Free Hidden In the Sheikh's Harem by Michelle Conder

around the palace like a man half his age. ‘The woman you put in the harem has disappeared.’
    Zach immediately stilled.
 
‘Disappeared?’ He frowned. ‘That’s impossible. I’ve put an experienced guard on the door.’
    â€˜Yes, my lord,’ Staph panted. ‘He can’t find her.’
    Stunned, Zach let off a list of expletives that would have caused his delicate mother to faint if she’d heard him. Surely a slip of a woman like Farah couldn’t have bested him?
    His brother made a comment but Zach didn’t hear it. Within minutes he had rounded up his most trusted guards and was halfway to the harem.

CHAPTER SIX
    F ARAH   STOPPED   INSIDE   a shadowed doorway to collect herself and get her bearing amidst the labyrinth of busy city streets and buildings. Initially she’d thought there would be no chance of escaping the arrogant prince but in the end it had been remarkably easy.
    A workman’s forgotten extension ladder in the garden had provided the necessary equipment for her to scale the high wall, and the preparations for some big celebration at the palace had added the perfect cover. In her freshly laundered
abaya
, Farah had looked like any other servant going about her business, or ending her shift with a bunch of others as they headed out of the palace grounds.
    Now, standing on a busy street corner, her only goal was to get as far away from the prince as she could and back to her father. First, though, she had to navigate the hot, noisy, dusty city. Glancing at the position of the sun she decided to head north and started zigzagging her way through the moving sea of bodies around her.
    She knew that asking for help wasn’t an option. She had a feeling if she tried to hitch a ride from a passing motorist he’d probably take her to the police. And what would she tell them—that the Prince of Bakaan planned to use her as bait to bring her father out to charge him with kidnapping? Not going to happen.
    Glancing left and right, Farah hurried down a narrow walkway with high buildings on either side and found herself in a large, quiet square that gave off a bad vibe. She kept the scarf on her head pulled firmly forward and moved with purpose in case anyone tried to stop her.
    â€˜Hot afternoon for a stroll, Miss Hajjar.’ That deep, taunting voice she had grown to hate had her swinging round towards a nearby alley. Squinting into the shadows she could just make out the prince’s imposing shoulders before he stepped into the sunshine. ‘I have to confess I usually prefer to stay indoors when it’s this hot.’
    Farah’s body temperature just grew a little hotter. He’d found her! How was that possible? She was sure no one had noticed her leave and as far as the maid was concerned she was planning to have a sleep. Frustration zinged through her as he leant one shoulder lazily against the sandstone wall of a building, as if they were two friends meeting at a planned rendezvous. But they weren’t. They were sworn enemies and this time she was ready for him. This time she would not be caught off guard by the shape of his horrible mouth that looked even more sinfully seductive in his cleanly shaven jaw.
    Oh, dear Allah, but he was attractive!
    Her lower body clenched alarmingly, her breathing erratic, and she knew it wasn’t just from the adrenaline speeding through her body at the presence of danger. It was him. He did things to her, stirred things up inside her, she didn’t want to think about.
    Pushing that aside, she forced her attention away from her body and back to the tautly honed male that she knew was tensed to strike despite his relaxed stance. He was dressed in a black
dishdasha
, his freshly shaven jaw doing nothing to make him look more civilised than the unshaven version. In fact he looked even more ruggedly handsome, every inch the powerful male in control of his surroundings. He drew her