by Holly Rayner
“I’m still not convinced. Let’s see how this plays out.”
“Get ready,” she said, tossing the dice onto the board.
It was official: Yvonne won the game. She whooped as she moved her piece to the final destination, her smile triumphant.
“I will now do my best to be a gracious winner. Also, I told you so.”
Zadid put up his hands.
“You certainly did. I am a man who can accept defeat as graciously as you accept your victory. Well done,” he said, reaching his hand over the board for her to shake, which she did.
Their hands stayed clasped for a moment longer than was necessary before Zadid pulled back, sitting back on the floor.
“That was fun,” he said, his tone wistful.
Yvonne stood, stretching her lower back before plopping onto the couch before the fire, which had burned back down to a gentle crackle. To her delight, Zadid stood and joined her there, sitting very close as they stared into the glowing hearth.
“You sound like you haven’t had fun in a while,” she observed, and Zadid shrugged.
“It’s difficult to remember to enjoy yourself when the world of business never sleeps.”
“That’s true. I think the last time I’ve played a game like that was last year’s Christmas party.”
“And even then I didn’t play,” he said. “I should have. I forgot how much fun these diversions can be.”
“Did you do this kind of thing as a kid much?” Yvonne asked, curious about his upbringing.
Zadid nodded.
“I did. My brother and sister and I would play all the time, though our game pieces looked a little different,” he explained, his tone a little bashful.
“How do you mean?”
“They were made of gold.”
“Ah,” she said, ever so slightly scooting closer to him. “I’ve often wondered what your childhood was like. Aren’t you, like, fourth in line to the throne?”
“Eighth,” he corrected gently.
“What is that like?”
He thought for a moment before answering.
“It was a charmed life, of course. I got all the benefits of royalty without the obligations that come with having to one day rule. My family home is a beautiful ivory-colored palace just off the sea, so when the sun sets just right, the entire building is a cascade of colors. When we weren’t spending our time there, we’d often go on vacations to foreign lands. My parents wanted to expose us to different cultures and experiences, and it was when I landed in New York that I knew I would one day settle in America. I loved it from the moment the skyline came into view.”
“What brought you to D.C., then?” she asked.
He shrugged.
“Connections, mainly. John was a friend of mine that needed an extra pair of hands running his finance firm, and I was looking for any excuse to come out here. It worked out in its own way.”
Yvonne thought about the co-owner of the firm, John Smalls. He was a younger man like Zadid, who had come from wealth as well. She found herself fascinated with a world she had only ever glimpsed into. The world of the rich and connected.
“But you go home every Christmas, so surely you still have ties back there.”
“Of course I do,” he replied.
His tone was unreadable. There was something behind it that he wanted to hide, but Yvonne couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was.
“My father used to throw the most elaborate birthdays for me. One time, I had a camel-themed party, and everyone was trained on how to ride before we had a massive race through the desert. It was one of the most exciting moments of my life. We finished the night with a party in our family’s ancient ballroom, like we do every year.”
She noticed that he was changing the subject from home in the present. She thought back to Zadid’s melancholy face the other day when she’d found him alone in his office. What was going on back there that he didn’t want to talk about?
Deciding to let it go and enjoy the moment, she sank a little deeper into the couch. The fire had transformed into glowing embers, the night stretching on as snow continued to plummet from the sky.
“You’ve reminded me—my dad’s birthday is next week and I need to remember to call him.”
“My dad’s birthday is next week, too. It will be the first time I’ll miss it.”
“What day?”
“The twenty-ninth.”
“Get out! That’s my dad’s birthday too!”
“And does he throw an elaborate feast for the occasion, like mine does?”
Yvonne let out a chortle.
“Hardly. His favorite way to spend the day is alone on the lake, followed by a doze in his lounger in front of the TV with a craft beer. I’m pretty sure that’s how he’s finished every birthday in the last thirty years.”
Zadid laughed.
“He sounds like a man who has his priorities straight.”
“I think he does,” Yvonne agreed, enjoying the comfortable flow of conversation between them.
She had always been able to chat easily with Zadid, but in a business setting, everything always had a barrier up. There were so many things she wished to talk about that she couldn’t say, wanting to stay professional.
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, Yvonne feeling sleepy and content. She sat up and stretched her arms into the air.
“I think it’s about time for bed,” she said, turning to look over at him.
He reached for her hand, the meaning in his eyes clear as he tugged her to his chest and captured her lips with his own in a sizzling kiss. Yvonne met his passion, the taste of him exactly as she had always imagined—delicious.
Her body responded accordingly, aching for him in an instant. When he pulled back, their faces stayed close as he held her cheeks between his palms.
“I’ve wanted to do that since the day I started working for you,” she breathed.
He nodded.
“You and me both.”
With that invitation, he pulled her close once more, lying back on the couch as he pulled her on top of him, the two of them exploring one another in the cozy darkness of her apartment. Finally, he sat up, still kissing her as he hooked his arm beneath her knees and lifted her up.
“Bedroom?” he asked, breaking their embrace for a moment.
“That way,” Yvonne murmured, nodding in the right direction.
He nodded, kissing her again as he somehow walked at the same time, not bumping into a single item of furniture as he found the open doorway to her bedroom and laid her down on the soft mattress.
From the living room, the gentle glow of her Christmas tree shone through the doorway as they made love, Yvonne living out every fantasy she had ever had of Zadid. He certainly lived up to her wildest dreams.
They came together in a rush of passion before falling asleep in each other’s arms, warm, safe and content.
It was easily the best Christmas of Yvonne’s life.
What will the New Year bring for Yvonne and Zadid?
The Sheikh’s Christmas Triplets is available on Amazon now
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Also by Holly Rayner
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Stealing From The Sheikh
The Sheikh’s Captive Woman
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The Sheikh’s Make-Believe Fiancée
The Sheikh’s Accidental Bride
The Sheikh’s Irresistible Proposal
The Sheikh’s Secret Princess
The Sheikh’s Illicit Affair
The Sheikh’s Purchased Bride
The Sheikh’s Tempted Protectress
The Sheikh’s Captive Love
The Sheikh’s Green Card Bride
Bought For One Night: The Sheikh’s Offer
Wifed By The Sheikh
The Sheikh’s Online Bride
Single Mom And The Sheikh
The Sheikh And The Cowgirl
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Secret: The Maid and the Sheikh
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The Sheikh’s Quintuplet Baby Surprise
The Sheikh’s Secret Love Child
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Hassan: The Bad Boy Sheikh’s Baby
The Sheikh’s Twin Baby Surprise
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Baby Maker
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The Billionaire’s First Christmas
The Sheikh’s First Christmas
The Billionaire’s Christmas Bundle of Joy
The Billionaire’s Lessons in Christmas
European Billionaire Romance
An Heir For Alexandros: The Greek Billionaire’s Baby
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The Greek Billionaire’s Marriage Matchmaker
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