He listened to her conversation, uncaring that he was eavesdropping on a private phone call. The more he saw this woman, the more he wanted to know about her. She fascinated him in ways that no other woman had ever done.
“Running away from something?” a deep voice called out softly.
Zarah glanced up, startled, and looked around. The Duke of Huntington was leaning against an old tree, obviously having overheard her conversation. She was rattled, not so much by his question, but by the instant reaction her body had with his presence. That deep, rough voice added to the frisson…and those eyes! She felt like he knew everything about her and that knowledge was all shining through those intelligent, green eyes.
He looked magnificent in his dark, dress slacks and tailored white shirt. She could see the muscles in his arms because he’d rolled the cuffs up to compensate for the heat of the summer morning that was already hot and humid. His green silk tie was still perfectly knotted around his neck though and she wondered what it would be like to loosen that tie and unbutton his shirt, her fingers itching to discover what lay underneath.
Zarah quickly looked down and made sure that her cell phone was shut off and the battery out before turning back to the man. “That was a private conversation.” Why was she feeling so defensive and belligerent all of a sudden? It must be because of the dream she’d had last night. He’d featured so prominently and she’d felt things in that dream that just didn’t seem right! It was almost embarrassing what they’d done in her dream.
He pushed away from the tree upon which he’d been leaning. “And obviously a contentious one. Are you okay?”
Zarah sighed and shook her head, straightening her shoulders to help her feel more confident. “Why is it that men seem to think that women can’t take care of themselves?” she asked angrily, not sure why she was reacting so poorly when the man was only showing a kindness. Maybe it was the arrogant way he was standing or the intent look in his eyes that seemed to strike her as obnoxious, but there was just something about this man that irritated her. Or maybe it was just the fact that he’d obviously overheard her conversation and hadn’t been gentlemanly enough to give her some privacy.
He shrugged and winked at her. “Maybe it’s the caveman instinct within the male species. Or perhaps we just want ownership over all that we see. Was that your boyfriend you were fighting with?”
She stiffened, worried about what she might have said that could reveal her identity. She didn’t know this man and couldn’t be sure that he would keep her secret if he ever found out who she was. Men tended to stick together so she could easily see this man finding out that she was the missing Tasain Princess and call Rashid, just for brownie points. “Can I do something for you?” she asked, ignoring his comment about her conversation with Rashid, wanting to change the subject quickly.
He moved out from the more shadowed area produced by the overhanging tree branches and came to stand closer to her, towering over her and looking down at her with those enigmatic eyes. “I want you to come work for me,” he said, completely surprising Zarah.
She stood there for a long moment, letting his words sink into her mind. She said them over and over again, trying to process what he meant but they still didn’t make any sense. “Excuse me?” she asked as politely as possible, but between her conversation with her brother and the way this man made her feel, she wasn’t sure if the words came out very nicely.
He watched those beautiful brown eyes cloud up with confusion and suspicion. She was different, he realized. Most of the women he ran into were doing anything they could to gain his attention but this slender beauty was going out of her way to avoid him. Not only was he more than interested, but he was definitely ready for a challenge. He wanted her. And he’d just figured out a way to move her into his sphere so that he could spend more time with her. He’d just figured out her secret and he wasn’t above manipulating her desires to get what he wanted.
He’d been keeping tabs on her subtly with the villagers. He hadn’t spent much time there since her arrival, but he was suspicious of anyone who arrived that might harm those good people. He hadn’t been able to get much information on her background, but he’d asked the people she worked with and had found that she was creative, smart and intelligent, not to mention she was eager to help them out. After looking into her suggestions, he was grateful to her for how she was helping the various business owners.
But her eagerness to help and her well-thought out suggestions gave him deep insight into her business mind. She wanted a business challenge. He could see it in her eyes and understood that desperate need to prove something. He’d created massive success in business by figuring out what people wanted and giving it to them. He was a master at channeling their desires so that they meshed with his own plans for his various companies, tying everything together so that everyone came out a winner. This woman wanted to prove something to the person she’d been arguing with.
That was fine with him. He wanted her, he’d give her a business challenge that would give her the proof she needed and he would have her in his bed. A win-win situation for everyone involved, he suspected.
“You heard me. I’ve been looking into your work. You’ve increased the revenues for several of the business owners in the village. I want you to expand your efforts.”
Zarah wasn’t sure how he knew so much about her work, but it was disconcerting. She preferred flying under the radar, not attracting attention. Especially the attention of powerful, dangerous men like The Duke of Waren. “I don’t think…”
“Can’t handle the pressure?” he challenged before she could hear him out, trying to subvert her objections before they could form in her mind.
Zarah wasn’t sure how to handle him at all. She wanted to run away and hide from him, but that knowing look in his eyes held her feet where she stood. This man was daring her to accept his challenge. “What sort of work are you talking about?” she asked suspiciously, a part of her urging her to run away as fast as possible. Unfortunately, there was another part of her that was too fascinated by him. There was something about him that pulled her closer, making her remember that embarrassing dream.
“Nothing illegal,” he laughed, amused by the suspicion on those chocolate eyes. Anyone who knew him understood that he would never be like his father. Everything he did, all that he accomplished, was by sheer grit and determination. His father had earned millions by ignoring the law. Derrick had been disgusted at his tactics and had succeeded exponentially beyond his father’s meager earnings and he’d done it all legally and ethically. He was sometimes brutal in his tactics, but that was business and he didn’t pass up an opportunity when he discovered someone else’s weakness.