by Leslie North
All these were questions that he’d known he’d face sooner or later. He’d simply hoped his daughter would be a little older when explanations became necessary. “I only found out about you,” he confessed. “I came as quickly as I could. Had I known about you sooner, my darling, I would have been there. I promise.”
Aisha nodded, and he saw Amy squeeze her hand. Then the woman leaned down and whispered something in the little girl’s ear, and Aisha giggled. “Do I call you Daddy, now?”
There was a sharp yearning in his chest, but he tried not to get his hopes up too quickly. “You can call me whatever you want. If you’re comfortable calling me Daddy, I would like that very much, but if you’re not, then that’s okay, too.”
“Okay,” she said simply.
That was it. No confirmation or denial. Just okay.
That was perhaps the hardest hurdle he’d faced in his life, and the child acted like nothing was different.
Children really were a wonder.
“We’re here,” the driver finally announced, and Bahir pulled Aisha into his lap so she could see her new home.
“Oooooh,” she whispered. “It’s so pretty.”
The palace was impressive. Expansive, with two dome towers toward the middle, accented by columns of white stone, it stood out in an oasis of greenery. The gardens were the kingdom’s pride and joy, and Bahir smiled to hear Aisha’s gasp of delight. To him, it was home, but to her, it was a castle, full of adventure.
“If you’d like, I can go shopping for her and get her some suitable clothing before dinner,” Amy said in a low voice. “She doesn’t have much, and you might want her in something nicer when she meets your family.”
Surprised, Bahir stared at Amy. She’d spent days harping at him about how little the orphans had, and now she was concerned about how Aisha would look when meeting his mother? “In a few days, I’m sure my mother will be begging to take her shopping. Until then, I’m not worried about it. She can borrow some things from Iris as they look to be about the same size, and my niece wants for nothing.” He cringed, feeling as though that statement had been insensitive, and quickly changed the subject. “I’d like to give you both a tour.”
A hesitant smile spread over her face, and she nodded as she settled back.
Bahir asked the driver to take them around to the back. He wanted to get Aisha settled before his mother and sister-in-law smothered her with love and affection.
The guards took their bags. Aisha practically bounced up the steps, and he could see that she was shaking with excitement as she waited at the top.
Bahir grabbed Amy’s hand and pulled her closer. “Are you okay?” he whispered in her ear.
“I’m fine, but I think your daughter is going to start the tour without you.” She nodded her head in a meaningful way, and Bahir turned in time to see Aisha manage to wrench open the door.
Cursing to himself, he bounded up the stairs and grabbed her. The child shrieked with laughter as he lifted her over his head and whirled her around. Perching her on his shoulders, he opened the door and walked in.
He was home, and he had his beautiful daughter with him. It was probably the happiest moment in his life.
Turning his head, he watched as Amy slowly followed behind, and he realized that something was still missing.
“I can’t believe you left without telling me. When Iman told me what you’d done, I was beside myself with worry. Why are my sons always trying to put me in an early grave?” Taslima whispered as she reached over and grabbed his hand. Squeezing it gently, she wiped away the tears in her eyes.
It was after dinner. Aisha and Iris had bonded immediately and had taken over the table by telling stories, each one more outlandish than the last. Iman sat at the head of the table, and Bahir had taken his usual seat on the right. He would have preferred to sit next to Amy, but she’d chosen the open spot next to Natalie, and the two Americans had whispered throughout dinner. Aisha and Iris had claimed the chairs to either side of Bahir, and his mother sat on the other side of Iris. He’d spent most of his dinner making sure that dinner didn’t end up in his lap, not that Beetle would have complained. Iris’s furry friend had taken up residence under the large table and was busily snapping up any food the little girls managed to drop.
It was chaos, but he’d loved it.
Now the two girls were playing on the floor of the common room with Amy and Natalie. Iman went to take a phone call, and from the look on his face, it had something to do with Riyad. Their youngest brother was always in trouble.
Alone with his mother, Bahir put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I’d already lost too much time. I didn’t want to waste another second.”
“She’s beautiful.” Taslima smiled gently. “Her mother did a good job with her.”
“Amalia was a good woman. At least, when I knew her, she was.”
“And Amy? The social worker you’ve invited into our home?” Another might take his mother as sounding judgmental, but he knew from experience she was simply being nosy.
Bahir snorted. “Mother, I’m not on the market for your matchmaking; perhaps you should set your sights on Riyad. From the look on Iman’s face, he might be in need of your skills.”
Taslima blinked innocently, but Bahir could see the mischievous twinkle in her eye. “I was merely wondering why she’s here.”
“As you can see, Aisha is attached to Amy. I thought that it might make the transition easier.”
“And how did she feel about hiding from armed rebels?”
Hearing the edge in her voice, Bahir looked down and frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that after what happened to you and Iman, losing time that could have been spent raising your daughters, you might have learned that your actions have consequences. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be sleeping with her because of the possibility of fathering another child. I’m saying that you should consider the fallout because you’re the heir to the throne.”
She turned her face fully to him, her gaze intense. “How will you protect her when she leaves this palace?”
Bahir felt a jolt of annoyance. “Amy is not Amalia, Mother. She isn’t subject to the same judgments and values. She can leave my bed the same way she entered it, a free woman.” One side of his mouth twisted, then relaxed. “Amalia was cast out, but Amy has no family. She doesn’t face the same threat.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about, Bahir,” his mother said with a disapproving frown. “It’s obvious that woman is vulnerable. She came here in search of something. Will she find it, once the media splashes her face all over the newspapers and television screens?”
Bahir was about to question his mother about what she meant when he realized the impact of her words. News of the rebellion was already making headlines, yet soon he’d have to introduce his daughter to the public. It wouldn’t take long for the media to uncover the days they’d spend in hiding or the American woman who had been holed up with him.
Maybe, maybe if he hadn’t touched her, she’d be able to go back to her life at the orphanage, but that wasn’t an option now. She was at the palace with him. His guards all knew that they’d spent the night together. Keeping that kind of secret quiet would be impossible. She’d be recognizable on every street corner.
She wouldn’t be able to have that quiet life now.
That settled it.
He would have to keep her.
13
As Aisha and Iris started to yawn, Natalie immediately swooped in to spirit her daughter off to bed. “There’s a small window of opportunity, and if you wait too long, they get their second wind, and then you’re up half the night,” she whispered with a wink.
Amy was already half in love with the Crowned Sheikh’s wife, who obviously understood what it meant to be an outsider and had spent most of the evening making her feel comfortable. It was a relief since Amy couldn’t have felt more out of place. Sheikh
Iman and his mother were very nice, but they were understandably focused on the new member of the family.
Amy? She was the most uninteresting person at the table. “Aisha, tell Iris good night. She’s going to bed, and so are you,” she said firmly, stirring herself from her thoughts. She reached out to take the girl’s hand, but Bahir beat her to it.
“I’ll get her ready and tuck her in,” he announced. “Besides, our doctor is here, and I want him to look her over before bed.”
There was no room for objection, and why would there be? He was Aisha’s father. She wasn’t even the girl’s nurse or tutor anymore. She was present in the room, a witness at most.
Pain knotted in her chest, and she realized how difficult it was going to be to say goodbye to Aisha. She’d never expected to bond with any of the children at the orphanage, a place she’d gone to pick up facts for a compelling story, but once she’d taken Aisha under her wing, she’d never thought about the day she might leave.
She was planning on leaving. She had set out to travel the world, after all, not become enamored of one little kingdom.
So why was it so hard to watch Bahir take Aisha’s hand and walk away?
“My son has told me what happened,” said the elderly woman who had sat herself down nearby to watch the children play, her hands clasped in her lap. “About the incident with the rebels and how you stood up to protect my granddaughter. My family is indebted to you.”
Taslima was a beautiful woman. So elegant and sophisticated, she made Amy feel like a speck of dust. Amy swallowed hard and tried to sound matter-of-fact. “I appreciate that, but it’s really not necessary. It was Shatha who stood up to the rebels, and I didn’t recognize your son when I met him at the orphanage or I might have been a bit more…” Amy tried to figure out how best to respond. “Conciliatory,” she finished, and the Shekinah chuckled.
“Ah yes, he told me of the enthusiastic child who shared her love of reef sharks with him. I must admit, he was quite bemused at how open and unafraid she was. I suspect that he might have been a bit taken with you at the time, as well.”
Amy couldn’t hold in the snort. “He had a companion with him, and I suspect that she probably required his undivided attention. As for me, wrangling children has become a bit of a sport, and I definitely get my exercise chasing after them.”
“Taq Taqieh,” Taslima filled in with another laugh. “Oh, how the boys loved playing that game when they were little.” The woman’s face sobered as she looked at Amy earnestly. “Despite your ability to deflect, my family does owe you a debt of gratitude. What you were willing to do to protect that little girl had nothing to do with her station. You thought her an orphan of little or no status, but protecting her was still important to you.”
Amy slowly exhaled as she pulled herself up from the floor. “No offense, Shekinah, but I believe that all children’s lives are important, no matter where they come from or who surrounds them. It would seem that there are those in your kingdom who have forgotten that.”
Taslima’s gaze sharpened. “You’re not wrong. Bahir would like to go after Amalia’s family and punish them for what they did to her. What do you think about that?”
“I think it does more good to lead by example. Change the policy. Focus on the quality of life of all the social classes and hope that the neighboring kingdoms will follow suit.”
“Hmmm,” was Taslima’s response, her expression thoughtful. Then she smiled as she pushed herself to her feet. “I hope you don’t mind, but I need to retire for the evening. The excitement of meeting another grandchild has worn me out. Not that I don’t love Iris and now Aisha fiercely, but is it too much to ask that my sons give me grandchildren the old-fashioned way? Where I might have nine months to prepare for their arrival?” The twinkle in her eye set the younger woman at ease.
“I get the feeling that Bahir doesn’t do much in the old-fashioned way,” Amy said and laughed. “Forgive me. I’m still learning the customs. Should I walk you to your room?”
“That won’t be necessary, but I’d be happy to walk you to your room. I’m sure Bahir hasn’t taken the time to get you settled yet.”
Chuckling, Amy shook her head. “That’s true. His guards carried away all the bags, and he told them to put everything in his room. I’m not sure if my bag has made it to my room, yet.”
“I’m fairly certain everything is exactly where Bahir wants it,” Taslima said dryly. “So, how long are you planning on staying here?”
As the conversation continued, Amy followed the older woman out of the common room and down the ornately decorated hallway. Beautiful pictures and tapestries adorned every wall, and podiums held statues and carvings. The palace rivaled most art galleries. “I’m not certain. I agreed to stay for a week or two to help Aisha settle in, although I’m not certain that’s necessary.”
“I wouldn’t say that. She looks at you like her mother. Do you have any children of your own?”
Amy tried to keep a smile on her face to belie the stab the simple query brought.
Her pain must have been evident all the same, for Taslima reached over and took her hand. “I’m so sorry, my darling. But you have to believe that you were meant to love someone else if you will never have your own children to love.”
Amy blinked back unwelcome tears. “Thank you. Children give me joy, but at the same time, they also remind me of my own shortcomings.” She forced a smile. “Aisha is bonded to me, but she’s young. She’ll bond to someone else soon. It didn’t take her long to feel comfortable around Bahir.”
They stopped in front of a door, and Taslima shook her head. “It’s a shame.”
“What’s that?” Amy asked.
“That you can make yourself feel so unimportant.”
Stunned, Amy stood speechless as Taslima smiled and added a quiet word and nod to bid her goodnight. She watched the woman walk away and turn the corner, and then she reached out blindly to open the door. She didn’t even bother turning on the lights. It had been a roller coaster of a day, and all she wanted to do was sleep.
Stripping off her clothes and leaving them on the floor, she crawled into the bed and snuggled under the covers. The satin sheets were the most luxurious sensation she’d ever felt on her skin. Moaning slightly, she shimmied off her underwear so she could feel the sheets on every part of her body.
Hugging the pillow, she closed her eyes and tried to ignore the fist of pain that had closed around her heart. She was going to lose Aisha. She was going to lose Bahir.
A woman she’d just met had been able to see her true fear.
So much for changing the world. She could barely keep herself together. With that thought, she fell into a troubling sleep.
She was having the most delicious dream. Questing fingers trailed up and down her bare thighs in light, feathery strokes. Sighing in pleasure, she turned into the hard body next to her.
His breath warmed her neck as his lips grazed over her skin, and she shivered. “Wake up, sweetheart,” his voice whispered in her ear. “I want to see you coming in my bed.”
His erotic words pulled her out of her haze of sleep, and she realized that she wasn’t dreaming and she wasn’t alone.
“Bahir,” she whispered, feeling his hands nudging open her thighs. “What are you doing in my room?”
“I’m not in your room, Amy,” he chuckled softly. “You’re in mine. I can’t even tell you how I felt when I saw your panties on my floor.”
“Oh, God.” With an embarrassed moan, she tried to sit up. “I didn’t know. Your mother insinuated that this was my room.”
“My mother is a smart woman.” His hand snaked around her waist, and he pulled her flush against him. “And this is your room.”
Closing her eyes, she grabbed at his hands before they could part her legs again. “Bahir, in the safe house, it was the three of us and some guards. We had more freedom there, yes, but here, you’re a sheikh. You’re a father. The whole kingdom is going to be watching you, an
d I don’t think me being in your bed is going to be a good thing.”
“Why don’t you let me worry about that?” he whispered as he nibbled her ear. With a small sigh, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the pleasure coursing through her. It was so hard to say no when it felt so good to be in his arms.
“Bahir, you need to listen. Screwing the American you found in the orphanage might not go over well—” Before she could finish the sentence, she was on her back, and Bahir had trapped her arms over her head while he straddled her.
Flames of anger burned in his eyes. “Stop doing that,” he hissed. “Stop undervaluing yourself. In the desert, you hated me for the amount of power I wield, but here, you’re shrinking from it like a trembling flower. I know you, Amy, but I don’t recognize this woman. You’re pulling away from me, and you’re using my status to do so.”
“You know me? You met me officially a week ago!”
“Oh, sweetheart.” Leaning down, he captured her lips in a slow, sensual kiss. “I’ve learned everything that’s important about you. The need to do good and make your mark in this world. The love you have for others, and your courage when you want to protect them.”
Trailing his kiss down her neck, he stopped at the hollow of her throat and dipped his tongue in. “The strength you had not to abandon those you love in the face of danger.”
“Just a fluke,” she whimpered, feeling his lips move farther south. Her nipples were already erect as he lazily slid his tongue over her.
“You’re lying. It’s who you are. That child who defied the adults to climb the tree and pull out her own splinters grew up to be a stunningly brave and loyal woman.” He moved over to lave his attentions on her other nipple, and she could feel her resistance waning.
Finally, he shimmied down over her belly, which meant he had to release her hands. Immediately, she curled her fingers into his hair and moved restlessly beneath him. She was wet and pulsing for him, but his legs had her own trapped, and she could do nothing but try to be patient as he tortured her.
