by Leslie North
He was right, and Nina knew it. She opened her mouth to concede the tiff. Maybe conceding would get his attention, and then everything could go back to the way it had been before the gallery opening. First she would admit that this anger bubbling inside her wasn’t really about riding horses, it was about being heard, being trusted with her own body, and if he’d listen—
“Head back to the palace,” Matek said before she had a chance. “We can discuss this when I’m finished here.”
For the first time in her life, Nina had no words. What the hell was he thinking? She wanted to rage at him, but her mind was totally blank. She stood there while Matek led the horse toward the opposite end of the stable.
“We will not,” she muttered, her mouth finally coming back online. “I’m not going to discuss this with you. I’m taking back control of my life.”
Did he pause before he rounded the corner? She couldn’t decide.
“Ms. Frank?” The lead security guard from outside Matek’s rooms—a man named Muneer—spoke behind her. He’d changed his clothes. Instead of his black pants, he wore athletic shorts. “Did you find Sheikh Matek?”
“Of course I did.” All her feelings had bubbled into a seething mess, and if she didn’t get them out now, she’d explode. “I’m going for a run.”
Muneer gave her an even look. “I can’t let you go alone,” he said, “but the team can give you a little space.”
“Wait.” The voice cut cross the stable yard, clear and strong. Matek jogged into a view a moment later, wearing riding pants, a tank top, and a pair of sneakers that looked like he might have found them in a corner of the stable. His jaw was set. “If you’re insisting on this, I’m going with you.”
“Good.” She pushed aside her surprise. “Let’s go.”
From the hills, they could look down on the palace walls, the forest that cut through the royal grounds, and part of the capital city. They’d run up into the hills, Nina pushing the pace. He felt the same rush he got from riding hard over the ground. But if he was honest, it wasn’t the run that had his heart racing. It was Nina in those workout clothes, determination flashing in her eyes.
She’d almost drawn him in, back there at her appointment. Matek wasn’t sure if he could afford that. To have his heart pulled in two different directions, to always be letting one thing down...
It wasn’t a decision he was prepared to make.
“You should slow down.”
Nina cut a glance at him. “No. If you need to go slower, then you slow down.”
He laughed out loud, the release feeling good. “I want you and the baby—”
“The baby and I are fine.” Nina put on a burst of speed.
It struck him as too fast, too much. “Nina, slow down.” The doctor’s words at the last appointment flew through his mind. What had she said about vigorous exercise? It was all right, but only for short periods.
Nina darted into the trees, running far faster than he’d thought she could. His heart leapt into his throat, screaming Danger! Danger! Danger! What was she doing?
Matek raced after her. Fast, then faster.
Nina rounded the corner of the trail and he took the opposite branch, knowing it met up a few yards later. He pushed harder and came out of the trees at the same moment she did.
“You have to stop,” he called. “It’s not safe for the baby to go this hard.” Their eyes locked with a crash that seemed almost physical. Nina’s cheeks were pink, her chest rising fast with every breath, and she had fire in her eyes. He wasn’t sure she would stop at first, but she did—he didn’t give her much choice, running until his lungs screamed and cutting in front of her. She crossed her arms over her chest, then dropped her hands to her knees and bent forward, keeping her eyes on him.
He closed the distance between them, frustration hot beneath his skin. “You’re not following my instructions.” His guards came jogging into the clearing. He met Muneer’s eyes. “Away from us. Now.”
They didn’t hesitate, and he stood alone with Nina on the edge of the path. A tree bowed gracefully over them, its trunk wide and sturdy. Matek was the opposite of that tree. He was the wind on fire.
She stood so close, her face glistening with sweat and exertion, and her sharp gaze cut through his frustration and into the cold heart of fear underneath.
“No, I’m not following your instructions.” He’d never heard her voice so even or so deadly. “I don’t have to follow your instructions.”
“You do,” he commanded. “You absolutely do. For your safety and for the safety of our child.”
“I do not.” Nina stepped closer, her breath brushing his lips. “I don’t have to do a thing you say, because I’m your fiancée, not your property. I’ll run as fast as I want to.”
She whirled away from him, her elbow catching him just below his ribs, and he stopped her motion with one hand on her arm. Nina whipped her head back toward him, chest still heaving.
“Say that again,” he growled.
“I’ll do whatever I please,” she hissed.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“You’re out of line.” Her voice rose with every word.
“I’ve had enough,” he countered.
“I haven’t.” He expected her to pull away, to run away, but instead their bodies came together hard, her arms around his neck. “You are infuriating,” she said against his mouth, and then her lips were on his, the kiss desperate and hot and more of an attack than anything else. She pushed against him, he pushed against her, and they battled for dominance in the small space between them. Matek couldn’t fight the desire that thundered through him like a racehorse. His cock jumped to attention, and his hands found her waist and the back of her neck. He pulled her in as if this clash would solve everything for them, everything. “Is that why I want you so much?”
The small noises she made while he took her mouth with his tongue turned into little moans. Matek came undone. He stripped her pants down, taking her shoes with them. “Matek,” she gasped. “The guards—”
“I don’t care about the guards.” He lifted her, pressing her back against a tree. He opened his own pants, and Nina’s hot core sank down against him. She gripped his shoulders, fingernails digging in through his shirt. Her hips worked hard against his. Every movement was like the clash of a long-ago battle, his blood thrumming and every muscle singing with it. He brought her down with both hands. Here was power and release. Her gasp in his ear and a tight clench around his cock gave him a few seconds’ warning, and then Nina came, eyes locked on his. He followed her shortly after, growling into the side of her neck, and at last some of the fear and anger and doubt poured out of him.
They stood gasping against the tree, frozen together. Matek’s lungs relaxed. Slowly, so slowly, he put her back on her feet. Nina bent and untangled her clothes. She dressed. She put her shoes back on. When she looked back at Matek, he saw a certain satisfaction in her eyes.
“You can’t tell me what to do,” she said.
“I will,” he answered.
She said nothing, only turned and went.
14
Nina stood in the center of Matek’s apartment and flicked through her phone. Calling him struck her as strange. She shouldn’t have to call him, and yet she did. They had gone back to their solitary schedules after her fateful run, which she’d paid dearly for. The easy jog back to the palace had taken the rest of her energy for the day. She had only seen Matek between napping and sleeping, and he was always leaving.
But the next day, she’d felt even better, and the next. It was time to finish the apartment. She had spent so much time while she was sick consulting with Devra and looking up pieces online that in the end it only took a day to move everything around. One day, and a small army of servants who helped her pack everything away. In the space of twelve hours, they completely transformed Matek’s apartment. She’d chosen a color scheme that spoke of the desert—sand and sun with hints of glittering gold—and the sp
ace went from plain white walls and stark furniture to a cozy haven. But Matek hadn’t been back to see it yet. He was at the security command center, probably, or...
She didn’t know where else.
Nina dialed his number and paced in a tight circle while she waited for him to answer.
“Is everything all right?”
The worry edging Matek’s voice tugged at her heart. Why can’t you see that it can’t work this way? She wanted to say it so badly, but she put a smile on her face. People could sense that over the phone. She’d heard that more than once in her college days. “Yes, yes, everything’s all right. I just wanted to let you know—” Pride blossomed in her belly. “I’ve finished redecorating your apartment.”
A beat of silence passed, and Nina’s heart stopped along with the conversation.
“That’s wonderful,” said Matek. A soft clicking echoed in the background of the call. “Thank you for handling that.”
“I’d like to give you a tour,” she offered. “A little light refreshment along with it.”
“Tonight?” He sounded like nothing so much as a harried husband, and her stomach sank. “I can’t be there tonight. We’re on a time crunch with testing some new security system features. I won’t be back until late. Happy to see it tomorrow, though.”
Happy to see it tomorrow. So much for extending an olive branch. He’d snapped it over his knee and thrown it to the ground.
“All right. See you then.”
It jangled her nerves, talking to Matek this way. Tears stung the corners of Nina’s eyes. She hated each solitary tear. She had done the thing. The decorating was finished, and it looked wonderful, and...
Someone was going to see it.
She texted Devra first. “Tour of the new decorations! 7:00 tonight. I’ll take care of the food!”
Devra’s reply came back within seconds: she was coming. She’d bring the other women in the family and tell Jaleel to be there, too. And their father.
Nina’s heart lifted and warmed. So what if Matek was too busy for her? It was her decorating job, and she’d have a party if she wanted to.
The next few hours were a whirlwind of last-minute planning. Luckily, the head chef loved Nina and was willing to move the family dinner and make a few tweaks toward a celebratory feel. Nina rushed into the shower, styled her hair, and pulled on one of her favorite dresses. She caught a glimpse of herself in the full-length mirror and froze. Was that...the hint of a baby bump? Yes, yes it was. She turned one way, then another, staring into the glass as if she were looking at a totally different person. In a way, she was.
At seven sharp, the family arrived. Nina braced for anxiety to set in, but she found herself hustling to the door at the first knock. Devra stood in the hall, beaming. “Let’s see!”
They all came in at once, talking over each other. “Look, the wall hangings!” The women rushed over to pinch the hangings between their fingers. “These look wonderful.” Jaleel admired the new entertainment center. Even Armon milled around with his hands in his pockets, nodding at everything he saw and giving Jaleel a lecture on good decorating taste.
Nina dropped a hand to her belly and let her palm skim the barely-there bump. They were cheering her on. They were...accepting her. And it didn’t seem to make any difference that Matek wasn’t there. Armon detached himself from Jaleel and came to take Nina’s hands in his. He raised her knuckles to his lips and brushed a kiss across them. “You’ve gone above and beyond,” he said. “Well done.”
It was flattery, but Nina’s face heated with pride, nonetheless. “Thank you, Armon.” She couldn’t honestly remember her parents ever looking her in the eye to congratulate her like this. Not when she got into college. Not when she got her master’s degree. Not when she informed them she’d be living out her dreams across the ocean. Never.
Nina ushered them all into the newly appointed dining room and signaled for the waiters to start bringing out the food—a lush salad with dried cherries and walnuts for a starter and chicken for the main dish. The chicken itself smelled so good that she wanted to take an entire tray for herself. It had been marinated for hours in a fragrant blend of local spices, and she knew it would be perfect.
Devra caught her by the elbow on her way to her seat. “How are you doing with all of this?”
“With the apartment?” Nina laughed. “Just fine.”
Devra shot her a look. “Where’s my brother this evening?”
Nina blinked hard and pretended to watch a waiter serve a portion of salad to Armon. A lump formed in her throat, disappointment become physical. She swallowed it back. “He’s at work.”
“I’m not surprised.” Devra shook her head. “Matek has never been good at enjoying life. It’s all about work, achieving the next thing, and checking the next destination off his list.”
“I—” Nina put her fingertips to her lips, then forced a big, calming breath. “I guess I’m having some reservations about being with a man who treats family like a distraction. Almost like a weakness.” Nina’s voice sounded strained, even to her. She cleared her throat. “I have reservations.”
Devra stepped closer. Weeks ago, Nina couldn’t have imagined that Devra would be anything like a friend, yet here she was, an intimate silence between them. Nina let her gaze travel over the people who had gathered to see her finished project. The women who leaned close, telling each other things that made them laugh out loud. Armon and Jaleel, who sat next to each other at the big table in the dining room, Jaleel nodding at what Armon said. She’d become part of this, and her heart warmed. It was about more than the life her baby could have as a member of the royal family. It was the way she felt…welcome.
“You’ll always be welcome here.” Nina jumped at Devra’s words. How had she known what Nina was thinking? “You and the baby are part of the family now.”
She reached for Devra’s hand and squeezed it. A thousand things she could say came to mind, but all of them slipped away in favor of just one: “Thank you.”
Devra winked at her. “Let’s eat.”
The voices of Matek’s family floated out into the hallway, wrapping themselves around him with every step he took. He’d finally torn himself away from the security system, only to find the dining room where they usually gathered empty.
Instead, they’d moved to a smaller, cozier den nearby.
Matek stood at the doorway and did a double take. His family stood in groups of two, three, four, each person balancing a plate, some with a coffee cup. The scent of familiar honey-soaked triangles of baklava teased his taste buds. An almost-empty serving platter and a coffee urn stood on a table along the far wall. This wasn’t dinner—this was dessert. Who had rescheduled the family dinner without telling him?
He moved forward without thinking, still trying to process the scene. His sister. His brother. The other relatives, at least one with a sleeping baby on her shoulder. And Nina in the center of it all, looking gorgeous and proud. The center of the palace had shifted. It had been his father before, occasionally Jaleel. Now everyone in the family was in orbit around Nina, patting her shoulders, asking her questions, congratulating her.
Matek had always liked this room as a child, with its shades of blue and gold and the kind of furniture that had plenty of stuffing to cradle a person. It had been a rare occasion when he actually got to sit in it. He’d always had the sense that he didn’t quite belong.
And now he knew it.
Watching his family hover around his fiancée was like being trapped on the other side of a one-way mirror. He had the strangest falling sensation, like nobody could see him even if they tried. He was superfluous. He had always been superfluous.
He was on the outside, yet again.
Nina spotted him. Matek felt the moment her eyes landed on his face, even though he was studiously looking at a wall hanging on the far wall. She got up and came to him, drawing everyone else’s attention with her. A few of them called out to him, but he couldn’t look away from
Nina. Not now. Not when she had slipped into the family under his radar and taken space that had never been his.
“Hi,” she said, stopping a half step away and extending her hand. “Come in. We moved the party in here so none of my new furnishings got messed up before you had a chance to see.”
He couldn’t bring himself to take her hand. “You invited the entire family for a dinner?”
“Yes.” She narrowed her eyes. “You said you were busy at work, and I wanted to show off what I’d done.” Nina gave a little shrug and dropped her hand. “I didn’t think I’d see you until tomorrow. But now that you’re here, why not come in and have something to eat? There’s fruit and chocolate and—”
“I don’t think so.” Matek felt the pull of the door like gravity. Getting out of here would be the best idea he’d had in weeks.
Nina frowned. “Why not?”
He couldn’t find the words to describe the betrayal that slashed across his heart. Matek didn’t even know if it made sense, if it fit with the situation, but he couldn’t deny it—betrayal. She had gotten them to love her when they could never accept him for who he was. She had managed to throw a gathering with all of them and not a hint of awkwardness.
“I think I’d better go.”
“Matek, come.” She put a hand on his elbow and slipped it up and around his bicep. “Everyone’s waiting for you.”
“They’re not, though,” he said mildly. “No one was waiting for me tonight.”
“You said you were working,” she insisted. “If I had known—”
“Nina, it’s nothing.” He swallowed the sharp edge of his pain. He had no business being hurt over this. Nina had done what he’d asked. She’d also done him the service of showing him that he would never belong in Damarah—not the way the rest of the family did.
He took another step back, catching his breath. This was a sign, wasn’t it? He wasn’t meant to stay here. He wasn’t meant to get caught up with all the family dramas. He wasn’t meant to be a sheikh of Damarah.