by Ali Parker
“Okay,” I said, knowing I wouldn’t be able to get rid of her if I didn’t. It would be easier for me to tell her no over the phone.
“What’s your number?” she asked, and I gave her all the pertinent information while standing in the wedding dress of my dreams.
7
Luke
Sophia had texted me almost an hour ago, telling me she was on her way back to the hotel. I timed it perfectly as I walked through the lobby doors and saw her walking toward the elevators. I took a moment to admire her from a distance. I still couldn’t believe I was marrying that woman.
The swish of her hips caught more than just my attention. A group of Asian men in business suits stared at her as if she were their next meal.
I cleared my throat. “Sophia!” I called across the lobby.
Several people—Sophia included—turned my way. A broad smile stretched across her lips.
After seeing me, the businessmen quickly returned to their conversation while staring at their shoes. I smirked.
Sophia strode over to me and stood on her toes to kiss me. “I think you just gave everyone a heart attack.”
“There are other people here?” I asked innocently.
She smirked. “You think you’re so cute, don’t you?”
“I do.”
She shivered in my arms, and I wasn’t sure if it was from the weather or what I’d said. The proclamation would come from my lips eventually, and I loved her reaction, even if it wasn’t for real just yet.
“Did you have a good day?” I asked.
“I did, but I’m freezing,” she said.
“How about we get a drink?” I asked her, noting the bar to the left of the lobby. There were several restaurants on site, but the lounge overlooking the street had a better view of the city.
“Sounds good,” she said. “I need something to warm me up.”
“Wine it is, then,” I said, taking her hand.
We sat down on one of the couches in the corner of the room. Sophia swirled the wine in her glass before taking a sip.
“This one is really good,” she said.
“I know,” I said.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m determined to find some wine you haven’t tasted.”
“You realize I spent years on my own, wining and dining clients from all over the world. You’d be hard-pressed to find one that I haven’t tried.”
“Challenge accepted,” she said, picking up the wine list from the table in front of us.
“You look different,” I said.
“Do I?” she asked, locking eyes with me. “It’s probably my hair. It’s not doing so well in this weather.”
She twisted up her hair away from her face, and I touched her hand, forcing it back down.
“Your hair is fine,” I said. “What did you do today?”
She shrugged. “Walked around a bit.”
“Did you do any shopping?” I knew how much fun she had the few times I took her shopping for new clothes. When we got back to Qatar, she was going to have to do more of that to replace most of her wardrobe. It was one thing to dress like a visitor; it was another thing entirely to dress like a queen.
She glanced at me. “Window shopping.”
“You find anything you like?” I asked.
She returned her gaze to the menu and shook her head. “I don’t need anything.”
I regarded her as she scanned the list. “You know you have all of my money at your disposal.”
She put down the paper and turned to me. “I don’t expect any of that.”
“I know, but it’s true. You’re going to be my wife. Everything of mine is yours and vice versa.”
She snorted. “I think you got the crappy end of that deal.”
“As long as I have you, I don’t need anything else. But I want you to be happy. You don’t need to worry about anything anymore. If you want a new wardrobe, get it. If you want the next best thing, get that too.”
“I don’t need things, Luke. I never did. You saw my apartment and my meager possessions. I don’t feel that it’s right to assume anything—”
“Then don’t assume,” I said. “It’s all yours. No questions asked. I’ve already started the process of getting you a credit card in your own name.”
“My name?” she asked.
“Yes.”
She pursed her lips. “What about later? I mean, I don’t want to assume, but do you want me to take your last name?”
“I would love that,” I said. “Then I can have another one sent right away. It’s not a big deal. Let me take care of you.”
She released a long, slow breath. “Wow, this is a lot for my first glass of wine.”
I drew her close to me and kissed her. “It would make me the happiest man alive to see you happy. So don’t stress about it anymore. Okay?”
“Okay.” She polished off the wine in her glass and poured another one from the bottle. “How was your day with Maddox?”
Her changing the conversation was obvious; she never liked talking about herself for too long. I didn’t mind changing the subject, though. I would get her to live my lifestyle eventually. That was, if she wanted to stick around forever.
“It was great, actually,” I said. “It was strange going back there without the stress of the job. I actually got to spend some time with my previous employees.”
“Maddox taking to the job all right?”
“Yes,” I said. “Admittedly, he’s made the environment a little more fun and light. Everyone still works hard, but I suppose his personality has bled into his managing style.”
“You were also the boss’s son,” she said. “There’s more stress to that than people know.”
“True.” My shoulders relaxed. For some reason, I always underestimated her and how she understood me so well.
“I bet you feel relieved that he fits in so well. I know you were worried.”
“Not worried, exactly,” I admitted. “It was a rapid transition, and I wanted to make sure that he was ready. From what it seems, he was ready and has thrived with more responsibility.”
“Too bad you don’t get a lot of time with him during this trip.”
“I know.” Again, I wondered what it would be like to stay in England permanently with Maddox and Sophia. How much different would my life be? I knew I would be happier.
“Maddox did say that I could come back to the company if I wanted to. He’d be ready to give it up just like that.”
Sophia turned to me, her eyes filled with curiosity. “Could you do that and still be king?”
By the wrinkle in her brow, I couldn’t tell if she was concerned or genuinely curious. If I told her I was considering it, would she try and pressure me as Mother would? I knew she wanted the best for me, but I couldn’t make both positions work. I would have to choose one or the other. Sure, we would have all the money we could ever need, but was that enough for her? Should I strive for the top job to make her proud of me?
“He was just teasing,” I said, playing it off as a joke. Until I made up my mind, I couldn’t involve Sophia. It would only make her worry. “I doubt he’d want to give up his title of CEO anytime soon. Apparently, the ladies like it.”
Sophia smiled and the mood surrounding us relaxed.
Why couldn’t I tell her what was going on? Every time I thought I could, I clammed up. Every part of me was pulled in many directions. I had to live up to my family’s and Sophia’s expectations. I thought Maddox was the only one I could bounce ideas off of, but even he left me wanting.
We had a limited time away, and I didn’t want to spend it distracted with thoughts of what the hell I was going to tell the council when I returned to Qatar. If I admitted everything to Sophia tonight, then she would have the opportunity to run again. Even though she had nowhere to go, I wanted her to return to the palace with me and be there when I made my choice.
Whatever that choice ended up being.
* * *
After fin
ishing the bottle of wine, Sophia wanted to spend a nice quiet evening in our penthouse, ordering room service. Typically, when I visited England, I ate at different restaurants, but as we were leaving the next day, a quiet night was just what I needed.
I allowed myself to forget my impending future and enjoy her company. Mother’s disdain and the council’s watchful eyes were the only things waiting for me at home. The least I could do was take the night off from my constant worry and stress.
“Oh, I’ve been dying to see this one,” Sophia said, pointing the remote at the television. She seemed so excited that I didn’t even bother looking at the title of the movie before agreeing to watch it. I found slapstick humor and people with more unfortunate lives than me was a good enough distraction.
It wasn’t until the room was silent, and Sophia lay in my arms in bed that my mind clicked on again. I tried to push those thoughts away, but without Sophia to distract me, I dug myself deeper into my head. The questions and possibilities burrowed into the depths of my mind, and I fell into them.
The swirling faces of the council and Mother filled my vision until my stomach clenched and my armpits started to sweat. My breathing whooshed in my ears, and I could barely take a full breath without wanting to jump out of my skin. How could I have everything I’d ever wanted and have to choose to give it all up for a few old men and my mother’s approval? It didn’t make any sense to me. Living a long and miserable life as a king didn’t seem that appealing. Would I ever get a happy ending?
The thought of losing Sophia made my arms tighten around her. She let out a small sound, and I released her, realizing too late that I’d squeezed her too tightly. If it were possible, I wanted to keep Sophia at arm’s length for as long as I could. She was the most important person in my life, and there was no way in hell that I could ever give her up for anything or anyone.
8
Sophia
Luke tossed and turned for most of the night. If I didn’t already know he had something on his mind, I would have then. My night of distractions hadn’t worked as I’d hoped. Something was bothering him, and I wished he would only tell me what.
I had kept a secret from him too. It wasn’t a big one, but if I told him about the wedding dress, then he would probably feel the pressure that I wanted to get married right away. I didn’t want to be engaged for the next ten years, and I did want to discuss the timing eventually. It would come up sooner or later when we got back to Qatar. From what he’d told me, it wasn’t like a king to remain unmarried for so long.
Though, if Gia had anything to do with it, she would postpone it as long as she could in the hope of finding Luke a more “suitable” wife.
I couldn’t believe that we were headed back into that mess in just a few hours. I wished we could live like we did in Dallas, where Luke and I shared our own little bubble and nothing could stop us from being a happy couple.
Reality struck, and my mind started to whir.
Glancing at Luke, he was finally asleep. I had the urge to touch his rock-hard body, but instead, I let him sleep. If I knew him as well as I thought, he wouldn’t sleep much on the flight back to Qatar. It seemed the closer he got to confrontation, the less he could relax.
As quietly as I could, I pulled on the same jeans I wore the day before and pulled my cardigan over my shirt.
Grabbing the keycard on the way out of the room, I closed the door as quietly as possible.
The hallway was much brighter than the room, and it took a second for my eyes to adjust. The plush carpet was springy under my feet, and even though it was cold as hell in England, I was going to miss this place. I loved jet-setting with Luke by my side. Anywhere other than the palace, we could be ourselves and not worry about the pressure of Gia or the kingdom. At least, that was how it felt for me. I hoped that wasn’t what was bothering Luke. Though hearing him laugh last night at the movie we chose gave me hope that the short time away relieved some stress from his mind.
I shoved my fingers through my hair a few times to smooth down my locks. I should have grabbed a hair tie, but whatever I looked like would have to do. In the elevator, I used the reflective surface of the walls to make myself appear as normal as possible before running into any other guests.
Down in the lobby, I made my way to the small cafe across from one of the fancier restaurants that we hadn’t had a chance to visit. The cafe was more my style, and I wanted to get back up to Luke as soon as possible. He would worry if I was gone too long.
Standing in line, I felt a prickling sensation at the base of my neck. I tried to brush it off, but when it intensified and cascaded down my back, I turned to see where the feeling was stemming from.
A man stood behind me. He was only a few inches taller than me, but his eyes locked on mine.
I gave him a polite smile, and I was about to turn around when he said, “What’s good here?”
He had an accent that I couldn’t quite place. He was a little overweight, but he had a kind smile.
“I’m not sure,” I said. “It’s my first time here.”
He nodded. “Me too. I prefer a good English breakfast, but I don’t have the time.”
“Maybe a pastry then?” I suggested, unsure why I kept talking to him.
“That sounds like a splendid idea, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
I turned around just as he said, “Traveling alone?”
I bit down on my lip. Could this line move any faster? He was trying to make conversation, but it bordered on flirting now. I glanced around. If Luke saw this guy standing so close, he would get the wrong idea. The guy moved closer to me now and tapped me on the shoulder.
“Not alone,” I said, lifting my hand and wiggling my ring finger adorned with the impressive diamond. “With my fiancé.”
He blinked and then took a step back. “Oh. That’s nice.”
His gaze returned to the menu as red splotches formed across his cheeks.
I held back a smile and waited in line for my turn.
* * *
Coming back up to the hotel room, I was surprised to find the bed empty and Luke nowhere to be found.
“Luke?” I called, balancing the two coffees and bags of breakfast. I wasn’t sure what he wanted, so I grabbed a few things, more than enough for two people. I figured it was easier to bring food onto a private jet than a commercial airplane.
“In here!” Luke called from the bathroom. He came out wearing only a towel with a toothbrush sticking out of his mouth. “Oh great, you brought food. I’m famished.”
Steam rolled out of the bathroom behind him, outlining his handsome figure.
“You didn’t wonder where I was?” I asked.
He cocked his head to the side. “Should I have?”
“No,” I said, not wanting to make him uncomfortable to know that a strange man hit on me. “I didn’t want you to worry.”
“If you didn’t return by the time I changed, I would have come looking for you. Be sure to take your cell next time.”
My phone sat on the side table next to the bed, still connected to the charger.
“I’ll be in the other room,” I said, tearing my eyes away from him.
I set up all the food at the table near the window. Overlooking the city, I sipped from my cup and leaned back against my chair. This was the life. Qatar had amazing views too, but at least here, Luke and I could live without the fear of his mother butting into our lives to wreak havoc on our relationship.
“This all looks great,” he said, grabbing a croissant and biting into it.
“What time are we leaving?” I asked.
Luke shrugged. “Whenever you get ready. The pilot is on standby.”
His gaze settled on the window next to the table. To anyone else, it might have looked like he was admiring the scene below, but to the knowing eye, I could tell there was something on his mind.
I’d asked him several times in the last few days, and he refused to talk to me, yet the same f
araway look continued to take over at random parts of the day.
Chewing over his mood and the delicious breakfast sandwich, I contemplated how to ask him again. I wasn’t the type of girl to lay down and let her man suffer without any assistance. He hadn’t asked for help, but I knew he needed it.
“What is your plan when you get back home?” I asked.
He blinked a few times and then shook his head as if he were slowly coming out of a trance. “What was that?”
“When you get back,” I repeated. “Do you have plans?”
“Oh,” Luke said, finishing his croissant before picking up a scone. “I have to make a big decision when we get there.”
I sat up straighter in my chair. This was the most information I’d received since we’d left Qatar.
I waited for him to elaborate, but he pulled the chair out from the table and plopped down on it. “Can you turn the television on?”
Gritting my teeth, I grabbed the remote and turned on the news. Luke put me in a hard spot. While I wanted to be the doting fiancée, I also needed him to be honest with me.
I kept my flurry of questions to myself. If he planned on deciding whatever was on his mind when we arrived in Qatar, I didn’t have much longer until I figured it out. Once he made whatever decision he spoke of, I was sure he would talk to me then.
While Luke’s attention remained on the news anchors on the TV screen, my mind began to race with all the possibilities of what was on Luke’s mind.
Would he finally stand up to his mother, telling her that it was unacceptable for her to treat me the way she did? The bond between Luke and I was stronger than ever. He was the type of guy who expected and told the truth. If he didn’t want to be with me, he would tell me. His mother’s approval was all he needed to finalize our marriage.
But he was lost in his head during random moments of our trip when his mother’s name was far from our conversation.