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The sheikh looked at Rayyan. “You have nothing to say?”

“You know the kind of man I am, Khalil.” The blue-eyed sheikh’s tone was emotionless. “I understand why you must do this, and as long as you let her know before she finds out from anyone else—-”

“You have nothing to worry about on that score.” Four pairs of stunned eyes swung towards him at his words, and Khalil smiled humorlessly at their reaction. “I have been informed that she was standing outside my doors when Mahmud spoke with me.”

Malik drew his breath sharply.

“She heard what Mahmud offered and she heard me accept.”

****

HARPER DIDN’T KNOWhow long she had been seated in front of the vanity, brushing her hair, before the connecting door between her suite and the sheikh’s opened without warning. She stiffened, and when the sheikh strode inside a moment later, his dark gaze meeting hers through the mirror’s—-

A shaft of pain struck her at the sight of him, unexpected and crippling, and the hairbrush she had been holding slipped from her suddenly nerveless fingers. It clattered to the marbled floor, the sound jarring, and Harper drew her breath sharply.

A second later, she bent to reach for it the same time the sheikh crouched down, and their fingers grazed against each other.

Harper jerked back.

Khalil’s fingers tightened around the handle. “Is something the matter?”

“Nope.” She swung away clumsily as he rose back to his feet.

As he placed the brush back on the vanity, he said quietly, “I can’t help you solve your problems when you don’t—-”

“I said there’s nothing wrong.”The words came out in a horrifyingly shrill scream, and she saw the sheikh freeze through his reflection on the mirror.

Harper started to shake on her seat, aghast and ashamed.

She had screamed at him. She had just gone ahead and screamed at him and – it didn’t feel right. Even if she had every reason to scream at him, it just didn’t feel right.

This wasn’t – this wasn’t her at all, dammit.

“I’m sorry.” Her voice came out a horrible stammer. “I didn’t mean to—-” Ah God, it was too hard to talk, and she stood up, almost causing her chair to overturn in her haste. But as she turned to walk away, the sheikh caught her by the elbow, and his touch nearly broke her, despair making Harper unable to move.

“Harper—-”

She shook her head, and the sheikh stopped speaking.

“Don’t.”

And his lips tightened.

She found the strength to yank her hand away, only to realize she didn’t have to try so hard, his fingers readily relinquishing its hold—-

Ah, God, he was letting her go so easily now.

And that said everything, didn’t it?

Khalil’s fists clenched against his sides as he saw Harper’s shoulders start to shake. When she raised her eyes to his, he sucked in his breath at the sight of her tear-stained gaze. He started to reach for her, unable to help it—-

She shook her head violently.“No.”

And his arms fell back to his sides.

“Just t-this once,” Harper said tremulously, “I want you to tell it to me s-straight.” The tears fell faster with every word, but even so, the words kept pouring out, needing to be said. “Because you already know, don’t you?” And her voice caught. “You already know I know.D-don’t you?”

Silence.