by Holly Rayner
incentives weren’t money, but Bahir knew better. Money is what motivated everyone. It was highly unlikely that any feelings she had for him were romantic. They couldn’t be.
Bahir knew he was impossible to love. He’d known it for a long time, in every lamp thrown at his head, every tear shed by a woman who couldn’t handle his devotion to his work. He would be married to Nicole for a few years, they would remain friends during that time as they worked together, and then that would be that. There was nothing more to it. No need to overcomplicate something that was really so simple, right?
The Justice of the Peace arrived with two local witnesses, interrupting Bahir’s thoughts.
“Hello, Bahir, is it?” the man asked. He looked to be in his thirties, probably not much older than Bahir, and wore a warm smile.
Bahir returned the gesture, holding out a hand for the man to shake. “Yes, that’s me. Thank you for agreeing to perform the ceremony on such short notice.”
The man’s grin deepened. “It was no trouble. Especially since you tripled the deposit in order to move it up. My daughter will be attending a top-tier elementary school this year, thanks to you.”
“Happy to help, as you are helping me.”
“Of course,” the man said, setting up a small stand for his papers at the head of the gazebo. He glanced up past Bahir’s shoulder. “Ah, this must be the lovely bride, now.”
Bahir turned around, and his breath caught in his throat. Nicole was there, staring at him with wide, nervous eyes. The most beautiful eyes he had ever seen, to be honest. She held her hands in front of her, playing nervously with her fingers. Her hair was swept up away from her face, but somehow still framing it perfectly, and her makeup made her eyes sparkle. Bahir swallowed.
He was in much more trouble than he realized.
Nicole approached the gazebo, reaching his side. They stared at one another, a million words unsaid as the Justice of the Peace shuffled his papers and cleared his throat.
“Shall we get started, then?” he asked, his voice kind.
Nicole looked at him and nodded. “Sure,” she said, her voice a little shaky.
She smiled shyly at Bahir, and he reached for both her hands. They were in this together, and he wanted her to know that she wasn’t alone. She could never know how much it meant to him that she would do this, just so he could get back to Seattle and continue the work they’d been doing together these past few months. Nicole was a treasure in so many ways, and Bahir wanted to make sure that she knew that.
The JP started his ceremony, which was brief and impersonal.
Before he knew it, Bahir was reciting vows. He was promising to cherish and care for Nicole until death did them part, and he watched her as she repeated the words, glancing away as she made the empty promise he’d asked of her. A part of Bahir hated himself for that. No woman should have her wedding taken away from her, replaced by some shady business dealing. He would have to make it up to her somehow. He would think of a way.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. Bahir, you may kiss your bride.”
They hesitated for a moment, staring at one another. Nicole looked scared, but there was something else in her expression.
Longing.
He cradled her face in his hand, their eyes meeting until the moment he pressed his lips against hers in a gentle, cherishing kiss. Her lips were soft as they melted against his own, and he found he craved so much more, but he forced himself to pull back, lowering his hand. Her eyes were shining, and he rubbed unshed tears away before anyone was the wiser.
The JP clapped his hands together. “Congratulations! You are officially married! I’ll just need you both to sign here, to solidify the agreement, and then you are free to honeymoon to your heart’s content.”
Bahir signed his name on the document. Nicole’s hand was shaking a little as she signed hers underneath. It was official, then. They were now man and wife.
The JP shook both of their hands and wished them well before he sauntered off with his witnesses, leaving the newlyweds to figure out what to do on their own.
Bahir cleared his throat. “You look lovely,” he said, and Nicole blushed. He enjoyed making her blush. The color in her face was beyond appealing.
“You look nice, too,” she said, glancing over his immaculately tailored suit.
The truth was, Bahir was burning up in the outfit. The gazebo offered some shade, but he looked forward to wearing light, comfortable clothing once again.
“What should we do now?” she asked, gazing up at Bahir. He tried not to think of what he would like to do in that moment, and instead focused on where they needed to be. The plane would take them home, away from this paradise, and hopefully the temptation to kiss Nicole would dissolve as the real world set back in. It was far too tempting to bask in her company—he needed to clear his head.
“I suppose we should get changed and head back to the jet,” he said, cringing as he watched her face fall. Did she want more from this marriage than he’d offered? The real question was, did he?
A man bustled up to them, bowing. “Sheikh Al-Jabbar? There is a man on the phone for you, sir. He says he is your pilot.”
Bahir sighed. That must be Jamil asking where they were.
He excused himself from Nicole, grateful to escape her bewitching presence for a moment. He couldn’t think while she was there, looking so breathtakingly beautiful.
When he got to the lobby he was handed a white phone receiver, which he pressed to his ear.
“This is Bahir.”
“Sheikh Al-Jabbar, a thousand apologies! This is Jamil, sir. It would seem the rough landing has broken a piece of the landing gear. They are telling me it will take the rest of the day and possibly tomorrow to fix. I am so sorry, sir!”
Jamil continued to babble for some time until Bahir finally cut him off.
“Jamil! It is quite all right. Please do what you must to get the plane back to normal, and call the hotel when it is ready to fly. We will take up rooms until then.”
“I will, sir! Not to worry, sir!”
“Thank you, Jamil. Goodbye,” Bahir said, ending the call.
He took a breath. So he was going to be spending the next twenty-four hours on a secluded island with a beautiful woman he had just happened to marry. Willpower would need to be at an all-time high.
Thanking the concierge, he strode back out to the gazebo, where he found Nicole staring out at the beach. She turned when she heard him coming.
“Bad news,” he said, and Nicole frowned.
“What is it?” she asked.
“The plane was damaged during the landing. It’s going to take them a day or so to fix it,” he said, reaching into his pocket and glancing at his phone for the hundredth time.
Still no signal.
“It would seem the business world will have to do without the great Bahir Al-Jabbar for one day. Do you think the world will end?” Nicole asked with a smirk. She was teasing him.
He replaced his phone in his pocket and took a dramatic breath. “I suppose it just might, but there is nothing we can do about it now. We will simply have to pick up the pieces upon our return. Until then…” he paused, gazing around. The scene was stunning, and he hadn’t truly realized it until now.
When he looked back at Nicole, his gaze was playful. “What say you to a picnic on the beach and an afternoon enjoying the island?”
“I’d say let’s get some shrimp cocktail and make lemonade out of lemons.”
“Good,” Bahir replied. If there was one person he could be trapped on a desert island with, Nicole certainly topped the list.
“Now let’s go find us some swimsuits.”
ELEVEN
The afternoon had passed spectacularly, Nicole thought. Bahir had grabbed her hand at the gazebo and whisked her back to the lobby, where they were able to order a picnic service and buy a pair of swimsuits from the small gift shop. Nicole’s suit was a black bikini, and Bahir’s was a pair of blue trunks
. They’d rushed to their rooms to change, Nicole feeling lightheaded as she slipped into the tiny bathing suit. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been on vacation. She also knew that Bahir had barely seen her ankles, much less the rest of her.
When they opened their bungalow doors and faced one another, Nicole had to fight to stop herself ogling him. Bahir’s stomach was just toned as she had imagined, and her desire to run her fingers along his muscles intensified tenfold. A staff person arrived with their picnic basket, and Nicole ran back to her room to grab a blanket and a towel before they headed off toward a secluded area outside of the hotel range.
Bahir gallantly offered to carry everything, but Nicole insisted on holding the blanket and towel.
“I am capable, after all. You know this better than anyone,” Nicole quipped, and Bahir frowned a little.
“Well today you are my bride, and no wife of mine will be treated as anything less than a goddess,” he said.
“Until we get back to the office, and I go back to being the servant?”
“You are far from a servant, Nicole,” Bahir replied, and Nicole laughed.
“Sure. Anyway let’s not talk of life outside the island. Let us pretend for one minute of our lives that this is what we do all the time—eat, drink and be merry by beautiful waters.”
Bahir smiled, happy to comply. “Agreed,” he said.
They approached a quiet cove and he took the blanket from her, laying it out along the sands. In the shade it was perfectly temperate, and they opened their picnic basket to see what delicacies lay inside.
There was a wide assortment of delicious cheeses and breads, cold meats, fruit, and a bottle of champagne. It was the perfect assortment for a warm island day, and Bahir pulled out the champagne and two flutes while Nicole made up a couple of plates, spreading a little of everything on each one. She jumped as the cork popped, then laughed at herself.
Bahir grinned as he tipped the glasses and poured some of the bubbly brew into each one, before handing one to Nicole. He raised his glass.
“To life,” he said, and Nicole smiled at him. It was simple enough, and for the moment, it would do.
“To life,” she agreed.
They clinked glasses and took a sip. Nicole relished the crisp taste of the beverage before taking a bite of a succulent grape. She closed her eyes, experiencing the long-forgotten sensation of relaxation. When she opened her eyes, she found Bahir watching her.
“Sorry,” she said.
He tilted his head. “Why on earth are you sorry?”
Nicole shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s just a natural instinct to apologize when I get caught enjoying myself. Seems like I’m being lazy.”
Bahir frowned. “But we’re on a beach. Isn’t that where you’re supposed to be lazy?”
“I suppose, but it’s just a mentality that’s grown after years of law school and working for you. What is it that they say? No rest for the wicked?”
“You’re making me feel like I’m a terrible employer, Nicole. If you need more time for yourself, you just have to ask. I’m not that much of a tyrant.”