18
Ali
It was like sinking back into a wonderful dream. He’d almost forgotten how she felt pressed against him, how her lips had tasted. Now it all came rushing back. He longed to take her by the hand and pull her into the palace, up to his room, so that they could have a proper reunion.
But all too soon, she pulled away, and he saw that she was frowning.
“I don’t understand,” she said, glancing over his shoulder. “Aren’t you with…?”
Ali looked back. Saida was watching, wide-eyed, clearly even more shocked by Brooke’s sudden arrival than Ali himself was.
“That’s my sister,” he explained. “Saida. We were just at a state luncheon, greeting the Sheikh of a neighboring country.”
“Oh.”
Relief fluttered across Brooke’s face, and Ali felt a glow of pleasure. She had been distressed at the thought of him involved with someone else. Did that mean what he thought it meant?
Brooke’s eyes flicked over to Saida. “Nice to meet you,” she said.
Saida said nothing, just watched them.
Ali wrapped his arms around Brooke and pulled her to him, cautiously, making sure he gave her ample opportunity to break the embrace if she wanted to. But she came to him willingly, tipping her face to his, and with a gasp that was half relief and half arousal, his mouth found hers again.
He couldn’t do this, he knew he couldn’t—kissing her here in full view of the guards and his sister—but he couldn’t seem to restrain himself. He had assumed he would never see Brooke again, and that he had left her righteously angry and resentful toward him. Now here she was, out of nowhere, and she didn’t seem angry at all.
She broke the kiss, and he saw that she was crying. Concerned, he thumbed a tear away from her cheek. “Are you okay?”
“I’m sorry, I’m just…” She waved a hand and laughed, clearly overwhelmed. “I really never thought I would see you again. Even as I was coming here. It didn’t feel like I was really coming to see you.”
“No?”
“It just all happened so fast…”
“It did?” He frowned. Come to think of it… “What led you to come here? Not that I’m not thrilled to see you. Of course.” He pulled her close again and kissed her forehead. “But after all this time, I’m just surprised…”
She looked up at him, her eyes wide. “It was your letter, of course.”
“My letter?” The letter he’d written to her months ago, when he’d first come back to Shunayy? That had to be the one she meant. He hadn’t thought he would ever hear from her again after sending that letter. What could have happened?
“Well, once I read it, it was pretty easy to figure a lot of things out,” Brooke said.
“It was?” He was disappointed in himself. He’d confessed to using an alias in that letter, but it shouldn’t have been that easy for her to figure out his true identity.
“I did some research,” she continued, “and I saw that article about all the political unrest in Shunayy, and your father—oh, Ali, I’m so sorry—” And she embraced him.
“It’s all right,” Ali said, suddenly feeling rather shaky. “He’s all right now.”
“I wish I could have been there with you.”
He hugged her and pressed his lips to the top of her head, unable to speak.
“Anyway, I saw that things were peaceful here again now, and I was so glad,” she murmured.
So that was it. She had been aware of the turmoil and violence in Shunayy. She had probably even been aware of the death threats he had received. And then, when things had settled down, she had read about that, too. No wonder she had waited until now to make contact. He couldn’t fault her in the slightest. So she had received his letter months ago, but she had heeded his advice to stay away from Shunayy and from the royal family until she felt it was safe.
And now, here she was.
Had she always been planning to come? His letter had specifically implored her to forget him, to move on with her life and leave him in the past. But Brooke had always been stubborn. Ali wouldn’t have been surprised in the least to learn that the only effect the letter had had on her was to encourage her to find him. In hindsight, he probably should have known that would happen. It had been irresponsible of him to contact her.
But how had she figured out who he really was? He truly didn’t think he’d left enough clues to make himself traceable. He certainly hadn’t made reference to his real name at any point, and he thought he’d been careful enough when discussing details that were true to his real life. She hadn’t uncovered his identity from the fact that he had two siblings.
She must have started reading news from Shunayy. Of course. That would account for it. She had said herself she’d been keeping up with the political events in the region—well, she must have started doing that either when he’d left Jasperville or when she’d received his letter. And once she’d begun reading those news pieces, it would have been only a matter of time before his picture appeared.
He should have known this would happen.
But he was glad. Despite the precautions he’d been ordered to take, despite the danger she could have found herself in if she’d made her way here any sooner, Ali had to admit he was overjoyed to see Brooke. He hadn’t imagined he would ever see her again, and the feelings that rushed through him at the sight of her were powerful.
“Ali,” Saida murmured. “We should get inside.”
He knew she was right. Even though the country was at peace now, they had never caught the assassin who had made the attempt on Ali’s father’s life. The security staff felt confident he wouldn’t try again, particularly with the heightened protective measures that had been put into place, but Ali and his family were still discouraged from lingering outside for too long. He wrapped an arm around Brooke and led her through the palace doors and into the grand foyer.
Once they were inside, Saida withdrew quietly. Ali knew she had sensed the weight of this moment and was allowing him to have privacy with Brooke without having to take her deeper into the palace, and he appreciated it. He could see by the way Brooke stared at the architecture—the thick columns and high ceilings—that she was overwhelmed. She probably wasn’t quite ready to be led back into the labyrinth of connecting rooms that comprised the palace. It was very easy for guests to get lost in this building, which was by design—the royal family didn’t want it to be easy for uninvited people to enter or leave. That fact made it all the more intimidating that the would-be assassin had escaped capture.
He led Brooke to a small tea room just off the grand foyer and indicated that she should take a seat. She did so, looking more nervous than he’d ever seen her. It was funny to see the usually confident Brooke looking so out of her element. He rang for tea and then took her hand, eager to put her at ease.
Brooke sat quietly as the valet came in with the tea cart and served their drinks. He could feel nervous excitement coming off her, and he knew she was feeling the same things he was. Being in the same room with her, sitting across from her, after all this time, was like touching a live wire. All of Ali’s nerves were suddenly awake and singing, and he was acutely aware of every inch of space between them.
As the valet left the room, Ali slid forward on his seat so their knees would touch. Brooke inhaled, and their eyes locked. It was all he could do to keep from pushing the table out of the way and grabbing her, then and there, but he was still in his formal attire, and that kept him grounded in the moment.
The last six months had been a time of growth for Ali, and a time of accepting that no matter what he might be feeling, there was a responsibility he had to his family and to his country. He couldn’t afford to be cavalier about this, no matter what he might be feeling for Brooke.
He reached across the table and threaded his fingers through hers. “I missed you,” he said.
She nodded but did not say she’d missed him. She must have, though, right? That must be why she’d come.
“
I’m glad you’re here,” he persisted, reaching for her other hand. She allowed him to take it but did not lean in toward him. “Brooke, that was really brave of you, to come all this way. When I sent you that letter, I never thought…”
“Was anything true?” she interrupted.
“What?”
“I’m sorry.” She shook her head. “I came here to tell you I forgave you, and…and I do forgive you—I understand why you had to lie. But I can’t sit here and act like what was between us was real unless I know it was real.”
“What do you mean?” He frowned. “Brooke, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you who I was…”
“I understand why you couldn’t tell me that. But when I look at you…I still see Blaine. My mind still thinks of you as Blaine. And there is no Blaine. There never was. I have to remind myself to say ‘Ali’ every time I speak to you. Every time I even think of you.”
“If you want to call me Blaine…”
“Of course I don’t want to call you Blaine! I want to call you by your name, Ali. And I want to know true things about you. Do you really love old movies, or did you make that up to get into my good graces because I like them? Did you really not know how to cook, or were you pretending, letting me make a fool of myself by teaching you? Did you really like Vermont? How much of it was real, and how much was part of some…some made up backstory for this fictional person?”
“Brooke.” Ali edged his chair around the table until he was sitting right next to her. When she didn’t move away, he put an arm around her shoulders, and she allowed it. “All of that was real. Everything that happened in Vermont was real. I gave you a false name, and I left out a detail about being the rising Sheikh of a small country—”
Brooke snorted out a laugh.
“But the rest was true,” he told her. “Everything we said. Everything we felt.” He cupped her chin in his hand and looked into her eyes. “All of it.”
“All of it?”
“Brooke, I…I think I love you.”
“How can I trust that?” she asked, her eyes searching his as if she might find answers hidden there. “I forgive you, Ali, I do, and I understand why you did what you did, but you left without saying a word. I thought I was coming with you. I packed my things and went to meet you, and then you were just gone.”
“Brooke, I’m so sorry.”
“I know you are. But your life is so…different from anything I’ve ever known. How can I be sure that won’t happen again?” she asked.
“I will never lie to you again,” he said quietly. “Can you trust that?”
She searched his eyes again and nodded slowly.
Relief flooded through Ali, and he pulled her close and kissed her again. He didn’t know where this relationship could go, or whether the two of them had any hope at a future together at all, but right now Brooke was here, in Shunayy, in his arms, and it was so much more than he’d ever dreamed of.
He took his time, letting his hands roam up and down her back and into her hair, knowing that no one would come into this room. It was the safest he’d ever felt in his relationship with her. She knew the truth now, the whole truth, and she still wanted him. What could go wrong?
After several blissful moments, Brooke pulled away, although she didn’t extricate herself from his arms. “Your father,” she said, looking up at him. “You said he’s all right now?”
“Yes. He was in the hospital for a while, and we were worried, but he pulled through in the end.”
“That must have been awful,” she said, and Ali remembered that she had lost her own father and was therefore in a very good position to understand what he had been through. “I’m so glad he’s doing better.”
“He was just able to resume his full duties as Sheikh last month,” Ali said. “He’s fully recovered now.”
“Wait a minute.” He saw her putting the pieces together. “You mean…do you mean that you were ruling while he was incapacitated?”
Ali nodded. “That’s how the line of succession works. If the Sheikh is rendered incapable of ruling, his successor assumes responsibility. I was in charge of all state business for weeks while my father recuperated—although, fortunately, I did have him to consult with on most things after the first several days. And he hasn’t been able to travel, so I’ve been Shunayy’s delegate in all foreign affairs.”
“Wow,” Brooke said. “When my father died, I couldn’t even handle picking out my own clothes.”
Ali nodded. “I think there’s something to the idea that we figure out a way to do what’s expected of us. I had to step up to my responsibilities as acting Sheikh. I had no choice, and all of Shunayy would have paid the price if I’d failed. So I found a way to do it.”
“You should be proud,” Brooke said. “I don’t think most people could have done what you did.”
“You know that it was dangerous here,” Ali said. “Insurgents have been making trouble, creating unrest and launching attacks against the royal family.”
Brooke nodded. “I was so relieved to hear that was finally dying down.”
“I hope you understand that was why I couldn’t get in touch with you directly,” Ali said. “I would have loved to just send you an email or call you on the phone…fly you out here with me, even, the way we’d planned, when I came home to see my family. But it was dangerous. I couldn’t risk your safety.”
“Of course.” Brooke nodded. “I understand that. I just wish you could have told me.”
“I’ll never lie to you again,” he reiterated, thinking of the letter, of how he hadn’t disclosed his true identity and she had figured it out anyway. There was no point in lying to Brooke; she seemed to uncover the truth no matter what. Honesty would be far easier on both his conscience and his imagination, and with her detective skills, he doubted it would make any difference to what she knew in the long run.
19
Brooke
“Where are you staying?” Ali asked.
Brooke gave him the name of her hotel. “Don’t worry,” she added, catching a flash of concern across his face. “It’s perfectly nice.”
Ali shook his head. “I don’t like the idea of you being alone in an unguarded place.” He bit his lip, and for a moment she saw Blaine again, the confused but eager young man who didn’t have all the answers. “Will you come and stay with me at the palace?” he asked.
“Oh,” Brooke frowned. “I don’t know…”
“You could have your own quarters,” Ali said quickly. “We have plenty of rooms. I didn’t mean stay with me. I just think you’ll be better off—safer—if you’re here. The guards will be able to keep an eye on you.”
“But why would the guards need to keep an eye on me?” Brooke asked. “Nobody’s going to be interested in hurting me.”
“Probably not,” Ali agreed, “but this isn’t going to stay a secret, you know. As soon as we step out that front door, journalists are going to find out about you and me. There will be pictures and speculation in the media as to who you are and what you’re doing here.”
“Really?” Brooke shifted uncomfortably. It made sense, but she hadn’t really thought about what a public figure she would become by associating with Ali. Maybe it did make more sense to stay in the palace. “Okay, I’ll take you up on those quarters. It’ll take me about half an hour to go and get my luggage, but maybe you can tell your man at the door to let me in this time.”
Ali shook his head. “We’ll send for your things.”
“You’ll send for them?”
“We’ll have someone go and pick them up.”
“You can do that?”
“Why not?”
Brooke sat back heavily in her chair. She would have to get used to this royalty thing.
“In the meantime,” Ali said, “I have the rest of today free. What would you like to do? We could go shopping downtown, or we could go get something to eat, or we could drive out of town and see the desert. You don’t have anything like that in Vermont.”
They could. With a quick pull of the bell, Ali summoned the valet, who appeared immediately. Ali spoke to him quietly, then turned to Brooke. “A driver will meet us out front.”
“A driver. Because you don’t drive.”
Ali laughed, helping her to her feet. “My alias was so carefully planned out, and yet it never occurred to my security staff to supply a driver’s license.”
“Had you ever driven before I started teaching you?”
“Not cars.”
“What, then?”
“I can fly a plane.”
Brooke stared. “You can fly a plane?”
Ali shrugged. “I was interested, so my father hired an instructor to give me lessons. I’m not good enough to fly without my teacher yet, but I can take the stick.”
Brooke shook her head. “You’re something else.”
“Something good, I hope?” He grinned.
“I haven’t decided yet.” But she was smiling, too.
The car pulled up, and Brooke and Ali got in. “Take us out to the Oasis,” Ali instructed the driver, who nodded his understanding and then rolled up the partition to give them privacy.
“What’s the Oasis?” Brooke asked.
“It’s a hotel several miles outside the city,” Ali said. “We’re heading there because we have to drive through several miles of desert to reach it, and it’s a good way to see the landscape. You wanted to see a desert, right?”
“I did.” The closest thing she had ever seen had been on a family vacation to Nebraska, where the land was flat and somewhat dry but definitely didn’t fit the mental image she had of a desert.
The car set off down the long drive. Ali reached up and pulled open a tiny door in the back of the partition, revealing a cupboard just large enough to hold two small bottles of wine. He pulled them out and produced glasses from a rack built into the ceiling. “How about a drink?”
Brooke accepted it and sipped. It tasted different from any wine she had ever tried, sweeter without being heavy, and slightly tangy. “What is this?”
The Sheikh’s Second Chance Lover Page 13