The Sheikh's Surrogate Bride

by Holly Rayner

  He nodded. “Sure. I cleared my schedule today so that we could spend some time together and so I could help you get more acquainted. So, I’m all yours. If you want to go to the media room, I’ll go to the kitchen for some popcorn and snacks.”

  Her face lit up. “Okay, let me just freshen up first. I’ll meet you there.” She began to walk toward the bathroom but stopped before she got there. “If I get lost, though,” she said, “I’ll send up a flare.”

  He laughed. “I’ll send a search and rescue team if I don’t hear from you in an hour,” he joked.

  She gave him a playful grin. “Sounds like a plan.”

  Olivia squealed in delight when she stepped into the media room a half hour later. Yasin had arranged a practical fort of pillows and blankets on the comfy-looking leather couch, there were bowls full of snacks all around them, a cooler full of drinks, and boxes of movie candy in a little basket next to the couch.

  “I didn’t know what you liked,” he said. “So I brought it all.”

  “This is amazing!”

  He shrugged. “It’s been a while since I last watched a movie. I figured that I might as well go all out.”

  “Really?” she asked. “Jennifer and I always make time to watch a movie with each other once a week. When she feels up to it, we go to the theater, but when she’s had a bad day, we spend the night on the couch and watch movies on TV.”

  “That sounds like a great tradition,” he said, taking a seat next to the cooler.

  Olivia sat in between Yasin and the basket full of boxed candy.

  “Maybe we could do something like that?” she asked him. “I mean, it’d be a good way for us to stay on the same page. We could meet here for a movie and talk about what we need to do for the week or whatever.”

  He nodded. “That sounds like a great idea.”

  She handed him a box of chocolate-covered peanuts and he happily accepted it.

  “My favorite,” he said. His hand reached for the bowl of popcorn and brought it up, setting it in between him and Olivia. “So,” he said. “What are we watching?”

  The movie was a cheesy-but-classic romcom. Yasin normally avoided romance comedies, but he found that he had been grossly mistaken about this film. Equal parts witty comedy, romance, and action, he enjoyed it immensely, but it wasn’t just the movie that made him laugh.

  Olivia’s laugher and smile were contagious. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her mouthing the words along with the characters in the movie.

  “No,” the rugged main character said. “That’s not yours for the taking; my heart belongs to Claire.” Olivia paused dramatically, just as the actor did. “And I’ll deliver that myself, thank you.”

  Yasin laughed at her impression. “That’s pretty good, but I don’t think you have nearly enough facial hair for it,” he said.

  She laughed with him. “I might need to smoke like thirty packs of cigarettes, too,” she said. “His voice is way huskier than mine.”

  “Are you kidding?” he said. “His voice is even huskier than mine!”

  They finished the movie and let the TV play as they talked through the night.

  Yasin had never felt so comfortable with anyone before. No one had ever been able to break down the wall that he used to surround his heart, and yet it had taken all of 24 hours for this bright-eyed, beautiful woman to open him up. It felt as if they had known each other since childhood.

  What was it about her? Yasin pondered that question right up until he fell asleep with his arms wrapped around his new fiancée.

  Chapter 7

  Olivia

  Olivia woke up first. She was comfortable and didn’t want to stir, but when her eyes fluttered open and she found herself cuddled up next to Yasin, she suddenly felt even it even more imperative to stay still. The warmth radiating from his body made her feel calm and relaxed. It had been a long time since she had been this close to a man.

  All told, the night before had been one of the best nights she’d had in years. They had watched her favorite movie. They had talked through the night. And, it had all felt so natural.

  She was starting to feel as though her decision to take the job and move out here had been the right one, after all. Of course, it had been less than 24 hours since she’d arrived on the property, and she had yet to meet Yasin’s parents or the press. The difficult parts were all to come. Putting on the public face and getting pregnant seemed like impossible tasks at the moment, but if she was going to do it with anyone, Olivia was glad that it was with someone so thoughtful and kind.

  Yasin shifted slightly in his sleep, rolling toward her in the process. She tried to keep still so she wouldn’t wake him, but the sweet, woodsy aroma of his cologne took her breath away. She inhaled through her mouth.

  The slight movement must have awoken him, because his eyes fluttered open. They stared at each other for a moment.

  “Oh,” he said groggily, his voice husky. “Sorry.” He let go of her and shifted his body weight so he could sit upright. Olivia did the same. “I didn’t mean to—I mean, we just met, and I…”

  She chuckled. “Me too,” she said. “Sorry.”

  His eyes moved from her face to the clock behind her. She watched them dart back and forth between it and her.

  “We should get going,” he said. “My dad is planning breakfast for us this morning, so we should both get dressed.”

  “Does that mean that you’re going to introduce me at breakfast?” she asked.

  He nodded. “Don’t you get all quiet, on me though,” he said, smiling gently. “There’s no reason to be nervous. Remember that you’re going to be spending a lot of time around my family, so you’ll want to make sure to give a good impression, but most importantly, be yourself. If you pretend to be someone else, you’re going to have to keep that charade up for the entire length of…well, our charade,” he said.

  They both laughed.

  “I get it,” she said. She knew he was trying to put her at ease, but what he was actually doing was making her more nervous. Olivia tried her best to shrug it off. “I’m afraid that I don’t know what to wear, though. To make a good first impression, I mean. If it were up to me, I would just show up in my favorite yellow sundress.”

  “My father is pretty traditional, so I would err on the side of conservative. Oh, I did stock your closet with some clothes by local designers, but you don’t have to wear them if you don’t want to. I just wanted to give you the option.”

  “That’s really sweet of you,” Olivia said, beaming at him. “But how did you know my—”

  “I chatted with your sister,” he said casually, taking her hand. “I called her before you left. I know that your sister is important to you, so I wanted to make sure she understood that I was going to take good care of you while you’re here. I know that you’re your own person, but I wanted to get her blessing, too.”

  Olivia nodded. “That’s so thoughtful. And to think that you convinced her over the phone! Jen can be so stubborn. She must really think you’re a good guy if you could convince her that I would be fine. She was so worried when I first told her.” A chuckle escaped her lips. “I guess that’s why she didn’t fight me as much when it was time to leave. I was expecting her to try to talk me out of it again, but she didn’t.”

  Yasin gave her a dazzling smile, and Olivia excused herself so she could shower and get ready. The previous day was a blur of traveling and luxurious amenities. Not to mention, movies and snacks.

  When she finally found her way back to her bedroom, it was almost as if she had never seen it before. Her bags and suitcases were piled into a corner of the large room. In the center was a large four-poster bed which was covered with a beautiful red duvet with matching sheets and pillows. A large window was dressed with white lace curtains and another layer of beige linen.

  There was also a writing desk, an armoire, and a wardrobe, all of which were made of a deep cherry-stained wood. She had never seen such beautiful furniture
before—all of her furniture back home was made of particle board and bought from a big box store. She ran her fingers along the finish of the bedpost. It was probably handmade just for the palace.

  She quickly grabbed a few things from her bags and scurried to the bathroom so she could jump in the shower. Making them late for breakfast wouldn’t be the best first impression. Olivia flipped the switch for the bathroom light and shut the door, marveling once again at the contrast between this room and her bathroom back home.

  Back home, the shower and bath were combined. There was only one dingy sink, and the bathroom mirror was cracked. Here, there was a claw-foot tub with a bronze, floor-mounted faucet; all of the faucets and handles in the bathroom were bronze, which complemented the stone tile. The shower had glass doors and an oversized rain shower head. Next to the door was a deep sink with a large mirror. If she had ever dreamed of having the perfect bathroom when she was younger, this would be it.

  A sigh left her lips. “I feel like a princess,” she said as she looked longingly at the bathtub. “We’ll have our time soon,” she said to it, “but at this point a shower is going to have to do.”

  Olivia stood in the foyer, waiting for Yasin. She smoothed her eggshell sundress and adjusted her mustard-colored cardigan. Any downtime that she’d had that morning had been spent trying not to drool over the house, and this was no exception as she gawked at the chandelier that hung over her head.

  “Sorry,” Yasin said as he walked up to her. He placed his phone in his pocket. “Business calls.”

  He placed one hand on her back and gently led her toward the door, using the other hand to open it. Outside, a black sedan was waiting for them. A driver stood next to the passenger’s side door and opened it for Olivia. Meanwhile, Yasin walked around to the other side and hopped in behind the driver’s seat.

  The ride to his father’s house didn’t take very long, which almost disappointed Olivia. The previous day had gone surprisingly well and easily. She didn’t want to think about her luck running out while at breakfast.

  “Your dad didn’t remarry after his second wife left, right?” she whispered.

  “No, it’s just him and Rashad.”

  “Rashad still lives with him?” she asked.

  Yasin nodded. “I told you he was a bit of a playboy, but I guess I didn’t really expand on that.”

  “What does he do for a living?” Olivia asked.

  The driver laughed. Yasin joined in.

  “He doesn’t,” he replied. “My brother is resourceful but he’s not motivated to do any hard work. Growing up, his favorite phrase was, ‘Oh, but that sounds like effort.’ And then he would promptly walk away to do something more fun.”

  “From what you’ve told me, your father doesn’t seem like the type to handle that well.”

  He shook his head. “He gave up trying to convince Rashad to do something with his life long ago. As long as Rashad doesn’t ask him for money, my father is content to leave him be.” He paused. “At least, for the time being.”

  Olivia wanted to delve further, but she didn’t feel comfortable doing so with the driver in such close proximity. She knew she could get away with a few questions without the driver wondering how long they had known each other. But if she kept asking questions, she was worried that he would begin to suspect that something was up. It was way too early in the plan for it to start falling apart now.

  “I’m excited to meet them,” she said instead.

  “It’s okay to be nervous, too,” he whispered. “But try to shake it off as best you can. My father might seem like a…” He stopped as he searched for the correct term. “My father can be somewhat uptight,” he said finally, “but he means well.” He cleared his throat. “At least, I like to think that he does.”

  The car pulled up to a large mansion—bigger than Yasin’s. It drove around the circle driveway and finally stopped right in front of the walkway leading up to the front door.

  Why do they have such big houses for only two people? Olivia thought. Until yesterday, Yasin only lived by himself.

  The property itself looked rather large as well. Despite the hot, dry climate of Rebayah, there was a lush garden out front. Hedges lined the property, just inside wrought-iron gates.

  The driver opened the door for her, and she stepped out and waited for her “fiancé” to walk around before she started walking toward the entrance of the large estate. Hand in hand, he led her to the front door and opened it quietly.

  Pulling her aside as they crossed the threshold, Yasin looked her in the eye. “Just a second,” he said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box. “I picked this up at a small antique shop in Texas. When I asked your sister about your size, I also asked her about your style. She said that you liked to go antiquing, so I figured that you might like a ring with some history behind it.”

  He opened the ring box. Nestled inside was a gold ring with a large square-cut diamond centered in smaller diamonds.

  “Oh my God,” was all she could manage.

  “Olivia,” he said. “Will you be my fake wife?”

  They both snickered. “Well, I signed the contract already,” she whispered.

  His smile was from ear to ear as he slipped it onto her finger.

  “Perfect fit,” he said with satisfaction.

  The sound of heels against hardwood caught their attention. Yasin spun around. As he did, he slipped the box into his pocket.

  “Nylah,” he said. He reached behind him and grabbed Olivia’s hand. He gave her a familiar, reassuring squeeze.

  Olivia froze. She hadn’t prepared enough for this. The lump in her throat got bigger and prevented her from saying anything.

  She stared at the beautiful young woman who had to only be about five years younger than herself. Nylah had long brown hair which had large, soft curls in it. Golden highlights were picked up by the sunlight which shone through the large windows. Her dress was beautiful and vibrant with purple, yellow, and orange fabric intertwining and layering over each other, forming flattering geometric shapes.

  She reached both arms out, welcoming Olivia. “Well, hello there,” she said. Her eyes darted from Olivia’s face to Yasin’s. “And who’s this lovely lady?”

  “This is Olivia. Olivia, this is my sister, Nylah.”

  Nylah quickly walked up to Olivia and gave her a hug. “You’re so pretty! Much prettier than the last girl he brought home.”

  “Nylah!” he scolded.

  “I didn’t like her. She was snotty.”

  “Nylah, seriously.”

  His sister waved off his protests. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. He brought her by a few years ago. Father and I were starting to worry that Yasin might not be interested in women. Or men. Or any type of relationship.”

  “Stop being melodramatic,” Yasin said, rolling his eyes.

  She turned to Olivia. “Seriously though, you look much friendlier than his last girl. I hope you’ll stick around.”

  Olivia turned to Yasin, then back to Nylah. “I hope so, too,” she said.

  Nylah reached down and took Olivia’s hands with hers. “Come, come,” she said. “Sit next to me at the ta—” she stopped and pulled her hand up to her face. She stared at the ring and then, speechless, turned to Yasin. “Are you kidding?” she finally said in a loud whisper. “Is that an engagement ring? That’s so…”

  She looked from the ring, to Olivia, to Yasin, then back to the ring again.

  “First of all,” she said, “that thing is gorgeous. The ring is pretty nice, too,” she said with a wink. She elbowed her brother who rolled his eyes again.

  “Cute,” he said.

  “Father’s going to flip,” she said to him. Her eyes met Olivia’s. “If my big brother asked you to marry him, you must be an amazing woman,” she said. “You seem like the best that he’s ever brought home, anyway.”

  “I’m sure that Father will just be happy that I’m in a relationship,” Yasin said. “Don’t make Olivi
a more nervous than she is.”

  She nodded and gave Olivia another hug. “Don’t worry. I’m on your side, too.” She motioned to her brother. “He might not look like he’s happy, but I’ve never seen him this ecstatic before.” She laughed. “But you know all this. He can be such a stone cold fox, right?”

  Olivia chuckled nervously. “Yeah,” she said. “He’s usually all business.”

  “Maybe you can change that one of these days,” Nylah said. She grabbed hold of Olivia’s hand. “You ready?”

  Olivia nodded.

  “If you don’t mind,” Yasin began. He reached for Olivia’s other hand. “I would like to escort my fiancée into the dining room.”

  Nylah let go of her hand.

  “Fine,” she said. She took a deep breath and walked forward, leading the three of them toward the dining area. “Father really went all out this morning,” she said. “He heard that you were bringing a girl, but I don’t think he realized that it wasn’t just any girl. He hasn’t met you yet, has he, Olivia?”

  “You’re the first of the family that I’ve met,” Olivia replied.

  She was glad that Nylah made her feel welcome and comfortable, considering that the house alone made her feel out of place. She had thought Yasin’s home was a little over the top in terms of size and décor, but it was nothing compared to the luxury of his father’s house.

  The dining room was more of a hall. It was long and almost looked as if it was built perfectly around the long dining room table which ran the length of the space. There were a number of chairs along each side of the table. In addition to it, there was also a coffee cart and a curio cabinet filled with extra plates and dinnerware.

  At the head of the table, at the other end of the room, a somewhat portly older man stood up and waved the trio over. Olivia followed Yasin and Nylah to him. As they got closer, she began to see the resemblance between Yasin and his father, who shared the same nose, strong jawline, and smile as his son.