Beau walked past Mariam, toward the guards, and Sarah’s shoulders slumped.
If she just left Mariam here, she’d be haunted from this scene.
Was there something she might do as a temporary princess?
Beau’s voice was clear when he spoke to the head guard. “Can my aunt be kept under house arrest in her own palace?”
The guard placed his hand on his heart and said, “Yes, your majesty.”
“Release her and send her home tonight,” Beau said while looking at his aunt. Sarah’s heart lifted. Beau had listened to her. She walked to his side as he said, “I’ll pay for her private guards. I… my father wouldn’t want her to suffer.” He then bowed to Sarah slightly as Mariam wiped tears in her eyes, and asked like this was formal occasion, “Are you ready Sarah?”
The guards released Mariam’s handcuffs and opened the door for them.
As they walked out and headed toward the limo, outside, she was happy to finally be going home. She never should have doubted.
She kept her pace beside him as they crossed the courtyard to head to the street and the black car. “Beau, I’m happy you did the right thing. Forgiveness and letting go are hard.”
He waited at the limo for her to slip inside. He followed behind into the passenger seat. “I told you I hated prison and… she’d never survive.”
Good. The door closed and she settled back against the leather cushion. “What about revenge?”
The limo drove into the night. Beau said, “I hope that the scheming is over, and that we can just live from now on, without fear.”
Live. Yes. Now they might just focus on them and have no more doubts about each other, as she asked, “So that’s the end of all your planning?”
He balled his hands together and stayed close to her like he still expected a physical fight as he said, “I don’t know what else you want me to do except get you out of here.”
Was he tense because he was afraid he’d die? Now? All seemed to end well, so she didn’t say anything.
Hopefully he’d realize once they took off they were fine.
The limo drove onto the tarmac and the private jet. Not a single car waited, not a person was around. She reached out and gently brushed against his leg as she smiled, “When we get home, we’ll figure it out together.”
His face grew tight and serious. Her hair stood on end as he said, “No.”
“No?” Her eyebrows lifted in surprise.
Home was supposed to be where they started a life together, but a no meant change. And that was never good, so her stomach twisted.
The limo stopped in front of the plane. “You’re going to school. I’ll work on my company business and probably partner with Navid.”
Part of being a good wife would be helping Beau. Now she needed to know what he wanted so she asked, “So do you have anymore more goals?”
They scooted out of the limo and headed toward the stairs as he said, “I’m honestly confused.” He motioned for her to go first and asked, “Are you ready now to head back to Miami?”
Again her heart raced. If she figured out how to help Beau then she’d be part of his team and at that point maybe she’d be a decent wife. So far she was a complete imposter and if she did love him, then she should want what he wanted, right? She waited till they stepped onto the private plane and headed toward the living area as she asked, “What’s so confusing?”
They both took seats on the sofa they’d left earlier and he picked up her knee as she removed her veil, like they were returning to the same positions they'd been in when they'd departed. He said, “I thought I’d die in the quest for vengeance.”
Her heart stopped in her chest and her lips parted. “Wait. What?”
The doors closed, signaling they were really leaving this time as he said, “I thought I’d die or be dead by now. Living is hard for me to imagine.”
Stillness entered her but every cell in her body was pumped with adrenaline. Her mind processed what she’d just heard. This wasn’t good. Her grandfather had once said the guy out there to spend his life making her happy existed in the world, but if Beau was the guy for her then he’d want to live. She sat straight as the plane’s engines turned on. “But you were saying you loved me and wanted to be with me?”
He traced her leg. “I still do.”
No. Not fully. He had never imagined a happily-ever-after with her. Now she understood why he’d so easily said the word love, and she’d be a fool to believe him now. She took her leg back from his hold. “But when you said it you assumed you’d die on this trip?”
He stared at her like he'd just realized she was upset and said in his calming voice, “That doesn’t make it less true.”
No. This wasn’t the same at all. She shook her head. “Beau?”
The plane sped down the runway, gaining speed to fly into the air. “Yes?”
Sarah sat straight, unmoving. If she said the wrong thing, she’d mess up everything. She stared ahead and once the plane leveled off, she relaxed only a little as she said, “I hope your father wins.”
He took her hand, pressing their palms together and his touch was instant heat, like a blow torch exploded on an icy, dead tree trunk though his fingers was only meant to guide her inside as he asked, “That’s all?”
Beau was a great guy who listened to her, released his aunt, said he loved her and had changed her from a miserable pauper to a kind princess. At least she hoped she was kind and loyal as her impression today… wasn’t what she expected. She shouldn’t expect him to want some happy future where they were together forever and she shouldn’t want that for herself.
For years she’d known "now" was all that mattered and futures were a privilege for other people. She sighed and refused to make waves. Her life was good.
His heart beat was clear through their touch. She ached for him so she pouted her lips and said, “Now that we’re alone, just kiss me. Tomorrow we’ll be back and together we’ll explain to anyone in your family how we saw Mariam today.”
His lips met hers.
“I’m on your side, Beau. Always.” She closed her eyes and scooted deeper into his embrace. Beau was her husband. This was enough. It had to be, right?
Beau’s mind raced.
The sun outside their silked room in the palace now grew brighter.
Sleep hadn’t silenced the screams in his head that he was supposed to die. In the past few months, his aunt and uncle had died, he’d been arrested and sent to prison for crimes he hadn’t committed, and his mother had cancer all while the entire family was under tremendous stress. House arrest seemed more humane, though but didn’t line up with how he imagined this ended. Plus the determination on Sarah’s face, like she’d pleaded for her own life really… he couldn’t deny her.
She’d argued for the right thing.
Returning to Hoskell was a priority now only for the election.
The naked woman beside him was warm and inviting and the light sprinkling of freckles on her back he’d never noticed before called for his attention.
His wife.
Sarah slept like an angel. He tried to slip out from the covers so she could sleep on, but as he stood, he saw two things. One, the plane had landed. They were home in Miami. The sun in the sky signaled it was already afternoon.
This explained the lack of the engine noise.
And the second thing was Sarah had stirred like he’d stomped when he’d been silent. She stretched, turned the light on behind her and asked, “Are we here already?”
She was clearly more astute than him right now. He opened the closet to get their clothes and picked up the heavy dress he’d seen last night that had been delivered from the palace. He handed her the gold number and reached in for his gray pants as he said, “Get dressed.”
Her lips pressed together and she stared at the long gown like he’d just given her a diamond ring and asked, “What’s this?”
He slipped his pants on and grabbed a button-down white shirt.
“A gold dress. The servants thought you’d wear it to meet the queen. You know, my mother?” He smiled.
She stood, adjusting her underwear but handed the dress on the hanger back to him as she said, “It’s too formal for morning in Miami. This dress is for a ball, like last night.”
“It’s afternoon.” He wouldn’t ask her to be dressed like that all the time, and not here, so he shrugged and hung it back in the closet. “People might take our pictures to send back to Hoskell. It’s up to you.”
She chose her white slacks. “I don’t have time to do that dress justice.”
Beau wouldn’t pressure her. He kissed her cheek and wished they were already at their condo where they didn’t have to leave for days if they wanted. “You’re beautiful as you are.”
She tugged her shirt on and straightened it as she asked, “But not beautiful enough for you to want to stay home and spend your life with?”
His mind stopped and he stared at her without blinking. Since he’d realized his feelings, he’d been trying to find out how close she was to loving him back that she’d alluded to earlier. He crossed his arms and said, “I do though.”
She let out a sigh and her eyes widened. “You said you expected to die. That’s not 'wanting to stay home'.”
Ah. Happily-ever-after had always seemed some abstract idea that he'd never dwelled on, and that included having a home with a wife and possible children.
But now that he was married, the idea didn’t seem so impossible now. He finished buttoning his shirt. “I don’t want to think about that. I want to spend every day with you. I just need to figure out what I do now that I’m not in the revenge business anymore. My normal life was always more independent contractor, as I worked when I wanted. With you, it’s time to start being more serious, for our family to thrive.”
“You have enough money to never worry about anything, ever.” She stepped beside him and unlocked the plane's door. “You’re good at analyzing people and getting us to do what you want.”
He helped her and they pushed it open together as he pressed his hand to her lower back. “Us? You are too beautiful to be just anyone.”
Touching her was a treat that he hoped he’d get more familiar with as time went on. They descended the stairs and headed toward the limo. He placed his hand in his pockets and said, “Plan to be photographed in that dress soon. The fabric has threads of gold.”
“Of course.” She shook her head. “It was heavy. I swear I’ll wear it, but it’s a little hot. Guess you need to take me to a nice party.”
“Perfect.”
Staff headed into the plane to gather their things as they slipped into the air conditioning of the vehicle. She waited till the door was closed and then whispered to him, “I want to be your princess… even for a day.”
Sarah had this time limit in her mind and just when he thought he’d won her trust, she brought it up. He stayed next to her where their sides touched and said, “It’s for far more than a day.”
Neither of them said anything else as the staff packed the trunk with the dress and their bags. A few minutes later the driver got behind the wheel and they headed off.
His heart insisted that he’d missed something important. So when they were on the road, he asked, “Sarah, why do you want to work at the museum?”
She turned toward him and her shoulders relaxed, like she was lowering her defenses and didn’t want to argue. “History is safe. The past already happened and can’t hurt anyone.”
To ensure she was done arguing for the duration of the ride home, he kept the conversation light. “I see.” Hopefully in time she felt safe and trusted that everything worked out for them. But that was for another day. He settled back. “Would you be upset if I cooked our dinner and tested my chef skills?”
Her face went white and her lips pursed as she raised her eyebrow at him. “You want to be a chef?”
Being home and ready to settle down meant having some culinary skills in case he wanted to take a week's vacation with Sarah where they were alone and had no staff. She’d probably enjoy that, but right now, she wasn’t happy with him so he shook his head and said, “No. Honestly, I have issues boiling water, but I figure you’ll be there to direct me, and I should know how to work a toaster. I always had one in my kitchen even if I never touched it.”
“I really don’t understand your world. A toaster is pretty simple.” They turned onto Collins Avenue where the beaches of Miami were clearly visible outside the window. “But if you want to burn my toast, sheereen-am, feel free.”
His lips curved into a smile as he gently jabbed her side. “That’s the first joke I’ve heard you crack.”
“I’m not a joker.” She lifted a shoulder but then also smiled as she said, “I didn’t know what else to say. I thought everyone knew how to use a toaster.”
“There are probably a lot of things you can teach me.” She'd stopped frowning at him, at least. He placed his hand above hers and asked as the limo pulled before their building, “How about you love me and support my decision?”
The driver stepped out and for one second they were absolutely alone as she asked in a whisper, “You made one for real now?”
“Yeah.” His lips tingled to kiss her.
The door opened and the moment was lost. He slid out on his side and then waited for her. Once she joined him, she asked, “What is it?”
They headed into the lobby and right toward the elevators, ignoring the staff and the large crystal chandelier above their heads as he said, “After I see my father, I’m returning to Hoskell.”
She didn’t move or press the button. Her wide eyes made his skin burn as he reached past her to call for the elevator. She didn’t budge but asked, “Why did we come back then?”
The doors opened immediately and he signaled that she was to go inside. He followed and waited for the doors to close once he slid his electric card in the elevator. “Because you wanted to be here and be safe.”
Her face was red. He thought that she would yell at him, but she took a deep breath and said, “With you. I want to be with you.”
Sarah was sweet underneath that hard shell she'd developed over the years. They ascended to their floor. “I want to make sure that Mariam’s house is equipped so I know everything she does.”
“You have to trust authorities and their jobs sometimes.” She sniffed the air as if testing for bombs or could smell out a spy. She backed into the wall. “Let’s go see your father and we’ll talk to him. If he thinks we should go back, then we both go.”
The elevator stopped and the doors opened. He stared at her as she stood like a sentinel, so he motioned for her to exit. “I can’t force you to stay but coming home was your choice…”
She stormed off the elevator and headed toward their door. She kept quiet as he followed, opened the door to their condo, and they both took off their shoes.
Beau flipped the light on and locked the door, and she crossed her arms. “I… see that something is off with you... What happened?” Her voice cracked.
He walked beside her and kept his voice down as he said, “I keep reliving the past few months in my mind and how Mariam, Natasha, and Arman all hurt my family. I didn't fulfill my own destiny," in dying, "which I thought I knew.”
Sarah shook her head and avoided the living area, heading to the kitchen to get a bottle of wine and two glasses. “Beau, I know you’ve studied me these past few months but I’ve been right here, beside you. I know a little about you too and you pull away when things are not going according to your plans.”
He took the bottle from her and opened it as he said, “I do not.”
She tapped the glass and he poured while she met his gaze and then said, “Shall I remind you of the broken dish when I first moved in?”
This conversation made no sense. She’d been his wife, yes, but her reminder wasn’t about their life together or why he shouldn’t go. He poured his own glass and held it up. “You dropped it. Accidents happened.�
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She clinked her glass to his in agreement and then sipped. “You didn’t even blink when internally I was expecting you to scream and act like I'd broken something sacred. You told me to let it go.”
“Because it wasn’t a big deal.”
“In my old way of life, it absolutely was. Breaking something meant I’d get yelled at.”
“That’s silly.”
“The point is I was distant from you and not trusting you, but I changed over time.”
“You trust me?”
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”
“Well that’s good.”
“Right now I think you need to let go whatever you thought might happen but didn’t. Running back to Hoskell doesn’t solve what’s going on in your heart.”
“I don’t dwell, much.” He followed her toward the living room still unsure.
She settled into the couch and relaxed like she'd proved her point as she said, “Right, and I don’t argue. I’m just always right.”
“And sassy.” His skin tingled. He put his glass down and tapped his hands together as he stared at the door. “Sarah, I can’t just forget the past. I wasn’t supposed to live. Now that I am, I… I’m lost.”
She scooted closer and patted his leg. “Then try… just try… to honestly let me in and see if we work out, without wanting to throw our hands up and run away, when we can figure things out together.”
The past three months flooded his mind. Maybe he did go quiet when he was thinking. But returning to Hoskell wasn’t running from Sarah. He sipped his wine and then glanced at her as he raised his eyebrow and asked, “You say this to me, even though when your parents call you won’t take the phone?”
Her nose wrinkled as she pouted at him. “If you lived my life, would you?”
He wasn’t sure. He’d never had an indifferent family. His parents spoiled him and often gave him whatever he wanted. He turned toward her and her smell of lavender soothed him instantly. He kept that oil on his desk when working, and she must have noticed at some point as he said, “You asked for forgiving my aunt’s life first. Are your parents that different? I’m not saying you need to stay in touch, but you won’t even talk to them.”
Irresistibly Dashing Page 10
