’t help feeling it was also body language to let her know he was the boss and she hadn’t backed him into a corner.
“As you wish,” he said in his velvet-smooth voice. “Would you agree to my sister’s request to live in the palace for several weeks until her baby arrives? Before you answer, be advised that my sister will be well taken care of if you wish to say no.”
That did it. He wanted her to refuse. That pushed some major buttons. She was mistress of her fate and no one was going to make her decisions for her. “I would be happy to accept Princess Johara’s invitation.”
Before he could mask it, his dark eyes narrowed and his mouth compressed into a straight line. She knew as surely as if he’d said it out loud—he’d thought she would turn him down. He didn’t want her to stay in the royal palace. And why should he? She wasn’t royal palace material. She wasn’t even the right kind of daughter material. Her own father had walked out on her and her mother to marry someone with higher social standing.
But come on. Even if Kamal knew all that ancient history about her, it had no bearing on this situation. What was his problem? This place was so big it wasn’t as if they would be tripping over each other. He never had to see her. Suddenly she realized how much she wanted to stay. As adventures went, this assignment was a plum among plums. It was the crunchy chocolate coating on the vanilla ice-cream bar.
“Is my sister in imminent danger?” he asked.
“If you’re asking whether or not it’s really necessary for me to be in residence, the answer is no. All my presence will do is give the princess some peace of mind.”
“I do not wish to interfere with the duties at the hospital for which you were hired.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. As long as Johara knows I have a job to do. If she’s okay with my being here after work, then I would like to accept the invitation.”
“Very well, then.”
“Okay.” Ali nodded. Although she had no frame of reference for living in a palace. But this would undoubtedly be her only chance to experience it. And isn’t that what coming here was all about? A fabulous job in an exciting country? Her situation just got more fabulous and definitely more exciting. Adventure, here I come, she thought.
And if she ran into Kamal in the hallway, he could feel free to ignore her. She would simply smile and say hello because a person could never go wrong being polite.
And if her heart beat a little faster and her palms grew damp, he would never know. And what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. Right?
“I will inform my aunt that you will be moving into the palace.”
Right.
