by Holly Rayner
“Of course she does. As if you needed the ego boost,” Jibril said, taking a large bite of his sandwich.
Audrey and Jibril said their good-byes, with Audrey waving like an excited child before making her way through the alleyway behind the Sheikh, nibbling on falafel and feeling an overall sense of well-being. Was it the sun? The lack of rain? The sense that Jibril was revealing his true self, like a gift, in the midst of his gorgeous home city? She didn’t know.
After finishing their meals, Jibril turned a quick corner, darting up a set of ancient-looking steps two at a time. Audrey followed, out of breath by the time she reached the top and yet gazing with shock at what seemed like an ancient palace complete with colorful pillars lining the sides and massive, painted doors, which were carved with intricate patterns.
“What is this place?” she whispered, trying to read a sign that hung like a tapestry between two of the pillars.
“It’s my grandfather’s old palace,” Jibril said. “Years and years and years ago, when I was a child, it was abandoned, and Ammar and I would come here after school and wander the hallways alone, making it into a kind of clubhouse. But now it’s been reappropriated by the city. It’s a museum about the history of Ash-Kahlbi.”
“It’s gorgeous,” Audrey murmured, bringing her palm up to feel the smooth, circular pillar made of stone. “It seems impossible that humans used to make places like this without modern technology.”
“Let’s go in,” Jibril said, his eyes glittering. “I haven’t been in here in ages. And I want to see my city’s history with your eyes.”
Audrey followed, watching as he opened the thick entrance doors with a huff. Inside, he flashed a smile at the security guard and ticket salesperson, who both bowed their heads in honor, recognizing him as the ruling Sheikh’s son.
“We’ll just peek around if that’s all right,” Jibril said to them, speaking in English. “I’ve brought an American to experience our history.”
“Welcome,” the ticket seller said, her large cheeks squishing with a smile. “We hope you love it the way we do.”
Audrey and Jibril wandered the long hallways, diving from one century to the next, Jibril pointing out several ancient artifacts and explaining their purposes: swords, tapestries, old goblets—the list went on and on, with Audrey asking countless questions. Never having been outside the boundaries of North America, she was fascinated with the sheer age of everything.
“America is just—what, a few hundred years old?” she said, amazed. “But so much has come before us. And you’re related to most of the people who owned these things?”
“They think so,” Jibril said. “My relatives certainly grew up in this palace. Until my grandfather, of course. My grandfather—he’s a rather interesting man, someone I kind of idealize if I’m being honest.”
“What was he like?” Audrey asked, walking alongside her boss. She felt an emotional link with him, as if their hearts beat together in time, their brains on the same wavelength.
“His name was Sheikh Kassim,” Jibril said. “And when he was a baby, his parents arranged for him to marry a woman from another kingdom when they both reached the appropriate age. Back then, arranged marriages were unquestioned. It was just the way to join kingdoms, the way to make treaties.”
“Not even that long ago,” Audrey whispered, intrigued.
“No. But my grandfather was a modern man, perhaps like myself,” Jibril said. “He saw a woman in the garden one afternoon when he was seventeen years old, and he said he fell in love with her immediately. He said ‘when I saw her face, nothing else mattered.’”
“That’s beautiful,” Audrey said.
“It was, until my grandfather had to try to get her to talk to him. She knew about the arranged marriage, and she was nervous, not wanting to enrage his father, the acting sheikh at the time. But eventually, my grandfather convinced her to meet up, and he kissed her. That was when she knew it was real, too.”
“Sounds like Romeo and Juliet,” Audrey said.
“Kind of. They eventually eloped mere days before my grandfather was meant to marry that other woman. My great-grandfather was furious, but something extraordinary happened when the people of Ash-Kahlbi found out about it. They loved his honesty, his kindness, and his bravery in pursuit of his true love, and thus, his father and the rest of the royal family had to forgive him, lest they be hated by the public. And of course, they grew to love my grandmother very much. it was impossible not to. She was a sweetheart and drop-dead gorgeous.”
Audrey stopped, peering up at the Sheikh as if she were seeing him with fresh eyes. Her lips parted as her attraction for Jibril mounted. “That’s a gorgeous story,” she whispered. “Your grandfather changed the course of your country’s history.”
“You could say that, I suppose,” Jibril said, gesturing toward the wall. A dramatic, royal-looking portrait of a middle-aged man with the same deep-colored skin, dark eyes, and fine-cut jawline as Jibril peered down at them, giving Audrey chills. “This is my grandfather, Sheikh Kassim, the man who gave up on everything else just to fall in love. For whatever reason, love was always enough for him.”
Audrey was in awe. She stepped forward, trying to memorize the man’s face. The paint had chipped in places atop his purple turban and along his large ear, but his firm lips, pressed together, lifted into a familiar smile.
“He looks so much like you,” Audrey said. “And from the story, it sounds like you’re similar in personality as well.”
“Personality?” Jibril said, sounding doubtful. “I’m not so sure about that. But thank you, I suppose. He was a sweetheart.”
Audrey sensed she’d misspoken. She eyed the ground. Each time she felt she glimpsed the Sheikh’s real personality, he pulled back, assuring her she could never get too close. He was distant, a perpetual mystery—and a womanizer, based on his previous affairs with women in San Francisco.
Don’t get too close, Audrey warned herself.
“Well,” she said, clearing her throat, “I think I’m getting rather tired. You wouldn’t mind heading back to the hotel, would you? I imagine you’ll be wanting to meet up with your family—”
“That’s not happening this trip,” Jibril said quickly, turning his feet toward the wide door of the palace. “Unfortunately, it’s just the way it is.”
“Oh,” Audrey said, frowning. How on earth could he travel halfway around the world and not pop in to see his parents? Curious, her eyebrows low, she followed him out into the evening air, which was fresh with a bit of a chill to it, the smell of the sea carried on the slight breeze.
Not wanting to walk all the way back to the office buildings, the Sheikh hailed a cab on the other side of the palace, where the more modern city opened up. Jibril got in hurriedly, and told the driver the address of their hotel in rapid Arabic. Audrey felt the door close between them completely now, assuring her that she was just a personal assistant, nothing more. Romance wasn’t Jibril’s specialty, not like his grandfather.
Servant To The Sheikh can be found on Amazon by clicking here
Also by Holly Rayner
Sheikhs and Princes
Bought By The Sheikh
Stealing From The Sheikh
The Sheikh’s Captive Woman
Marrying The Sheikh
The Sheikh’s Make-Believe Fiancée
The Sheikh’s Accidental Bride
The Sheikh’s Irresistible Proposal
The Sheikh’s Secret Princess
The Sheikh’s Illicit Affair
The Sheikh’s Purchased Bride
The Sheikh’s Tempted Protectress
The Sheikh’s Captive Love
The Sheikh’s Green Card Bride
Bought For One Night: The Sheikh’s Offer
Wifed By The Sheikh
The Sheikh’s Online Bride
Single Mom And The Sheikh
The Sheikh And The Cowgirl
The Sheikh’s Stolen Bride-To-Be
The Sheikh’s
Scandal
Secret: The Maid and the Sheikh
The Sheikh’s Uninvited Lover
Secret Baby Romance
The Tycoon’s Triplet Baby Surprise
The Sheikh’s Quadruplet Baby Surprise
The Sheikh’s Triplet Baby Surprise
The Sheikh’s Quintuplet Baby Surprise
The Sheikh’s Secret Love Child
The Prince’s Scandalous Baby
Hassan: The Bad Boy Sheikh’s Baby
The Sheikh’s Twin Baby Surprise
The Sheikh’s American Baby
Baby Maker
The Prince’s Triplet Baby Surprise
Merry Christmas Romance
The Billionaire’s First Christmas
The Sheikh’s First Christmas
The Billionaire’s Christmas Bundle of Joy
The Billionaire’s Lessons in Christmas
European Billionaire Romance
An Heir For Alexandros: The Greek Billionaire’s Baby
A Baby For Kristos
The Greek Billionaire’s Marriage Matchmaker
Poker Face