by Leslie North
She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the sensations his fingers were evoking, then resumed her tale. “Liyah and I had both decided that we would return, and Sahaar had stopped taking students in after her husband died, and she told us that we would both have a room there, anytime. I figured it would make a good starting point. The city is incredible. The culture, the atmosphere. It’s like living in a fairy tale. It’s a good place to go if you want to try and believe in yourself again.”
He took his hands away from her foot, and she struggled not to show her disappointment. The man’s hands were magic. She opened her mouth to object, but he was only moving his hands from her left foot to her right. He resumed the heavenly massage and then brought her back to the conversation. “What do you want to see?”
Her eyes widened in pleasure. “Are you kidding me?” She laughed and tossed her arms above her head. “Anything. Everything. America is great, but it doesn’t even come close to the natural beauty and history of the rest of the world. I want to roam the halls of ancient castles and gaze upon the art in Paris. I want to shop in Italy and visit the amazing caves in Vietnam. I want to scuba dive with whales and paraglide over the forests.”
“Live a nomadic life?”
“Sort of. I still want roots. I want to be surrounded by people I love, people who love me, and I need a place to call home, but I want the freedom to roam every now and again. What about you? If you weren’t tied down with business and family responsibilities, what would you do?”
Rashid smiled at her as the massage turned into a light touch, gently stroking. It wasn’t seductive but rather comforting. “I’ve never thought about it. As boys, our responsibility to our family is drilled into our heads. My parents are lucky to have three boys.”
“And Amira,” Mila reminded him.
He snorted. “We all love Amira, but she’s more of a curse than a blessing.” He grunted as Mira playfully kicked him and then smiled as she allowed him to capture her feet once again. “But I like to think that I’ve been able to enjoy my life. Society may disapprove of some of the things that I’ve done, but you have to cut loose and live a little. The sports complex is successful and takes up most of my time, but I still know when to blow off some steam. I make time for the things I want to do in life.”
“And the money to do what you want,” she added wryly.
“That does help.”
Mila stared at him, quiet for a moment. It was refreshing to have an open and honest conversation with the man. Here, on this couch, she felt like she was getting to know the real Rashid. “When you’re married, will you still enjoy your life, as you put it?”
“If you’re asking me if I’ll stray, the answer is no. I would respect my wife, and we would find things that we enjoy doing together. Like traveling.”
Mila’s heart slammed inside her chest. “And scuba diving with whales and paragliding over forests?” she whispered.
His hands stilled as he stared at her. “I’m in for the paragliding, but I might have to wait for you on the boat when it comes to whales. I prefer to be on the water rather than in it. I would definitely take you shopping in Italy and to the Louvre in France. I’ll explore caves for you and rent entire castles for you to get lost in.”
“Rashid,” she whispered.
“Mila, wait. Just hear me out,” he said in a low voice. He pushed her legs aside and stood. She straightened as she watched him walk into his bedroom. When he returned, he had a small velvet box in his hand. He settled on the couch next to her and took her hand.
“I did this all wrong in the beginning. Then it was about finding a wife, but after I spent some time with you, it became more about you. I thought you would be perfect for the situation that I was in, but now I think you might just be perfect for me. I bought this ring for you after the gala. I could have gone bigger, but I thought you might prefer something understated and elegant. Like yourself.”
Her breath caught in her throat as he opened the box. It was a small, brilliant, emerald-cut diamond, but it sparkled with perfect clarity. Every side caught the light and lit up like fire.
He was right. It was perfect for her.
“I had planned to take you out later this week and romance you on the boat with that candlelight dinner you were talking about, but somehow, I think this is more fitting. Mila, I don’t want a marriage of convenience with you. I want a real marriage, and I know that my social status is forcing me to rush things, so I’d like to propose something a little different. Wear my ring, Mila. Give me a chance to prove that we can have the real thing. No contracts. No money. Instead, I’m offering you the world.”
There were no words of love, but she didn’t expect there to be. Mila knew that she was already falling for him, and she had every confidence that in time, he would fall for her, too.
All she had to do was say yes.
She opened her mouth, but the word stuck in her throat. She was overwhelmed by everything, terrified and excited at the same time, and all she could do was nod.
Rashid slipped the ring on her finger and leaned over to kiss her. As she curled her fingers in his hair and opened up to him, she knew that her life was never going to be the same.
8
They slept in separate rooms that night. Just the thought of Mila there, on the other side of the wall, drove Rashid mad, but he respected her wishes. Tossing and turning, he tried to ignore the way she’d felt against his body, the way her tongue had danced with his.
By the time the sun rose, he was exhausted and irritated, but he tried to hide it as he made coffee.
“Good morning,” she grumbled behind him.
Turning, his whole body stood at attention.
Her hair was still tousled from the pillow, and she wore only his t-shirt. It skimmed her bare thighs and showed off her gorgeous legs. “God, is that coffee? I would kill for coffee.”
“What else would you do for a cup?” he asked. Several erotic pictures popped up in his head at once, but she didn’t even catch the desire lacing his voice as she pulled the pot off the burner.
“Maim. Slaughter. Slice and dice.” She poured herself a cup and closed her eyes.
Rashid gripped the counter. He was so turned on that now, he was jealous of a damned cup of coffee.
“Those are all different ways to say kill,” he muttered.
“Yeah, I just wanted to let you know that if you were hoping for a blow job, you’re out of luck.” She winked at him and headed back to the guest bedroom. “Do you think it’s too early to call Liyah and see if she made it back?”
“Perhaps. May I suggest an alternative? You take off that t-shirt, spend the morning enjoying a few mind-blowing orgasms, and then we can all have dinner tonight.”
His request was followed by a beat of silence, and he thought she might take him up on his offer. Instead, she popped her head around the door frame and grinned. “Tempting, but I have to work tonight.”
Rashid frowned. “Work? I thought you quit.”
She ducked back into the bedroom, and her voice was muffled—in his mind’s eye, he could see her changing clothes. “I put in my notice, but tonight is my last shift. I should be spending the day job-hunting.”
He had a feeling that telling her she no longer needed to work would just upset her. He tried to choose his words carefully. “If you’d let me, I could call your supervisor and ask if you could work your last shift another time. I spoke to Asad this morning, and he told me that he and Liyah weren’t going to be available until this evening.”
“Why?”
From the giggling he’d heard in the background, he had a feeling that Asad wanted to spend some quality alone time with his wife. “Personal time, I imagine.”
“Oh. Oh!” Mila came back around the corner, and Rashid was disappointed to see that she was fully dressed. “Right. I guess they’ve both been busy lately. I’ll have to talk to my boss and see if he can’t find someone to take my place. I definitely need to go home and take a sh
ower.”
“You can shower here.” With me.
“And change my clothes.”
“I’m sure Amira can find something for you to wear.”
When she looked at him, there was nothing but irritation on her face. “Rashid, I need to go home. I want to check on Sahaar, among other things.”
“Very well,” he relented. “You’ll need to pack your things, anyway.”
“Why?” She frowned as she gathered her hair into a band. “Am I going somewhere?”
The ring sparkled on her finger, and he looked at it pointedly. “You’re engaged to me. You’ll live in the palace. “
“What? No, I don’t think so. You said that we’d get to know each other, some. I can do that just as well from Sahaar’s house.”
“Mila.”
He was trying to be patient, but she cut him off and narrowed her eyes. “Rashid. No. I’m not going to argue about this. We just got engaged six hours ago. I’m not ready to leave my home.” She stared at him for a moment, and he could see the anger in her eyes. “I’ll call a taxi.”
“Ori will take you home,” he said, his voice harsher than he expected. “He’ll pick you up for dinner as well. If you can make it,” he amended.
Mila seemed a little mollified at that and appeared to relax. “Thank you. I know it seems strange to you, but I still need to take this slow.”
“I understand.”
Except that he didn’t. He was offering her a place to stay in a multi-million-dollar palace, and she still insisted on sleeping in her exchange-mother’s humble abode. Striding across the kitchen, he kissed the top of her head. “I hope to see you tonight.”
He already planned on calling the restaurant and ensuring that she had the night off. Tonight’s dinner was far too important for her to miss.
She wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his chest. “I’m a little grumpy in the mornings,” she admitted. “I’ll see you tonight, if I can.”
“Okay. I’ll call you later.”
She left his suite with a smile on her face, and he felt his stomach cramp as he clenched his teeth. Apparently getting Mila ready to be his wife was going to take more time than he’d realized.
To Mila’s irritation, her manager was more than happy to give her the night off. In fact, he told her that she didn’t need to return at all, but she insisted on making up her shift tomorrow. She called one of the other waitresses and agreed to take her lunch shift. Then she could finish up her time at the lounge and not feel like she hadn’t fulfilled her obligation. She also spent some time applying to a few other restaurants in the area.
Sahaar was out for most of the day with her sister, so Mila didn’t get to tell her the good news. Not wanting to let Liyah see the engagement ring before she’d had a chance to apologize, she slipped it onto a chain around her neck.
By the time Ori arrived to pick her up, she’d showered, napped, and changed into a simple but elegant black dress. It was a few years old, something she’d picked up off the discount rack, but she didn’t need to impress anyone. Liyah had already seen her in the dress a couple of times and had even borrowed it once.
Rashid waited for her at the steps to the main entrance of the palace. He immediately frowned when he saw her. “Where’s your ring?” he demanded.
“Easy,” she laughed as she pulled it out from under her dress. “I know it may seem silly, but I’m not sure how Liyah is going to react, and I want to talk to her before I start flashing it in her face.”
He instantly relaxed. “Actually, that’s probably a good idea. I want a chance to announce it to my family.”
“Announce it to your family?” Mila frowned. “Are Amira and Khalid joining us?”
“Yes. And my parents.”
His parents? Mila gasped and stared at him. “What? I’m not dressed to meet your parents! Did you know that this morning?”
“You look fine.” He wrapped his hand around her waist and gently pulled her through the doors. “I did know, but I didn’t want to stress you out. That’s why I wanted you to stay.”
“Well, I’m stressing out now because I didn’t know.” She intertwined her fingers with his and dug her heels into the ground, forcing him to stop lest he topple her over. “Rashid, I need a second to process and prepare.”
He quickly kissed the top of her head. “Too late. Let’s go.”
“No.” Wide-eyed, she shook her head rapidly. “It’s not too late. I can go change real quick, and you can tell them that something held me up.”
“Mila . . .”
“I had to feed the dog.”
“You don’t have a dog.”
“Your parents don’t know that.”
He snorted. “You want to lie to my parents?”
“No.” She tugged a little as he grabbed her hand. “I know! Tell them I’m adopting a dog. And we can go adopt a dog real quick so it’s not a lie. And then I can change.”
“By then, dinner will be over.”
“That’s great. We really should just reschedule. On account of me getting a dog. We’ll need some bonding time. Training time. We’ll have to go get some dog food and toys and . . . Rashid!” she squeaked as he pulled her down the hall.
The doors at the end of the corridor opened as a servant bowed before them.
Terror gripped her as they walked in, and it only got worse when she realized that they were the last ones in. All eyes looked up and stared at her.
Liyah stared at her in confusion, and Asad’s face darkened. Khalid choked on whatever he was drinking, but Amira looked bored. Mila skimmed over them as she settled on the man at the head of the table and the woman by his side. Navine and Shekinah Sharif. In true royal fashion, they didn’t look surprised when they saw her, but neither did they look happy.
“Rashid,” his father growled. “I’m glad that you could finally join us. Could you please seat your guest so that we may begin.”
Mila was relieved when Rashid escorted her to the empty seat next to Liyah. She stared at her friend helplessly, and Liyah reached under the table and squeezed her hand.
In that moment, she regained her composure and relaxed. No matter what happened, she knew that Liyah would be by her side.
“Sheikh Navine, Sheikha Shekinah, I would like to thank you for the invitation and am honored to dine with you this evening,” Mila said formally as she bowed her head.
“We were not aware that you were coming,” Shekinah said coolly. “You are Liyah’s friend, yes?”
“Yes. My name is Mila.”
A servant poured wine into her glass from behind, and Mila quietly thanked the man.
The sheikha was still staring at her. “Mila,” the older woman mused. “And you are friends with my son?”
Clearly, the woman hadn’t turned on the television.
Mila glanced nervously at Rashid, but he was staring at Asad in stony silence. The air was tense around them. Why did she feel like she’d come unprepared for battle? “I have gotten to know your son very well.”
“What do you do, Mila?” Navine asked, and then he threw a sharp glance at his wife. Shekinah did not seem at all bothered by it.
“I’m a waitress at the lounge,” Mila answered in a soft voice.
“A waitress!” Shekinah gasped. “I thought you and Liyah were here for academic purposes. She is opening up libraries all across the nations, and you’re a waitress?”
Oh, God. Mila felt the first spark of anger rising in her.
Before she could say anything, Liyah squeezed her hand and jumped in. “I am opening up libraries thanks to the generosity of my husband,” she said softly. “Before that, I was unemployed.”
“But you had noble ambitions, my dear. What are your ambitions, Mila?” Shekinah asked sharply.
Rashid finally straightened and came to her aid. “Mother, perhaps you could grill her after dinner? I’m hungry.”
As the food was served, Mila seethed in silence. The atmosphere only grew thicker as
the silent dinner went on. One or another tried to make small talk, but Mila could only glare at Rashid. Why was he throwing her into the lion’s den like this?
She reached for her wine, and her elbow hit the heavy, ornate knife and spoon to the right of her plate. They clattered loudly to the floor, and everyone stared at her. “Sorry,” she muttered and pushed back her chair. Bending down, she grabbed the utensils and reminded herself that this was her future family, and she needed to try harder to make a good impression. Resolving to find a way to bridge the gap to the ice queen, Mila straightened up again, and everyone at the table gasped.
Frozen, recovered utensils in hand, she stared at everyone. “What? Is there something in my hair?”
“Mila,” Liyah cleared her throat. “Your necklace.”
Looking down, she realized that the diamond had popped out from under her dress. She looked at Rashid in horror, but there was a smile on his face.
“Mother, Father, brothers, and Amira. I’d like to introduce you to my sheikha-to-be.”
“I’m going to kill you!” Asad growled. “I expressly forbid you to choose her.”
His parents looked thoroughly horrified. Amira finally looked interested in events, and even Khalid had cocked his head in amusement.
Mila clenched her fists. “Rashid, what’s he talking about?” Forbid him? When did this happen? Before or after he’d proposed to her the first time?
Liyah threw down her napkin and squared off with her husband. “What do you mean, you forbid him? Is there something wrong with Mila?”
“No, of course not,” Asad blustered. “She’s just not really the sheikha type. She likes her independence.”
“She is an amazing woman, and she’ll make a great wife for Rashid,” Liyah hissed.
Grateful that her friend was sticking up for her, but not wanting Liyah to get into trouble, Mila tried to intervene, but Rashid’s mother had finally found her tongue.