by Holly Rayner
He turned off the burner and faced her, taking a sip of wine.
“This feels so strange, doesn’t it? As though we’ve been doing it forever.”
Lily nodded, drinking from her own glass and watching him hungrily. While it did feel that way, the stress of the past day still weighed on her mind.
He moved around the counter and turned her chair. She wrapped her arms around his waist, gazing up at him.
“Our secrets are no longer hidden,” he said. “We are finally free. I promise never to keep anything from you again, Lily. I want you to know that.”
She stood, then, unable to keep herself from kissing him. He dipped his head, seeing where she was headed, and they kissed deeply, all thoughts of food instantly forgotten. Atnan pressed his body to hers, igniting a heat inside her that refused to burn out.
Lifting her once more, he carried her across the living room and into his bedroom, not bothering to close the door behind them. The Sheikh made passionate love to her then, their hearts and bodies entangling as they released their fear, leaving all their secrets far behind them.
Chapter Fifteen
The next morning, Lily found herself waking up slowly. Flashes of hot desert and handcuffs had haunted her dreams, though when she’d woken up in the night, she had found herself wrapped in Atnan’s strong embrace and able to drift peacefully back to sleep.
The morning sun poured in through the windows, which stretched the length of the Sheikh’s massive bedroom. Lily turned in the circle of his arms, Atnan shifting to hold her closer as she nuzzled into his chest. As the sun continued to rise into the blue sky, Lily finally opened her eyes and found Atnan watching her.
“I love you,” he said.
She smiled up at him, winding her arm around his waist and gliding her fingers over his strong muscles.
“I love you, too, Atnan,” she replied.
“I’m sorry,” he said then, and she frowned.
“Why?”
“Because I’ll never forgive myself for not being honest with you, for driving you away. It eats me up inside.”
She caressed his face with her fingers, his black stubble more pronounced from his second day of going unshaven. They had been a bit busy, after all.
“For my sake, I hope you will. We were both foolish and reckless, and there are always things people can do better. That’s what makes us human. If we don’t forgive ourselves, then we’ll never truly live.”
He stroked her faced gently with his fingers, his eyes filled with adoration.
“You really are a skilled teacher. You have so many valuable lessons.”
Lily chuckled.
“Well, I suppose we’ll find out in time. Until then, how do you feel about fixing up some breakfast together just like old times?”
He pressed a gentle kiss along her temple, waking up her senses.
“I think that sounds outstanding,” he said against her skin.
Lily considered tackling him then, making love to him one more time, but Atnan was out of bed and dressing before she had a chance. Telling herself there would be plenty of time for that, she sat up, stretching before she put on the pajamas she had worn, ever so briefly, the night before.
Together, they made their way into the kitchen. Already, Lily’s body was healing up nicely, and her feet felt almost good as new, likely due to Atnan’s careful attention the day before. He removed the skillet from the burner, which had been completely ignored as they’d focused on more important things, and began whipping up a pair of veggie omelets while Lily squeezed the juice from a bag of fresh oranges.
Lily’s heart warmed as she took a moment to appreciate the homey scene. They had settled into domesticity so easily with one another, but their love was so much more than that. There was a passion lurking beneath the surface, always boiling, waiting to surface.
Taking a sip of orange juice, Lily stepped into the living room and stared out at the city. There were parks and busy roads filled with morning traffic. As she brought her glass to her lips again, her hand froze as reality invaded her bubble.
Marissa.
Lily gasped, and Atnan dropped his spatula, rushing into the living room.
“What is it? What happened?” he asked, searching her face.
She looked back up at him, her expression distraught.
“Marissa,” she sighed, but Atnan only stared at her in confusion.
“My friend, the one whose car I was borrowing. The one whose apartment I was staying in while I was here, where all my stuff is still sitting. She’s going to be coming home any day now to no car and an empty apartment, and I haven’t even found myself a job!”
She frowned, feeling miserable. Atnan’s supportive hand landed on her elbow, and she looked up at him.
“Hey, come on now. There is nothing to worry about. I will take care of everything.”
She continued to stare up at him, unconvinced. He grinned.
“I do still have connections in this town, you know. Can you trust me on this? I know exactly what to do.”
She nodded, running her hand along his arm until she was holding his hand.
“You can stay here with me as long as you need, and I can help you find a job, too. I’m sure it won’t take long now that you have the right visa.”
“I’m going to pay you back for that,” she insisted, and he shook his head.
“Nonsense. Consider it my gift to you for forcing me back into the world. Without you, we wouldn’t be here right now. Who knows how long we would have been holed up in that palace? I owe a lot more to you than you know.”
Lily watched him as he spoke, loving him more with every passing second.
“You saved me too, you know. Maybe I was a little bit of a damsel a couple of times,” she said, grinning as she looked up at him from beneath lowered lashes.
He smiled down at her.
“I’m glad we were able to rescue each other.”
Before Lily could respond, there was a swooshing sound from near the door.
“Ah, that would be the morning paper. Shall we see what the headlines are today?”
Lily followed him to the door, where he picked up the newspaper and turned it over to read the front. There, in big bold letters, was the most beautiful headline Lily had ever seen.
Sheikh Atnan Cleared of All Charges!
They read the article, which detailed how Atnan had been wrongly convicted and how all charges had been dropped. When they finished reading it, they grinned at one another.
“You’re free, Atnan,” Lily breathed.
He beamed down at her, laughing with joy and wrapping her in his arms to spin her around until she was giggling and dizzy. When he stopped, he laced his fingers at the base of her back and kissed her senseless. Only the sound of their breakfast sizzling broke the spell.
Atnan dashed back to the stove just in time to save their eggs, which they enjoyed together, side-by-side at the counter. Afterwards, as Lily washed the dishes, Atnan walked into his bedroom, where he made a couple of calls, one of which resulted in the doorbell ringing. A fresh set of clothing had been delivered for Lily.
“What are we up to today?” she asked after kissing him again as she held her dress against her in anticipation.
“It sounds like we need to go and pick up your things. After that, the world is our oyster.”
Lily was nearly dancing as she headed toward the bathroom to change. He had picked out a creamy orange-colored dress, and she slid into the cotton fabric, delighting in the sensation of it. He had also sent for a pair of colorful sandals, and for the first time days, Lily slid on a pair of shoes.
She sat in the living room, enjoying the view as Atnan washed up. When she heard the shower turn on, she considered jumping in with him and then decided against it. She found herself constantly wanting to be near him, close to him, making love to him at all hours of the night and day. Her thoughts drifted back to Marissa, and she remembered they had things to accomplish that day.
>
When Atnan stepped back out, he was clean-shaven and smelled of soap and his musky cologne, dressed in slacks and a button-down.
“One of these days, I’m going to get you into a nice pair of jeans,” Lily said, crossing her arms at him.
Atnan laughed.
“I’d like to see you try.”
“Maybe someday I’ll bring you back to Wyoming and we can go to a rodeo.”
“I thought you said the cows didn’t like that very much?”
Lily shrugged.
“Whatever it takes to see you in jeans,” she said, and he chuckled.
She wrapped her arms around him, giving him a deep kiss.
“Missed me that much, huh?”
“Always,” she said into his shirt.
Together, they made their way down the elevator and into the garage. Lily glanced around them at the plethora of vehicles.
“Do these belong to residents of the building?” Lily asked.
Atnan nodded.
“In a way. They actually all belong to me. This is my private garage.”
Lily’s eyes widened, though she said nothing, simply taking in her new life.
Atnan pulled out of the garage, setting off in the direction of Marissa’s house. Having only been in the country for a few weeks, Lily had no concept of how to get back there without her phone providing directions, and they got lost three times before she finally saw a street she recognized. For his part, Atnan was the model of patience, though Lily suspected he was simply grateful to be able to drive around the city again without fear of being hunted down.
As they pulled up to Marissa’s apartment, Lily gasped at the beautiful new car sitting in the driveway. She turned to look at Atnan, who began to whistle innocently.
“You did this?” she asked, and he shrugged.
“I told you I’d handle it. Her other car had over a hundred-thousand miles on it. This one has twelve. I think your friend will have to forgive you after she sees the exchange.”
Lily gave him a small smile. She would never be able to repay his kindness, though, deep down, she knew that her help had meant more to him than all the riches money could buy.
She frowned as she looked up at the apartment building.
“Here’s another important thing I forgot: the key to her apartment. It was in my purse, which I abandoned back at the palace when I…”
She didn’t want to finish the statement. Talking about the day she ran away was painful. She wanted to leave that memory behind her as she began a new adventure with Atnan.
Atnan held up a finger and reached into the backseat of the car. When he pulled his hand back, her purse was in it.
“You actually left this in the car the day we met. You must have forgotten, being a little distracted as we were.”
Lily laughed and took the purse to hold it to her chest. It was so nice to have something that belonged to her!
“You are going to make an excellent ruler, you know. You’ve certainly thought of every detail!”
Atnan’s smile was a little bashful.
“I hope so. Is the key in there?”
Lily unzipped the purse and pulled out a set of car keys, to which the silver house key was attached.
“Just where I left it,” she said, feeling happy.
They stepped out of the car and opened the door to Marissa’s apartment. It still had that underlying scent of incense, and Lily’s suitcase sat exactly where she had left it, as though waiting for her to return. She gazed around the apartment, thinking about the moment she had arrived and the nights she had spent stressed and sleepless, searching in vain for a job and getting doors closed in her face.
Those days were officially over.
As Lily repacked her suitcase, Atnan read news articles on his phone, reading out bits and pieces of the ones that talked about his cleared name and how people were generally taking to the news positively.
“I can’t wait to see my father again,” he said, and Lily poked her head out from the bathroom.
“Have you called him yet?” she asked.
Atnan shook his head, his gaze distant as he looked out Marissa’s small living room window.
“I don’t know what I would say,” he replied, his voice nearly a whisper.
Lily stepped out of the bathroom, setting her toothbrush in her suitcase before she moved to sit next to him.
“You’ll find the words. I’m sure he’s been missing you very much,” she said, squeezing his hand tightly.
“Lily?”
Marissa stood in the doorway, her hair in a messy bun, her clothes wrinkled and travel-worn. Lily stood up, smiling.
“Hey there!”
Marissa continued to look bewildered as she stared at her friend.
“Whose car is that in my driveway? Also, where is my car?”
Lily looked at Atnan, who pulled a set of car keys from his pocket and tossed them to her. She turned to Marissa and handed them over. Her friend stared at them with wide eyes.
“That car is yours. I’ve had a bit of an adventure since arriving in Al Yibri. We’ll have to get lunch once you’ve settled in a bit and I can tell you all about it.”
“You…got me a new car?”
“Yeah. The old one got a little damaged. Luckily, I had a little help from my…boyfriend,” Lily said, hesitating on the word as she gazed back at Atnan.
He smiled, letting her know that he was perfectly okay with that term. She supposed he would be, given that they had professed their love for one another many times that day already.
Marissa blinked as she looked from Lily to Atnan and back to Lily.
“Is that…the Sheikh?” she asked, her voice growing more astonished with every passing minute.
Lily laughed, and Atnan stood, giving Marissa a respectful bow.
“Atnan Shadid, at your service. Please enjoy your new car, and know that whatever you knew about me before your trip has changed quite significantly in the past week—mostly thanks to your friend.”
Lily smiled as Marissa continued to look at them both in disbelief.
“Well, this is definitely the strangest homecoming I’ve ever had. Can I get you two anything? Tea? Coffee?”
Lily glanced back at Atnan, ready to move on.
“No, thanks. We just came by to grab my things. I’ll be staying with Atnan until I can find myself a job. Let’s grab lunch soon, okay?”
Lily reached for Atnan’s hand and gave Marissa one last wave as they headed out the door, leaving her bewildered friend to wonder until they met again. Atnan opened Lily’s door for her before heading to his own side, and as they slid into the car, they smiled at one another.
“To new adventures?” she asked.
He clasped her hand in his, smiling.
“To new adventures!”
And they drove off, to face a new day, a new life, and a new love.
Chapter Sixteen
The next couple of days passed in a blur of passion, relaxation, and complete and total joy. Still, Lily watched Atnan closely, and on the third day, she made an observation.
“You haven’t yet reached out to your father,” she said.
Atnan was chewing on a piece of wheat toast and jam. He continued to do so, not looking up. She walked over to him, running her hands along his shoulder blades. When she found them tense, her eyebrows knit together in concern.
“What is it, Atnan? I thought you were excited at the prospect of seeing your father again.”
She walked around the kitchen island to face him. When he looked up, his eyes were sad.
“Of course I am. I’ve wanted to see him for months. It’s just…”
Lily waited as he collected his thoughts. He sighed.
“When I was in exile, I considered my father’s lack of communication his way of protecting me. I worked hard to convince myself that his silence was a kindness. Now that I’m out, now that the papers have declared me innocent, why would he be silent now?”
Lily real
ized what was bothering him, then.
“You’ve been waiting for him to reach out to you first,” she said, and Atnan gave an almost imperceptible nod.
“Perhaps he is waiting for you to do the same,” Lily suggested. “The two of you might have a standoff for the next twenty years if you don’t take the first step.”
Atnan leaned back in his chair, his eyes cloudy as he looked out the window. Lily walked back around and gently turned his chair, forcing him to face her. She cupped his face in her hands, her eyes searching his.
“It’s time for you to face your father, Atnan. Come on. Let’s go to the palace. There’s no use putting it off.”
She walked away from him, picking up a set of car keys from a side table and standing by the door. Atnan didn’t move.
“What if he…”
Lily shook her head.
“I don’t want to hear any ‘what ifs.’ Nothing will ever be as bad as what you can imagine. Let’s go. You are far overdue for this meeting.”
He stared at her for a moment, debating with himself. His shoulders lowered after a while, and he stood, facing her as he reached the door.
“I hope you’re right,” he said, his tone ominous.
“Since when have I not been right?”
“Well, there was that time involving a rickety staircase,” he replied, his tone dry.
Lily laughed, opening the door and grasping his hand as she pulled him out of the apartment.
“Fair enough, but you can’t say that didn’t end happily.”
“Indeed I can’t,” he agreed, allowing himself to be led to the elevator, where Lily pressed the button.
Atnan was silent as he took the keys from her in the garage, knowing she had no idea where the palace was situated. The car ride was tense as he wound his way through traffic, taking a highway Lily had never been on before. Eventually, Atnan pulled off at an exit and drove down winding roads until a large white structure appeared from behind the foliage.
It was tucked away between the trees, a hidden treasure of creamy white with silver domes. They pulled up to a black iron gate, and a guard walked out of a small booth to greet them.