The Sheikh's Secret Heir

by Kristi Gold

  Conversing with him in front of the staff could be detrimental on several levels. She could only imagine what they were already thinking. “I suppose we can discuss your needs in the corridor.” And that sounded entirely too suggestive. “Needs as in your need for an administrative assistant.”

  “Ah, yes, that need.” He swept a hand toward the opening to the hallway. “After you.”

  Kira rushed out of the room, unable to avoid the curious glances of the employees. She continued down the passage with the current thorn in her side trailing behind her and pushed out the doors leading to the courtyard. Once there, she turned and practically face-planted into Tarek’s broad chest. “Do you mind giving me some space?”

  He took a step back. “Is this better?”

  Better would entail having the persistent man standing several yards away, not less than a foot in front of her. “As long as you don’t come any closer, that will do.”

  His expression turned somber. “Do you fear me, Kira?”

  “Of course not.” Not in a traditional sense, yet she did fear the way he made her feel—vulnerable.

  “Do you believe I would never do anything to harm you?”

  “Yes, I believe that.” He wouldn’t, at least not physically, but he had dealt her an unsolicited emotional blow six weeks ago.

  He released a rough sigh. “Then I must admit I am somewhat confused by your recent attitude. When we first met, I had several opportunities to attempt to seduce you, yet I did not. Instead, we spent many hours engaged in casual conversation, and only conversation, until the night we spent together. I assumed we had established a measure of trust between us.”

  “I thought so, too, until that night.”

  “Clearly I have been mistaken in my belief that our pursuit of pleasure was mutual.”

  “It was mutual,” she stated firmly. “We were both consenting adults.”

  “Then why are treating me as if I am a pariah not worthy of your regard?”

  He didn’t understand, and Kira wasn’t certain she could explain. Still, she had to try, and that entailed revealing how his careless disregard had made her feel. “That isn’t my intent. What we shared was a mistake, not only because I crossed a line I shouldn’t have crossed with a palace guest, but because you’re clearly not the type of man to maintain a monogamous lifestyle. That became apparent when I didn’t hear a word from you after that night, as if you’d had your way with me and tossed me aside.”

  A hint of anger flashed in his eyes. “You are making an erroneous assumption, Kira. As I have told you, I was seeing to business. I do not treat women as chattel.”

  “They why did you fail to inform me you would be leaving?”

  “I was only honoring your request not to approach you again.”

  He definitely had her there. “True, but I didn’t mean we should completely sever all ties. Your actions made me feel used.”

  He streaked a hand over his jaw and his gaze momentarily drifted away before he returned it to her. “My sincerest apologies, and I am sorry that you have so little faith that you would believe I considered our interlude as nothing more than a diversion. If you wish me to lie and say that I do not want you now, I cannot do that. I cannot promise that if you decide to join me, I will be able to discard my desire for you. If you have trouble accepting this, perhaps you should decline accompanying me to Cyprus. I prefer you not do that, but I will leave the decision to you.”

  As he turned to leave, Kira realized that if she rejected his request, she would be giving up the opportunity to know him better. To learn if he might be the kind of man who would be open to raising a child. She couldn’t squander that opportunity for both her and their baby’s sake. “Tarek, wait. We need to talk.”

  He faced her again and sent her a frustrated look. “I have said all that I have to say about this matter.”

  “But I haven’t,” she said as she strode to him. “I’m sorry that I’ve jumped to conclusions, and I do realize you were only following my instructions. If we can get past this, I would really like to start over and return to our original relationship.”

  “Which was?”

  “Friendship.” When he scowled, she added, “Unless you’re not able to maintain a friendship with a woman.”

  “I would find it difficult to go back after what we shared, but I would be willing to try.”

  “And if that’s true, then I’d be willing to go with you to Cyprus.”

  “You will?” Both his expression and tone reflected disbelief.

  “Yes. We could spend the time together getting to know each other better.”

  Now he looked skeptical. “I am a very private person when it comes to certain aspects of my life.”

  “I’m not suggesting you show me a financial statement and I don’t expect to rifle through your underwear drawer for secrets.”

  His expression turned hard, unforgiving. “Why would you believe I have secrets?”

  His reaction took Kira aback and led her to believe he might be withholding something. But so was she. “Everyone has secrets, Tarek. I have no reason to ask you to reveal yours to me, unless you’re doing something illegal.”

  He seemed to relax somewhat. “I assure you that all my business dealings are aboveboard and within the law.”

  “That is good to know.” Now for the question that would seal her fate for the next two weeks, depending on his response. “Since I’ve laid out my terms, does the offer to join you still stand?”

  “Yes. My driver will come for you at 4:00 p.m. and escort you safely to the airport.”

  She had less than twenty-four hours to prepare. Twenty-two hours, to be exact, to change her mind. But, with so much riding on this trip, she had to follow through. “I suppose I will see you tomorrow afternoon then.”

  “I am looking forward to it. Sleep well, Kira.”

  “You too, Tarek.”

  As neither of them made a move to depart, a tension as thick as smoky mountain haze hung between them. The craving to kiss Tarek settled over Kira, and to counteract that desire, she started toward the door to his back, intent on a quick escape. Yet as she brushed past him, Tarek clasped her wrist, halting her progress. “If I establish nothing else during our time together, Kira,” he began, “I am determined to win your trust again.”

  Kira responded with a shaky smile and, after he released her, left him standing alone in the courtyard.

  Trust between them was a slippery slope, for if Tarek Azzmar eventually learned what she’d been withholding from him, he would probably never trust her again.

  She couldn’t worry about that now. First, she had to finish her duties for the night and pack for the trip. Hopefully she wouldn’t be disturbed.

  * * *

  “Are you busy, cara?”

  Sequestered in her quaint but comfortable live-in quarters, Kira looked up from the suitcase to find sixty-something, Italian-born Elena Battelli hovering inside the bedroom doorway sporting her neatly coiffed silver hairdo, standard palace-issued navy suit and trademark kind smile. “I always have time for you, Elena. Come in.”

  “Good. This will take only a few minutes.”

  After placing the last of her clothing into the bag, Kira zipped it closed, lifted it from the cream-colored bench and set it on the floor at her feet. “All done. Did I forget something when we met earlier today to go over the schedules?”

  “You covered everything in regard to business, but I do have an important question.”

  “And that is?”

  Elena strolled into the room and roosted on the edge of the bed. “How well do you know this Tarek Azzmar?”

  That she hadn’t expected. Time to bring out a half-truth. “I’ve met him a few times during social gatherings. Why?”

  “Several rumors have been
circulating among the staff that perhaps you and Mr. Azzmar are...how do I say this? Lovers?”

  If it were truly possible to swallow one’s tongue, Kira would have accomplished that feat following the verbal bombshell. “You know how people talk, Elena,” she said once she’d recovered her ability to speak. “Gossip is as common as morning coffee in this place. You can’t believe everything you hear.”

  “Then why are you blushing, cara?”

  Her hands automatically went to her flushed face before she quickly dropped them to her sides. “It’s embarrassing to think you’re the butt of false hearsay.”

  “Then you and Mr. Azzmar are not romantically involved?”

  “No, we’re not.” At least not anymore.

  “Then he is not the father of your unborn child?”

  Kira collapsed onto the bench from absolute shock. Did she already look pregnant? Had Maysa breached doctor-patient privilege and mentioned it to Elena? Both theories were utterly preposterous. “I have no idea where you would get the idea I’m pregnant.”

  After reaching into her blazer pocket, Elena withdrew a large white plastic bottle. “These fell out of your bag when you hurried out of the office following our meeting.”

  Kira remained frozen on the spot as she eyed the prenatal vitamins. She chastised herself for being so careless, or perhaps she’d subconsciously wanted Elena to find out. Consciously, she thought, for the time being, it was best to rack her brain for some plausible explanation that didn’t involve the truth. “I’ve heard they’re good for your hair and nails.”

  Elena presented a cynical smile. “I know several good herbal supplements that would suffice without expense. I also know when a young woman is concealing the truth from a presumed naïve senior citizen.”

  She should have known better than to attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of the wisest person she’d ever known. Resigned to the fact she couldn’t wriggle out of this, and tired of denying a truth that should be bringing her joy, Kira collapsed onto the bench and sighed. “All right. I am pregnant. But I can’t risk everyone knowing before I tell the baby’s father.” And her poor, clueless parents.

  Elena pushed off the bed, claimed the spot beside Kira, and took her hand. “You are under no obligation to reveal the identity of the man who knocked you up.”

  Hearing “knocked up” coming from the woman’s mouth sent Kira into a fit of laughter. Once she recovered, unwelcome and unexpected tears began to flow. They only increased when Elena handed her a handkerchief and patted her arm. “I don’t know what to do, Elena. I’m so afraid of how Tarek is going to react to this news.” A moment passed before awareness dawned that she’d let the truth tiger out of the cage. “And I’m sorry I lied to you about him in the beginning.”

  “That is understandable, cara,” Elena replied, sincere sympathy in her tone. “This is not something that should be broadcast throughout the palace before you have spoken with the appropriate parties. You do plan to tell him while you’re away together, don’t you?”

  She swiped the moisture from her cheeks. “I’m not sure I’m going to tell him at all. I agreed to this trip in part to find out more about him, and hopefully to gauge how he would react to the news. Maybe even to discover if he’s fit to be a father to my child.”

  “Then you are planning to keep the baby?”

  She couldn’t think much past the upcoming two weeks and deciding whether to inform Tarek. “Maysa and I briefly discussed adoption, but I don’t know if I could let my baby go. Does that make me selfish?”

  “No, cara mia. That makes you a mother.”

  When Elena went silent, stared off into space and smiled, Kira’s curiosity overcame her. “What are you thinking about?”

  “The day your parents brought you back to Bajul after their return from a lengthy trip to Canada. Most people assumed Chandra had hidden her pregnancy from everyone, but I suspected you were a precious gift they had received while they were away. Your mother confided in me not long after.”

  One more stunning revelation in a long line of many within the palace’s hallowed halls. “You knew about my adoption?”

  “Yes, I did, and I have kept the secret since your birth. You can trust me with yours as well.”

  She knew Elena’s word was good as gold, but she wondered what other secrets the woman might be privy to. “Do you know anything about my birth parents other than they were very young? Mother and Father would never talk about them when I asked, and when I tried to contact my biological mother, she wasn’t willing to speak with me.”

  Elena shook her head. “I am sorry I do not. I am also sorry they have not been forthcoming with that information, though I do understand their reasoning on some level. My son can attest to that. Adan spent his life believing another woman to be his mother.”

  Kira wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze. “You had no choice in the matter, Elena. From what you’ve said, you were following King Aadil’s orders to keep Adan’s true parentage concealed. At least the two of you now have the opportunity to know each other as mother and son.”

  “Yet we cannot live openly that way,” Elena said. “Very few people know the truth, as it should be. Rafiq cannot afford another scandal after barely surviving his marriage to a divorcée with his authority intact.”

  And she could very well hand them another huge scandal if anyone learned that Tarek had fathered her child. Perhaps she should resign and move to Canada. No. She could not live off her parents’ good graces, especially when her papa would be so disapproving of her unwed-mother status. But what other options did she have?

  She was simply too tired to plan so far ahead. That fatigue filtered out as she hid a yawn behind her hand.

  Elena got to her feet and patted Kira’s cheek. “You need to sleep, cara mia. When I was expecting Adan, I remember nodding off in midsentence.”

  Kira rose and drew her into a quick embrace. “Thank you for listening to me. I’m honestly relieved that I have someone I can trust to talk to about this.”

  “You can always trust me, dear one. And should you need my counsel following your journey, I will be here.”

  “Thank you.”

  Elena then started toward the door, only to face Kira once more. “Since you obviously have decided to raise your child, I truly hope you find Tarek Azzmar to be an honorable man and a worthy father. As you have learned, every child deserves to know their legacy if at all possible.”

  With that, she walked out of the bedroom, leaving Kira to ponder her words as she readied for bed. Her instincts told her to trust in Tarek. Her past dictated she be overly cautious. Falling victim to a man with dishonorable intentions had taught her that hard lesson eight years ago. She sincerely hoped that the father of her baby proved to be the man she had at first believed him to be, and not someone who judged a woman for her lack of good breeding, led her on, then left her heart in tatters.

  Only time would tell if the real Tarek Azzmar turned out to be a huge disappointment, or a pleasant surprise.

  Three

  He was pleasantly surprised when she entered the plane, yet disappointed at her obvious aloofness when she muttered a greeting. She wore a somewhat sheer blue blouse and fitted white skirt rising a few inches above her knee, and that alone had him battling the urge to invite her into the onboard sleeping quarters, a request she would no doubt reject. He had to respect her friendship request for the time being, yet he could not be certain how long that would last.

  Despite that, Tarek sent Kira a guarded smile as he showed her to the black leather seat and claimed the one set against the bulkhead opposite hers. They remained silent during takeoff, the lack of communication continuing as the pilot permitted them to move about the cabin.

  As Tarek unbuckled his seat belt, Kira removed a magazine from the bag resting at her
feet. “Would you like something to drink?” he asked as he stood.

  “I’m fine, thank you,” she said as she surveyed the area. “This is a very nice plane, maybe even a bit nicer than the Mehdis’, although smaller. With all this black and white, it reminds me of a four-star boutique with wings. I’m surprised you don’t have an onboard bartender.”

  “Due to the short duration of the flight, no attendants are necessary.”

  “Three hours isn’t exactly short.”

  “It is not long enough to justify bringing along a full staff.” In truth, he wanted privacy more than he had wanted someone waiting on him. “Therefore I will serve as your host. My wish is your command.”

  “Again, I have no wishes, but your hospitality is appreciated.”

  Frustrated, Tarek moved to the onboard bar, reached into the upper cabinet above the refrigerator and retrieved a bottle of wine that he had reserved for a special occasion. Apparently Kira did not see anything special about traveling with him. At the moment, he needed something to cut through the tension, even if it came from a glass of twenty-thousand-dollar French premier cru.

  Once he returned to his seat, he found her flipping through random pages. “What are you reading?”

  She paused and lifted the magazine from her lap, then set it back down. “Just something to pass the time.”

  “I have never had an affinity for tabloids.”

  That had earned him Kira’s undivided attention and a scornful look. “It’s not a tabloid. It features book and movie reviews and human interest stories.”

  “If one is interested in reading about adultery, illegal drug use and secret pregnancies involving Hollywood stars. Of course, the secret is soon revealed when paparazzi capture photos of the expectant actresses on the beach and release them to the general public. The concept sickens me.”

  She raised a thin brow. “The photos or the pregnant starlets?”

  “Both, in a sense. It seems it is a rite of passage among the rich and famous to populate the world, with or without the benefit of matrimony.”