The Sheikh's Surrogate Bride

by Holly Rayner

  Wow, how did I get so lucky?

  “I would have to say…” He stared deep into her eyes.

  “No, no,” she interrupted, assuming that he was trying to read her expression. “Don’t just tell me what you think I want to hear.”

  He took a deep breath. “In that case, I would have to say I’m a dog person.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Really? I would have thought that you were a cat person.”

  “Are you a cat person?” he asked.

  “No. They’re so two-faced. Fuzzy and adorable when they want something, but then they’re all claws and teeth when they’ve had enough with you. My life is too short to spend my time pandering to that.”

  “Agreed.”

  Chapter 5

  Yasin

  Yasin watched Olivia as she laughed. Her smile was big and unencumbered. She didn’t hold back; she wasn’t worried about how she looked. She was one of the most genuine people he had ever met. Between her hot-tempered reaction when they’d first met, to her honesty at the interview, and her sincerity now, he knew that she was the right person—or rather, the right fake wife—for him.

  It helped that she was friendly, as they would have to spend a lot of time together over the coming months. She was beautiful, also, but not in a fake, over the top way, like some of the women his brother dated. Olivia Reed was subtle. A natural beauty.

  “Okay, my turn,” he said.

  She nodded. “All right. Fire away.”

  “Tell me about your family,” he said.

  He watched her closely as she told him about her sister, Jennifer. He noticed that she didn’t speak of her as a cancer patient, nor as a fighter, but simply as a vibrant, funny young woman who was her closest friend. She never dwelled on the unavoidable fact that she had put her dreams on hold to make sure that her sister was taken care of, and Yasin felt his chest tightening as he came to understand the sacrifice Olivia had made in coming here to help him, and by extension, Jennifer.

  “Do you spend any time with your extended family?” he asked.

  Olivia shook her head. “I don’t have a lot of extended family.” She shrugged. “I have a couple cousins but they keep to themselves. I’ve tried to reach out, but I’d rather spend time with my sister than try to chase cousins that are too busy for us.”

  He nodded. “That makes sense. Favorite color?”

  “Yellow.”

  “Bright and happy, like your personality,” he said.

  Her cheeks flushed. “Aw, thanks.”

  “Favorite past-time?”

  “I like to read. I get that from my sister, I think. She’s a big reader.”

  “Favorite genre of books?” he asked, delving further.

  “I like cozy mysteries and romances. I want a story with a happy ending, you know?” Her eyes twinkled. “Life isn’t like that, but I don’t read because I want a dose of reality. I read so that I can get away from it.”

  “I have to be honest,” he said. “You said that you wanted to be a lawyer, but I don’t know many lawyers that are as bubbly as you are.”

  She laughed. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” Olivia sighed, appearing to think for a moment before continuing. “I want to fight for the little guy. I know that people say that all the time, but my sister’s been screwed over—no one will insure her since she’s already sick, so her medical bills are only ever going to increase. I thought that, if I could help it, that wouldn’t happen to anyone else.”

  “That’s a noble cause,” he said. “It comes from a personal place, too. When you’re that passionate about something, you’ll fight even harder for it.”

  Her gaze drifted out the window to the clouds outside.

  “Do you fly often?” she asked.

  “Probably a couple times a month. Why?”

  “It’s probably just old hat to you,” she said, still gazing out the window. “But this is pretty amazing. This view. Flying. I think we take these things for granted sometimes.”

  Yasin’s brow furrowed for a moment before he relaxed and leaned back in his seat. He had never thought of it that way before. Normally, when he was on a flight, he spent the entire time either on a conference call or going over paperwork. This was by far the most relaxed he had been during a flight for as long as he could remember. The corner of his mouth raised slightly, forming a slight smile.

  What a unique woman, he thought to himself. She’s nearly my age, and yet she has such a youthful vision of the world.

  It was endearing, and he found he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Her hazel eyes were wide with wonder; since they had started talking, she had become visibly more relaxed. Once she relaxed, her true personality came out. She was an intelligent, thoughtful woman with a bright, vibrant soul. If his mother were still alive, she would have really liked Olivia, he thought.

  The smile on his face disappeared as thoughts of his mother flooded his brain. Yasin cleared his throat. “You want a drink?” he asked. “I’m going to get myself some coffee.”

  Olivia shrugged. “Maybe just some water,” she said. “If that’s not too much trouble.”

  “No trouble at all.”

  He made his way to the drinks cart and poured himself a cup of coffee from a small carafe. Opening the fridge, he pulled out a bottle of water, shutting the door with his hip.

  “Here you go,” he said after carefully making his way back to their seats. He set his mug down on the table and handed her the bottle.

  “Thanks,” she said. Then, in a softer voice, she added, “I noticed you didn’t speak about your mother.” She leaned back in her chair and turned her head toward him. She was close, and it was surprisingly comfortable considering how little they knew each other, really.

  “No, I suppose I didn’t,” he said. “She passed away when I was thirteen. Breast cancer.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Olivia sat straight up. “I had no idea.”

  He shrugged. “It’s okay. There’s no way you could have known.”

  “Were you two close?”

  He nodded. “Extremely. My father was always away on business when I was younger, so my siblings and I were left in our mother’s care. That’s not to say that my parents didn’t have a great relationship, though. They were balanced well. They had great chemistry, you know?”

  She nodded.

  “It’s hard to find someone that you sync that well with,” Yasin continued. “My father remarried eventually, but his second wife left after just three years, taking a pretty penny with her. Rashad and I had our suspicions that she was using him, but it wasn’t our place to second-guess our father, so we just ignored it.” He shook his head free of the nostalgic daze. “That’s not the best story, though. If you don’t mind me asking, were you close with your parents?” he asked.

  “Yeah. We were a pretty tight-knit family. We’d go on road trips whenever my dad could get time off of work—he was a lawyer. Mom was a waitress, as well as looking after us.”

  “Is that why you wanted to be a lawyer?” he asked. “Because of your father?”

  She nodded. “I really looked up to him. I was always a daddy’s girl. I would go to baseball games with him each and every Sunday. He would take me everywhere. My mom was a homebody, like Jen. They liked to crochet together.”

  “I’m truly sorry for your loss,” he said. “Your parents sound wonderful.”

  “They really were.”

  The silence grew as they reminisced in their own heads for a moment.

  “Well,” Olivia said after a minute. “That got dark all of a sudden.”

  He chuckled. “Apologies.”

  “Do you have any funny stories about your siblings?” she asked.

  “Well…” He thought for a moment. “My younger brother was a pain when we were kids, crying and complaining all the time. Sometimes, I didn’t want to play with him, and if our mom and the nanny were busy, it was up to me to babysit him. So I’d give him as much sugar as I could find in the house, let
him bounce it off, then he’d pass out from the sugar crash. And that’s how I’d get him to sleep so he wasn’t bugging me,” he admitted with a chuckle and sheepish look.

  Olivia burst out laughing. “That’s terrible and hilarious all at once.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ve learned better ways to get kids to sleep since then—lullabies, for example.”

  “Do you have a favorite lullaby?”

  “Nothing you’d know, I don’t think. Just a traditional one from Rebayah I remember my mother singing. She had a beautiful voice, but she always forgot half the words. How about you?”

  “My parents used to be really into classic rock from the ’80s. So, their idea of a lullaby was usually a badly-sung rendition of hair metal at half-tempo,” Olivia explained.

  They shared a laugh and continued to swap funny family stories for the next hour or so. Yasin found that he was really and truly appreciating chatting with her.

  As the light outside grew darker, the interior lights of the cabin turned on. They didn’t have to stay on for long, though. Yasin was about to ask Olivia if she was hungry for dinner when he noticed she had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Her chest rose and fell slowly with her steady breathing, and he watched her mouth part just a little as she snoozed. He sat as still as he could so as to not disturb her.

  The flight attendant appeared a few minutes later, but Yasin just waved her away and mouthed a quiet “No, thank you” to dinner. Olivia was too peaceful to wake, and he was content to just watch her sleep for a little while.

  Yasin didn’t open his briefcase once during the entire plane ride. He knew the importance of developing a bond with his wife-to-be. Luckily for him, their personalities seemed compatible, and they got along easily. It was surprisingly effortless to open up to her—something he hadn’t experienced with any women that he had dated in the past.

  When Olivia awoke from her nap, she seemed embarrassed to have fallen asleep on him, but it wasn’t awkward. It was sweet, he thought. They ate lunch (since it was lunchtime in Rebayah) and chatted some more, and Yasin was again surprised at how easy spending time with her—a practical stranger—was.

  An hour or so after lunch, the flight attendant, who had been spending most of her time in the cockpit with the pilot in order to give Yasin and Olivia some privacy, walked in.

  “I don’t mean to interrupt,” she said. “But we’ll be landing soon. The captain says that it’ll be another fifteen minutes or so and then we’ll begin our descent.”

  He smiled warmly at her and nodded. “Thank you, Aleah,” he said.

  When he turned to Olivia, she was smiling coyly at him.

  He narrowed his eyes. “What?”

  “She likes you,” she whispered once the flight attendant had left.

  Yasin chuckled. “Aleah? No. She’s been my flight attendant for years. We’re friends. She’s married and has a young son at home.”

  Her shoulders slumped. “Oh. I thought I got that vibe from her. My gut’s usually pretty good at that. Maybe it’s the time difference.” She looked out the window. “Or maybe the culture difference.”

  “We’re much more similar culturally than your media outlets let on,” he explained as he watched the worry grow on her face. “There will be some culture shock, no doubt, but hopefully it won’t be too bad. We’ll ease you into everything. Don’t worry. Just remember the important points we talked about and stay focused. That should keep your mind off of the differences here. Not to mention, we’ll both be busy. The next week is packed with social engagements. After today, you’ll meet the family, I’ll introduce you to the press, and we can start the wedding planning.”

  He could feel his cheeks flush slightly as he continued.

  “And we’ll have to schedule the…um, insemination procedure…but that won’t be until later.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway,” he said. “Today is a day of rest. After moving and the flight, I’m sure that you’re exhausted. I’ll show you around our home, introduce you to the staff, and then you can spend the day getting used to your surroundings before we dive in.”

  Olivia looked relieved. “Okay,” she said.

  He could see how nervous she was. “Don’t worry, I won’t just abandon you,” he promised. “It’ll be me showing you around.”

  Her face relaxed a bit. “Oh, good.”

  “You get quiet when you’re nervous, don’t you?” he asked.

  She bit her lip and her brow furrowed again. “Is that bad?” she asked.

  “No. I’m just trying to notice these things so that this arrangement can go smoothly.”

  “I’m pretty good at thinking on my feet, I think,” she said. “But I guess I can get kind of quiet when I’m nervous, and chatty when I get comfortable with people.”

  The plane speakers emitted a soft ding, notifying them that they were about to begin their decent.

  “Here we go,” he said.

  “Here goes nothing,” she replied.

  Chapter 6

  Yasin

  When they arrived at Yasin’s home, they were greeted in the foyer by the entire staff, who welcomed Yasin and his new fiancée warmly.

  “Fiancée,” Yasin murmured. “That’s something that I’ll have to get used to,” he whispered to Olivia as he led her through the estate.

  “You’re telling me,” she replied.

  Having grown up at his family’s estate, Yasin was used to the size of the rooms, the ornately decorated furniture, and the lavish lifestyle that he had seen his whole life. Seeing Olivia’s reactions to each of the different parts of the property was eye-opening. This was what Yasin had taken for granted his whole life. He’d never thought it was so special.

  “Your home is beautiful,” Olivia said as they walked into the sitting room.

  There was a crimson rug on the floor which was intricately weaved with various other colors; vibrant strands of orange and yellow threads danced across it. Surrounding the rug were various other sitting room accoutrements: a long, white couch, a couple of wingback chairs, and a teak coffee table. There were a couple of end tables on either end of the couch with delicate stained-glass lamps on them. Lining the walls were built-in bookcases filled with leather-bound texts.

  “This is the most beautiful space I’ve seen yet,” Olivia gushed.

  “This is my favorite room of the house, too,” Yasin replied. “It’s so cozy when it gets chilly. I just have to light the gas fireplace over there.”

  He pointed to a small glass fireplace inlaid in the far wall.

  “I spend a lot of time at the office, but when I do come home and have a spare moment, I love to read in here.” He motioned for her to look around with a slow wave of his hand. “I know that you said you’re an avid reader. You’re welcome to read any of these books, and I can have books brought here if you have any favorite authors that aren’t already here. Most of these books are in English, but you might run across a few in Arabic.”

  He watched her slowly move around the room, taking in all of the details. It was as if she was trying to memorize it. Yasin was delighted to watch her as she took it all in—her eyes were wide with wonder, almost like children’s eyes often are.

  Rashad was childlike as well, but in a juvenile way. He had a good heart, but his immaturity needed to be reined in and refocused. He needed someone to teach him how to be responsible, and goodness knew he wasn’t taking any pointers from Yasin.

  Olivia was different—her childlike wonder seemed equally balanced with a weight of responsibility. It was almost as if she needed someone to take her by the hand and show her that it was okay to go out and explore, have adventures.

  “Maybe,” Yasin said after a moment of thought, “I can take you out and show you what Rebayah has to offer. After we get you settled in and we introduce you to everyone.”

  “That would be great,” she said. “I’d really love that.”

  Next, was her wing of the house. The hallway that led to her portion of the estate was lined with l
andscapes that looked much different than those she had witnessed during the plane’s descent.

  “Did you say, my wing of the house?” Olivia asked as she gazed into the familiar-looking cityscape of New York at night.

  “Yes. I just assumed that this would help you feel more at home. We need to live on the same property, but you are your own person, and as such, you should have your own space. I don’t want you to feel as though I have control of every aspect of your life. Our public face is shared, but your personal time is yours.”

  He showed her the bathroom and her bedroom, both of which were lavishly furnished.

  “Feel free to change what you want,” he said. Then, he opened a door to a third room. It was an empty space that was wallpapered with yellow floral print. There was a large window that overlooked the garden in the back along with a skylight which let in some wonderful natural sunlight.

  “What’s this?” she asked.

  “Whatever you need it to be. You could make it your own library. A reading nook. A craft room. I’m not sure what you want to do with it, but it’s yours.”

  She walked around the room, her footsteps echoing in the bare space.

  “How are you doing?” he asked as she stopped to look out the window.

  “I’m…” She took a deep breath. “I think I might be a little overwhelmed. It’s a lot to take in. Don’t get me wrong—your home is lovely and you’ve been incredibly welcoming. I love this space, and the fact that you gave me my own wing of the house—not just my own room—is tremendously generous. It’s just…”

  “It’s a lot. I understand. Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked, leaning against the doorframe of her room.

  “Actually?” She turned to face him. “This is kind of stupid, but…” Olivia paused. As she let out a small sigh, her face flushed pink. “Whenever I get anxious, I watch my favorite movie. Maybe we could watch it together?”