Hasan Sheikhs: The Complete Series

by Leslie North

  “I understand. How long will you be gone?”

  “A few days.” A few days was far longer than he wanted to spend away from her, but being married didn’t exempt him from carrying out his duties as a prince of Raihan. “When I’m back, we can return to business as usual.”

  Business as usual had been very good lately. Yaseen could feel himself getting a bit carried away with it all—thinking of her when he was supposed to have his full concentration on meetings, daydreaming of all the filthy things he wanted to do once the door was locked firmly behind them at night.

  It wasn’t permanent, he thought with a pang. Relatively soon, they’d be separated, and he could direct all his attention back to his work and raising their child. He swallowed his regret, which had turned to a hard lump in his throat.

  Kara worried at a piece of food with her fork, letting the silence expand between them until it filled every inch of the air. He became acutely aware of the sound of her breath. Then she looked back up at him.

  “Have you made a decision on the sports complex?” She kept her tone light, but he saw the seriousness in her eyes. “We sent some more documents to your office. Those should clarify the scope of the project and enumerate the benefits to the city in a way that’s clearer.” Her tongue darted out to wet her bottom lip. “I’d love to know when we could expect a decision, even a preliminary one.” She gave a quiet laugh. “Even the direction your thoughts are taking.”

  Yaseen’s heart sank to between his feet, along with a lightning strike of irritation. She wasn’t going to give up on the center—that much was clear. And Yaseen didn’t necessarily want her to. But he couldn’t spend palace resources on something that wasn’t going to benefit them, too. His family had to come first. She’s your family now, too, a voice whispered in the back of his mind. Yes—Kara was his wife. But the two of them had to fit into the broader royal family. That was just how it went.

  He put down his silverware, his appetite gone. Better to tell her now than wait another moment and have to fend off questions that would only turn his mood dark.

  “I have to be frank with you,” he told her, looking her dead in the eyes. “The project just isn’t feasible at this time. No matter how many times I run the numbers, it doesn’t meet the government’s standards for an investment.”

  “Standards?” Kara swept her napkin from her lap and balled it up in her first. “The government of Raihan has standards that would prohibit you from making immense positive changes for your citizens?”

  “Of course not,” shot back Yaseen. “Of course I want to make positive changes in the lives of our citizens. But I have to do what is right financially for all of Raihan, not just a single village. A sports complex in a place as remote as Mennah only benefits a small number of people. It’s a conflict with my overall duty to the people all across the country.”

  His actions had already caused enough turmoil within the royal family. He’d gotten Kara pregnant out of wedlock, forced his brother to marry before he’d planned to, and very nearly dishonored the family. Now, more than ever, he had to stick to the script. He couldn’t make risky decisions.

  But he still couldn’t bear the disappointment on her face. Yaseen reached for her hand and held it gently in his. “There are certain things expected of me as a prince of Raihan. Look at me, Kara.”

  She snapped her blue eyes back to his.

  “I don’t want this to drive a wedge between us.”

  Kara pursed her lips, and he thought he saw the slightest quiver to her chin, but she said nothing. Yaseen could feel her disappointment drawing the tension between them tight enough to snap. His heart beat in a raw rhythm. He’d never wanted to go against his family so badly in his life. But at the same time, he’d also never wanted to prove himself to them so much. The force of it threatened to tear him in two.

  “Listen.” He took her other hand in his and held them both, trying desperately to connect with her. Sadness battled with the disappointment on her face. His heart ached with it. “If Community Connections can raise enough funds through private partnerships, I’ll personally see to it that you have all the necessary permits and approvals to make it a reality.”

  Kara looked away, glancing down at her belly, then back up at him. “Fine,” she said. “We’ve already started making contingency plans in the event that you decided not to work with us.” She lifted her chin half an inch. “I’ll let my colleagues know. Thank you for telling me now, before we wasted any more time.”

  Her words hit him like a fist against an open wound. He hadn’t even realized he had an open wound, but there it was, smarting under what she’d said. “I don’t consider it a waste of time. It was a worthy idea to explore. It just didn’t meet the standards for royal investment.”

  Yaseen wanted her to give him a gracious nod and agree with him, but he knew she wouldn’t. Kara looked at him with fire in her eyes.

  “Yes, I understand that.” She took a shallow breath, and for a moment Yaseen thought she might say more—might run through her argument again. Might take out her phone and show him a new PowerPoint with more data points to convince him. But she only squeezed his hand—perfunctory, quick—and picked up her fork. Her cheeks reddened, but Kara stayed silent, taking one deep breath after another.

  She lifted a carrot on the tip of her fork and put it between her lips, chewing it thoughtfully. “The chef did well on this recipe.”

  Earlier in the day, she’d had a craving for carrots the way her grandmother used to prepare them—soaked in butter and brown sugar for twelve minutes. Yaseen wasn’t sure where the twelve-minute stipulation had come from, but he’d passed the instructions along to the chef with a seriousness that had probably surprised the man. He usually reserved that kind of intensity for work and upholding the family honor.

  Getting the words out felt like lifting a heavy boulder. Don’t be disappointed, he wanted to say. And if you’re angry at me, don’t push it down like that. But who was he to say anything to her about the fact that he’d decided against the project?

  “Did he? I’ll give him the news.”

  “Yes.” Kara looked at him, her expression firm. “He got it exactly right.”

  12

  Kara stood in the meeting room with her team, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Her back ached if she sat down too long, but her feet ached if she stood up too long, so it was a delicate balance. What was not a delicate balance was that she was pissed at Yaseen. How could he be so narrow minded about the sports center? Couldn’t he see that financial profitability wasn’t the only way to measure impact? If all her projects were judged by that criteria, none of them would ever come to fruition.

  “All right. We have news on the sports center,” she told the people circled around the table, holding their morning coffees, or in Leslie’s case, tea. “The government of Raihan isn’t going to fund it at this time. The numbers didn’t work out for them.”

  Leslie shook her head, a little smirk on her face that pricked at something soft in Kara’s heart. She wasn’t happy, either. Michael and the others looked defeated. He pursed his lips and stared down at his portfolio, saying nothing.

  That couldn’t stand.

  “Obviously,” she said, putting an encouraging smile on her face. “We’re not going to give up. We’re going to seek out private funding and keep going. If we can get the money together, it’ll be clear sailing.”

  “Will it?” said Michael. “I’m not sure I believe that.”

  “Guys, this isn’t the end of the road. We have our work cut out for us, but we’ve done this before. This isn’t the first time funding has fallen through. It’s going to take more fundraising this time, but I’ve—we’ve never had a failed project yet. Think about why we do what we do and who we’re doing it for, and push for that.” By the time she finished speaking, Michael was nodding along and Leslie had her old determination on her face.

  Kara’s phone beeped on the table in front of her. “Shoot.” The re
minder on the screen was for her OB appointment. A message from Yaseen came in a moment later—he was waiting outside in the car. “Sorry, guys. I have to run to an appointment. We’ve got this!” She thrust her fist in the air, coaxing some applause out of them, and a little laughter, too.

  Her lifted spirits lasted only as long as it took to sit in the car next to Yaseen. It was like walking into a cloud of perfume called Tension. He gave her a tight-lipped smile. “Feeling all right?”

  “Yes. It was a productive hour at the office.” She returned that same tight-lipped smile, hating it to her very core.

  Yaseen opened every door for her on the way into the doctor’s office, and the two of them sat side-by-side in the waiting room. It didn’t matter that Yaseen’s arm was only a fraction of an inch from hers on the armrest. He was really a million miles away.

  The nurse ushered them into the exam room after only a minute, and Kara settled in on the table. It was another ultrasound day, and she got ready efficiently, tucking her shirt up above her belly and putting the sheet over her pants. The doctor breezed in, asked a few follow-up questions, and dimmed the lights.

  Kara didn’t realize she’d been holding quite so much tension in her shoulders until the whoosh of the ultrasound filled the room. The baby’s heartbeat was steady and strong and loud, and her worry drained out of her, chased away by awe.

  The little figure on the ultrasound screen was busy. Kara laughed out loud. “It’s like the baby knows we’re watching.”

  “Isn’t that right?” said the doctor. “So active.”

  The baby kicked its legs and waved its balled fists. One came up to its mouth. Kara’s heart melted.

  Yaseen stepped closer and took her hand. “We made that,” he said softly, and Kara squeezed his hand tightly. They had made that. Who cared about the rest? She would fix it, like she’d always fixed everything else. He had been a partner with her in the most important project of her life.

  “Did you care to find out the sex today?” asked the doctor. “Everything else looks good, but if you’re interested in knowing...”

  Kara glanced up at Yaseen. He bit his lip, looking like he might argue, but he only looked down at her with an understanding smile.

  “No,” Kara said firmly. But part of her felt lighter. “We’ll wait.”

  Maybe Yaseen felt guilty about the project, and that was why he wasn’t putting up a fight. Or maybe...just maybe...he’d come around to her way of thinking.

  Back at home, Yaseen swept into the suite to look over the suitcases his staff had packed while they were out.

  “The baby looked good,” he said, eyes filled with an emotion she couldn’t name. “Strong.”

  “Yes.”

  When he bent down to kiss her, she kissed him back—and kept kissing until he finally pulled away. Yaseen pressed his knuckles to his lips.

  “I’ll see you in a few days,” he said, and then he was gone.

  “Thank you for coming,” Laila said to Kara that night in the palace ballroom. The two of them sat at the high table on the dais, chairing the function for Laila’s foundation. The dinner served as a fundraiser for the programs they offered—free pottery classes at centers throughout Raihan. “I know the last event wiped you out, so it means a lot.”

  “I’m glad to be here. And feeling pretty awake tonight, too.” The two women laughed. “I have a fresh photo of the baby,” Kara said softly. “Would you like to see?”

  Laila shot her an incredulous look. “Of course I want to see. Show me right now, before I have to get up and make a speech.”

  Kara slipped the photo from her purse and held it out to Laila under the table.

  “Oh, beautiful,” Laila said, eyebrows rising with delight. She looked at the picture for several moments, then passed it back. “How are things going with Yaseen?”

  Kara let out a big breath, weighing her options. If anybody would understand, it would be Laila. “He can be an obstinate mule.”

  Laila tipped back her head and laughed. “I understand exactly what you mean.”

  “And then...” Kara leaned in, not bothering to hide her confusion. “Then he’ll do a one-eighty and become the most tender man on the planet.”

  “I understand that, too.” Laila drummed her fingers on the tablecloth. “These Hasan men are complex. I can see that Yaseen has fallen for you. It’s only a matter of letting himself believe it.”

  Kara rolled her eyes, but Laila’s words resonated. “How could he not believe it?”

  Laila patted her hand. “Just don’t give up on the hope of a real relationship. What you have can blossom into something else. It’ll only take time.”

  Kara couldn’t shake her skepticism, but at its center was a bright hope. If Yaseen did have similar feelings for her, well...she’d like that. She’d like it a lot.

  She thought about him while Laila made her speech, and again as the two of them descended into the crowd after dinner. You can stop any time you need to. You don’t have to push through this to impress anyone.

  “Kara.” A voice from a table in the corner of the room caught her attention, and she looked to her right. Salima.

  She went toward the other woman and the two of them embraced, their bellies making the maneuver more difficult than normal.

  “I didn’t know you’d be at this event,” Kara said. “I’m so happy to see you here.”

  “How are you feeling?” Salima drew her to the table, and the two of them sat down. “Some days, I feel on top of the world. Other days, I barely have the energy to stand up in the morning. It’s hard work, creating life.”

  Kara laughed. “Agreed. Is everything going well, though? Other than the bone-crushing fatigue.”

  Salima’s eyes sparkled. “Very well.” Her expression shifted, becoming more serious. “I’ve been waiting to speak with you about something else, though. I knew you were going to attend this event, so I thought now would be a good time.”

  “Tell me.” The other people in the room moved around them, exclaiming to their friends, and Kara let it wash over her while she soaked up the simple pleasure of sitting down.

  Salima sat up straight and folded her hands over her belly. “I’m very pleased the government is going to invest in Mennah. I’ve helped some of the storeowners there with their debts.” She frowned. “I always wanted to do more, but it’s proven difficult to revive that town. I think your project is the perfect thing.”

  Guilt squeezed at Kara’s heart. What should she say? That Yaseen had decided against it? That they were looking for private donors? She nodded along instead, searching for the right words.

  “I would like to help in any way that I can toward the project.” Salima leaned in. “Any way. You only need to say the word.”

  Kara’s heart sang. Play it cool—play it cool. She’s only one of the most impressive businesswomen in the country. She could save everything. Play it cool. “That’s wonderful,” she said, struggling to keep her voice even. “Thank you so much. I’ll be in touch soon with the project details.”

  13

  The driver held open the door of the SUV for Yaseen, and he settled into the back seat with a satisfied sigh. The last few days with the Germans had been productive. He should feel more satisfied. But something was missing. He took out his phone and dialed Kara’s number. There’d be plenty of time to talk before he arrived at the airport, and he wanted to hear her voice. To think—a year ago, he’d never heard her voice. How times had changed.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello,” he said, watching the side streets of Munich roll by outside his window. The clear, sunny day made him wish he’d been able to come here on a vacation with his wife. They could have strolled the streets and taken in the architecture and visited anyplace she wanted to go. “I’m calling to check on you. We haven’t talked in a couple of days.”

  “Oh, that’s nice,” said Kara, sounding slightly breathless. “I’m fine. Everything’s going fine.”

  “I’m glad
to hear it. Are you—” He laughed, but he didn’t quite feel the amusement the sound should have indicated. “Are you going somewhere? You sound a bit winded.”

  “I sound a bit pregnant, Yaseen,” she said. “I was coming upstairs from the dining room. Silly me—I thought it would be just as easy to take the stairs as the elevator.” She huffed another breath. “I’m sitting down now. Is this better?”

  “I wasn’t bothered.” He shifted in his seat. “Is the baby all right?”

  “Kicking all the time,” said Kara.

  Something was...off. The difference hurt him. And the difference was...what? The playfulness. The conversation lacked it. He tried to find something flirty to say, but all of it rang false, even in his thoughts. He wanted to flirt with her, but an invisible barrier had grown in his mind.

  “Has anything happened while I’ve been gone?”

  Kara hummed a tune that gave way to words. “Not really. I went to Laila’s fundraiser. We had lunch yesterday, too. That’s been about it. Nothing exciting. Besides, I’m sure if anything truly exciting happened, you’d get a security briefing about it.”

  “I’m sure you’re right.” Though he didn’t want a security briefing, ever, that had to do with Kara. Better that she be safe and sound for the rest of her life.

  A voice in the background interrupted their conversation.

  “Yes—yes,” said Kara. “I’ll be ready in just a minute.” Her voice got louder again. “I’m sorry, Yaseen, I have to go. I’ve got a meeting.” She paused, and he felt the weight of that pause all the way in Germany. “Have a safe flight.”

  “I will,” he said. “I’ll see you soon.”

  The call disconnected.

  He sat back in his seat and pulled up Instagram on his phone. If he was going to miss Kara like this, he might as well look at her face. Yaseen didn’t use Instagram much—didn’t have the time for it—but Kara did. He scrolled through her feed and missed her more. Most of the pictures she’d posted were from their trip to Mennah. They were a mix of photos taken with her phone and with her DSLR, but all of them were well done. Pride sparked in his chest. She was good. And she clearly cared about the town. Each of the captions shared something else she’d learned from the people there. Her heart shone through every single one.