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Liked that kiss they’d shared too.
Probably too much. Far more than was wise, that was for sure.
He’d thought of nothing else since the moment his lips had claimed hers in the restaurant. Her startled initial response then the moment she’d relaxed against him, eased into his touch and taste. His body hardened just thinking about her sweet surrender to the connection between them.
“Are you ever going to tell me who you really are?” Ani asked, breaking him out of his erotic fantasies. “I mean, you know who I am.”
Rehaj peeked open one eye and saw the camera still pointed at him. He shook his head. “Not with that thing pointed at me.”
She sighed. “Fine.”
Ani shut the camera off then set it down on the table. “Just between us. Tell me who the real Rehaj is. I promise your secret is safe with me.”
The crazy thing was, he believed her. And how long had it been since that happened? He chuckled and sat forward at last, narrowing his gaze. “You won’t believe me if I tell you.”
“Try me.” She leaned forward a bit more, her tone teasing.
He took a deep breath. “My full name and title is Sheikh Rehaj bin Haik al Nazari and I am the second son of the ruling family of the country of Djeva.”
For a moment, Ani just blinked at him. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
Her lovely blue eyes widened slightly as did her smile. “Oh. My. Gosh. I’m eating dinner with real-life royalty. How cool is that? Can I start calling you sheikh from now on?”
“No. You may not. With you, I wish to only be Rehaj.” He sat back to allow the staff to clear their plates. The breeze off the ocean had picked up a bit since they’d first arrived and the air smelled of rain. A storm was coming soon, he’d bet. It reminded him of the same conditions back home when the weather shifted. Behind where they were sitting, nestled with the sheltering palm trees was a natural waterfall, gurgling softly as it bubbled over the surrounding rocks. The whole place was mystical, magical. The burden of responsibility lifted off his shoulders even more. “I am here for rest and relaxation. No one is to know my real identity.”
“But what about the staff?” Ani asked as the server placed a frothy-looking dessert in front of her, complete with sugar cookie twizzles and gold glitter. “Don’t they need to know your real name for security purposes?”
“Nope. To them I’m just regular old Rehaj Nazari. Businessman and failed lover. My sisters took great pleasure in that. At first, I was skeptical and angry with them. But now, I’m beginning to see the possibilities.” He stared down at his own dessert, sniffing the whipped cream atop it and scenting pineapple. “What exactly is this?”
“This,” Ani said, licking a glob of foam and glitter from her lips, “is called a Tropical Surprise. Try it. Bet you can’t resist.”
Her tiny movement gave him all sorts of naughty ideas.
“Hmm.” He gave the concoction another dubious look. He didn’t have any food allergies that he knew of and considered himself a forward-thinking man, but all that yellow and poofiness gave him pause. “Are you sure?”
“Trust me.” She winked and his resistance went right out the window. “It’s super good.”
Rehaj picked up his spoon and took a bite. Sweet and slightly fizzy, the bubbles tickling his nose came from champagne. It was his own fault. He’d not mentioned his aversion to booze to her. He could hardly be mad now and he wasn’t. Just curious. “There is alcohol in this.”
“Yes.” Ani giggled. “Lots. Is that a problem?”
“I normally do not drink alcohol at all in my daily life. In fact, this is the first time I’ve ever had any that I know of.” Yet here he was, shoveling in this delicious dessert like there was no tomorrow. Distantly, in the back of his mind, warning bells sounded. He should be careful. He should eat sparingly. He should remain in control of his senses at all times. The sparkling, frothy, slightly sharp taste of the champagne lit up his senses like fireworks.
The more the alcohol entered his system, the more his inhibitions lifted and he felt free. Free for the first time in such a long time. Free to live and love and enjoy the beauty of the island and Ani without reservations.
Finishing his last bite of dessert in record time, Rehaj wiped his mouth then stood. “I’m going for a walk on the beach. I want to feel the sand in my toes and the water lap at my ankles.”
Ani laughed and trailed behind him, the video camera left behind on the table. “This I need to see.”
Rehaj sat on the beach and rolled up his pant legs to mid-calf then waded into the shallow waves lapping at the shore. The water was brisker than he’d expected and he shuffled backward to curl his chilled toes in the rough, wet sand. “That’s… refreshing,” he said. “And cold as hell.”
Dress and hair whipping in the wind, Ani moved in beside him to take his hand. “I’m glad I’m here, with you.”
“As am I.” Rehaj raised her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “You are so very beautiful, mahbubi.”
Ani rested her head on his shoulder. “I try my best. What does that mean?”
