The Sheikh's Stolen Lover - A Second Chance Sweet Romance (The Sheikh's New Bride Book 5)

by Holly Rayner

  “Really?” Jacqui turned to Khizar and asked.

  “Best way to see more of the island.” He shrugged. “And it’s our transportation to dinner tonight.”

  Jacqui’s eyes got big. “Our transportation to…what?”

  Khizar only smiled enigmatically. “You’ll see. You’ll love it, I promise.”

  He helped her board the helicopter, and the pilot handed them both heavy headsets to wear. Jacqui could hear the pilot as he narrated their flight, and she asked him question after question about what they were seeing.

  They flew over the island, over mountains and beaches. Their pilot pointed out the famous North Shore, where Jacqui could see surfers riding big waves. They flew over lush rain forests, an impossible green to Jacqui’s eyes.

  When the helicopter landed, it was in a clearing on the edge of a group of buildings. On the other side of the buildings was a private beach, and in the courtyard, there was a large fire pit surrounded by long tables.

  They stepped off the helicopter and Khizar led Jacqui through one of the buildings and out into the courtyard. There was already a large group of people there, some dressed in traditional Hawaiian garb and others in dressy beachwear. Khizar and Jacqui were both welcomed with leis made of tiny shells and flowers, and offered drinks with a little pineapple garnish.

  The luau was loud and fun, and the food was fantastic. Jacqui had never had roast pig before—it was delicious—and their whole table had a great time watching the hula and fire dancers perform.

  On the helicopter ride back, Khizar’s arm wrapped around her, Jacqui watched the lights twinkle below them and thought of how many new experiences she’d had just in the last two days. She couldn’t wait to see what the next day would bring.

  After another leisurely morning, centered on a breakfast of fresh fruit, macadamia nut waffles, and coconut syrup eaten on their lanai, Jacqui and Khizar took a walk around some of the historic buildings in Honolulu.

  They visited a couple of museums after lunch, and then it was time for their last dinner in Hawaii. Khizar had planned for them to fly back overnight, arriving in Milwaukee the next morning.

  Jacqui wore a new dress, with a halter top and a long, flowing skirt in an understated Hawaiian print. She’d picked it out so that she would have something to remember her dream vacation by, especially during the next long Wisconsin winter.

  Khizar took her to a small, four-star restaurant which sat on a pier out over the water, where they listened to the waves break as they ate seafood caught that day.

  After dinner, Jacqui asked for one more walk on the beach. They strolled hand in hand along the water’s edge and watched the sunset.

  Jacqui stopped to pick up a shell, which she carefully wiped off and put in her skirt pocket. Khizar tucked a stray strand of hair behind her hair, and then softly brushed his fingers across her cheek.

  “Did you have a good weekend?” he asked.

  “The best. I think any vacation in Hawaii would have been amazing, but this weekend with you has been really special. Thank you, Khizar.”

  He shook his head.

  “Thank you. I’d forgotten what it was like to have a life outside of work, and just enjoy being with someone else. You are special to me, Jacqui.”

  Jacqui looked up at him and sucked in a breath at the emotion she saw in his eyes. He reached his hand out to cradle her face, and then slowly leaned down to kiss her.

  Jacqui closed her eyes and let the sensations take over. The slightly rough feel of Khizar’s lips against hers, the breeze teasing at her hair, the sound of her heart beating faster in her ears. She laid one hand flat on his chest, and wrapped the other around his neck, pulling him closer into her.

  When he pulled back, his breathing ragged, Khizar rested his forehead against hers.

  “That was pretty special, too,” he whispered.

  Jacqui smiled and leaned up to kiss him quickly one more time.

  “Yes, it was. The perfect end to the perfect weekend.”

  Khizar wrapped his arms around her and they watched the stars appear over the water until they had to leave. Jacqui felt like her world had moved into place, like something right had just clicked.

  On the flight back, Jacqui couldn’t stop smiling. Even when Khizar insisted she take the bedroom to get some sleep, and was getting ready for bed, she knew she had a sappy grin pasted across her face.

  Jacqui also knew that she had completely fallen for Khizar. As she fell asleep, she thought of how happy she was and how she couldn’t wait to get even closer to him.

  Chapter 8

  Jacqui

  Jacqui had never been so happy—not that she could remember, anyway. Even the prospect of having to shut down her bakery seemed like a minor concern. She felt, somehow, that things would work out, one way or another.

  She was spending the same amount of time at the bakery, but her time outside work was mostly taken up by the handsome man that had blown into her life only three weeks earlier.

  Khizar had taken her out almost every night during those three weeks and continued to treat her like a princess. They visited the theatre, attended concerts, and ate at fabulous restaurants. Jacqui had stopped questioning the extravagant gifts and dates; she didn’t need them, but they were fun.

  The Sheikh had a business trip that took him to Los Angeles for a few nights, and he tried to get Jacqui to go with him. She declined, wishing she could go, but also not wanting to leave the bakery again. While he was gone, he called every night and sent her flowers and gifts every day.

  As much as Jacqui loved their evenings out, she did insist on a quieter evening here and there. She cooked dinner for them a few times, and they spent those evenings curled up on her couch watching movies.

  Khizar asked her about what her childhood was like before her parents died, about culinary school, and about everything in between. Jacqui felt like no one had ever known her as well as Khizar.

  He talked occasionally about his work, telling her about the pieces he was acquiring and the mines he was considering buying. There were stories about store owners and master craftsmen, but he didn’t mention his family very often.

  Jacqui got the feeling that Khizar was trying to distinguish himself from his royal relatives, and even though he felt the responsibility and worked hard to do right by his country, he didn’t want to spend a lot of time talking about being a sheikh.

  By being open herself, Jacqui hoped to build trust between them. She wanted to show Khizar that he could talk to her, that she liked him for who he was, not for his title or wealth. So, she told him her fears and desires, and shared her life with him as best she knew how.

  One night, while Khizar was in Los Angeles, Jacqui realized she hadn’t called her parents in over a week. She settled on her couch and dialed the number. When her father answered, Jacqui felt a pang of guilt for not calling sooner.

  “Hi, darlin’. Your mother and I were beginning to wonder if you’d fallen into that giant mixer of yours.”

  Ah, dad jokes. She really had missed her adoptive parents.

  “Hi, Dad. Sorry, it’s just been a busy few weeks.”

  “How’s business?”

  “Picking up, actually. New customers are coming in, and we seem to building some word-of-mouth buzz.”

  “That’s great, Jacqui.” There was a pause on the other end. “Hang on, your mother wants to talk to you.”

  There was the sound of shuffling from the other end of the phone, and then Jacqui heard her mother say, “Hi, sweetie. Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, Mom. I’ve just been swamped with things. Good things, though.”

  “Well, that’s good,” her mother said. “Why don’t you come over for dinner this weekend? Maybe on Sunday after you close up?”

  “That sounds great, Mom.” Jacqui had an impulsive thought. “Hey, do you mind if I bring someone with me?”

  Jacqui could practically hear her mom’s thought process through the phone.

 
“Sure, sweetie. Is it Lyssa, or one of your other friends?” she asked with a hopeful note in her voice.

  “Subtle, Mom. No, actually, I’ve been seeing someone and I thought I might introduce him to you and Dad.”

  “Oh, we’d like that, Jacqui. Of course. Bring your young man, and we’ll have a nice dinner.”

  “Thanks, Mom. I’ll bring dessert from the bakery. See you Sunday night.”

  “See you then, sweetie. Take care of yourself!”

  “Bye, Mom.”

  Jacqui hung up. Then, she had a moment of second thoughts. She hadn’t asked Khizar if he wanted to meet her parents, but he was so interested in her family that she couldn’t imagine him saying no.

  When he got back into town the next day and stopped by the bakery, she proposed the idea to him during a lull in business.

  “Of course, I’d love to meet your parents,” Khizar answered. “I can make reservations for us, if you’d like? I want to make a good impression.”

  Jacqui shook her head. “A good impression is easy. Show up, let them tell you embarrassing stories about my teenage years, and praise my mother’s cooking and my father’s garden.”

  “I do hope that those stories come with pictures,” Khizar said, grinning.

  “Oh, there will be pictures. Of that, I’m certain.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I’d like to show you where I grew up. It’s no palace or anything, but it’s home.”

  Khizar chuckled. “Palaces can be overrated. I’ll be delighted to see the place you call home.”

  Jacqui told him he didn’t need to bring anything, but of course, when he picked her up at her apartment that evening, he had a large bouquet of flowers for her mother and a bottle of expensive wine.

  Jacqui’s parents greeted them at the door with enthusiasm, and Jacqui watched them closely for their reaction when she introduced Khizar.

  “Mom, Dad, this is Khizar Jamshidi. He’s the CEO of Jamshidi & Company, and he’s from Nudushan, where his uncle is the ruling sheikh. Khizar, these are my parents, Alan and Michelle Danvers.”

  Her mother raised her eyebrows and gave Jacqui a look that said they would talk later about this little piece of information Jacqui had neglected to provide.

  But all Michelle said out loud was, “Khizar, it’s so nice to meet you.”

  “The pleasure is all mine, Mrs. Danvers. Thank you for inviting me to dinner.” Khizar handed her the flowers and wine. “For you, a small token of my appreciation.”

  “They’re lovely, thank you!”

  Alan Danvers shook his daughter’s boyfriend’s hand, adding, “Our girl doesn’t bring too many guys home, so you must be something special.”

  Jacqui blushed. “Dad!”

  Khizar looked at Jacqui. “It’s an honor to meet you both. And if I may say, Jacqui is the one who is something special.”

  Her mother looked like she approved, but Jacqui’s cheeks felt like they were on fire. To cover her blush, she held out a cake.

  “Here, Mom, I brought your favorite.”

  “Oh, thank you, sweetie. Why don’t you put it on the counter? I’m going to get these in some water, and maybe you can help me finish up dinner?”

  “Khizar, why don’t we let these lovely ladies catch up? Come on, I’ll show you what I’m working on right now, and we’ll get out of their way,” Alan said.

  Jacqui set the cake on the counter and gave Khizar an encouraging smile. He kissed her on the cheek before following her father outside.

  Her mother was apparently reserving judgement, because as they finished preparing the meal, all she said was that Khizar seemed nice.

  Jacqui wanted her mom to like the man she was seeing, so she told Michelle stories about the surprise dates Khizar had taken her on, about the ballet and picnic in the park and the fancy restaurants. Her mother listened and asked a few questions, but other than that, didn’t say much.

  Conversation throughout dinner was lively, though. As Jacqui had promised, her parents told a few embarrassing stories about her teenage years, but nothing that Jacqui wasn’t planning on telling him anyway.

  Michelle did pull out pictures after dinner. Khizar was especially interested in seeing young Jacqui, and Jacqui teased him that she couldn’t wait to see pictures from his youth as well.

  Michelle and Alan seemed surprised to hear about Jacqui’s trip to Hawaii with Khizar, but Jacqui convinced them that she had a wonderful time. And when Khizar excused himself for a moment, she explained that he had been a perfect gentleman the entire time, and it was that trip where Jacqui realized that she wanted to pursue a relationship with him.

  Jacqui cleaned up the kitchen so that her mom and dad could talk with Khizar some more. She wanted to them to like him as much as she did.

  From the kitchen, she could hear her dad ask Khizar about his family, and Khizar told them a few of the stories he’d already told Jacqui. He talked a little about what it was like to run a large company, and work with precious gems.

  Her parents seemed to like him, Jacqui thought as she finished loading the dishwasher. When her mom came into the kitchen, carrying their after-dinner coffee cups, she said as much.

  “He’s lovely, sweetie. I’m glad you’re having a good time.”

  Jacqui leaned against the counter, twisting the dish towel in her hands.

  “I think it might be more than just a good time, Mom. I really like him.”

  Michelle hesitated, then patted her daughter’s arm. Before she could say anything, Khizar walked into the kitchen and Jacqui looked at the clock.

  “Sorry, Mom. I didn’t realize how late it’s gotten.”

  Her mother smiled. “You’re always welcome to stay as long as you like, Jacqui. But I know you have to be at the bakery early, so if you need to go, it’s fine.”

  Jacqui reached over and gave her mom a hug.

  “Thanks. I’ll call you later this week?”

  “I look forward to it, sweetheart.” Michelle gave Khizar a brief hug, which he returned. “Khizar, it was so nice to meet you. Hopefully, we’ll see you again soon.”

  Later that night, Jacqui got a text from her mother.

  Forgot that we’ve got plans to have dinner with the Thompsons on Tuesday night in the city. Mind if we stop by the bakery before we meet up with them?

  Jacqui texted back: Of course, you should stop by! I’ll save you some cake if you want dessert before dinner.

  It was always nice to have her parents stop by her bakery. They usually visited when they came into the city, and Jacqui always baked something extra special when she knew they were going to be there.

  Jacqui looked forward to their visit, especially since Khizar would be flying out of town again for a few days that night. Before he left, he hinted at a surprise he had for her when he got back.

  Instead of trying to figure out what the surprise was, Jacqui focused on filling several special cake orders for that week. Because, really, when you’ve already been surprised with a trip to Hawaii, what else could Khizar possibly surprise her with?

  When Jacqui’s parents arrived at the bakery on Tuesday, she’d delivered three of the special order cakes, done the bank deposit, and started prep for the next day’s baking. She had her father’s favorite cake baked and sliced and a fresh pot of coffee brewing when they walked in the door.

  “The shop looks wonderful, dear,” her mother said by way of greeting.

  “It smells even better!” her dad said, laughing at his own joke.

  “Thank you,” Jacqui said to both of them, giving them hugs.

  She flipped the closed sign over and locked the door so they could chat without customers coming in. It was about the time she normally closed anyway, and she knew her regular customers had already visited that day.

  “I’m so glad you had time to see us today,” her mother said, sitting at one of the little tables.

  “Of course, Mom. I’m glad you had time to stop by.”

  She poured coffee and handed it to her dad,
who carried the cups to the table. Jacqui followed with the cake and three plates; she sliced the cake into generous pieces, putting one on each plate.

  “I’ll send the Thompsons your apologies for ruining our dinner,” her dad said, nudging his daughter’s elbow.

  “Tell them I said hello, too,” Jacqui said, laughing.

  Her mother took a small bite of cake and then put her fork down.

  “Jacqui, we wanted to talk to you about something.”

  Jacqui looked between them. Her father was suddenly, unusually, serious. And her mother looked nervous.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Well, that’s what we wanted to ask you,” her father said.

  “I’m fine. The bakery is fine—well, there’s still the question of if I have enough business to cover a rent increase—but it’s the normal worry.”

  Michelle took a deep breath.

  “It’s just, we were a little surprised when you brought Khizar home with you. He seems nice; we just didn’t know you were seeing someone so seriously.”

  Jacqui thought about it. It was sweet that her parents were worried, and to be honest, things were moving fast with Khizar.

  “I know it’s a bit sudden, but I’m really happy.”

  “We can see that, Jacqui,” her father said. “But we don’t even know how you met.”

  “He came into the bakery, bought everything I’d baked that day, and gave it away to some charity organizations I suggested. I went with him and we got to know each other.”

  Her parents exchanged a look that Jacqui couldn’t decipher.

  “He’s in Milwaukee for business?” Alan asked.

  Jacqui nodded. “He’s been talking to jewelry store owners about expanding his company’s jewelry line here.”

  “He doesn’t talk a lot about his family,” her mother said.

  “No, he doesn’t,” Jacqui said. “But we’ve only been dating a few weeks.”

  Michelle laid a hand softly on the table. “Exactly.”

  Jacqui looked from her mother to her father. “What’s bothering you both? Is it that I’m dating someone from another country?”