by Leslie North
His mother was a beautiful woman. She’d been a strong queen and an even stronger mother, and he’d always thought that he’d marry someone like her. Beautiful both inside and out.
“Mother.” Automatically, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. “What are you doing here? It’s late.”
“I couldn’t sleep. It’s the anniversary of my wedding to your father.” With a soft smile, she reached up and touched the pendant that she wore around her neck. It was the wedding present that his father had given to her, and for as long as Iman could remember, she’d worn it. “I miss him.”
“Your marriage was arranged,” Iman asked. “And you still found love?”
“We were lucky. Many are not, Your father was an easy man to love, but unfortunately, he wasn’t as accepting of love. It took some work.” She smiled at the memory. “I know you always saw him as a militant man, but he was a warm and loving husband.”
“I miss him, too,” Iman admitted. He took his mother’s hand in his. “What can I do to help you sleep?”
“You can answer some interesting questions. The servants have been gossiping. There’s a dog in the palace? And a new child? And a servant who is not living in the servant quarters?” Taslima raised an eyebrow. “Is something going on?”
Iman groaned inwardly. Natalie hadn’t even been here twenty-four hours, and already his mother suspected. “Nothing is going on. I hired a personal stewardess for my flights. She has a young daughter who is apparently very attached to her dog, which is named after an insect.” He laughed at his mother’s raised eyebrows. “I thought it would be easier to house them in one of the remote guest suites.”
“So the fact that she’s the same American who was here the night of your father’s death is a coincidence?” Taking obvious notice of Iman’s surprised expression, she chuckled softly. “The servants know all, Iman. Nothing is a true secret in this house.”
He swallowed down chagrin and said, “Very well. It isn’t a coincidence. There were some events from that night that didn’t sit well with me, and when I happened upon her a few weeks ago, I decided to try to make amends. Uncle Salah went too far that night.” Iman narrowed his eyes. “Or perhaps you knew that, as well?”
His mother’s brow furrowed in thought. “Salah mentioned her a few days later, but my mind was on other things.” Her gaze grew earnest, and she squeezed his hand. “Tell me what happened.”
“She was the attendant on the plane that crashed. She was pinned in the rubble, and the guards thought my rescue more important than hers. I pulled her out—injured—ordered them to go and bring back help, and then a sandstorm hit, and we were forced to take shelter.” Her eyes wide, his mother listened in silence. He finished, “We spent the night in the empty hangar, and Uncle Salah was not pleased when he discovered what had happened.”
She shook her head. “He was stressed. Your father was still alive when he left to retrieve you, but he knew that time was limited. You can’t blame him,” Taslima reminded him gently.
“Perhaps,” Iman said grudgingly, but then he plunged on, giving voice to his indignation at what he’d learned in the last hour. “I wanted her protected. She was wounded. She needed stitches. I left her in the care of a doctor, and Salah swept in, called her a whore, and paid her to leave.” Iman’s lips tightened as he shook his head. “When I went to see her, to tell her what had happened, Salah told me that she was gone, that she had left of her own volition.”
“You felt abandoned?” his mother reached up and touched his cheek. “But darling, you’d just met her.”
“I know. I’m not saying that my reaction was that strong.” Except that it was. “I’m saying that it didn’t sit well with me, and then, when I ran into her a few weeks ago, she was so angry with me.” He shook his head. “Uncle Salah put words in my mouth, and that is unacceptable.”
“So what will you do now?” Taslima asked him. “You’re leaving this weekend to meet your future bride. Will you have your mistress living in your palace, disguised as your flight stewardess?”
“No,” Iman growled. “Of course not. Neither of them deserves that. Natalie and I will maintain a professional relationship.” He stood straighter and said, meaning the words, “There’s nothing to worry about.”
His mother smiled and shook her head. “My poor son. If there is nothing to worry about, then why are you stressed?”
That was an excellent question, and one that he wasn’t going to answer. “You’ve gotten your answers, Mother. Please. Go take your rest.”
“Of course,” she said, still smiling. “Everything will work out, Iman. You have nothing to worry about.” She stretched up on her tiptoes but still demanded that he lean down so she could give him a kiss on the cheek. No matter how old he and his brothers got, she was always there for them. No matter how much trouble they got into, or where they were, Taslima would do anything to protect and soothe them.
It was something he and his brothers never took for granted.
After she’d left, he was still thinking about Natalie. He couldn’t get the woman out of his head, and it was well into the night before he could fall asleep.
As the plane ascended into the air, Iman tried to pay attention while Nabih went over what his itinerary would be once they landed, but he was distracted by Natalie. She was dressed in her blue Kaylana Private Flights uniform. Her blonde hair was wrapped up in a tight bun, and her makeup was impeccable. She was the picture of professionalism, and all he wanted to do was to spread her legs and see if she tasted as good as he remembered.
He was careful with her on the plane. His guards might work for him, but they reported to his advisors, and flirting with his American servant while on the way to meet his future bride was not proper behavior of the Crowned Sheikh.
“The council wants to make sure you know that providing Sheikh Fadel with a port along the beach for his ships is not an option, though it will be the first thing that he asks for.”
Iman returned his attention back to the briefing. “Yes, I’m aware,” he said sharply. “I have Haamas’ best interests in mind.”
“My apologies, Your Excellency. Abba Alim has a lot to offer, but they have a reputation for taking more than they give.”
Iman rolled his eyes. “Fadel might be the sultan, but he’s also a father, and he wants to make sure his daughter marries well. He’ll take what we offer him if it means that his daughter will still be in a position of power. As my bride, she’ll have everything she wants.”
A sudden crash interrupted them and he turned his head sharply. Natalie, a strange expression on her face, stood over a broken coffee cup. “I’m so sorry,” she murmured. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’ll get this cleaned up.”
Everything faded away. His guards talked quietly amongst themselves, but Iman could only focus on Natalie as she moved slowly to sweep away the broken ceramic. A dull ache bloomed in his chest. He desperately wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her, but what could he say? For all he knew, the cup was an accident, and she didn’t care about his future plans.
“Your Excellency?”
“I’m done talking about this,” he said woodenly. Conversation fell as Natalie returned to the galley and then came back to serve him a freshly poured cup of coffee. He wanted to tease her, ask her to make a new pot, but she wouldn’t even meet his eyes.
The rest of the flight was just as uncomfortable, and Iman was relieved when the plane landed. He instructed Amyad to stay behind with Natalie while she finished cleaning up and then escort her to the palace. “Her safety and well-being should be your number one priority,” Iman warned in a low voice. “Do you understand me?”
“Of course,” the guard replied.
Iman turned to Natalie, who was standing by with a blank expression on her face. “Amyad will guard you and escort you to the palace when you’re finished here. The head of the household is expecting you, and I will visit you this evening.”
“For further instructions?�
� she whispered. “You’re more than welcome to convey those instructions through your guards, if that makes things easier.” She paused and added, “Your Excellency.”
He nearly flinched at the words. “I will see you this evening,” he repeated.
Iman would find a way to make things right.
Fadel’s guards met him on the tarmac, and a dozen vehicles escorted him to the palace.
Fadel had pulled out all the stops. Abba Alim was twice as big as Haamas, and Fadel’s palace was twice as big as Iman’s. The servants were lined up flanking the grand front entrance to greet him although it was an unnecessary use of their time. All that was lacking was a red carpet leading up to the door.
The sultan was waiting for him in the private gardens behind the palace, but the princess was nowhere to be found.
“Iman!” Fadel was nearly thirty years Iman’s senior. He’d been widowed three times in his long life and had sired four sons and a daughter plus a slew of illegitimate children. His sons were cold and ruthless, and Iman knew that one of them wouldn’t think twice about killing another for the title of sultan, but the daughter was considered a rare treasure by father and brothers alike. “Welcome to my home.”
“Impressive.” Iman nodded his head. “Your welcoming party has been most gracious.”
“Excellent. We want to impress you. My daughter’s happiness is my number one concern, and she has chosen you.”
Princess Bari had chosen Iman? That was news to him. “And where is the lovely lady?”
“Primping and preening, I believe. That woman takes all day to get ready for a twenty-minute event,” Fadel grumbled. “I’ll never understand women, but at least that will give us time to talk.” He swept out a hand to indicate one of the garden benches. “Get to know each other.” Negotiate.
Iman sat down and settled in. Fadel was a shark, but Iman had a kingdom to protect, and he would be every bit as ruthless as he needed to be.
10
It was so time to quit. Not only did she still have feelings for her new boss, but he was marrying someone else, and now she was being asked to serve them both drinks.
“You want me to do what?” Natalie grabbed at the hijab wrapped haphazardly around her head. “I’m a flight attendant. On a plane. I’m not a servant.”
“We are short-handed,” the angry woman ordered as she pushed a pitcher into Natalie’s hand. “Now go. Go!”
Short-handed? No fewer than twenty servants were standing outside on the path with nothing to do. How in the world was this palace short-handed? And where was Amyad? The man had been told he wasn’t supposed to leave her side until she was in her room.
“Are you daft?” the woman shouted. “Go!”
Jumping, Natalie sighed and headed for the doors. The woman was small, but she certainly looked as if she could break Natalie in half if she wanted. Gripping the pitcher, she hurried along the path and tried to ignore the curious eyes staring at her. What if she messed up? What if she served someone she wasn’t supposed to serve? On flights, she knew who was important and who wasn’t, but here? The only familiar face she knew was Iman’s.
As she reached the inner circle of the garden, she froze. Iman turned his head and nearly stood when he saw her, but she widened her eyes and shook her head slightly. The last thing she wanted to do was put herself in the middle of a scene.
“Ah. Our tea. Finally.” The gorgeous woman sitting across from Iman held up her glass, but she never took her eyes off the prince. “You were saying, Your Excellency?”
Iman relaxed and shook his head. “I’m sorry. I forgot what we were talking about.”
You can do this, Natalie. Nothing to it. Slowly, she walked forward toward the outstretched glass. Her hands shook as she poured the drink, but thankfully, she didn’t spill a single drop.
She turned to pour Iman his drink, but she was distracted by the sudden appearance of a peacock. The male bird raced toward her and spread his magnificent plumage.
Afraid the bird was going to attack her, Natalie gasped and took a step back, only to trip and fall. The pitcher of tea splashed all over her as hands reached out to grab her.
Rather than falling on the concrete, she fell right into Iman’s lap.
“Oh, shit,” she muttered.
A horrified gasp sounded in the garden, and the princess stood. “How dare you! You are in the presence of a crowned sheikh, a princess, and a sultan! You are fired!”
“Actually,” Iman said quietly as he righted Natalie and stood. “She works for me, although I’m not sure why she’s pouring drinks.”
Somehow she managed to answer, though her voice was shaking. “I never made it to my room. The guard disappeared, and this little woman thrust the pitcher in my hand and told me to serve it because they were short-staffed. I didn’t want to be rude. I’m so sorry. There’s a peacock right there. Do you see it? The angry peacock standing there. Shaking his feathers. Do they bite? He looks like he might bite.” Natalie looked helplessly up at Iman. She desperately wanted the earth to open up and swallow her whole.
“If you’ll excuse us, please,” Iman said calmly as he stood. “I’ll see if I can take care of this. My apologies. I’ll return shortly.”
“The peacock,” Natalie whispered as Iman steered her toward the giant bird. “The peacock!”
“Would you be quiet about the peacock,” Iman hissed in her ear. “I’m not going to let it hurt you. Keep walking before they banish you from the kingdom.”
“They would do that?” Natalie frowned. “That’s rude.”
“Would you be silent before someone hears you?” His grip was tight, but there was a trace of amusement in his voice. It wasn’t until they were safely away from the bird that Natalie’s heart rate returned to normal.
“Can you please show us to my room?” he asked a servant. “I require a private word with my servant, and if you would please find my guard, Amyad, and send him my way? I need a word with him, as well.”
The woman nodded and walked them through the disgustingly lavish palace. Everything was gold and red. It screamed of wealth and at the same time was in exceedingly poor taste, but Natalie kept her opinion to herself.
Iman didn’t release his grip until they were safely in his room.
He went to close the door, and Natalie gasped. “Are you insane? You’re in the palace of your future bride. You cannot be alone with a single woman behind closed doors,” Natalie whispered. “Now that your princess knows she can’t fire me, she’ll do something worse.”
“Let me worry about that,” Iman growled as he slammed the door. “What happened? Amyad was supposed to escort you to the palace, and you were supposed to go straight to your room.”
“I don’t know what happened,” Natalie snapped. “I was cleaning up, and he gave me the head covering. He drove me to the palace, and when he got here, he told me that he was going to park the car. A servant would take me to my room. I asked to be shown my room, and instead, the little angry woman told me that I had to serve you.”
“There are valets here to park the cars,” Iman said with narrowed eyes. “There was no reason for him to leave you alone.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, but I am soaking wet and sticky. What kind of tea is this?” she said as she stripped off her jacket and pulled at her white shirt. It had grown transparent and was sticking to her bra.
Iman was staring at her.
She suddenly realized how she must look and quickly covered herself with her jacket. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t ever apologize for being you,” Iman whispered hoarsely as he stepped toward her. “Why are you here, Natalie?”
“It’s my job,” she reminded him. The air grew thick around them, but she held her ground. “You’re paying me to be here.”
“Why did you take the job? You hated me. You thought I had called you a whore, so why would you come back?” He leaned in close and brushed his lips against her forehead. “Tell me, Natalie.”
“Now is not the time.” Despite her protests, she closed her eyes and leaned closer to him. She wanted his lips on hers. She wanted to taste him again.
“Now is the best time, Natalie. I need to know. Did you want to see me again?” Lightly, he kissed the corner of her mouth.
“Yes,” she confessed.
“Did you wonder what might happen if we were alone?” Iman kissed the other corner.
She felt her skin flushing. “Yes.”
“Do you want me to kiss you, Natalie?”
Unable to help herself anymore, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pressed his lips to hers.
Immediately, she opened to him, and his tongue swept in. Heat exploded between them, and he pulled her hard up against him without hesitation. Their kiss grew in urgency as six years of wonder and desire came to a head.
Natalie tightened her hold as his hands traveled down her back and cupped her ass. As he massaged her, he pulled her skirt up until his fingers could caress her through the thin fabric of her panties.
She was soaking wet and moaning for him.
“I want you,” he groaned as he pulled her up against his arousal. “From the moment I laid eyes on you again, I knew that I needed to be inside you.”
“Yes.” She rubbed up against him. “Do it.”
“We don’t have enough time.“
Screw that. “It’s okay. We can be quick. Please. I need to feel you, Iman. Please.”
“I could, sweetheart. A few strokes, and I’d explode, but I want to take my time.” He hissed as she jumped up and wrapped her legs around him. He caught her easily and groaned again as he walked her across the room. “I want to touch you all over, Natalie. Lick you. I need hours, not minutes.”
“Later. We can spend hours later.”
Who was this woman, begging for him? It certainly wasn’t Natalie, except that she hadn’t been with anyone since that night with Iman. It was his face that she saw whenever she touched herself, and now she thought she might die if she couldn’t have him.