by Leah Leonard
“I have no idea what you are speaking of,” Ghazi shouted. "Besides, you are the one who concealed your virginity."
"I decided I loved you, Ghazi. Why, I'll never know, so yes, I made a decision to give myself to you. It was a stupid mistake, one I will regret the rest of my life. Particularly now." She gestured to her womb.
“How dare you scorn our unborn child!” Ghazi seethed.
A knock sounded at the door. "Everything okay in here?"
They shouted in unison. "Fine."
Ghazi turned to her. "We are not through discussing your future, Sarah. You will come stay at the palace until further notice."
"Who do you think you are? You can't order me around like that! I have a scholarship program to finish and I’m going home to Texas in a week and a half."
"You will do no such thing." Ghazi shouted. "Now get dressed. I will take you home. To our home. And don't try to escape. I will guard this door myself and have my man wait by the window outside. You are coming home with me. You will be my wife."
****
The ride home to the palace was awkward to say the least. Sarah was still infuriated by Ghazi's lack of consideration about her feelings.
Just as the car reached the edge of the steep incline of the driveway to the palace, Ghazi took a phone call. When the call finished, he hung up and said, "Oh and we cannot marry until tomorrow. I am going to get you settled then I will need to join my business associates for the remainder of tonight. I booked the chapel where my grandparents married for tomorrow afternoon at two. The dress fitter will be by with gowns for you and—"
"I’m not going to marry you."
"Yes you are."
"Take me to the airport," Sarah shouted through the closed window between them and the driver. The bold arrogance and entitlement with which he did everything, including ordering her to marry him, made her realize that happily ever after would never be possible with this man.
"He can't hear you." Ghazi tapped on the walls. "Soundproof."
"Whether he can or not is irrelevant. I’m going home to the United States where I belong, the sooner the better. The more I think of it, I might as well skip the rest of the scholarship trip and just go now. Once I get back home to familiar surroundings, I can start preparing for the baby."
"You will do no such thing. Our child will be born in Turkey."
Exhausted from arguing, Sarah leaned back against her pillows and cried.
****
Ghazi had no idea what to do. He hesitated joining his grandfather's friends with Sarah in such a fragile state - both emotionally and physically. He didn't want her crying either. She might damage his child. "Sarah, please. Try and work with me."
She glared at him through teary eyes and refused to answer.
"I want to care for our child, Sarah, give him everything I didn't have growing up."
"Him?" she sneered. "What if it's a her?"
He leaned forward, reached for her hands. "Then she will be our little princess."
She pulled her hands away, another act to defy him. "I am going home. I have…responsibilities.”
"What could you possibly have in Texas that is more important than our child?"
The question appeared to cause Sarah great emotional pain. She cried harder, buried her face in her hands. "None of your business."
"I disagree. You are the mother of my child. Everything concerning you is my business."
****
The sad reality was Sarah had nothing in Texas. No family, a few friends, a half finished college degree of course, but other than that, nothing. "Please Ghazi, take me to the airport so I can leave. I'm not your prisoner. You can't keep me here against my will."
"Sarah," Ghazi leaned forward, grabbing her shoulders, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Why do you fight me so? Why won't you let me into your life? Have I not allowed you to see my family, my life here? Please, give this a chance."
Staring deep into his amber eyes, Sarah had to fight from allowing him to compel her into believing his lies. "You don't love me Ghazi. I know that. It's fine. I don't expect you to, but just because we have a child between us doesn't mean you and I have to be together. Lots of kids today grow up without two parents. It's getting more and more common all the time."
"What are you saying, Sarah? You break my heart!" Ghazi brought his hands to his chest in a most dramatic fashion. "Tell me, did you grow up without two parents?”
"Well, no…"
"I did and I can tell you it is not any life I would want for my child. I want you, Sarah. I want to marry you this second. Give our child what I did not have. Stay, be my wife."
"I already told you no. This will never work."
“Why not?”
“Because you don’t love me.”
“But I do,” Ghazi insisted. “I do.”
****
Ghazi had never met any woman as stubborn as Sarah Taylor. No woman had ever repeatedly refused his advances, his money and now his proposal. The one thing he said he would never do was marry, but at this moment, looking at her flushed cheeks, Ghazi placed his hand on her womb and knew she was his future, his Sarah. "How can I persuade you I am sincere?"
"You can't."
"Give me one night, Sarah. Just one more night. Just the two of us. We can share another meal…"
"And your bed too?" she said, sarcastically.
"Perhaps, but please, allow me to get to know you. By the end of the night you will know this is the right decision."
"I can't."
"You are not well enough to fly right now. You are not scheduled to leave Turkey for over a week, so why not? Why not give our child a chance by spending some time with his father?"
"His?" she scowled.
Ghazi chuckled, raised his hands in the air, "His or hers…"
****
More than anything, Sarah wanted Ghazi to love her, she wanted him to accept her and for them all to be together, but could he ever really be trusted? Could she ever believe Ghazi wanted her for who she was and not just because he was alone in the world and she was pregnant? Why did this have to be so difficult? She wanted to run away from him and put as much distance between them as possible, but in her condition, with the baby to consider, she knew running away like she did last time would be next to impossible. She drew in a deep breath, pressed her eyes closed. What should she do? With no one to turn to, she searched within her own heart and replied, "Okay. I'll stay."
"Wonderful," Ghazi beamed, kissing her hands.
"For now."
"How about forever?"
Tears gushed from Sarah's eyes. She couldn't help it. She wanted what he could never give because he didn't feel the same way about her as she did about him. It killed her, but it was true. He would tell her anything she wanted to hear right now because he was a control freak. Simple as that.
The car stopped and the driver opened the door for them.
"Give us a moment," Ghazi ordered.
"Certainly sir."
Ghazi placed his arm around Sarah's shoulder, brushed her cheek with the back of his hand and cupped his fingers around the nape of her neck, brought her lips close to his and brushed his mouth against her. "I love you, Sarah," he whispered.
Before she could answer, he consumed her in a passionate kiss.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Overwhelmed by what turned out to be the worst possible situation imaginable, once Ghazi left her hospital room, Sarah cried. Ghazi didn't want her after all. He wanted his child. She should have known this would be the way things were. He would likely try and keep her prisoner until the baby was old enough to fend for itself, then kick her out altogether.
In the meantime, he’d probably be sleeping with every woman in town, right under her nose!
How could she have been so stupid to think he really wanted to start anew and that he might feel the same way about her as she did about him? She scolded herself for crying, for even being a little bit upset. She already knew how this
would turn out, and yet for the second time this summer, she proved incapable of controlling her emotions. Damn him! Ghazi Deniz would be the end of her yet!
She dressed and stepped out into the hall.
Sure enough, Ghazi stood guard, waiting with a stern expression on his face. "Come." He gestured to one of his staff. "Get her bags."
Before she could protest, Ghazi approached her and scooped her into his arms, carrying her out to the limo. With tremendous care, he stretched her out on the back seat with pillows and covered her with a blanket. "Comfortable?"
What did he think she was, his personal incubator? "I'm fine."
“Good.” He slid into the seat across from her and placed a protective arm around her shoulder.
****
Back at the palace, Ghazi personally carried Sarah into her suite and ordered his chef to prepare a healthy meal for her, which he would not be able to share.
He helped her inside, waited while she changed into a nightgown and held her hand as she crossed the room, bracing her every step.
“I promise I won’t break,” she told him.
“I’m not so sure. Come.” He opened the patio door and they sat together on a small sofa overlooking the mountains. "Are you sure you'll be okay here?"
"Yes."
"I won't be long."
"You need to go tend to your business. I promise I'll be here when you get back."
"Really?"
"Of course," she smiled.
He raised his eyebrows. "You aren't going to try and run away on me again, are you?"
"No, besides, where would I go? I can't exactly run through the hills."
"You might…" he teased.
"No, you've made it clear you want me to stay."
"I do," he took her hands.
"So…" she squeezed his fingers. "Go on. I'll…I mean we'll be fine."
Ghazi kissed her forehead.
****
Sarah was tired of arguing about staying. She knew for now, this was her only option.
Never had she seen such an appealing and persuasive man as Ghazi, and to think, she was carrying his child! The touch of his hand sent shivers through her body. “Want to feel?” she gestured to her womb.
He nodded.
“Here. Give me your hand.” She took his arm, stretching his fingers out and placing his palm in the center of her rounding belly.
Ghazi sat quietly for a moment. He gasped.
“Did you feel it?” she smiled.
"Yes.” He brushed her cheek. “I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Take your time. You need to visit with your grandfather's friends." In all actuality, Sarah hoped to use the time to think about her life, her future and whether or not she could move forward with this man.
****
After taking a luxuriously restful nap, she settled in on the sofa, reclining against several pillows and stared out at the mountains while sipping a warm cup of herbal tea one of the staff brought her.
Before long, she heard a knock at the door. "Come in."
Ghazi appeared. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," Sarah smiled. "And you? How was it?"
"Fine," Ghazi lowered his eyes to the floor.
Sarah could see the pained expression in his face. "I know the past few days have been hard, Ghazi. I'm so sorry about your grandfather. He was such a special man."
Ghazi crossed the room and sat next to her on the sofa, keeping his fingers knitted, his hands on his lap. After a few silent moments, he turned to face her. "You know, Sarah, my grandfather would have wanted this. He wished to see me marry and would have loved having a grandchild. The fact that I hadn’t produced any heirs was one of his life's biggest regrets."
"I know," she raked her finger through his thick curls. “It’s been quite a summer. And now with this…" she pointed to her belly. "I don't know what I'm going to do." Although she tried not to, Sarah broke into tears.
Ghazi pulled a monogrammed handkerchief from the breast pocket of his jacked and wiped her eyes, dabbed her face and kissed her cheek. "Please do not worry. You shall want for nothing."
"I’m scared…" she sniffled.
"Darling," he purred, turning to face her, he braced her shoulders in his hands, forcing her to stop speaking and calm down. “Listen."
She gulped. "Yes?"
"My love, you will never worry about anything ever again, do you hear me?" He tipped her chin up so their eyes met.
She sniffled and nodded. "Okay."
"I love you and the baby and will support you both. Always.”
A single tear rolled down her cheek. "Really?"
"Of course!" His eyes blazed with passion. “What do you think I’ve been trying to tell you?”
Sarah could hardly believe her ears. She watched Ghazi for several moments, gazing into his eyes. She felt the sincerity in his heart. Apparently the Sultan's death made more of an impact on him than she gave him credit for. "I believe you."
"You better, because I speak the truth." He kissed her tenderly on the mouth. "I love you."
When their lips parted, she looked into his eyes, her heart filled with love and relief.
Before she could reply, Ghazi slipped a red velvet box from his pocket and fell to the floor on one knee. "And so…speaking of that," he beamed.
"Ghazi, what are you doing?" She gasped, brought her hands to her mouth. Tears filled her eyes.
"Showing you I am serious." He lifted the lid, revealing a sparkling diamond ring and matching wedding band. "Sarah Taylor, be my wife."
The sight of the ring brought mixed emotions. On the one hand, this was a dream come true, more than she could ever imagine. On the other, she wondered if this was only about their baby and not about her at all. She knew Ghazi to be controlling. Was this how he intended to keep her under his thumb? Could it really be this easy? Could they fall into a happy marriage with baby and all? Her heart froze with anticipation and anxiety. "And you…want me? Not just our baby?"
"More than anything in this world."
Again, she gazed into his eyes, saw a depth of emotion she'd never seen in him before. Her heart swelled with warm flushed heat, she fought back tears of joy and relief. The truth was she loved him. She couldn’t help it. She always had, ever since they first met years ago. "Then my answer is…yes!"
Ghazi gave her the most passionate kiss she had ever known. "You have made me the happiest man alive, Sarah! As my grandfather always said, life is cyclical. One thing dies, another lives to take its place. You are my family now. I cannot wait to begin our future together.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Wasting no time, Ghazi kept his word and had already booked the wedding chapel for the following day.
He directed his staff to pack up Sarah’s home in Texas, take her belongings to the airport and fly her things to Turkey in Ghazi’s private jet.
Meanwhile, Sarah remained dazzled, not only by her stunning diamond ring, but by the bevy of tailors who descended on the house that afternoon and early the next morning to hand sew her gown to her likes and specifications.
Florists and caterers arrived to transform the grounds to accommodate the joy of marriage. A special gazebo decorated with delicate crimson flowers and vines was built on the small terrace overlooking the valley below. The scene appeared to be something out of a fantasy novel. Sarah never felt so happy, so content.
Overnight her life transformed so much, it all felt like a dream. She was a fairy princess and the prince would soon sweep her off her feet forever.
Ghazi arranged for a crème colored Bentley streamed with flowers to come and pick her up and take her to the Deniz family’s private chapel where he was already waiting.
The stone building dangled from the edge of a cliff in what proved to be the most spectacular setting she'd seen thus far. The driver pulled her right up to the building where some older ladies who were long time friends of the Deniz family waited to escort her into a private changing area, where her g
own and a complete crew worked for the next hour and a half on her hair, makeup and nails.
Everything was perfect, and then, out of nowhere, things got even better.
“Hey kiddo. Am I too late?”
Sarah glanced up at the door, and to her amazement, Maureen stood there with her boisterous smile carrying a small package in her hands.
“Maureen! You made it!” Sarah squealed.
“I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Here.” She handed her the gift. “I figured you needed this.”
Sarah opened the box. Inside, there was a baby blue garter and a pair of earrings. “Thank you so much!” she took them out and put them on.
“That’ll take care of something borrowed and something new. Not sure those earrings are what you’d normally like, but—”
“They’re perfect!” Sarah lifted her hair to show them off. “Thank you!”
“And I know your man will like the garter.” Maureen grinned.
****
When she was all ready, Sarah stood at the door of the church as the music started. She walked slowly down the aisle, her train running thirty feet behind her.
Maureen walked beside her. She was the closest thing to family Sarah had at the moment and she was grateful.
Up ahead, Sarah spotted Ghazi waiting by the altar. He looked stunning in his white tux with tails. He reminded her of that first night they shared together in Troy. His smile nearly melted her heart.
She made it half way down the aisle, glancing at the gathered crowd, and was almost to the point of joining him, when the past hit her square in the eye. She stopped dead in her tracks.
“What’s wrong?” Maureen asked, nearly tripping over her train.
Sarah’s mouth fell open and she said, "I can't go through with this."