The Sheikh's Stubborn Assistant (The Sharif Sheikhs 3)

1

“Impressive.”

The man’s eyes swept over her body, and Kadija bit her tongue. Even though the massive desk between them blocked the view of her long legs, his eyes settled at the small hint of cleavage that showed beneath her purple blouse. She was certain that he wasn’t admiring the small emerald around her neck. Kadija’d had such high hopes this morning as she got ready for her interview at the Abu Dhabi museum, but it was obvious that if the man did happen to call her, it wouldn’t be for the job.

“I assume that you’re speaking about my file, but of course, you haven’t even glanced at it,” Kadija said coldly.

The man didn’t even bother to hide his lust. “Kadija—although I heard you introduce yourself to my secretary as Katie. May I call you Katie?”

“No. You may not.”

He ignored her. “Katie. It’s not often that we get women of your caliber in our museum. I had doubts that someone as young as yourself would have the necessary credentials to curate our art museum, but then I saw a very impressive article about the tour you arranged several years ago. You were as beautiful as the pieces you displayed.”

Katie tried not to roll her eyes.

She considered her options. If there was even a shred of a chance that she could get this job, she’d need to remain professional. “I was responsible for seventy-five artworks—paintings and statues—totaling more than three million dollars. The tour exceeded all of our expectations in terms of both profit and coverage—“

He interrupted, his irrelevant question making it clear that he hadn’t heard a word she’d said. “This is your first time in Dubai, correct? Are you staying with family?”

Narrowing her eyes, Katie took a slow, deep breath. She hated it when men interrupted her. “I am not.”

“I imagine that getting a job quickly is part of your agenda. You’ll want some connections. Some protection.” A lewd smile crossed his face. “Some company.”

Abruptly, Katie stood. “I would very much love a job here in the city, but I’m afraid the quality of the museum and the people behind it are more important to me than how quickly I am employed. I can already see that this is not going to work out.”

Without bothering to hear any answer he might muster, she let herself out of the office. She tried not to let her disappointment show. All her life, her beauty had been more of a hindrance than a help. People took one look at her unique combination of dark auburn hair, naturally tanned skin, and emerald-green eyes and didn’t even bother to attempt to get to know the women beneath. Her long legs and curves were no help.

She waved down a taxi and settled into her seat, too immersed in gloomy thoughts to appreciate the passing scenery that had seemed so enticingly exotic on her arrival. She had hoped that things would be different in Dubai, but apparently, men were the same all over the world.

Even the taxi driver was having a hard time keeping his eyes on the road.

She’d only been in Dubai a month, and while the job interview offers poured in, the outcome was always the same. The representatives for the museums and private galleries were far more interested in her beauty than her brains. They didn’t care about her impressive academic background or the projects she’d coordinated as an intern. At best, they appeared to think she would be a better fit stationed at the door or acting as an escort to museum parties for some of the more prominent artists. At worst . . .

An escort, for God’s sake. Seriously?

The taxi pulled up in front of her home. Thanking the driver, she paid and climbed out.

The past few weeks had been a little surreal. Sahaar, her exchange-host, was warm and welcoming. The older woman had ho

vered in the beginning and practically pushed her toward Mila and Liyah, the other two young women she’d formally hosted.

They were now both married to sheikh brothers. Katie couldn’t believe both women had come to Dubai and ended up married. Katie barely had time to figure out her professional life, let alone worry about her personal life. To appease Sahaar, she had lunch at least once a week with Mila and Liyah, and she was surprised to find that she enjoyed their company—but she wasn’t here to make friends.

Katie needed money. She was up to her eyeballs in student loans, and her father wasn’t coming through on his promises. He’d withdrawn his support when she’d dropped out of business school and had decided to pursue her art history degree. When she’d gone back to school for her master’s degree, he’d stopped talking to her altogether.

Pushing the negative thoughts out of her head, she focused instead on the immediate problem as she pulled out her key.

Maybe she’d started too big. It might be far better if she took a gallery job and worked her way up rather than focusing on a curator position.