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“Make me fall in love with you.”
OH.
So that was what he meant.
Rayyan arched a brow. “Well, anisdi?”
“Shut up,” she muttered. “I’m thinking—-”
“The clock is ticking,” he murmured.
“Stop pressuring me.”
“Actions speak—-”
He was right!
“Louder—-”
She tried to take him by surprise, lunging forward, but either she was too slow or the sheikh was too fast – in the end, she wasn’t able to kiss him at all. The sheikh had simply stepped to the side just as she threw herself at him, and all Hyacinth’s lips were able to touch was air.
Rayyan coughed. “A good try, but perhaps you’ll have better—-” His words came to an abrupt end when she straightened and turned to look at him, her eyes bright with tears. Fuck. Had he gone too far with his tricks?
“Maehdina.” I’m sorry.
Moving forward, the sheikh tipped her chin –
And that was when Hyacinth made her move, rising to her toes as she stole a kiss from the sheikh, her trembling lips brushing ever so softly against one smooth, tanned cheek.
Rayyan stiffened.
Hyacinth slowly sank back to her feet, and when the sheikh looked down at her, she only had one word for him. “Gotcha.”
The dark, sexy sound of the sheikh’s laughter once again danced down her spine like a forbidden caress, and a slight tremor shook Hyacinth’s body.
“Well played, majamira.”
Although the word translated to ‘tiny insanity’, Hyacinth couldn’t help but think of it as an endearment, knowing instinctively that it was something the sheikh only used with her.
“And as a reward...”
Before she could draw another breath, the sheikh suddenly pushed her against the wall, and his hard, powerful body was so tantalizingly close she just knew that if she moved the slightest inch, all of his heat would melt into her skin.
“I’m going to teach you how to steal a proper kiss.”
Her eyes flew open. What?
The sheikh started to lower his head, and her heart smashed against her chest.
“Wait—-”
Rayyan stilled, his lips millimeters away from hers.
“What was that you said?” he whispered.
She could only stare up at him, fearing that a single word would have their lips touch.
The sheikh smirked. “Gotcha.”
OH!
Rayyan sprang away just as Hyacinth let out a growl of anger.
“Jerk!”
“Manners, anisdi.”
“You royal jerk!”
The sheikh laughed.
“You goddamn royal—-” She forgot what she had to say when the sheikh bent down to press a kiss on the top of her head.
“Try harder next time, majamira.”
Oh.
“It would be interesting if you could truly make me fall in love with you.”
The weekend came to pass, but Hyacinth was still lost in a romantic daze when she returned to class. I couldn’t have been imagining it, she thought to herself. She just couldn’t. Something had changed between them, and if the day ever came that –
“Sametanira, Ms. Kahveci?” Did you hear me, Ms. Kahveci?
Too late, Hyacinth realized that the lunch bell had already gone off, and the class was empty save for her and her homeroom teacher, who was standing by the doorway with an impatient look on her face.
“I wish a word with you in my office,” Mrs. B. said gruffly.
“O-Of course.” Hyacinth hurried to follow the older woman out of the classroom. Although things remained mostly normal between them, she couldn’t help thinking there was a sense of awkwardness between them now, and she hated it.
If only I can ask her why, Hyacinth thought morosely. And normally, she wouldn’t hesitate to clear the air between them, but this...was different. She didn’t know why, she only knew it was so.
“Sit down, Hyacinth.”
She did as asked even as she tried to make a joke of it, asking, “Should I have my lawyer present?”
“That depends.”
Her smile disappeared. “I was joking, Mrs. B.”
Instead of answering, Mrs. Bauer slid a photo towards her, and Hyacinth stiffened.
“I know you’re going to think I’m meddling unnecessarily, but I just don’t want to see you hurt.”
“Then...” Hyacinth still kept her gaze trained on the older woman. “Why do this?”
“Because happiness should never be based on a lie, little one.”
Hyacinth slowly lowered her gaze.
A woman in her thirties, alluringly beautiful, with the kind of confidence that came from someone who had been born to wealth and surrounded by it her entire life –
A woman she could never be, Hyacinth thought numbly.
“Her name is Jemima Black,” Mrs. B. said quietly. “She’s been Sheikh Rayyan’s mistress for over five years now.”
Six
“What do you mean she’s not here?” Rayyan’s steps halted, causing Gadi to almost crash into his back. But when he saw the sheikh’s glacial blue eyes turn his way, the assistant managed to twist his body sideways and barrel into one of the walls instead.
“Well?”
The sheikh’s impatient tone had Gadi hastily straightening up as he stammered, “She, ah, called to say she has to volunteer in one of the garden parties hosted by Sheikh Malik’s department.”
“And that’s today?”
“It’s a weekend affair, alshaykh.”
Rayyan frowned as he tried to recall which event Gadi was talking about. A charity function, one he had received an obligatory invitation to, as was required when any of his cousins had to host an event as part of their official duties.
