The Sheikh's Sextuplet Baby Surprise

by Holly Rayner

  She felt a sudden pang of guilt at ignoring Phoebe’s calls. Had she answered, she might have gotten a very different response from Darian. Then again, she likely wouldn’t have. He seemed entirely determined to live life in his own way, even if it meant ignoring the clear and obvious risk present in his country.

  Phoebe nodded, continuing on as she sobered up.

  “I called to let you know that I’ve booked us a flight back for tomorrow morning. We can leave just after breakfast.”

  Rachelle stared out at the room, absorbing that information. She felt Phoebe slide Darian’s card back into her hand. When she looked at her assistant, the woman’s face was a mask of empathy.

  “I’m really sorry, Rachelle. I know how hard it is for you to make a connection with someone. He must be really special. Still, you have to see that our safety has to come first, right? Perhaps he can come visit Chicago. Did you two talk business at all?”

  “We did,” Rachelle answered, somewhat robotically. “I think he is very interested in doing business with us.”

  Phoebe brightened at this piece of news.

  “That’s great! There’s no need to frown, then. I’m sure you can continue negotiations from the safety of home.”

  “Yes. I suppose we’ll have to. I’ll leave you to your devices, Phoebe. If we’re going to leave early in the morning, we might as well get a couple hours of sleep.”

  “Agreed. Have a good night, Rachelle. I hope to hear much more about your adventures during our long flight home.”

  “Yes, well, that might be the time to catch up on sleep before we hit the ground running in Chicago again. We made a lot of great connections today and yesterday, but we need to make sure that they last longer than a greeting and a promise.”

  “Absolutely. We’ll be good to go then. Until then, get some sleep.”

  Rachelle smiled as her drunken assistant gave her an order. Phoebe had always blurred the lines between business and friendship, but she was a good worker, and Rachelle secretly enjoyed her blunt honesty and ability to see past any barriers she put up.

  Phoebe had somehow managed to become a good friend—just one who also happened to get paid to do whatever Rachelle needed her to do. Not having much time for her other friends, Rachelle supposed it might be the closest she would ever come to regular female companionship.

  Bidding her assistant goodnight, Rachelle walked a few doors down to her own hotel room and opened the door. She held the back of her hand against her nose, the better to catch the lingering scent of Darian. If Phoebe hadn’t interrupted them, he might have been with her in that moment, kissing her, holding her.

  Rachelle’s body tingled at the thought, and she sat in a plush sofa facing her window. The city glittered in the dark, casting a glow across the darkened room. Staring out into the night, Rachelle wondered how differently the night would have gone had she known that she would be leaving so much sooner than anticipated.

  What would she do when she got back to the States? Would she call him, only to let him know that she was already long gone? What would he say to that?

  Rachelle sighed as she realized that her dream was over. Rising, she made quick work of changing into her pajamas and washing up for bed. A tidal wave of exhaustion washed over her as miles of walking in the burning heat finally took its toll. Cuddling into her pillow, she imagined Darian’s arms wrapped around her.

  To imagine more would be foolish. When morning came, it would be back to reality.

  Chapter Six

  Rachelle’s alarm went off as it always did. Instead of jumping up to face the day, however, she turned off her alarm and stared at the ceiling for a long time, pensive. After some time, she stood and began packing her bag, still thinking about what could have been with Darian.

  He was one of the ruling members of the country, and he refused to allow the fear of political discord destroy his happiness or keep him from living his life. Why couldn’t she do the same? She closed her suitcase and headed down to the lobby. When she got there, Phoebe was already waiting with her bags.

  Phoebe took one look at her and frowned.

  “Where is your suitcase?” she asked.

  Rachelle examined her assistant for a moment. Her hair was slightly askew, dark circles beneath her eyes shadowing the rest of her face. Rachelle smirked.

  “Rough night?” she asked.

  “If you’re asking whether I plan on ever drinking again, the answer is no,” Phoebe declared, and Rachelle laughed.

  “But you’re such a pleasant person when you drink,” she teased.

  “Rachelle, why don’t you have a bag?”

  Her voice was laced with concern and worry, and Rachelle crossed her arms.

  “I’ve got unfinished business with the Sheikh. I’m going to stay another day until it’s done.”

  Phoebe reached out and squeezed Rachelle’s arm.

  “You can’t be serious. Nothing is worth putting yourself in danger, Rachelle. They are talking about a military coup here!”

  Rachelle brushed her off, stepping back.

  “Nonsense. I’m not going to live my life in fear just because there’s a threat in the air. Otherwise, we’d never survive a day in Chicago, either. There’s danger everywhere.”

  Phoebe stared at her with tired eyes, clearly searching for a way to convince her to go.

  “Do you want me to stay with you?” she asked, finally.

  Rachelle almost smiled. If the situation wasn’t so serious to her poor assistant, she would have. Here Phoebe was, terrified for her own well-being, and she was still willing to put herself in harm’s way if it was what Rachelle asked.

  Rachelle reminded herself to give Phoebe a raise when she returned.

  “That won’t be necessary. Get yourself home and recover from the jet lag. I’ll be in touch when I need anything.”

  Phoebe stared at her for a moment before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around a very stunned Rachelle.

  “Just be careful, please?”

  Rachelle awkwardly patted her on the back before Phoebe released her and grabbed her suitcase handle.

  “I will. There’s nothing to worry about.”

  “Hmm,” Phoebe mumbled, unconvinced.

  Rachelle waved goodbye as Phoebe stepped into a cab, watching her boss out the window as though she would never see her again. Phoebe could be so melodramatic when she wanted to be.

  Pulling out her cellphone and Darian’s card, she took a deep breath, her belly filling with nerves as she pressed the numbers and tapped the call button. Within a few rings, Darian’s voice filled her ear.

  “Hello?”

  Just hearing him again had her heart racing. Was this what love was supposed to feel like? Could she possibly be feeling something so powerful so soon? For heaven’s sake, she had just met the man!

  “Darian. It’s Rachelle,” she breathed, trying not to sound as nervous as she felt.

  “Rachelle! It’s so good to hear from you. I was hoping you would call.”

  “You were, huh?” she teased.

  “Of course I was. I want to invite you to my place tonight for dinner. Are you available?”

  Rachelle held back a squeal of excitement. Dinner with Darian at his palace? Yes, please!

  “I’d love to,” she gushed.

  “Good. Do you have any plans for the day?” he asked.

  Rachelle shook her head, even though he couldn’t see it.

  “None. The conference has been cancelled due to fear of a military coup.”

  “Nonsense. In that case, hang around the hotel. I’ve got some surprises I’d like to give you before you head over here. I’ll have my driver call you at this number before he leaves, so you have an idea of when he’ll be coming. Sound good?”

  “Sounds great,” Rachelle agreed.

  “Good. Until tonight, Rachelle.”

  “Until then.”

  He ended the call then, and Rachelle found herself with conflicted emotions. On one hand
, she was hoping to get more time with him than just the evening. On the other, she was thrilled at the time they would have together, and she reminded herself that she shouldn’t even be getting that much.

  She headed back up to her room, as he instructed. She was just brushing her teeth when there was a knock at the door, and a call for room service.

  Opening the door, a large cart filled with fresh fruit and pastries and cooked delicacies was brought in, her table set for her as she went to tip the delivery guy. He shook his head and held up a hand to stop her from handing him a bill.

  “It has all been taken care of, miss. If you’ll enjoy your breakfast, the next round will call for you shortly.”

  Surprised and pleased, Rachelle nodded and thanked the man, who made a quick exit. She then turned and stared at the morning spread in front of her. Rachelle promised herself she would run an extra mile next time she went to the gym as she sat at her table and enjoyed a quiet feast, scrolling through her emails as she made sure not to fall behind with work while she went on her little excursion.

  Even as she worked, she had never felt more relaxed.

  The phone rang, and she smiled as she considered what the next round of indulging would be. When she answered the phone, a woman from the hotel spa informed her that she had been gifted a full day of pampering, starting in a few minutes. Rachelle thanked the woman before turning her phone off entirely, and heading downstairs.

  Chapter Seven

  The rest of the day was pure, luxurious bliss. From the facial to the full body massage and the chocolate wrap (who knew that was a thing!), Rachelle munched on fresh fruits and vegetables as she was treated to every possible spoiling experience she could imagine. Before she knew it, the afternoon had ebbed away, and as she lay in a comfortable chair getting her nails finished up, the door opened.

  “Miss, I’m terribly sorry to bother you, but your driver has called the hotel to inform you that he will arrive in thirty minutes.”

  “Thirty minutes! I’ve got to get ready!”

  Jumping up, she headed to a small dressing room, where she removed her luxurious white robe and changed back into her clothes. She went straight to her room and stared at her suitcase.

  Nothing she had was suitable for a night at a palace.

  As she mused over whether or not to wear the dress Darian had bought her the day before, another knock landed on the door. When she opened it, another bellboy stood with a box in his hand.

  “Man, he sure knows how to anticipate my needs!” Rachelle laughed.

  The bellboy looked confused, but he handed over the large box and nodded before making a quick exit. Rachelle placed the box on the bed and opened it without preamble. There was no time to waste in anticipation. Pulling off the lid, Rachelle pulled out a long black gown, smiling as she slid it on. At the bottom of the box, she found a note.

  Enjoy your evening, and your new gown!

  Chantilly

  Rachelle’s smile broadened as she slid into the perfectly fitting gown. She had just finished applying her makeup when the phone rang, announcing the arrival of the driver. Placing her phone into her purse, Rachelle felt like a princess as she made her way through the hotel lobby, catching stares from all around her. When she stepped outside, a very long limo was waiting for her.

  “Good evening, miss,” the driver greeted.

  Rachelle nodded to him in gratitude as he held open the back door. Secretly, she wished Darian had been with him, the better to help her in, but she erased the thought. Since when had Rachelle Smith needed a man to step into a car?

  The limo pulled out into the street, making its way quickly toward a highway that led just outside the main city. Rachelle’s whole body felt rejuvenated, and she shifted in her seat in anticipation. She couldn’t wait to see Darian again. Their kisses from the night before had haunted her every thought for the entire day.

  As the palace came into view, it sparkled against the rays of the setting sun. The limo pulled up to the towering main entrance, where a butler was waiting. Rachelle squashed another bout of disappointment at not seeing Darian. She would see him soon enough, she told herself.

  The door to the limo was opened, and she stepped out into the cool night. The butler bowed to her respectfully.

  “His Highness is waiting for you just this way, miss,” he said, turning on a heel.

  Rachelle sped up to keep pace with him, following closely behind while trying not to gape openly at the palace walls. In spite of being ancient, everything around her sparkled with luxury. Rachelle was not unused to wealth, per se, but this was certainly on a whole other level.

  They reached a staircase, and Rachelle did her best to keep up in heels as she nearly lost her breath following the butler to the top. Finally, he stopped on one of the many floors and led her toward a pair of curved doors, opening one. When Rachelle stepped through, she found herself on a private veranda. Standing at the edge, Darian turned to see her, and smiled.

  Her heart stopped then and there.

  The butler quietly nodded and made a hasty exit as Darian approached her, a flute of champagne in his hand.

  “You look delectable,” he whispered, leaning in and pressing a butterfly-soft kiss along her cheek.

  That small gesture was enough to set Rachelle’s body aflame. Taking a breath, she gazed up at him in the glowing dusk, torches burning along the edge of the veranda behind him.

  “A day at the spa will do that to a person,” she answered with a smile.

  “I hope you enjoyed yourself.”

  “Immensely.”

  “Are you hungry?”

  “Famished,” she said, though she wasn’t speaking entirely about food.

  Darian grinned as he held his arm out to her to take, which she did, even if it was only for the short distance to their set table along the edge of the veranda.

  “Welcome to the palace,” Darian said, gesturing around them.

  “It’s stunning,” Rachelle said as he helped her to her seat.

  “We like it,” Darian agreed, nonchalant.

  “I wonder that you feel prejudged for your status, yet you’ve invited me here so soon after we’ve just met,” Rachelle observed.

  Darian leaned in, his eyes captivating her.

  “Perhaps I have a level of trust for you that I don’t usually reserve for others.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  It was a question she had asked herself several times over the course of the day. While a part of her was loving the romantic turn of events, the logical, rational side of her that had long reigned over her thoughts had questioned all of it, several times over. Not wanting to give in to doubt, she had pushed the thoughts away, but it was worth asking the question. She needed to know.

  Darian held her stare, not backing down.

  “Perhaps it is because you know me from the business world, where I am generally respected for my accomplishments, and not those of my family. You and I enjoy and work toward the same end, and while anyone can be wowed by this,” he said, gesturing around them, “I believe that you see more than the shine in the background. I think you’re so much more than any woman I’ve ever met before.”

  Rachelle blushed, smiling at him from beneath lowered lashes.

  “Well, if that’s all it is,” she said with a tiny laugh.

  As the sun began to set, pinpricks of starlight began to dot the sky above them. They enjoyed another fabulous meal, speaking this time of advertising and marketing, what it was like to go to college in that field, and how each of them rose to the top in their own right. Before she knew it, the food was gone, and she felt happy and full.

  Gazing up at the sky, she inhaled the clean desert air.

  “These stars seem so different from the ones I see back home,” she sighed.

  “It’s the declination. We’re much further south than you are. Come, I’d like to show you something.”

  He stood, and Rachelle joined him as he got up from the table, further awa
y from the light of the torches. He pointed up at the sky.

  “You see that constellation there? The six stars that look a bit like a shattered heart?”

  Rachelle stared up until she found what he was looking at. She nodded.

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “That constellation tells a story: in our local folklore, it is said that long ago, a young warrior named Banu fell in love with a woman named Farika. Farika was a princess, destined for another man, but when she fell in love with Banu, she knew that she could never marry another. Giving up her throne, she left in the night with Banu, where they were never seen or heard from again. Her departure was so abrupt that it is said she broke her father’s heart, which he cast out into the sky to let her know wherever she went, that she had sacrificed everything for love.”

  “That’s so sad,” Rachelle said, stepping a bit closer to Darian for warmth.

  He nodded.

  “It is, but it also isn’t. Farika followed her heart. Doing that won’t always make everyone happy, but in the end, she and Banu were. Isn’t that what really matters?”

  Rachelle stared up at him in the starlight as he gazed down at her. She had been hoping that he would forego the niceties and just kiss her already, but it was clear he had been waiting for just the right moment.

  Dipping his head, he captured her lips once more, and everything in her world fell into place. As his kisses grew deeper and more passionate, Darian bent down and scooped Rachelle into his arms, carrying her to another doorway that led to his bedroom.

  There, he laid her down on his enormous, cloudlike bed, and made love to her for the rest of the night.

  It was better than Rachelle could have possibly imagined.

  Chapter Eight

  Fireworks were going off in Rachelle’s dreams.

  As she snuggled more deeply into the comfortable bed, a loud explosion sounded, the ground jarring as she bolted upright. Next to her, Darian was also sitting up, looking shocked. They weren’t given time to react as a team of palace guards stormed the room.