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The inner confession stopped him dead in his tracks. That couldn’t be right. He barely knew the woman. And yes, they’d spent many passionate nights together, but that didn’t mean… Did it?
No. His emotions were in turmoil over the upcoming cabinet meeting. The stress of that was making him irrational, illogical. Once things settled down again on the political front and he secured leadership over his brother’s cabinet, he could reconsider his feelings for Ani and where they might take things in the future. Yes. That sounded good, rational.
Ani must’ve seen something in his eyes though, a hint of his battle, because her eyes widened and her small smile grew into a glorious grin. “Oh. Oh! Well, yes, then. I’d be honored to meet your family and visit your home. I never expected, but…wow. Okay. I’ll ask at the front desk to use their phone to call my family and let them know I’ll be gone for a few extra weeks.”
She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. Rehaj was too shocked to do more than stand there and accept her exuberant affections.
When Ani finally pulled back, her cheeks were pink and her eyes were sparkling and Rehaj had the distinct impression that something here had gone completely off the rails, but he couldn’t figure out exactly what.
“Great. Perfect!” Ani let him go, her hands sliding down his chest as she backed away, as if she didn’t want to stop touching him. “I’ll just go and pack up my things then. Meet you on your balcony in half an hour.”
As Rehaj watched her walk away, he frowned. Taking her home with him had seemed like the best solution initially. They could postpone their goodbyes and enjoy a bit more time together before going their separate ways. He wasn’t ready to let her go, but he wasn’t ready to promise more yet either. Tromping through the sand back to his villa, he couldn’t be sure if bringing her home now would be a brilliant decision or a total disaster.
8
Luxury didn’t begin to describe what Ani was experiencing. From the tricked-out royal yacht that had arrived at
the island to ferry them back to Djeva while the rest of the retreat’s guests stood on the docks and gaped, to the limousine that had picked them up once they’d reached Rehaj’s home country, it was all like something out of a fairy tale.
She’d known Rehaj had money, obviously, from the moment he’d told her his true identity. She’d just not really put that into perspective until now. As they drove away from the ship and headed inland, Ani couldn’t get over how pristine and beautiful the landscape was. She’d never been to the Middle East, other than her brief pass through Dubai on her way to the island for the retreat, so this was truly special.
And it wasn’t like she came from poverty herself. Her parents’ charity empire had made her family wealthy, mainly because of all the exorbitant fees paid for her mother’s public speaking engagements. Still, this was a different level of rich than she’d ever experienced before, with everyone bowing to Rehaj and calling him by his formal title of sheikh. A lot to process for a girl from Texas to be sure.
They rode on in silence, Rehaj beside her on the plush leather seat, hurriedly scrolling through emails on his phone. Considering they’d been a week and a half with no Internet service, she was sure he had a bunch to deal with. It would be a wise move for her to do the same, but she couldn’t bring herself to crash back to reality, not yet.
The surrounding golden deserts with their sparkling sand dunes gave way to homes then buildings and now elegant steel and glass skyscrapers. This must be Al-Qustra, Djeva’s capital city that Rehaj had mentioned. The beautiful clean lines spoke to her need for perfection and her giddiness made Ani feel like she was glowing herself.
Rehaj muttered something under his breath, frowning down at his phone screen, and she smiled. Whether he’d admit it or not, he needed her. She’d proven herself a good coach back on the island when he was practicing his speech. She helped him see things in himself that he was blind to otherwise. That was always a valuable asset. And she’d had years of practice by watching her mother. He’d never find anyone who would be as truthful with him as she was, even if she could never be the same with herself.
An overwhelming urge to check her makeup had her reaching for her purse. Just one look, one peek to make sure her appearance was in order before they arrived at the palace. Just the thought of being someplace so grand, meeting his family and all those important people, caused a fresh wave of nerves to wash through her. So much for her fake-it-‘til-you-make-it confidence.
She’d just about pulled her compact out of her bag when Rehaj placed a hand on her arm. “I am sorry, mahbubi, but I’m afraid they will need me to go directly to speak before the cabinet members when we arrive at the palace. I’d hoped to spend some time relaxing with you in our rooms, maybe show you around first, help you get acclimated, but it’s not to be.”
“Oh,” she said, her mind still stuck on the words “our rooms”. Her heart fluttered with hope. Of course, a bit of disappointment was in there as well because she’d harbored these romantic fantasies of him introducing her to his family and them being captivated by her wit and grace and charm. Then again, given the fact they’d been traveling for several hours now, she’d probably come across more tired, hungry, and a tad wrinkled at this point. She forced a tiny smile. “It’s fine. We can do all those things afterward. Can I come to watch you give your speech? After all, I did help you with it.”
Rehaj sighed. “I’m afraid that’s not allowed, mahbubi. Only family and cabinet members allowed. But I’ll be sure to tell the staff to see to your every need until I return.”
They pulled through a massive set of wrought iron gates a few minutes later. Through her window, Ani could see a huge palace complex looming ahead, all shimmering sandstone and colorful mosaics. It was breathtaking…and more than a little intimidating. She reached over and took Rehaj’s hand. “Will I see you for dinner then? We can celebrate your success?”
“Perhaps,” he said, as the car pulled up to the curb at the front of the circular drive and a flood of white-clad servants hurried over to help them from the car then escort them inside. A younger man with startling green eyes and the same black hair as Rehaj shook his hand and began discussing something with him in rapid-fire Arabic. Ani assumed this was his younger brother Raheem, though no formal introductions were made.
At the door, Rehaj stopped and spoke to another servant, again in Arabic, then glanced back at Ani. “The staff will show you to the quarters. Relax and enjoy the amenities. I will see you later.”
Before she could respond, he was gone, disappearing down a long hallway of the majestic foyer. Ani blinked around at all the sumptuous gilded gold furniture and shiny marble floors, the sky-high painted ceilings soaring at least twenty feet in the air, and the velvet curtains and tapestries draped from the walls.
“This way, ma’am,” the servant said, bowing slightly to Ani. The woman’s English was impeccable. “I will show you to your rooms.”
“Thank you,” Ani said, following the woman down another hall, opposite the one Rehaj had taken. She missed him already, truth be told, but she refused to let that dampen her enjoyment of his gracious hospitality. They walked around a corner and down another hall, this one lined on one side with floor-to-ceiling mirrors and on the other with windows overlooking some of the most beautiful gardens Ani had ever seen. Texas was a dry, forbidding place most of the time, so seeing all this lush greenery was a treat. She’d thought the same on the island, but this was even more special because it belonged to Rehaj.
The servant showed her to a suite of rooms that was bigger than her entire apartment back in Dallas. A huge bedroom with a heavy, carved king-sized bed frame in dark mahogany, matching armoire and dresser, a separate sitting and boudoir, and a bathroom to die for—all sparkling travertine tile and granite counters. There was a huge shower big enough to fit five people and a sunken marble tub with gold fixtures and a basket filled to the brim with decadent bath bombs. Perfection. Total perfection.
Ani thanked the woman then locked herself inside, quickly shedding her clothes as she ran a hot bath, dropping in three bath bombs just because she could. The first was a sapphire blue and smelled of cassia. The second was pink and filled the water with glitter and the scent of roses. And the third was white and carried the sweet fragrance of gardenias. She lit candles around the space and even poured herself a glass of wine from the minibar in the bedroom before sinking beneath the silky bubbles.
It had been a long time since she’d pampered herself like this, just for pleasure, not to meet anyone else’s expectations or to boost her confidence. This time, here, now, was just for her. Her eyes drifted closed and she thought of Rehaj. Ani finally admitted to herself that her feelings for him had long since moved past affection and had fallen head-first into love. He was just so kind and smart and gorgeous and funny, even though he usually only showed the world his serious side. And then there was his wounded heart. The tragic story of his accident still squeezed her chest with sadness for what he’d lost, the pain and guilt he’d endured for years, blaming himself when he deserved forgiveness.
The aches and pains and frustrations slowly drifted away and Ani snoozed.
By the time she opened her eyes again, the water was cold and she had no idea how long she’d been soaking in there. She got out of the tub and dried off then slipped on a thick terry cloth robe she found hanging on the back of the door. After draining and rinsing the tub, she went out into the bedroom, hoping Rehaj might be back from his speech and ready to spend time together. But the room was empty and the sun was setting and Ani’s heart fell.
