The Sheikh's Irresistible Proposal

by Rayner, Holly

  Harvey turned his back to Hannah and walked out onto the stage, quietly instructing the band to start playing a soft instrumental.

  Hannah watched in disbelief, still reeling from the words Harvey had spoken. With tears in her eyes and anger raging in her heart, she turned and stormed out onto the stage.

  “You know what, Harvey, I am special, and nothing you say or do will change that. I don’t need to take this from you anymore. I quit!”

  The band stopped playing. The crowd, still streaming in through the doors, went quiet with the commotion on the stage.

  Harvey threw his hand in the air and commanded the band to begin playing again as Hannah stormed off the stage and made her way through the club to the exit. She was so focused on getting to the door that she didn’t even see Sadiq when she ran right into him.

  “Miss Green! What a lovely surprise!” he said cheerfully.

  Hannah looked up and saw his expression change to one of concern when he saw her face.

  “Is everything all right?” he asked.

  “Sadiq!” Hannah said, her tone belying how she was really feeling. “Yes, everything is just fine.” She had planned on telling him she was going to refuse his offer, but now, with everything that had just happened, she suddenly changed her mind.

  “I’ve decided to take you up on your generous offer,” she said, not quite believing the words were coming out of her own mouth.

  Sadiq reached out and touched her shoulders lightly. “Really?” he asked.

  Hannah nodded, smiling nervously as his touch sent a shiver down her spine.

  “That’s wonderful! I don’t know what changed your mind, but I’m glad you did. Pack a suitcase, or a few. We leave tomorrow.”

  People kept walking around them as the band continued to play softly in the background. “Oh,” Sadiq said, realizing that Hannah was dressed to perform. “I can see you have a show to put on. No problem, we’ll talk after.”

  Hannah looked up at the stage and then back at Sadiq. “Oh, that. No, actually, I won’t be performing tonight. Slight change of plans,” she smiled meekly.

  Hannah grabbed Sadiq’s hand and pulled him over to a table in the corner. “Here, sit down,” she said as she sat down next to him. “I’ll give you my number and address and you just tell me what time I need to be ready.”

  “Sure,” Sadiq said, and punched in the information on his phone. “I’ll text you so you have my number, too.”

  “Great,” Hannah said, smiling as casually as possible, as if she was used to getting sheikhs’ numbers. This night was just getting stranger and stranger.

  Hannah got up to leave. “Well, thanks again for the offer. I’m really looking forward to it.”

  “No,” Sadiq said, reaching out for Hannah’s hand. “Thank you, Miss Green. It’s my pleasure.”

  Hannah blushed as Sadiq kissed her hand. She pulled it away, smiled and then turned to walk back to the dressing room. Before she left, she looked over her shoulder one more time.

  “And you can call me Hannah,” she said.

  Sadiq smiled and nodded at her. “Hannah it is. Goodnight, Hannah.”

  Hannah waved and then scurried back to her dressing room, closing and locking the door behind her; the last thing she wanted to deal with was Harvey bursting in.

  She reached into her purse and took out her phone. One message. She clicked it open and read it out quietly:

  Miss Green, it’s Sadiq. Thank you again for accepting my offer. I look forward getting to know you better. Sleep well.

  Hannah felt that same shiver run up her spine. ‘Sleep well.’ That sounds like something a prince would say to a princess, she thought. Okay, girl. Stop that right now. She was getting ahead of herself.

  Even though she was excited, Hannah couldn’t help feeling a little nervous, too. She had never done anything like this before. Sure, she had left her small town for Atlanta, and she had moved from there to New York. This, however, was unchartered territory. Flying off to a foreign country with a complete stranger for six weeks? And a very rich, very handsome, very eligible stranger at that? Well, you only live once, she thought.

  Hannah grabbed all her belongings from the closet and took out her large garment bag, then went over to the dressing table and tossed every last piece of her makeup, jewelry and hair accessories into the bag; she had quit the Blue Moon now and had no intention of coming back.

  She took her bag out to the street and began walking toward the subway station. Then she stopped. She was about to make half a million dollars; she deserved to take a cab tonight. She dug around in her purse, made sure she had the fare, and then hailed a cab.

  A little under half an hour later, Hannah got back to her and Chloe’s apartment, tossing her stuff on the bedroom floor. She had a lot to do before she could go to bed. First, she had to get all of her dresses and outfits ready, then she would have to email the catering company to let them know she would be unavailable for shifts for the next few weeks. And lastly, she had to leave a note for Chloe.

  After taking care of all of those details, exhausted from the evening’s activity, Hannah slipped under the covers and closed her eyes. She felt a wave of fatigue wash over her and was glad to be in bed, but a tingling of nervous energy kept her awake. She was excited to be taking the chance she was taking. She was proud of herself for taking the risk. And above all, she was happy to be spending the next six weeks with Sadiq, her mysterious Middle-Eastern playboy.

  SIX

  By the time her phone went off the next morning, Hannah was already showered and ready to go. Sadiq texted her telling her that he was on his way, and should arrive at her building in about ten minutes.

  Hannah stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. She didn’t know what was appropriate to wear on a trip with a sheikh, but she was pretty sure jeans and a tee shirt would be frowned upon. She settled on a pair of tan slacks and a floral-print blouse that opened just low enough to show her neckline without being too revealing.

  She looked at the stack of luggage she had piled up at the door and hoped it wouldn’t be too much. As a performer, she needed several different ensembles, and since she would be performing for six weeks, that required a lot of luggage.

  She glanced at herself again and felt pleased with how she looked; smart, but still feminine. She opted to put her hair up in a tight ponytail that showed off her long, slender neck and delicate cheekbones. Hannah had never been a fan of heavy makeup when she wasn’t on stage, and normally she only ever wore a little concealer and lip gloss. Today was no exception, and she was satisfied with how she looked, whether Sadiq like it or not. She wasn’t trying to impress him; this was strictly business. At least, that’s what she kept telling herself.

  The buzzer rang and Hannah ran over to it a little too eagerly. “Hello,” she said into the little square box by her door.

  “Good morning. I’m looking for Miss Hannah Green?” a voice that wasn’t Sadiq’s said through the speaker.

  “Speaking. Who is it?”

  “My name is Naasir, ma’am; I’m His Highness’ driver. I’m here to help you with your luggage.”

  His Highness? Before Hannah could say anything she heard the buzzer sound again.

  “Good morning, Hannah, it’s Sadiq. May we come up and help you with your bags?”

  Hannah smiled at the sound of Sadiq’s voice. What a gentleman, she thought. “Sure, I’ll buzz you in.”

  She pressed the button that unlocked the door to her building, cracking her front door open so that they could come in. A few moments later, she heard voices in the hall and stepped outside to see Sadiq walking towards her, alongside a smaller, older gentleman dressed in a driver’s uniform.

  Sadiq’s smiling face made Hannah’s heart flip in her chest and she smiled back, forgetting for a moment that he was her new employer.

  “Good morning,” she said to the men as they walked toward her.

  “Hannah,” Sadiq said as they approached. “I’d like you t
o meet my friend Naasir.”

  Naasir took off his hat and bowed slightly to Hannah. “The pleasure is all mine,” he said politely. “I’m Sadiq’s chauffeur, aide and personal assistant.”

  “But the most important of all of those is friend,” said Sadiq, jabbing Naasir with his elbow. The two men smiled in a way that showed they had a deep bond with each other, despite their age difference.

  “So, are you ready?” Sadiq said, looking at Hannah with childlike enthusiasm.

  She wondered if he got this excited about everything he did, and smiled to herself at how infectious his mood was.

  “Yeah, I think I am,” she said, feeling somehow at ease with this man who had been a stranger just 48 hours before.

  “Are these your bags, ma’am?” Naasir asked, referencing the pile of luggage by the door.

  “Yes,” Hannah said softly. “I hope it’s not too much.”

  Naasir and Sadiq looked at each other and laughed.

  “It is too much. I knew it.” Hannah said, starting to feel flustered as a wave of embarrassment crept over her.

  “No, no,” Sadiq said, reaching out and touching her arm lightly as she started to grab for the bags. “It’s not that at all.”

  “Well,” Hannah said, looking from Sadiq to Naasir and back again. “What is it?”

  “We’ve just never seen a woman pack so lightly before!” Sadiq said, and both men erupted into laughter.

  Hannah watched, mock-irritated, as they tried to compose themselves, but after a few moments she found herself joining in on their infectious laughter. She really was entering a whole new world; a place where people had drivers, money was counted in half millions, and women who packed lightly were as rare as unicorns. She couldn’t wait to see what else was in store for her.

  The two men waited in the hallway with her bags as Hannah quickly walked around her tiny apartment and checked that all of her lights were off and that the windows were locked. When she was satisfied, she grabbed her purse and walked out the door, closing and locking it behind her.

  Sadiq and Naasir began making their way down the hall with Hannah in the rear. As she walked behind them, she laughed at the sight of a famous sheikh carrying a nightclub singer’s bags down two flights of stairs in a Brooklyn walk-up. If only the tabloids could see him now, she thought gleefully.

  The waiting limousine was much like all the others Hannah had seen on the streets of New York City—the difference with this one was that she was going to be riding in it.

  Naasir set the luggage on the curb and walked over to the door, opening it for Hannah. Once she was inside, Sadiq slid in after her and closed the door behind him.

  The quiet of limousine took Hannah by surprise. The normally loud streets were muted instantly, and the stillness of the cabin brought with it the reality of what was happening.

  Hannah looked over at Sadiq and smiled nervously.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, his body inches away from hers.

  “Um, yeah, sure. I’m fine.”

  Keep cool, she told herself. Hannah had a bad habit of running at the mouth when she was nervous or mad. It had gotten her in trouble many times in her youth, not to mention the scene at the Blue Moon just last night. Hannah had again let her anger rule her mouth, even though she knew better than to talk to Harvey that way. Even though he had been way out of line, he was still her boss and she needed the job at his club.

  Now, sitting in the back of a limo with a very rich, handsome man, Hannah tried her best to make sure her nervousness didn’t get control of her mouth.

  Sadiq smiled suspiciously. “You don’t look fine.” He paused as he realized what he’d said. “I mean, you do look fine. You look more than fine. Actually, you look,” he looked down briefly as if he were embarrassed, then their eyes met. “You look beautiful.”

  Hannah swallowed hard. Nope, don’t go there, she thought. You already screwed up by getting involved with your last boss—pure, that was just a lousy nightclub gig, but this is an opportunity that could alter your future forever. Don’t go there, Hannah.

  She smiled weakly, unable to quite ignore the intent of his comment. Then her better sense returned and she sat up straight. “Thank you,” she said curtly. “You look nice, too.”

  Ugh, she thought. I am the world’s biggest idiot. Okay, Hannah. Just calm down. Think of something causal to say.

  “It’s just,” she began as Sadiq turned toward her. “Well,” Hannah turned to face him. “You know how when you go on a long trip, there’s so much you have to take care of before you go? You have to remember to do the laundry, lock everything up, empty the fridge, water the plants, pay the bills.” Hannah’s eye’s flew open wide at that. “Oh no! I forgot to pay my credit card bill!”

  Sadiq laughed. “Oh, yes, I understand. That happens to me all the time.”

  Hannah looked at him and scowled. “Are you mocking me?”

  Sadiq sat back in the seat and smiled. “As a matter of fact, I am.”

  To Hannah’s relief, the exchange broke the tension, and she was finally able to sit back and relax as they made their way to JFK.

  ***

  Around half an hour later, the limousine pulled in to a private part of the airport that Hannah had never been to before. When the car stopped, Naasir opened up the door, smiling warmly as Sadiq got out and extended his hand for Hannah.

  Hannah emerged from the limousine and found Sadiq instantly swept away by several Middle-Eastern men in black suits. Her bewildered expression left nothing to the imagination and Naasir quickly came up beside her.

  “Not to worry, ma’am. Those are His Highness’ bodyguards. They are with him at all times. Except when he manages to, how do you say…ditch them?”

  Hannah looked at Naasir and saw that he was smiling. She had a feeling they were going to get along just fine.

  “Now, we need to get you through security so we can board the jet.”

  “The jet?” Hannah said.

  Sadiq returned, accompanied a few feet away by the group of bodyguards. “You didn’t think you would be flying commercial, did you?”

  Hannah waved her hand as if she’d done all of this before. “No, of course not…”

  “Good, then let’s get going.”

  Hannah followed the Sheikh into a small terminal and up to a counter where two glamorous female attendants were waiting. After she answered all the usual security questions, showed them her passport and let them rifle through her purse, she was given the go-ahead to board the jet.

  Sadiq led her outside to the tarmac where a gleaming white jet waited with the stairs folded down. Beckoning them over was a long, red carpet trimmed with gold thread. Alongside the carpet stood each bodyguard, holding their arms in a salute as Sadiq and Hannah approached.

  Hannah wanted to pinch herself; she couldn’t believe this was happening. She knew, of course, that some people lived like this, surrounded by luxury, pomp and ceremonial fanfare, but she had never witnessed it outside of a trashy magazine or television show. And now, here she was, about to board a private jet with the heir to a royal empire—and a darned good-looking heir at that.

  What the heck, she thought as she reached her hand under her sleeve and pinched herself. Yep, I really am awake.

  “Come, let me show you around,” said Sadiq as he guided a mesmerized Hannah through the cabin door and inside the plane.

  The cabin held a large white leather sofa and reclining chairs, all surrounding a gleaming marble table. They faced each other, but could also swivel to face an enormous plasma television mounted on the wall separating the cabin from the cockpit. Along one side of the cabin was a long mahogany desk complete with two laptops, two chairs and a table lamp.

  Beyond the central cabin space was the entrance to the rear of the jet, which held a galley kitchen, a bathroom and two separate bunk rooms. One of the bunkrooms had a queen bed that folded out of the wall while the other held two twin beds.

  “You can sleep in here
if you need to,” Sadiq said of the compartment with the queen bed. “It’s a twelve-hour flight to El-Shakanish, so you might want to get some rest.

  “Oh, thanks,” she said. Hannah looked at the room and wondered how many other women had slept in that bunk, with and without the Sheikh.

  They returned to the main cabin and Hannah sat down on the leather sofa while Sadiq walked over to the bar and began to pour himself a drink.