by Holly Rayner
It didn’t matter any longer to Khizar that Jacqui would inherit the diamond. It didn’t matter to him if they actually found it. He wanted to find out more about her family, to build that connection, and give her what would make her happy.
He had fallen for his fiancée, and now it was up to him to make their relationship real.
Chapter 16
Jacqui
Jacqui woke up to find Khizar already awake, quietly watching her. He reached out and brushed a strand of hair off her face.
“Good morning,” he said warmly.
She smiled at him. “Is it morning already?”
Khizar’s smile grew wider. “It is, actually. We’ll land in about an hour, I think. I’ll go check with the pilot in a minute.”
Jacqui hummed a happy little sound. “I can’t believe I’m finally going to be visiting someplace outside the United States.”
“We’ll do whatever you want. I’ll take you around the city, show you all the different sites, eat amazing food.”
Jacqui tucked her hands up under her head.
“Yes, please. All of it. I can’t wait to meet your parents, too.”
“They’re going to like you, I promise,” he said.
Jacqui felt the plane bank in a small turn. She shook her head and said, “It feels weird to fall asleep on a plane and wake up knowing we’re still miles above the earth. But it’s definitely the way to travel.”
Khizar chuckled. “It is indeed.”
She stretched and said, “Is it possible for a girl to get some hot chocolate on this plane?”
“If hot chocolate is what you want, then yes.”
“Please. I’m feeling decadent this morning.”
Khizar leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.
“I’ll ask Malik to fix you some hot chocolate. Would you like breakfast in bed?”
Jacqui thought about it, then shook her head. “I’m not feeling that decadent. Give me a few minutes to get ready and I’ll be out.”
Khizar lightly kissed her again. “Take all the time you need.”
Once Khizar had stepped out of the room, Jacqui stretched again and thought about how wild it was that she was on a plane traveling on a treasure hunt to a place she’d never been before. She didn’t think of herself as the type of person to do impulsive things; this trip was definitely on the spontaneous end of the spectrum for her.
But Jacqui felt like the trip was a good thing. She and Khizar were growing closer, and she was learning more about her own family, something she never thought she’d have the chance to do.
She went through her morning routine quickly and when she walked out into the main cabin, she found a silver pot next to a white mug sitting on the table. There was a tray of pastries next to it, along with yogurt and a bowl of fruit. Khizar was already seated at the table, chatting quietly with the steward, but he looked up and smiled when she opened the bedroom door.
Khizar nodded at the silver pot. “Hot chocolate, just for you.”
“Thank you, Malik.” She smiled at the steward, who smiled back and nodded once.
Khizar raised an eyebrow.
“Where are my thanks? I made sure it was ready for you.”
Jacqui stopped by his chair and leaned down to kiss him lightly on the cheek.
“Thank you, too.”
She sat down and poured a cup of hot chocolate, then picked up one of the pastries.
Khizar said, “We’ll be landing in about forty-five minutes. It’s clear, too, if you want to get a good look at Nudushan from the air.”
Jacqui drank from her cup as she looked out the window. To begin with, all she could see was stretches of brown mixed in with stretches of green, but as the plane descended, details on the ground started to become clearer.
She got what Khizar had said about the desolation; even from the air, she noticed that a lot of the land looked barren. But there was something beautiful about it. Jacqui couldn’t wait to see it up close.
They landed and were met by a car and driver where the jet stopped on the tarmac. The driver took their bags and put them in the trunk, then opened the car door. Khizar held the door while Jacqui entered the car, then slid in after her.
“So, I thought we’d go stop off at my place, first. Then, I’ll show you around the city.”
Jacqui marveled as they drove through the sun-bleached streets. “I’m good with that plan.”
A few minutes later, the car stopped in front of a tall, modern-looking building. The driver opened the car door and Khizar helped Jacqui out of the vehicle. A doorman stepped out of the glass front door and gave Khizar a short bow. He held the door for Khizar and Jacqui, as the driver carried their bags into the building.
Khizar led Jacqui to a private elevator, and after a short ride, opened the front door of his penthouse apartment.
Jacqui was overwhelmed when she walked in. The view was the first thing she saw, and it was stunning. Khizar’s apartment was like nothing she’d ever glimpsed before. It was sleek and contemporary, all dark colors and metal.
She turned to Khizar and saw that he was watching her a little nervously.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“It’s magnificent. A little overwhelming, to be honest.”
Khizar studied her. “Overwhelming good, or…”
“Good. I think I could stand looking out these windows all day.”
Khizar led her to a sliding glass panel.
“In that case, you should see this, too.”
He pushed open the glass and led her outside onto a terrace that overlooked the city. From this height, the bustle and noise of the city was a murmur.
Jacqui said, “Actually, this is where I could spend all day.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He was watching her with a frank appreciation that made her blush. “I’d like it if you were happy here.”
Jacqui trailed her fingers along the railing of the terrace.
“I think I could be.”
Khizar showed her the rest of the apartment, and then they went back out so that he could show her around the city. Instead of taking the car, they strolled through the streets. Khizar pointed out some of his favorite places: the coffee shop he frequented, the little restaurant run by friends of his parents, the take-out place around the corner, the other take-out place around the other corner.
Jacqui laughed. “Just how often do you order take-out?”
Khizar shrugged, but grinned back.
“I’m not the best cook, but I’m amazing at ordering dinner.”
“Good to know,” Jacqui said, tucking her hand into his elbow.
He pulled her a little closer as they walked through the crowded streets.
They turned a corner and Khizar directed Jacqui to a large gateway at the end of the sidewalk. Seeing where they were headed, Jacqui stopped suddenly in the middle of the sidewalk, pulling Khizar to a stop next to her.
As Khizar looked at her in question, Jacqui pointed to the huge, ornate building that stood in the middle of what looked like a park on the other side of a large black iron fence.
“That’s where we’re going?” she asked.
Khizar nodded. “That’s the royal palace.”
Jacqui nodded her head in jumpy, nervous movements.
“Of course, that’s the palace. No big deal or anything.”
Khizar pulled her off to the edge of the sidewalk, next to the fence.
“It’s where I grew up. And even though I live on my own, it’s still my home. So, it really isn’t a big deal.”
Jacqui stared at him, eyes wide.
“It’s an honest-to-goodness palace. Of course it’s a big deal.”
He cupped her face and ran a thumb over her cheek.
“You’re right. It’s a big deal because I’m showing you my home. But the building itself—well, it’s just a building.”
Khizar’s tone comforted her and his caress made her feel safe.
“Okay, it’s your
home. The fact that it would fit every house I’ve ever lived in inside it is no big deal.”
“Exactly.” He smiled at her and Jacqui took a deep breath.
“Okay. Let’s go see it.”
The main door sat at the top of imposing stone steps, and was watched over by two guards in uniform. Khizar nodded at them as he and Jacqui walked through the door.
Inside, a butler hurried up to meet them. Khizar nodded warmly, but waved him off. He held a hand out to Jacqui, who took it and let herself by led down the magnificent hallway.
As they walked, Khizar pointed out the decorative mosaics on the walls, floors, and ceilings.
“These are part of the original palace, carefully restored about eighty years ago after a fire. The palace was rebuilt and modernized. My grandfather continued to add improvements to the buildings after he became Sheikh.”
“It’s beautiful, Khizar.”
Her fiancé nodded. “The design is centuries old. Although everything has been updated, the family has tried to keep as much of the historic detail as possible.”
Jacqui slowly turned in a circle, taking everything in. “Is the palace open to the public?”
“It is. It used to be that anyone could walk in, but in recent years, we’ve had to add layers of security. So, now it’s open to the public for tours during certain hours. But all government business is done at other official buildings, so this is just the royal family’s home, now.”
They walked up a set of steps and out onto a terrace. The garden was spread out below, filled with elaborately sculpted shrubberies and stone pathways and lawns.
“I know I keep saying this, but it’s beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Does your entire family live here?”
Khizar tilted his head slightly. “Most of them, though it’s mostly my parents and aunts and uncles. Several of my cousins have moved out into their own homes, as I did. There’s a feeling among the younger generation that some of us need to live among the people, but I think it’s more that we don’t want to live down the hall from our parents.”
Jacqui laughed lightly. “I get that.”
They continued their tour through the palace, Khizar nodding at a few people as they passed by. By time they had circled back to the main entrance, Jacqui felt more comfortable being there because Khizar treated it like home.
She wondered what it would be like to live there. Jacqui assumed that they would live in Khizar’s apartment, or maybe look for another house together. The palace was truly beautiful, but she agreed with Khizar that it would be a little like living in a family fishbowl.
It was yet another thing they needed to talk about.
Jacqui was quiet as they left the palace, and continued walking through the city. She wanted to bring it up, but she also felt overwhelmed by everything that had happened over the last few days. She’d been engaged for barely forty-eight hours, discovered a family member she didn’t know she had, plus traveled more than she’d ever done at once before.
What she really wanted, at that moment, was to stop worrying about everything for a few hours and just enjoy herself.
After their visit to the palace, Khizar took her to the national history museum, where they got a private tour from the head curator. Jacqui enjoyed learning more about Nudushan; it would be her home as well, one day.
They ate lunch at one of Khizar’s favorite places, where Khizar was greeted enthusiastically by the owner when they walked in the door. Jacqui noted that everyone who knew Khizar seemed comfortable around him and genuinely happy to see him. She loved that he was as gregarious and generous at home as he was in Milwaukee.
She also liked that he seemed to be more willing to answer questions here.
“How often are you here? You said you travel a lot.”
Khizar nodded. “It depends, really. There are a few times during the year where I’m gone for weeks at a time. Industry conferences, trade shows, things like that—I might make it back for a night or two here and there, but not much. The rest of the time, I’m gone when I want to be.”
He put down his fork and gave her a thoughtful look.
“You know, from Nudushan, you can fly to just about any location in Europe, Asia, or Africa in a matter of a few hours.”
“And have you visited all of them?” She wrinkled her nose at him, like she already knew the answer.
“Actually, no,” Khizar laughed. “I’ve been to all the places with good parties and hot clubs, but there are a lot of things I haven’t seen.”
“Why not?”
Khizar gave her a look that made her blush.
“Maybe I was waiting for the right person to see them with.”
Jacqui looked down, pleased at his answer. She was starting to feel better about the idea of moving so far away from her home.
She asked for a few hours of downtime before dinner with his parents, so Khizar took her back to his penthouse. Jacqui collapsed on his couch, where she wanted nothing more than to sink into the cushions and stay there for a little while.
Khizar watched her, a little amused, Jacqui thought.
“You don’t have to hover, you know. I’ll be fine on my own if you have things you need to take care of,” she said.
“Are you sure?” he asked, and she nodded.
“Honestly, I know I slept on the plane, but I think the last few days are catching up with me. I might just take a nap.”
Khizar dropped a kiss onto the top of her head.
“In that case, I’ll run to the office for an hour. Make yourself at home.”
Jacqui curled her legs up on the couch and found a comfortable pillow to rest her head on.
“Done.”
She could hear laughter in his voice as he said, “You know, there’s a perfectly good bedroom down the hall.”
“Mm-hmm. This is a perfectly good couch. I can tell it was made for taking naps on.” Jacqui waved one hand at him. “I’m fine. Go on, and I’ll see you in a bit.”
She heard him move and then felt a soft blanket cover her. Khizar tucked the fabric around her, and then kissed her head again. Jacqui thought as she fell into sleep that he had done little things like that more over the past few days. It was something she could get used to.
Chapter 17
Jacqui
When Jacqui woke up almost two hours later, Khizar sat in another chair, where he typed quietly on his laptop. He looked up as she lifted her head off the pillow.
“Hey, did you have a good nap?”
Jacqui rubbed her eyes and stretched.
“I did, thank you. Did you get some work done?”
He nodded. “I did.”
“How long do we have until dinner?”
“Just under thirty minutes.”
Jacqui was sure she hadn’t heard him right at first, but the look on his face showed that he wasn’t kidding.
She jumped up from the couch. “Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?”
“You looked too adorable sleeping to wake you up.” He shrugged. “Also, I tried, and you pushed me away.”
He wasn’t kidding about that either; Jacqui could tell. She must have been more tired that she thought.
“Sorry,” she said, wrinkling her nose.
He chuckled. “It’s fine. You needed the sleep. And the restaurant is just around the corner.”
Jacqui started moving for the bathroom.
“Give me ten minutes to make myself presentable.”
“You have plenty of time,” he called after her, his tone somehow teasing and irresistible all at once.
Jacqui and Khizar walked into the restaurant right on time. She’d rushed to get ready, glad that at least her hurry distracted her from most of her nervousness. It wasn’t until they got into the car that Jacqui had a few minutes to think, and to get anxious.
She hadn’t done the whole ‘meeting parents’ thing since, well, high school. And all those meetings had generally been before a dance or h
omecoming, some occasion that she looked back on now and realized just how easy those encounters had been.
Now, Jacqui was meeting her future in-laws, who also happened to be royalty. The combination was more than a bit intimidating.
When they arrived at the restaurant, they were shown to a table in the best part of the dining room, a large curved booth with a view of a park across the street. As they approached, Jacqui saw an older couple sitting at the table, who she assumed were Khizar’s parents.
When the man and woman stood up and greeted Khizar with warm hugs, she knew she was correct. Khizar hugged each of them and then turned to hold a hand out to Jacqui.
“Mother, Father, I’d like you to meet Jacqueline Bauer. Jacqui, these are my parents, Adil and Sonja Jamshidi.”
Khizar’s mother held out her arms to Jacqui, who found herself enveloped in a hug as Sonja said, “Jacqui, it’s a pleasure to meet you. We’re delighted that you’re here.”
Jacqui hugged her back.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too. I’m so happy to be here.”
Adil shook her hand and ushered them all back into the booth, Jacqui and Khizar sitting on one end of the half-circle and Sonja and Adil on the other.
“Did you enjoy seeing the city today?” Sonja asked Jacqui, as their server poured sparkling water in each of their glasses.
“I did. Al Nud is such a lovely city,” Jacqui replied.
“We were a bit surprised when Khizar arranged dinner,” Adil added. “Not that we’re not happy to see him, but he’s been a bit preoccupied lately. I guess I can see why, now!”
Jacqui smiled. She wasn’t sure how much Khizar had told his parents about her great-uncle, so she kept her response somewhat vague.
“Our visit was a bit of an impulse, I know. I’m so glad you were able to have dinner with us.”
Khizar squeezed her hand under the table and Jacqui looked at him. He raised his eyebrows, then looked down at her ring, asking her silently if he could share the news. Jacqui nodded and Khizar cleared his throat.
“Actually, we have some news we’d like to share,” Khizar said. He picked Jacqui’s left hand up and rested it on the table, keeping her hand covered with his.