The Sheikh's Scheming Sweetheart

by Holly Rayner

  Vanessa was, as always, just happy to spend the night with Ramin. But she had to wonder what all this was about. Flying her parents out to see her was strange enough, but organizing a dinner with all of his family as well? Something was up.

  Her suspicion only increased as they lingered over dessert and wine and Ramin began to shift restlessly, clearly working himself up to something. She’d known him long enough to recognize that look of nervous excitement. She just couldn’t figure out what he was planning.

  Then he cleared his throat, the rest of the table falling quiet as he raised his wine.

  “I’d like to make a toast,” he said standing up, “to Vanessa Hawkins. What you’ve achieved in the field of archeology will change history, and your career is only just beginning. I know you’ll continue to make incredible discoveries long into the future. I hope I’ll be there to see them all.”

  He smiled down at her kindly, turning to face her more fully.

  “You and I both spent our youths looking for adventure,” he said. “Through history and fairy tales, we both struggled to find a greater meaning for our lives. But the greatest adventure I’ve ever had is just being part of your life. I know, standing beside you, the adventures will never end. When you met me, I was paralyzed with fear of being alone or trapping myself with someone who didn’t love me for myself. But you’ve never asked me for anything except my love. For love beyond life. For love that could conquer armies. For love, and nothing more.”

  Vanessa’s heart skipped a beat as she recognized those words from the inscription above Amanirenas’s tomb.

  “Ramin,” she said softly, forgetting for a moment where they were. He couldn’t be planning to…

  But Ramin was already moving down onto one knee, taking a small box from his coat pocket. Vanessa’s breath caught in her throat, overwhelmed tears springing to her eyes.

  “I want to stand beside you forever,” Ramin said, opening the box to reveal a beautiful ring, a reproduction of that worn by Amanirenas. “Through this life and the next. Vanessa Hawkins, will you marry me?”

  There was a frozen moment as Vanessa stared at him, unable to find the words, and then suddenly she threw herself forward onto her knees in front of him to kiss him thoroughly. What better answer was there than that?

  He held her tightly, kissing her back, both of them laughing against one another’s lips, giddy with happiness.

  “Well, did you say yes or not?” Vanessa’s mom interrupted impatiently.

  “Yes!” Vanessa said, laughing, as Ramin slid the ring onto her finger. “Yes, yes, absolutely yes!”

  He kissed her again, then drew her up onto her feet. He looked away from her for only a moment to glance at his father, hoping for approval. Sheikh Al-Zand just nodded and smiled, the first time Vanessa had seen him do so.

  Ramin beamed, squeezing Vanessa close.

  “I have one more surprise,” he said to her, grinning. “I’ve already chosen a location for our honeymoon.”

  “Really?” Vanessa asked, confused.

  “South America,” Ramin replied with a grin. “I have connections there, one of whom just informed me of the possible location of a lost pre-colonial Aztec library.”

  “A library?” Vanessa gasped. “But Cortez burned everything! There are only three pre-colonial Aztec codices in existence!”

  “Not anymore,” Ramin said, delighted by her excitement. “At least, not if we can find it and translate them.”

  Vanessa kissed him again, hard and fast with her excitement.

  “When do we leave?” she asked as they separated.

  “Wait, you’re going off to the South American jungles?” her mother asked, distraught. “What about your nice teaching job?”

  “Oh, relax, Helen,” Vanessa’s father said, waving her down. “It’s what she loves.”

  “It’s not all I love,” Vanessa said, smiling at Ramin adoringly.

  She kissed him again as their family, now one, laughed and talked about the wedding preparations. But for Vanessa, all that mattered was that she was going to spend the rest of her life doing what she loved, next to the man she loved. The adventure, she knew now with absolute certainty, would never end.

  The End

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  The Tycoon’s Temporary Twins

  Holly Rayner

  And now an extra special teaser of my most recent book, The Tycoon’s Temporary Twins.

  I hope you enjoy!

  Copyright 2017 by Holly Rayner

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part by any means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the explicit written permission of the author.

  All characters depicted in this fictional work are consenting adults, of at least eighteen years of age. Any resemblance to persons living or deceased, particular businesses, events, or exact locations are entirely coincidental.

  Chapter One

  “Miss? Excuse me, miss?”

  Sophia jumped as she looked up from her phone, a strand of smooth brown hair falling across her face as she faced the barista.

  “Is this your double shot espresso?”

  Brushing the strand from her cheek, she granted the young man a sheepish smile as she reached for the paper cup.

  “Yes, I’m sorry. Work never sleeps, you know.”

  “Of course. Have a great day.”

  The kid was moving onto the next cup of coffee as Sophia turned and headed for the door, pushing past the long line of people eager to take their first sip of that magic potion that brought everyone in New York City to life.

  Stepping out into the warm spring morning, Sophia pocketed her phone as she inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of the city that she adored. When she had toured the university of her dreams ten years before, Sophia had known in that instant that she was made to be a New Yorker. The architecture was unbelievable, and she wanted to be a part of building bigger and better things, adding her own giant masterpieces.

  Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and when Sophia saw who is was, her lip twitched ever so slightly as she tapped it to answer the call.

  “What did I do this time?”

  “Why do you always assume you’re in trouble when I call you?”

  Sophia’s sister, Genevieve, was two years older, and for all intents and purposes had followed a very different life path than her younger, slightly more ambitious sister.

  “Why don’t you tell me why you’re calling, and then we can figure out if I’m right.”

  “You are so weird,” Genevieve laughed. “Well, I’m calling to make sure you’re still coming to our house for dinner tonight.”

  Sophia removed her phone from her ear, checking her calendar in a flash and wincing as she looked at her schedule.

  “I think I know why I’m in trouble,” she said, her tone filled with guilt.

  “Sophia Louise Simms, you did not forget another dinner party! The kids are going to be so disappointed!”

  Sophia’s heart sank at the thought of letting her sister’s children down. While they couldn’t get together terribly often—Sophia had a job that took up much of her time—the time they did spend together was fun and meaningful. She was sad to miss out.

  “Tell them I’ll make it up to them. You can expect a very large delivery of candy later today, okay?”

  “If you don’t do that, I will forgive you. I’m sure they will too, without ever needing to know about it.”

  Sophia smiled slightly as she realized she had instantly won her sister’s forgiveness. No matter how many times she had to cancel, her family never faulted her for it. They knew how important her work was to her.

  “Don’t think you aren’t my preference,” she hedged, stopping abruptly at a crosswalk as yellow cabs and chic tow
n cars flew past, always in a rush. “I actually forgot that I have an engagement party tonight for one of my college friends, Cynthia.”

  “You still talk to her?” Genevieve asked.

  Sophia shrugged, even though her sister wasn’t there to see it. The light changed, and the blinking indicator signaled for the crowd of walkers to get a move on before the next stream of cars decided to plow them over.

  New York was such a crowded, busy place. Sophia loved it. She loved the feel of purpose that surrounded her as everyone in her area rushed to go do something meaningful, whatever it was. There was a sense of urgency that drove her on, filling her with excitement to get to her own work, and get started for the day.

  “Not really. That’s why I have to go. I think I qualify as the worst friend in the world if I don’t.”

  “And what kind of sister are you for bailing on me, hmm?”

  “A very lovable one who always makes it up to you in the end?”

  Sophia’s tone was falsely sweet, and she could almost hear her sister’s eye roll from all the way across town.

  “Just have fun tonight, and try and pencil us into your schedule soon, okay? I believe you owe someone a majorly big fort.”

  “I believe I do, and I won’t back out on that deal either. You can count on me.”

  “Whatever you say. Please take care of yourself and be safe.”

  “Careful, Sis. You’re starting to sound an awful lot like our mother.”

  “Heaven forbid!” Genevieve said, and the two women shared a laugh.

  Sophia ended the call, placing her phone back into her pocket as the sun rose over a skyscraper, blinding all the commuters as they donned expensive sunglasses before ducking into various buildings. When Sophia reached her own building, a rose gold-colored masterpiece, she stepped inside, instantly missing the fresh air of spring.

  “Good morning, Miss Simms.”

  A security guard named Norm nodded to her from his seat behind the gate, and Sophia waved cheerily, holding her precious coffee steady in her other hand.

  “Morning, Norm! Big day ahead?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he replied, polite as always.

  Sophia smiled warmly at him as she passed through the monitor, which remained silent as she breezed past the main lobby and straight towards the elevators, where she pressed the button for the very top floor.

  Her ears popped as she rose higher and higher into the air. After the twentieth floor, the solid wall structure gave way to a series of windows, and Sophia turned and stared out at the city as she rose far above it, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction as she did so.

  This was exactly why she loved her job.

  Sophia had always been a builder at heart. While other little girls were playing with dolls and sweeping invisible dirt from their pretend houses, she was building unique and interesting towers with anything she could find. She had made friends easily, but it was mostly due to her manner; Sophia really never cared if she had friends or not. She just wanted to build. Getting a degree in architecture was one step among many to get to where she was professionally so early on in life, paired with a very luckily timed internship.

  By the time she was twenty-six, she had designed her first building. In fact, she was proud to be standing in it at that very moment. The rose gold and glass plated elevator were two of her favorite ideas, and as her first structure, she couldn’t have been prouder.

  When she reached the top floor, the elevator let out a pleasant little jingle—another one of her ideas—and when the door opened she stepped out into her chic office space.

  Working at an architectural firm meant everything in the space was dynamic and interesting. There was color and shape and design that had yet to even reach other buildings, and Sophia was proud to have won many architectural awards for the design and implementation of this building. She passed by a photograph of herself on the cover of a popular magazine, deeming her number one on the thirty under thirty list.

  It was good to be on top of the world.

  “Sophie! You’re actually on time!”

  Luis, one of her colleagues, was grinning at her with his arms crossed. She fought back the urge to stick her tongue out at him.

  “It’s spring, Luis. Don’t you think we deserve to enjoy the warmer weather a little? Isn’t that what life’s all about?”

  “Not when you’re aiming to be top architect in New York by thirty. You may have won some little award for this place, but as the saying goes, what have you done for me lately?”

  Sophia rolled her eyes at him, taking a sip of her coffee, which had finally cooled enough to be drinkable.

  “Well, you’ve certainly one-upped me. Well done. Now, what’s on your docket for today?”

  Luis ran through a series of projects he was working on, and they instantly got to business, Sophia following him as they turned and walked towards a project room playfully known as the Sandbox, where all creative imaginings were allowed to happen. The room was comprised of walls made entirely of whiteboard paint, so that they could draw and craft ideas all over the space. Even the tables were made of whiteboard. They approached a project they had been working on for the past few months, evaluating their calculations and design for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon.

  Finally, once one o’clock rolled around, Luis proclaimed that he needed to go out for food, and Sophia waved him off as she continued writing equations and sketches on the wall, her mind whirring at the possibilities of their next big project. When Sophia got into her zone, the whole world around her disappeared, and she was lost in her work. The sun could cross the sky, the moon could rise, and the sun could return, and there was a chance she might not have even noticed that a day had escaped her.

  As she continued staring at one particularly tricky equation, a knock on the door jarred her out of her focus.

  “What?” she asked, trying not to sound curt.

  Luis just laughed. He was used to Sophia’s drive and determination, and he considered it his personal mission in life to keep her grounded, lest her head get too big. He pointed out towards the windows, which graced whatever part of the room that wasn’t made of dry-erase board. When Sophia followed his gaze, she realized that the world outside was entirely dark.

  “Whoa, oops,” she said, glancing down at her thin wrist watch.

  It had been a gift from her parents for her graduation, and one of her most prized possessions. Her mind quickly flitted to them, wondering what they could be up to in their quiet Pennsylvania town on a Friday night. Most likely sitting on the couch, watching TV. Sophia gave herself a mental shake as she looked back at Luis and shrugged.

  “I guess having those automatic lights installed wasn’t totally thought out,” she said.

  She had designed the room so that the lights would gradually increase as the world outside darkened, making the room rely almost entirely on natural light to save energy. The efficient bulbs she had chosen were so close to natural light that she hadn’t noticed the whole day passing by as she worked.

  “I guess the inability to look past one’s nose detracts from living one’s life. Did you even step out for a bathroom break today?”

  Sophia shrugged him off, grabbing her light coat as she made her way towards the elevator. He stepped aside to let her through.

  “Those needs are for peasants,” she said, knowing it would get a rise out of him.

  “Oh, so sorry. I forgot you’re so godlike that you don’t need to eat and pee like the rest of us.”

  “Well remember next time, Luis. I don’t need to be brought down to your silly human level.”

  “Whatever, girl. Don’t you have a party to get to or something?”

  “How did you know about that?”

  “Because they called the office, and I called out to you that you had a message, and you ignored me. I’m surprised you even heard me knock.”

  “So I’m a little dedicated to my work. Sue me.”

  “Only when on
e of your buildings crashes on me. Then you can bet you’ll be paying me the big bucks.”

  “That day will never come, and you know it.”

  “Well, now you know. For heaven’s sake, go have a drink and get out of here, Soph. You may work like a robot, but I know there’s a person hiding in there somewhere.”

  Sophia stuck her arms out straight, her expression going slack.

  “Does not compute. Does not compute.”

  Luis chuckled.

  “Go on then. At least I can say I got here before you and I’m leaving after you, so today I win the dedication award.”

  “Not true. You had to take a lunch break, like some kind of real human.”

  Sophia laughed as Luis slung another string of fake insults at her, their brother-sister relationship firmly in place as the elevator doors closed in front of her, her last view of him turning his back as he moved on to presumably some other project.

  Like he’s one to talk, she thought.

  Luis and Sophia had joined the firm at the same time as interns, among several other young hopefuls. They were the two most determined, most hard working, most competitive ones in the bunch, and it was through that drive that they were the only two selected to stay on with the firm once the internship had ended.

  Their battle to be the best had been going strong ever since.

  When Sophia and Luis had both been asked to submit proposals for a new architectural firm building, Sophia’s had won out by a landslide, and Luis had never failed to mention design flaws at every opportunity. None of that bothered Sophia in the slightest. After all, her persistence and hard work had won, and they were standing in her building, not his.

  The air was cool when she stepped back out onto the streets of Manhattan. Traffic had died down considerably in the business district, and she stepped out towards the curb, holding her hand out to hail a cab.