The Sheik & the Princess Bride

by Susan Mallery

  “Hello, my dear,” the king said to Billie as he took her hand in greeting. “Welcome back. I hope you enjoyed your time in El Bahar.”

  “What?” Billie looked stunned. “Ah, yes. Thank you. It was great.” Her expression said the emphasis was on the past tense. Things were great no longer. She looked at him, then at the young woman.

  “I have to go,” she said and bolted from the room.

  Jefri took a step to follow her, but Doyle stepped in the way.

  “Don’t even think about it,” Billie’s brother said with a growl.

  Jefri was not the least bit concerned about Doyle. He had to get to Billie and explain. There was only one problem—he wasn’t sure what had occurred.

  “Father?”

  The king smiled. “My son, this is Tahira.” The king motioned to the young girl who hovered at the edge of the foyer.

  Jefri studied her. She was young, perhaps sixteen or seventeen, and very petite. She barely came to the center of his chest and her body appeared small and childlike. Dark hair had been pulled back into a simple braid. She wore no makeup, no jewelry and only a plain dark dress that covered her to well below the knees.

  Jefri nodded at the girl, a pointless gesture as she did not look up from her careful study of the floor, then turned his attention to his father. “There has been a mistake.”

  “I think not, but regardless, this is not the place to have that discussion.”

  His father was right in that.

  Jefri walked over to Doyle. “I never asked for her,” he said. “I do not know why she is here.”

  Billie’s brother drew his blond eyebrows together. “Is she or is she not your fiancée?”

  There were technicalities involved in that question, Jefri realized. Without speaking to his father, he didn’t know the truth. “I am not sure.”

  Doyle swore, then moved close. “Don’t think this is finished, Your Highness. I don’t give a damn about who or what you are. You’ve hurt my sister and you’re going to pay for that.”

  Doyle stalked off in the direction Billie had fled.

  “A most interesting young man,” the king said and smiled at the girl. “Come, Tahira. We will adjourn to one of the small sitting rooms.

  Jefri followed his father down the main corridor, then along a smaller hallway. When they entered the aforementioned room, he carefully closed the door before turning on his father.

  “What have you done?” he demanded.

  “As you requested. I have found you a bride.”

  Tahira stood by the window, her narrow shoulders hunched. Aware that she listened to every word, he lowered his voice.

  “We discussed this matter recently,” Jefri said. “I requested you unmake whatever the arrangements might be.”

  “I recall. However, things had progressed too far. When Tahira turned eighteen, she was required to leave the school.”

  Eighteen? Jefri glanced at the young woman. Was it possible she was that old?

  The king smiled in her direction. “Come, child. It is time to properly meet your husband-to-be.”

  Tahira obediently walked to the king. When she raised her head, Jefri caught side of large brown eyes brilliant with terror. She swallowed and lowered her chin.

  “Prince Jefri. I have no words to express my honor and joy at finally meeting you.”

  If this was joy, he would hate to see her upset. “Tahira…” He hesitated. None of this was the girl’s fault. “The honor is mine,” he said, trying not to sound grim.

  “She has been in the convent school on Lucia-Serrat,” the king said. “Her father was my finance minister until he was killed in a car accident when she was only seven. He was a dear friend and his wish was for me to provide for his only child.”

  Jefri knew enough to read between the lines. Tahira had no one. There might or might not be any money from her family, but that did not matter. The king had sent her to the convent school where she would be well educated in the social graces, cooking and child-rearing, if not in the ways of the world. He doubted she had ever seen a man his age before.

  Whether his father had originally planned for her to marry one of his sons or he had thought to offer Tahira in marriage to some highly placed official, obviously, she had not been prepared to make her way in the world on her own.

  “She speaks several languages,” the king continued. “The sisters also said you were gifted in sketching and painting. Is that not so, child?”

  Tahira barely nodded. “The sisters were kind to me and offered many compliments, Your Highness. I would not dare to say I have talent.”

  “Of course not,” Jefri murmured, wondering if there was a way out of this hell.

  “She meets all your requirements,” the king said. “She is very pretty.”

  Hard to know, what with her still staring at the floor, Jefri thought. Although her appearance was the least of it.

  He had to get to Billie and explain. He had to make this right with her.

  “You have arranged rooms?” he asked his father.

  “Of course. Something with a view of the gardens. I thought Tahira would find that familiar. You had beautiful gardens at the school, did you not?”

  Tahira nodded.

  Jefri swore silently. “I must excuse myself,” he told his father, then glanced at the girl. “Welcome to Bahania,” he said stiffly and hurried out of the room.

  He made his way to the third floor and Billie’s suite. As he turned the corner, he saw Doyle lounging by the door. The large man stepped into the corridor and smiled coldly.

  “I figured you’d come sniffing around here,” Doyle said angrily. “She’s not here and I’m not telling you where she is. What I will tell you is you’re the lowest form of life there is. This may cost my family the contract and me my freedom, but I plan to beat the crap out of you. Prince or not, you don’t have the right to act like this.”

  Gone? Where could she be? Jefri thought of the possibilities and decided Billie would retreat to the airport and the Van Horn complex there.

  “Are you listening to me?” Doyle demanded.

  “No,” Jefri told him. “But I understand your fury. I have two sisters and I would do the same for them. The problem is you are not in a position to beat the crap out of me.”

  Doyle narrowed his gaze. “You think I care that it’s against the law?”

  Jefri did not have time for this but he knew Doyle would not let him walk away until this was resolved.

  Jefri moved close to the other man. They were about the same height and size. “Do not let the tailored suits fool you, Doyle. I have been trained by masters. You will not get off the first punch.”

  Doyle’s hands curled into fists.

  Jefri shook his head. “You must believe me. I would never hurt her.”

  “Too late for that. Where the hell do you get the right to take her away for the night? She’s not your plaything.”

  “I agree. She is an amazing woman who constantly surprises me. Now I must find her and explain.”

  “There’s no way she’ll forgive you.”

  “That information will not stop me from trying.”

  Doyle flexed his fingers. “If she’s still mad when you’re done, then you and I are having it out. Just so we’re clear. And for what it’s worth, you’d better have a hell of a good story.”

  Jefri nodded, then left. He raced down to the garages where he collected his Jaguar and headed for the airport. He didn’t have a story at all. He only had the truth. But would it be enough?

  Billie found that reaching a personal best on a video game where she saved the world from outer space-based villains didn’t make her feel any better. She was a little surprised she’d done so well, what with the tears blurring her vision. There wasn’t a single part of her that didn’t hurt. Even her eyelashes ached. Her body felt pummeled and her heart…She didn’t want to think about the damage done to that organ.

  Funny how she’d tried to prepare herself for the rea
lity of her situation with Jefri. She’d thought she’d known who and what he was. A prince. Not the kind of guy a woman like her had a chance with. She’d accepted theirs would be an affair and she’d been happy with that. But finding out he’d been engaged the entire time made her feel slimy and gross. As if she were the other woman. Which she very well was.

  How could he have done that? She would never have guessed he was that kind of man. He’d struck her as honorable, which just went to show she was an idiot.

  It hurt, she thought, as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. This hurt more than anything, even that night when those guys had gone for her. They’d tried to damage her body, but Jefri had messed with her head and her heart.

  She brushed her hand against her face and concentrated on the screen. More spaceships flew into view. She began to systematically fire at them, racking up points like crazy. All the explosions and sound effects from the machine provided a comforting blanket of white noise, but they didn’t prevent her from hearing steady footsteps on the concrete floor.

  Every muscle in her body tensed. She knew who approached even before he spoke. The need to run overwhelmed her, but she had a feeling he wasn’t willing to let her grieve in peace. Instead he would want to have his say and make it right. How like a man. Just once, she would like to see one of them take responsibility instead of weaseling out of everything.

  “I know what you are thinking,” Jefri said when he came to a stop behind her.

  “Somehow I doubt that.”

  She hated that she didn’t have to turn to know it was him. Her heart sensed his presence.

  “You are thinking that I am a lying, cheating bastard who used you to get what he wanted. You are thinking you were tricked.”

  She released her hands from the controls and let the aliens claim her last ship. With her eyes closed, she did her best to keep breathing.

  “Pretty close,” she admitted.

  “Billie, you have to believe me. I did not plan for any of this to happen. Not you and what we did last night and certainly not that scene today. I would never hurt you.”

  She drew in a deep breath and wiped her face before turning to face him. Her stomach flinched when she realized he was still gorgeous. Turning into scum hadn’t affected his looks.

  “Imagine what you could do if you tried,” she said, doing her best to hold the tears at bay and keep her voice steady. “With a little effort, you could do a serious number on my heart.”

  He reached out to touch her, but she stepped back. “Don’t do that,” she said.

  “You are right. I apologize.”

  She nodded stiffly. “So what exactly is the purpose of this visit?”

  “To explain.”

  “Are you or are you not engaged?”

  “The situation is more complex than that.”

  “Funny, because from where I stand, it seems fairly simple. Just answer the question.”

  He shoved his hands into his front pockets. “I am Prince Jefri of Bahania.”

  “I already know that, but thanks for sharing.”

  His steady gaze locked on her face. “My father expects me to produce heirs. After my disastrous first marriage, I decided that I was not the best judge of who I should claim as my wife, so I agreed to let my father arrange a match.”

  Billie heard the words but had a heck of a time believing them. “You’re willing to marry someone you’ve never met?”

  He shrugged. “At the time it seemed a simple solution to a problem I did not want to deal with.”

  “We’re talking about your entire life. This is the woman you’ll grow old with. She’ll be the mother of your children.”

  “Exactly.” His dark eyes narrowed. “I wanted the right woman to give me strong sons and daughters. My father would be able to learn about her family, her education. What she would be like as a mother.”

  Billie thought about pointing out Jefri could do the same if he would simply invest a little time.

  “Let me see if I get this straight. The king wanted you to marry and you told him that if it was so important, he could take care of finding you the bride himself.”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s insane. What if you hate her?”

  “My father would ensure compatibility. The point is a few weeks ago my father mentioned he’d found me a bride. I told him I did not want any arrangements made. I assumed the matter was closed. But I was wrong.”

  Billie stared at him. “If you’re lying…”

  “I give you my word. I did not know about Tahira yesterday.”

  She supposed that was something. At least he wasn’t a complete bastard. “And now?”

  He hesitated long enough to make her furious.

  “What?” she demanded. “Are you engaged or not?”

  “As I said, the situation is complicated.”

  “By what?”

  “Tahira herself. She was raised in a particular way.”

  “What? By wolves?”

  “Nuns.”

  Billie took a step back. “Are you telling me this girl is fresh from the convent?”

  He nodded.

  “Great. Let me guess the rest. She has no family, nowhere to go and golly, she’s been trained to be the perfect princess.”

  He sighed. “Why do I know your understanding is not a good thing?”

  “Because you’re not always an idiot. So what exactly makes her the perfect princess?” Billie couldn’t remember anything about the girl. Just that she’d been painfully young.

  “She is all I requested.”

  Not sure she wanted to hear this, she still insisted, “Give me specifics.”

  “I requested a wife who was reasonably attractive with a docile temperament and a fondness for children.”

  She blinked. “What? You asked for that? This is a marriage, not eBay. You can’t just place an order and then wait for the future princess to be delivered.”

  “Why not?”

  Billie wished she was big enough to slap him and have it hurt. Worse, she hated the sudden need to smash in his perfect face, but she couldn’t seem to shake it, either. She thought briefly about her high-heeled sandal, but didn’t think she was strong enough to actually pierce stupid, male flesh with the heel.

  “I do not expect to love her,” Jefri said as if that explained everything. “Ours would be a marriage of convenience.”

  “Tell me about it. A marriage in the tradition of all great misogynistic monarchies. I’m sure you’ll enjoy sleeping with your reasonably attractive, docile wife and that together you’ll produce reasonably attractive, docile children.”

  “You do not understand.”

  “I understand perfectly. That’s not a marriage and it’s sure as hell no way to live a life. If that’s what you want, you’re not the man I thought.”

  She clung to that revelation and hoped it would be enough to help her get over him. Gathering her tattered dignity, she headed for the exit.

  Unfortunately Jefri wasn’t going to allow her a clean getaway. Instead he followed, keeping up with her easily.

  “You are angry,” he said.

  “Thanks for the news flash.”

  “In time you will understand.”

  She doubted that. Her fantasy was that in time he wouldn’t matter to her. Not that he mattered now. Okay, they’d had some laughs and a really fabulous night, but that didn’t mean anything. She hadn’t fallen for him.

  He reached for her arm. She spun toward him.

  “Don’t touch me,” she said, her voice low and angry. “You no longer have the right.”

  “Billie, you have to be reasonable.”

  “I don’t think so. I don’t think I have to be anything I don’t want to be, and certainly not because you said so.”

  “Please. You mean the world to me.”

  “Ha! Even if I believed you, I wouldn’t care. If you need a woman, I suggest you go check out Miss Docile and Reasonably Attractive. I’m sure she’ll welcome you wi
th open arms.”

  Chapter Ten

  Billie hid out at the airport for another hour, but knew she couldn’t stay there forever. Not unless she planned on moving back. The option gave her pause—was she willing to give up the perfect bathroom because of a broken heart? She quickly decided that living tubless would only add to her pain, so better to be at the palace and suffering than in a tent and hating life.

  Once back at the palace, she found herself unable to stay in her room, so she collected Muffin and hurried toward the garden. Maybe being outside in something so beautiful would ease her spirits.

  “I didn’t expect to recover in fifteen seconds,” she told her dog as she set her down on the path. “But I would appreciate being able to breathe without shooting pains in my chest.”

  Muffin gave her a quick sympathetic look before hurrying off to check out the nearby plants and shrubs. Billie sank onto a stone bench and contemplated her options.

  She could leave. Contract or no contract, she could simply walk away from the job.

  As soon as the thought formed, she dismissed it. She didn’t run away and she didn’t quit. Which left her in the unique position of having to regularly see the man who had hurt her.

  Could she do it? “Dumb question,” she murmured. “Of course I can do it. The trick will be doing it well.”

  She probed at the open wounds to gauge their depth. How long until she recovered? How long until she was able to look back at all this and know it had been an important lesson for her to learn? If nothing else, the sex had been fabulous. She’d figured out she had the kind of body that responded really well to the right sort of touch. Maybe she should stop thinking about Jefri and start figuring out who she could find to replace him. Would taking another lover make her feel better?

  She wasn’t sure of the answer to the question, but the thought of another man doing what he had done made her stomach roll. Okay, so she would need a little time and distance before searching out another lover. That was fine. She had time.

  Muffin trotted past on her way to another tree where a long sniffing session was in order. Billie watched her, then stiffened when she heard footsteps on the path. Her heart fluttered, then slowed when she realized they didn’t belong to Jefri.