by Erin Snihur
“Your council has requested your presence early, your Highness,” Abel murmurs.
Sighing, Kasin runs his hands through his hair. He doesn’t want to attend to the council meeting. Instead, he wants to be with his wife. Holding her and ensuring she is nursed back to her cheerful and happy self.
Shooting Leetah a serious look, Kasin orders, “Stay with her until my meeting is finished. If she doesn’t improve by dinner, I think the doctor should be called. If she worsens, call for the doctor and send for me.”
Bowing, Leetah smiles slightly, “Yes, your Highness.”
Blushing at Abel’s lingering gaze, the nervous maid disappears and Kasin glares at the guard who let her in, “Follow her and ensure she has everything she needs to make my wife comfortable.”
At the guards bow and disappearance, Abel speaks up, “Then I suppose we aren’t flying to Hattan tonight?”
Grimacing, Kasin grabs an empty notepad and pen. As he marches out of his office, with Abel and a handful of his security at his back, Kasin feels slightly at ease. You can never be too careful these days. Amira hated all of the security he forced on her, but it was the only way he would allow her to leave his presence. He had to make sure she was safe. From anything and anyone.
“We shall see if Amira is feeling better by tonight. Tell Tariq there may be a delay in our plans.”
Upon the arrival to his throne room doors, Kasin inhales softly to calm his beating heart. Though his thoughts remain on his wife, there is a room full of men inside his throne room that required his attention. Until they were dealt with, his wife would have to wait.
Be strong, zawja.
Amira is so very warm when she awoke from her deep sleep. Her small nap had quickly turned into a full blown pass out. She barely recalls Leetah waking her so that Amira can drink some tea and water. Now cocooned in her bed, Amira’s eyes begin to flutter open at the feeling of the bed dipping due to a presence and a warm hand caressing her forehead.
Eyes still blurry from sleep, Amira tries to blink the blurriness away as the presence appears at her side and the smiling face of her husband, Kasin, gazes down at her.
“Good evening, zawja,” Kasin croons, “How are you feeling?”
Mind still foggy from sleep, Amira slowly rises and leans against her pillows and the beds headboard. Staring around the room, she notes the blinds are closed and instead of light attempting to shine through, there is simply darkness.
“What time is it?” Amira asks, her voice hoarse and scratchy.
Before she can even ask, Kasin has a glass of water produced at her lips and she gulps it down greedily. As she finishes the entire glass, Amira blushes and mouths the words ‘thanks’ as she covers her mouth and presses a hand to her stomach. Now settled, all she feels is emptiness. Hopefully she hasn’t missed dinner by too much time.
“You missed supper, but I’m having Leetah bring you up toast and crackers. I think after what she told me, you need something light to settle your stomach,” Kasin murmurs and sets the empty glass aside.
Blushing bright red at the thought of her husband hearing about her clutching the toilet as she emptied the contents of her stomach, Amira groans into her hands as she palms her face. Kasin doesn’t take her groan to mean embarrassment and instead grasps her hands and pulls them away from her face.
“What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”
When she doesn’t answer fast enough, Kasin stands and presses the button by the bed that sends a vibrating bell throughout the palace to the staff.
“I knew we should have called the doctor to come in!” Kasin growls and stomps towards the door, “I’ll have Abel fetch him personally.”
“No!” Amira calls out and struggles to disentangle herself from the bed, gaining Kasin’s worried attention.
Rushing back to her, to stop her from leaving the bed, Kasin scolds her as he pushes her back under the covers, “Don’t get up. You could faint from dehydration or worse.”
Sighing, Amira shakes her head, “I’m fine, Kasin. It was probably just a twenty-four hour flu or maybe food poisoning. I don’t need a doctor.”
“You don’t get sick, Amira. Please don’t push me on this,” Kasin growls, startling her.
Freezing in the bed, Amira stares at Kasin’s face, set in stone as he glares down at her. After a few moments of silence, Amira sighs in frustration and relents. Leaning back into the pillows, Amira watches as her husband visibly relaxes and marches back to the doors of their bedroom. As she hears him murmur to Abel on the other side of the door, Amira feels her heart ache slightly.
When will her husband not fear something as small as a flu? Doesn’t he realize he can’t protect her from everything?
18
Five days until Christmas...
Amira is hiding something from him. Kasin doesn’t like it. It isn’t like she is avoiding Kasin. It is kind of hard to avoid him in as tight quarters as the private jet they are currently flying in. No, instead of avoiding him, Amira seems to be doing everything in her power to avoid talking about her unexpected flu that had miraculously disappeared.
After the doctor had demanded speaking with Amira by herself without Kasin’s presence, Kasin had paced by the door, waiting to jump to his wife’s aid if necessary. Finally, when the doctor had finished her examination, Amira claimed it was just a simple food irritation or flu like symptom.
Kasin wasn’t convinced. The doctor hadn’t elaborated with him, feigning doctor-patient confidentiality. Kasin had wanted to roar at the stubborn woman that he was her Sheik and that with a snap of his fingers, he could have her license revoked and her ass thrown in jail, but Amira’s scolding reached his ears. She claimed he was making a big deal out of nothing.
Walking into the cockpit of the jet, Kasin nods to the co-pilot and motions for the man to let Kasin take over. As the man departs and Kasin settles into the co-pilot seat, he turns to his friend and most trusted guard, Abel, who pilots as the head pilot for their trip.
“Has Leetah mentioned anything about Amira to you?”
Snorting laughter sounds in the tiny space as Abel sets the plane into autopilot and turns to face Kasin.
“When would I have had time to glean any information from her? You had me working like a dog to get ready for this trip to Hattan,” Abel grumbles teasingly.
Shrugging, Kasin leans back against the seat and stares at all of the buttons and steering system in front of him, “Amira decided we should continue with our plans to go. I wanted her to stay close to home, but she is determined to spend time with our friends.”
“I thought you wanted your first Christmas with Amira to be perfect?” Abel asks as he turns back to stare at one of the computer systems.
“Well that isn’t going as planned,” Kasin mumbles and then speaks up, a little louder, “I think she’s still sick. I forgot my phone in our room yesterday and when I went back to get it, I saw her coming out of the bathroom looking very pale.”
“Why don’t you just ask her what’s wrong?” Abel growls, clearly frustrated with the conversation.
“I have.” Kasin explains, “She keeps saying it was just a common flu or food irritation. I worry if I ask again it will lead to a fight.”
“Then don’t ask. Just be there for her. Do what you had planned to do. Make this Christmas perfect, for her and you,” Abel murmurs.
Stunned, Kasin stares at his friend, who, feeling Kasins stare, looks at him in confusion, “What? I can be deep sometimes!”
Laughing, Kasin pats Abel on the shoulder and exits the cockpit, nodding to the co-pilot and stewardess on the way back to the lounge area of the plane. At the sight of his wife nowhere to be seen, Kasin turns to the stewardess.
“Where is my wife?”
Amira brushes her teeth furiously in the tiny bathroom at the back of the jet. Leetah, who sits on the bed in the spacious bedroom off of the bathroom, watches Amira brush her teeth in confusion.
“I thought morning sickness only bothered
pregnant women in the mornings?”
Trying to quell the feeling of her stomach rolling, Amira shakes her head and spits her toothpaste out, rinsing her mouth out with a bottle of water on the counter.
“The doctor said it can happen at any time, but it shouldn’t continue for too long,” Amira murmurs back.
Leetah nods and then asks, “Can you explain why you haven’t told Kasin yet again?”
Sighing, Amira exits the bathroom and collapses onto the bed. Hugging a pillow to her chest, she stares at her friend, “He isn’t ready.”
“How do you know?” Leetah asks and then continues, “He’s really good with Sheikha Teresa’s son, Xavier.”
Scoffing, Amira sits up and fiddles with a piece of string on the pillow case, “That’s different. He kept me hidden away for five years because he was worried someone might attack us or worse. Can you imagine what he would do if I told him I was pregnant?”
Speak of the devil and he will appear. A soft knock on the bedroom door is their only warning and Leetah quickly stands as Kasin enters the room, looking from both her maid to Amira in curiosity.
“Everything okay?” Kasin asks hesitantly, probably sensing Leetah’s nervousness as she shifts from side to side.
Not moving from the bed, Amira forces herself to smile at her husband, praying he didn’t hear their conversation.
“Yes, I was just contemplating taking a nap,” Amira says and places the pillow back in place behind her.
Nodding, Kasin turns his cool, dark eyes on Leetah, “Leave us, please.”
Bowing, Leetah rushes out of the room, shooting Amira a pleading look as she closes the door behind her. Silence envelopes the room in her wake and Amira watches as Kasin begins pulling off his tie and suit jacket.
Shivering at the sight of Kasin’s broad shoulders and tan skin beneath his white dress shirt, Amira nervously wiggles in her seat as the familiar feeling of lust fills her body.
“What are you doing?” Amira asks huskily.
“If my wife wishes to nap, who am I to deny her,” Kasin murmurs and in a fell swoop, his shirt is unbuttoned and lays across a chair in the corner of the room. “In fact, I think it would be best if we napped together.”
The muscles in Kasin’s chest are taut and rippling as he turns to face her. Amira soon realizes he’s teasing her as he slowly unbuckles his belt. The light smattering of hair showing at the ‘v’ of his lower abdomen, draws Amira’s gaze to the very obvious bulge in his pants. Button open on his pants; Amira wets her lips.
“Something wrong, zawja,” Kasin asks, his voice deep and husky as he approaches the end of the bed.
Inhaling sharply, Amira blushes bright red as she turns her gaze away from her tantalizing husband and fiddles with the blankets on the bed.
“Like you don’t know,” Amira grumbles under her breath. Her husband knew the way his lean and well muscled body affected her. Even in her state, Amira can’t help, but feel that familiar heat of lust scorch her from her core to the tips of her toes.
Coming closer to her, Kasin reaches out and cups her face in one hand. Leaning into his touch, Amira sighs and closes her eyes.
“You’re still feeling unwell?” Kasin asks finally and as Amira opens her eyes to stare up at him, she finally nods.
“We shouldn’t have come then. You need to get better,” Kasin growls and begins pulling her simple blouse over her head, revealing the tan tank top beneath.
“No, we promised Tariq and Sophie we would attend. Besides, don’t you want to see the others? I’m excited to see the girls and little Xavier. I’m sure he’s grown so big since we last saw him,” Amira protests and innocently gazes up at her husband who looks down at her doubtfully, “Like the doctor said, I’m fine.”
Letting Kasin pull her to stand and help pull her skirt down slightly, Amira blushes as the cool air of the room sends tingles over her partially bare body. Her nipples poke through her tank top and Amira feels Kasin’s hard bulge poking into her belly as he holds her close against him.
“I just want this Christmas to be perfect, zawja,” Kasin murmurs against her forehead as he kisses her.
“It will be,” Amira murmurs back, though her thoughts drift to the tiny baby growing in her womb.
19
Four days until Christmas…
“Should we put the angel on top of the tree or the star?” Sophie Marks calls from her position on the high ladder as she places each object one at a time on the treetop for Amira’s opinion.
Distracted by the tinsel and lights decorating the large tree, Amira doesn’t hear, until Sophie calls her name again. Finally gazing up at her new friend, Amira blushes, “I’m sorry, Sophie, what were you saying?”
Holding up the angel and star in either hand, Sophie grins, “Which one do you think is better? Angel or star as the tree topper?”
Biting her bottom lip, Amira scans the large room that is normally set aside as a receiving room, but had now been turned into a Christmas wonderland. Seeing more stars than angels in the decor, Amira smiles back up at Sophie, “The star. To match the others.”
Nodding in agreement, Sophie sets the star at the top of the tree, much to the obvious displeasure of her maid who watches from behind them. It seems Sophie wouldn’t allow the servants to do much when it came to decorating for Christmas. Every room Sophie had shown Amira in her boyfriend, Sheik Tariq Abadi’s palace was decorated in some way for the holiday season.
As Sophie moves to climb down the ladder, a deep and familiar voice teases from behind them, “I wish you would let the servants do the high climbing, allasu alsaghir.”
Amira blushes at Tariq’s pet name for Sophie. His little thief. He claims he still calls her that because she has stolen his heart. The playboy Sheik who, at one time, had claimed no woman would satisfy his appetite is so obviously in love with the beautiful Russian woman. Behind Tariq, Kasin stands, quietly assessing the room until finally his gaze lands on her.
As Tariq helps Sophie down from the ladder, Kasin enters the room and comes to stand in front of her.
“Where will the baby go?” Kasin asks as he gazes at the already full tree.
Body freezing, Amira gasps and whispers, “What? What baby?” How could he have found out already? Amira begins to panic as her skin pales.
All eyes seem to turn to her in confusion as Kasin plucks the small ornament from her hand. Holding it up to her, Kasin’s face morphs into a grin, “The nativity scene? You were going to put it on the tree?”
Realization dawning on her, Amira blushes and stammers out a reply as she grabs the ornament back, “Yes, of course. I was just looking for an empty spot.”
Sophie pipes up then, “Amoz had sent that ornament over for Teresa. I guess it was some of the ornaments her mother had left over from their things when they moved to Elish.”
“We could help you ladies set the rest up. Kasin and I finished our paperwork,” Tariq offers.
Kasin is still staring down at her with a dark look as Amira blushes and marches over to Sophie, pulling the woman from Tariq’s grip, “We need to go check on the food preparations. Cookies and things, you know, boring women stuff.”
Tariq chuckles gazing from Amira to Sophie, “Sophie hates cooking.”
“So, do you, zawja,” Kasin croons, not believing her for a second.
“Well, for Christmas, we make an exception.” Amira explains and without waiting for them to make another comment, Amira pulls Sophie out of the room, “See you boys at dinner!”
Once they are far enough away, Amira lets go of Sophie, who stares at her as if she is crazy. Sophie’s maid hangs back, thankfully, as the Russian woman grins down at Amira.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you didn’t like your own husband that much,” Sophie jokes, “They were only trying to help.”
Groaning, Amira runs her hands through her pale hair and leans against one of the large open windows that overlook the palace gardens. Past the high walls, lays the capi
tal city of Hattan. After Tariq was crowned Sheik, the city and its people prospered. It looked nothing like it had under Tariq’s fathers’ rule and for that Amira was glad. Tariq made a good Sheik and an even better friend to Kasin.
Turning to Sophie, Amira fiddles with her hands nervously, “I have to tell you something.”
Kasin takes a puff from his cigar as he scans the horizon and the city past the palace walls. Tariq had done an amazing job lifting the capital city and all of Hattan out of squalor. Prosperous and growing. Two things Tariq’s greedy father had never accomplished.
Behind him, Kasin can hear Tariq finishing up a phone call with their friend and fellow Sheik, Khalid. Hanging up, Tariq saunters over to where Kasin is leaning against the balcony and takes a puff of his own cigar.
“Khalid and Amelia will be arriving tomorrow morning,” Tariq murmurs and when Kasin turns away from the balcony’s view, he meets Tariq’s gaze that is morphing into a happy grin.
“What?” Kasin asks, hating the way Tariq gazes at him with a funny look.
“Amelia’s pregnant,” Tariq croons and laughs excitedly, “Amoz owes me hundred bucks.”
“You bet on Amelia getting pregnant?” Kasin asks in disgust.
“No, I bet on who would be the first after Amoz and Teresa to get pregnant,” Tariq explains and takes another puff of his cigar, blowing the smoke into the air with a laugh, “He hates losing.”
“Who did Amoz bet on?” Kasin asked, absentmindedly. He wondered what was going through Khalid’s mind. Did he want children? Did his friend not realize how much danger his children would be in, all their lives?
Tariq pauses before snorting a smoky answer, “You and Amira.”
Scoffing, Kasin puts out his cigar and turns back to look out over the balcony. Below him, Amira, Sophie and her maid Leetah are walking the gardens. Sophie is showing off all of the beautiful flowers and trees Tariq had imported from all over the world. Behind them, Abel follows at a safe distance with another guard. Even safe behind these palace walls, his wife must be protected and guarded at all costs.