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In return, she received a check for two hundred thousand dollars. Humiliated, she’d ripped the check up. She’d carried a lot of anger with her until Arella was born. Then, like magic, she’d realized that without Kashif, she wouldn’t have her beautiful daughter in her life. So, she’d let it go and tried not to think of the past.
That didn’t mean that seeing him didn’t hurt. And if he thought he could show up and take her daughter away, he had another thing coming.
* * *
She was just as beautiful as Kashif remembered. Those wild, strawberry blonde locks and her beautiful blue eyes had haunted his dreams. After he’d been called away, her silence had made it abundantly clear that she wasn’t interested in pursuing a relationship with him, but that didn’t stop him from thinking about her.
Seeing her now, bristling with anger, he wondered if coming here had been the right decision. Given her silence the past four years, her hostility caught him by surprise.
But this was his last chance to race. His father had already admitted to wanting to step down soon. When that happened, Kashif would wear the crown. It had been a burden on his shoulders ever since he was born, and it was partly the reason that he was such a thrill-seeker. Once he was crowned as sheikh, there would be no more adventures.
Jarik, his younger brother, was much more serious and shouldered responsibility better. Kashif knew that his brother didn’t understand why he needed the adrenaline boost or a reprieve from the stress. He thrived in diplomatic situations while Kashif would much rather be out experiencing life.
Samir, on the other hand, enjoyed being the youngest. He never seemed to have a care in the world. His life was always about women and parties. In so many ways, Kashif envied that.
Opening the door to his old lodgings, he glanced around and noticed that everything was radically different. The furniture had been moved around, and rather than the navy-blue color scheme that had decorated the room previously, everything was done up in greens and browns. It was nothing like he remembered, and yet he couldn’t stop the onslaught of memories.
Kristy lying naked on the bed, waiting for him. The intimate showers they’d shared. The way they’d cuddled on the couch and watched television. The late-night conversations.
The way her body had felt wrapped around his.
Looking up, he saw a sprig of mistletoe hanging from the doorway. He almost reached up to take it down. He hadn’t celebrated Christmas in twenty years, and he sure as hell wasn’t about to start now.
As his hands brushed against it, he had second thoughts. This wasn’t his place. It belonged to Kristy, and if she wanted to decorate for Christmas, she could. He knew it was all part of the expected ambiance. The snow went hand-in-hand with Christmas; although, from what he had seen on the drive in, there wasn’t more than a few inches of snow on the ground.
Striding into the room, he let his luggage hit the floor with a thump and went to glance out the window. Just as he remembered, the room had a spectacular view of Mistywood Forest just beyond the farm. The pine trees were still capped in snow, and the forest continued for as far as the eye could see.
“Damn,” he whispered. He’d almost forgotten how much he loved Alaska. His country occasionally surprised him with hints of snow, but mostly it was sun and sand. Alaska purified everything with snow in the winter and lush greenery in the spring and summer. More than anything, he wanted to see a moose. He hadn’t stuck around last time to go exploring, but this time, he would.
This time, he would do everything he hadn’t been able to do last time—including solving his own personal mystery. Kristy Cohen had stolen his heart four years ago and then discarded it like it was nothing. He was determined to find out exactly what happened to change things. He had no intention of leaving until he got his answers.
5
“Kristy?” someone called out from the hallway.
Kristy was still struggling with a bundle of lights when Arella suddenly shrieked and took off around the corner. Sighing, she gave up what she was doing and followed suit to greet her aunt.
Her aunt Julia was still in excellent shape for an older woman. Although her hair had long since turned completely gray, it was still long and thick, and there wasn’t a single wrinkle on the woman’s face. Julia used to tease her and say it was because she made her husband, Darren, do all the work, but they both knew that wasn’t true. Julia was a hard worker.
“Aunt Julia,” she said with a big smile. “I didn’t realize that you were coming out here today. Is everything okay?”
Her aunt was already leaning down to scoop Arella up in her arms. “Everything is fine, dear. I’m just here to check on you.”
Really? She wanted to check on Kristy mere hours after Kashif arrived? That couldn’t be a coincidence. Narrowing her eyes, she crossed her arms. “The truth, Aunty.”
Julia kissed Arella on the cheek and set her down with a sigh. “Fine. Darren happened to check the logs…”
“What?” Kristy cried out. “How often does he do that?”
“Don’t get all excited, dear. He’s looking out for you, and he was concerned about some cancellations. When he told me who had checked in this morning, I thought I’d better come check on you.”
Aunt Julia set Arella down, and she scampered off to play with the dogs while Kristy drew in long breaths.
“First of all, he has no right to log into the system to check up on me. Mistywood Farm is mine, and allowing Sheikh Kashif to stay here is good business.”
“Darling, he’s the father of your child. There’s nothing businesslike about that.”
Kristy winced. “I’m not sure if he knows. He didn’t mention it. If he’s in the dark, then I’m sure as hell not telling him, and I don’t want you saying anything either.”
