The Prince and the Working Woman (Desert Prince Book 1) by Kat Attalla Read Free Book Online Page A

soft.
    Her attention returned to the street as they entered the upper middle-class neighborhood. "It's a lot like Nadiar but different as well."
    "They have more gulf front, we have more desert but our geography is very similar."
    They pulled up in front of a large apartment complex called Gulf Point West. Four of the six buildings were completed and inhabited and the last two nearly finished. The driver came to a stop at the covered entryway. The boab took the luggage and informed him that the flat had been prepared. He tried to concentrate on what the man said but the look of wonder and awe on her face mesmerized him. She had spent the last two weeks in a marble palace. Why did this building excite her so? Half of the apartments were owned and half were leased to the foreign employees. Government rentals were cheaper and rent controlled. However, they were only available to citizens and he doubted Mandy would appreciate interference on her behalf.
    She gaped at the building. “Are you sure this is right?"
    "I think I know what we own. I wrote the check for it."
    "And the rent is what you said?"
    Stubborn to the end. He didn't want to charge her rent for the one month. She had been researching the newspaper and Internet to get an idea of what to expect so she would know if he lied. He finally had to ask the rental office the going price for a lease in the building.
    "It depends on whether it's a one, a two, or a three bedroom flat and whether you want it fully, partial, or unfurnished."
    "In this building? If I found an empty one in this building it would cost less than $800 a month?"
    Considered high by Touzarian standards, the corporate and embassy employees found it reasonable. She would have no problem covering the rent on her salary. "For two bedrooms, semi furnished. Yes."
    She lit up like the desert sun. "Then I hope I find a compound in this area of the city."
    So did he. Having an apartment at his disposal in the same building would suit him perfectly. Although he was not often found on the front page like his twin brothers, the press still searched for sleazy headlines. Spending a fair amount of time outside of the country had kept his sex-life from being fodder for the masses. With his new duties in the international trade negotiations and this sexy woman his for the taking, he would be in Touzar more often. Since the press had been restricted to stalking in public areas only, privacy for both he and Mandy would be protected.
     
    * * * *
     
    The glass and white stone low-rise complex seemed dwarfed by the high-rises in the near distance, but to Mandy it stood as a stunning vision of modern architecture. The buildings surrounded a magnificent floral garden. Despite the 9 o’clock hour residents strolled along the lighted footpaths. She gaped like a tourist but she didn't care. She couldn't afford an apartment like this in Boston without ten roommates sharing the rent.
    The amenities only got better when they entered the lobby. Her heart beat so fast she thought she might pee herself. Engraved signs pointing to the pool, the sauna and the health club hung on the polished granite walls. Potted gardenias in bloom scented the air. Hamid pushed the button for the elevator. He didn't seem to notice his surroundings. Was he blind?
    Perhaps this was nothing new to him, but she’d died and gone to heaven. She wanted to live here even if she had to commute to work. The capital wasn't that large. She would have a driver. And the car! She’d really stepped in it. In a good way.
    Five years of menial jobs, full-time classes and crappy housing had followed two years of the hell called her marriage. This was a dream. She pinched herself. Still real.
    He placed his hand on her back to urge her into the elevator. His touch jolted her senses. He pushed the button for the top floor. Even the hydraulic lift screamed luxury. On what planet was this considered middle-class?
    "Are you alright?"
    She nodded because words failed her.