by Holly Rayner
“I can’t go another minute without kissing you,” he breathed.
Kaye grinned, thrilled.
“Be careful—we might get caught.”
“I don’t care,” he murmured, lowering his head and pressing his lips to hers.
Kaye melted into him, but as she opened her eyes, she went stock still. Sensing her unease, Amir pulled back, and, seeing the direction of her gaze, turned to see Merle staring daggers at them both.
“I thought this show meant something to you, Al-Asfour. Thought this was supposed to be your big break, and a cash cow for me. All you had to do was keep it in your pants, and you couldn’t even do that.”
His voice was low and threatening. Kaye knew what he was saying was true. They had blown everything!
She looked up to see what Amir would do. He had every right to end things with her then and there, to continue with the project and move on as though nothing had happened. Instead, he reached for her hand.
“No offense, Merle, but screw the show. I’ve found something better.”
He gazed down at Kaye before kissing her again, deeply. When he broke off the exchange, he held tight to her hand, leading them past Merle.
“Air whatever you want, but I’m writing up a new contract for Kaye, and you’ll be signing it. I’ll be in touch soon.”
“You’re an idiot, Amir.”
“I know. Isn’t that the best?”
He waved sarcastically at Merle, and Kaye laughed as he pulled her back into his room before kissing her silly once again.
“Let’s go home,” he said.
“What, already?”
“Yeah. I want to try out this whole relationship thing, for real. What do you say? Want to give us a go?”
Kaye wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, her heart singing.
“I’d be delighted,” she replied.
Together, they packed their bags and made quick work of getting back to Amir’s jet, where they snuggled together the rest of the way home.
It was a reality far better than they ever could have imagined.
Epilogue
Kaye sighed happily as she stretched in her cozy hotel bed. She reached across the sheets, and when she found the side next to her empty, she frowned.
The night before raced through her head, reminding her of exactly why she was sleeping alone.
They’d had the rehearsal dinner on the beach, a private party set up just for them and their guests. Kaye and Amir had sat at a main table overlooking all the others, and Amir had stood, clinking his glass to get the room’s attention.
“All right, all right, I know there are a lot of you, but simmer down already.”
Various heckles had come from the myriad of tables with Amir’s massive family in attendance. He’d chuckled, and Kaye had beamed up at him.
“I wanted to make a little speech tonight before everyone gets too wild. Also, we are getting married tomorrow, so don’t go too wild. We don’t want any hangovers at the wedding, am I clear?”
He’d glared around the room, but all that had met him in return was a few quiet laughs.
“Right. Tonight, we’re here because a year ago, I was lucky enough to hire the best actress Hollywood has ever seen.”
There had been cheers, and Kaye had blushed.
“She was so good, in fact, that she managed to get me to fall in love with her, for real. You can’t get better than that, especially when you’re filming a reality show!”
“Get to the point!” one of Amir’s brothers had called out, and Amir had waved a dismissive hand at him.
“Anyway, I wanted to thank all of you for coming out to Barbados to celebrate our special day. Over the past year, Kaye and I have had quite the adventure, learning about each other and forging a new life together. It’s been amazing, and we couldn’t be happier to share it with you all this weekend. I want you all to enjoy yourselves, and to raise a glass to my stunning, beautiful wife!”
There had been a great cheer, then, with everyone lifting a glass. Kaye had smiled up at Amir as the crowd had chanted for her to give the next speech. She’d stood and cleared her throat.
“As many of you know, Amir and I have actually been married for a year, so really, this is more of an anniversary party than a wedding. Still, we want to do it our way. Tomorrow is going to be simple. It’s going to be about the love between two people from across the globe who happened to be lucky enough to find one another. I can’t wait to share it with you all.”
“Do the vows from the show!”
Kaye hadn’t been able to tell who’d shouted that one out, but she’d laughed.
“While those were quite lovely, I think we’ll be coming up with our own vows this time around.”
“You’re telling me reality TV is fake?”
Kaye had narrowed her eyes as she’d tried to spot the person initiating a conversation in the middle of her speech, only to find that it was her father, and she’d grinned.
“All right, someone cut off my dad’s drink supply. We need him upright and presentable for tomorrow.”
The room had laughed again, including her father. Kaye had been beyond grateful to see him there, happy and present.
After they’d returned to the States, Kaye and Amir had headed straight to Indiana to make amends with her parents after their fight. After a lot of tears and some heartfelt conversations, they had managed to make it through to the end, with hugs and apologies all round.
Kaye’s mother had stood, then, bringing Kaye out of her memories.
“When I first met Amir, I’ll admit it wasn’t the best of introductions,” her mother had begun.
No one laughed at that.
“As we were chasing an entire camera crew off our lawn, he approached us and he said something that I’ll never forget. He told us that we had an amazing daughter, and that we may not agree with her all of the time, but that she would be back with all her love, and that we should be ready to accept it and give it back in return.
“It was one of the most eloquent speeches I’d ever heard from anyone, and in that moment, I had regrets about sending them away. I knew, if that was something he had to say when she wasn’t around, it was what he truly felt. I knew, in that moment, that they may have been filming a show, but that boy loved my daughter.”
Kaye and Amir had glanced at one another. Glasses had clinked so that they would kiss, and Amir didn’t wait. He’d smooched her silly until the room was cheering once again. Kaye had winked at her mother as she’d sat back down, and the festivities had continued as planned. As the night had drawn to a close, Amir had walked Kaye to her room, which was a few doors down from his.
“This is going to be difficult. I want you more than anything in the world,” Amir had growled as he’d wrapped his arms tightly around her.
Kaye had smiled into his shoulder.
“You have me already, you silly man.”
“You know what I mean.”
She did, and she felt very much the same way. They hadn’t spent a night apart since returning back home, and it had been glorious. Kaye couldn’t imagine a bed without Amir in it with her, holding her close. Still, tradition was tradition.
“We can’t see each another until the wedding,” she’d reminded him.
“We’re already married,” he’d reminded her, in turn.
“Yeah, but that one didn’t count. Let’s do it right this time, Amir. Our parents would be proud of us.”
Finally, he’d sighed, stepping back from her, even as he’d held onto her hand, not yet willing to let go.
“I’ll miss you.”
“I miss you already,” she’d said, beaming at him.
He’d closed in again, kissing her within an inch of her sanity before he’d stepped back and released her hand.
“If you keep doing that, it’s going to be a much rougher night,” Kaye had breathed.
“Just a little preview for tomorrow,” he’d said, with a cheeky gleam in his eye.
“Me either. Goodnight, my love. See you at the altar.”
“Goodnight.”
As Kaye thought back to Amir’s passionate embrace, her heart began to beat a little faster. While the day itself would be full of celebrations and fun, she very much looked forward to the evening ahead. It seemed that, with Amir, there was always something to look forward to.
There was a gentle knock at her door, and Kaye walked over to answer it, finding her mother on the other side.
“Ready to get dressed?” she asked.
Kaye nodded.
“Let’s do it.”
It was a far cry from the professional help she’d had with Jen on her team, but together, Kaye and her mother managed to curl and pin her hair in a delicate wave that flowed over her shoulders. Her dress was also very simple—just a long, white, fitted strapless gown. She slid into it easily, her makeup earth-toned, her feet bare. When she turned to face her mother, she found her with tears in her eyes.
“Mom,” Kaye murmured, her tone comforting.
Her mother grasped her hands.
“I’m just so proud of you, Kaye. You’ve come so far since your days living in Indiana.”
“I wouldn’t be who I am without them,” Kaye reminded her.
Her mother dabbed her eyes to stave off any makeup mishaps.
“Yes, well. Let’s go see if your father is ready, and we can get this party started.”
“How much did he have to drink last night, anyway?”
“Not enough to be dead to the world today, but enough to have a good time,” her mother said with a smirk.
Kaye laughed.
“Sounds like the perfect amount to me!”
They headed toward the beach, where an altar had been set up beneath a white gazebo just for the occasion. Peeking out from the lobby, Kaye could see Amir waiting in the gazebo, though he couldn’t see her. He was wearing a white linen suit, and looked as handsome as ever. She took a deep breath, excited to get going.
Her father approached, then, standing on the other side of her.
“Ready?” he asked.
It was so similar to the previous wedding, when Merle had hired an imposter to play her uncle. Kaye found this time to be so much better. She squeezed her dad’s arm.
“Absolutely. Let’s go.”
A string quartet began to play, and Kaye and her parents walked out to see the crowd. Some of the attendees were from Kaye’s side, but the vast majority was Amir’s enormous family. All of them grinned at her in admiration as she walked past, but she hardly noticed.
She only had eyes for the man before her.
As they reached the steps, they took them one at a time before Kaye’s parents released her into Amir’s waiting grasp.
“I never want to sleep another night without you again. Pure torture,” he whispered, and she smiled up at him.
“Ditto,” she agreed.
They turned to face the local priest they had found, an old man with a melodious accent. He gazed at them affectionately before he began the ceremony.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pride that I marry the couple from one of my favorite new reality shows.”
That elicited some laughs from the crowd.
“Oftentimes, we believe that love is something that is contrived, that isn’t real. We marry and discover that love is difficult, that it is something to be fought for, and fought with, for many years. There is never going to be a perfect day in this world. Life can have challenges that may be too much to bear. When these arise, it is love that sees us through. It breaks through barriers, and it finds a way through the walls we build up. It is the greatest gift of mankind.”
He glanced at Kaye and Amir.
“I believe that you have written vows for each other. Now would be the time to say them.”
He looked at Kaye first, and she pulled out a sheet of paper, not wanting to get her vows wrong. It was one thing to do it for a TV show, but it was entirely another when pledging her life for real.
“Amir, when I first met you, I thought you were quite the hunk. You were the only reason I was crazy enough to take a job on a reality show and marry a complete stranger. Your kindness, your humor, the man you are behind the camera when they weren’t telling you to be more macho, was the man I fell in love with. You may not have rescued me from a drunk guy at a bar, but you have in so many other ways, more than you’ll ever know. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Amir whispered.
“And now you, Amir,” the priest said.
The Sheikh gazed down at Kaye, adoration shining in his eyes. This time, he required no document to read from. He spoke directly from his heart.
“Kaye, I knew from the moment I met you that you were someone special. Your laughter, your smile, your determination to live your dreams, all drew me to you like a moth to a flame. I am enchanted by you, body and soul, and I pledge to make you the happiest woman in the world for all the days of our lives.”
The priest nodded.
“You already wear your rings, so we won’t bother with that. Instead, I will simply tell you that you are, have been, and always will be, man and wife. To the happy couple!”
Amir pulled Kaye into his embrace, then, kissing her with love and passion. Everyone cheered as the happy couple waved to their beloved friends and family, the sun bright with the promise of a shining future, filled with love.
It was a day they would never forget.
The End
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The Sheikh’s Baby Bet
Holly Rayner
And now, as promised, are the first few chapters of my recent book, The Sheikh’s Baby Bet
I hope you enjoy!
Copyright 2017 by Holly Rayner
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part by any means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the explicit written permission of the author.
All characters depicted in this fictional work are consenting adults, of at least eighteen years of age. Any resemblance to persons living or deceased, particular businesses, events, or exact locations are entirely coincidental.
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Chapter One
Tiffany’s fingers snapped over the keyboard at her desk. It was just after six o’clock on Friday afternoon, and her office, in the tiny Middle Eastern country of Al Barait, was clearing out for the weekend. Like her, many of the travel company’s employees were American, working to bring wealthy Westerners to the gorgeous desert landscape of the Persian Gulf.
Was it her dream job? Maybe not. But at this point in her career, she just wanted to flee bad memories in America, and make a new life for herself.
She’d graduated from a good university, and tourism had been her major which almost overqualified her for the executive position she held. Of course, it didn’t hurt that her father was the U.S. ambassador to Al Barait, and had been for the past ten years. Tiffany knew the country intimately, had vacationed there during summers throughout high school and college, and—when the time had come to move away from her university town—she’d seen no other option. She certainly wasn’t going to join her mother in Florida, of all places. In her mind, that was where Americans went to live a slower life. To retire. And Tiffany Ashworth was anything but passive.
Her stunted relationship with her mother didn’t help, either.
A British woman named Mallory appeared on the other side of her desk, grinning at her from behind thick-rimmed glasses. Her dyed red hair fell in ringlets around her shoulders. “Aren’t you going to have a crazy weekend in the city, Tiff?” she asked, her eyebrows high. “You’re too young to work your weekend away
.”
Tiffany brushed her fingers through her long and luscious brown hair. She hated it when older people commented that she worked too hard, or implied that she was wasting her youth. “I have plans,” she said, shrugging slightly. “I promise.”
“With a nice young man, I hope,” Mallory said.
Tiffany batted her long lashes, and giggled just enough to satisfy the older woman. “Mallory, if I had a boyfriend, nothing would get done around here. You know that.”
Mallory chuckled good-naturedly. Slowly, the other woman eased a finger over the power button on Tiffany’s computer screen, cutting it to black. Certain now that it was high time for her to leave, Tiffany sighed begrudgingly and followed Mallory from the air-conditioned building, into the steaming desert heat of the city streets. On some level, she knew that Mallory was right; her professional career was slowly eating away at her regular life.
Mallory spoke in a bouncy, British accent, explaining that she and her husband were trying out a new yoga routine that weekend. “But he’s far too tight in his thighs,” she explained. “He can barely touch his toes.”
Outside, she and Mallory hopped on a train, bolting back to the center of the city. Mallory and her husband, Jacob, had moved to Al Barait nearly ten years before, wanting the dry heat and the gorgeous desert landscape. “And if I were twenty years younger, darling,” she said often, “these Middle Eastern men are absolutely divine! Jacob says all the time how frumpy he feels in comparison. I can’t say I don’t agree. I mean, I am making him do just about every form of exercise I can think of.”
Tiffany struck off by herself in the center of town, waving goodbye to Mallory as the train doors snipped closed between them. Striding across the train station, she let her shoulders loosen, and allowed her mind to wander. Her thoughts had been focused on prices of plane tickets that had been arranged for special guests, not to mention the constant fear that their little firm wouldn’t make its numbers this quarter. Instead, as she pushed into the revving streets of downtown, she allowed herself to people-watch. The city was vibrant, and international, with women dressed in bright, flowing dresses, and men in immaculate suits and expensive sunglasses. As she walked, she couldn’t help but smile.