Yonas came over to her, kneeling beside her. “It was supposed to be a joke.”
“Hilarious. I’m just the hired help to you—I know. I don’t have a name or a life or any worth. Carry on with your day, Yonas.”
“Hey.” Something sharp in his tone made her look up at him. His brows formed a hard ridge. “That’s not funny either. I can’t tell if you’re joking.”
“I’m not.”
“Well you’re wrong, then.” He rummaged into the container next to her, seemingly mimicking her own actions. “Please tell me your name. I forgot to ask last night before you stormed away.”
She took a few breaths, mulling over her response. He annoyed her, far more than even made sense. She barely knew him—just his reputation and their shoddy first encounter the night before. But something about him triggered her.
“It’s Maia,” she snapped. She pushed the lid on her container closed. “But you can go.”
“Maia.” The way he said her name almost made her stop in her tracks. His voice was honey, and she was a parched piece of toast. He grabbed her wrist, and she inhaled sharply. The warmth of his grip felt too good. “Don’t throw me out. I promise to do better.”
She made the mistake of looking down and meeting that dark chocolatey gaze. The neat trim of his black hair at the sides; the unruly tuft at the front; the collarbone that protruded at the top of his shirt, giving way to an expanse beneath she would give almost anything to see.
He was too damn hot. And now that he was laying on the charm? This was hopeless.
“Fine.” She snatched her wrist back. “You can help.” The place where his fingers had touched her skin sizzled. He was made of pure pheromones.
“So what’s on the agenda for today?”
“We’re packing up these things, and I’ll be bringing out a new round of decorations for the upcoming event.” She paused as raucous giggling echoed down the hallway. A moment later, the Yared twins arrived. Sesuna and Winta, the thirteen-year-old identical girls, the youngest of the Yared clan. They loved to hang around Maia as she worked and had promised to show up today.
Sesuna gasped when she saw Yonas, babbling at him in Arabic. Maia didn’t need to speak the language to know the girl was thrilled to see her older brother. Sesuna launched herself into Yonas’s arms, and then Winta did the same. The trio spoke in energetic Arabic as Yonas spun each of them around in turn. Maia fought to hide her smile.
“We’re here to help,” Winta said a few moments later in her accented English. The girls liked to practice their English with her and were fascinated by the tricks she used to decorate their home. Maia smiled brightly at the girls.
“Our brother is helping too,” Sesuna said proudly, bringing Yonas over by the hand. A genuine smile graced Yonas’s face as he looked down at his sister. Maia tried not to let the display of affection melt her resistance to Yonas.
“So many Yared siblings to help me,” Maia said. Seeing the girls often made her think about her son, Julian—who she wasn’t able to see as much as she liked while working at the palace. The twins would love him, but having him around would be a major impediment to making the deadlines of the holiday schedule. “I’m sure with three of you, we’ll be able to work three times as fast.”
“Six times as fast!” Winta quipped.
“Ten times as fast!” Sesuna added.
Maia looked at Yonas, lifting a brow. “Anything you’d like to add?”
He shook his head, a heartbreaking dimple flashing in his cheek. “I generally like to go as slowly as possible. Although I might be talking about something else.”
Her cheeks heated once his meaning hit. She sighed tersely, turning away from him. Imagining him drawing out intercourse—yeah, this was neither the time nor the place for those thoughts. Even though she would not mind at all finding out just how good he was in bed.
Maia gave each of her workers different tasks, running through the to-do list in her mind as she oversaw the final packing of the decorations. Sheikh Yared had wanted the first parties to feature the hyper-traditional Western decorations—complete with Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer—which would then segue into more traditional Maatkaran decorations as the season progressed.
For the next round, Maia had planned a pine-garland-heavy approach with lots of ivory and gold. There would be one large Western Christmas tree, but that was it, decorated in muted tones of maroon and gold.
They progressed decently well, though Yonas frequently stopped working to entertain his sisters with whatever implement was nearby. He made the process more fun than it normally was. He was something of a natural clown, and it was hard to not laugh at his antics.
At one point, Yonas bopped Winta on the head with a long cardboard tube. She gasped, grasping at her hair.
“Yonaaas!” she cried. Then she rattled off a long string of Arabic. When Maia made her way over to Yonas, she nudged him.
“What was that about?”
“I messed up her hair,” he said, laughing softly. “They’re teenagers now. I forget sometimes.”
The girls ran off to sift through a large box of ornaments. Maia unfurled garland as she watched them.
“You’re a good big brother,” she finally said. “They really love you.”
“I suppose I am,” he said. “I’m generally gone this time of year, though. Not so good of a big brother.”
Maia glanced up at him, desire streaking through her. It was impossible to even see the man without wanting to strip him down. “Why are you generally gone?”
He shrugged, bending the cardboard tube in half, then again. “Just like to get away. Family, you know? They can be annoying.”
She frowned at the garland she was unraveling. Fake pine needles shed to the floor. From across the foyer, Winta shrieked.
“That’s unfortunate to hear,” she finally said. And then she realized: this was the crux of her annoyance with him. He had everything she’d always wanted in life—a big family. And he usually escaped them. By choice. “Even your sisters?”
He sighed, tossing the tube into a small pile of trash they’d started. “My father. My brothers. Even my aunts sometimes. Everyone is in each other’s business constantly.” He paused, watching her for a moment. “You must not have a big family if you can’t commiserate.”
She bristled. “I don’t. I always wanted one, as a matter of fact.” She unfurled the last bit of garland. “I was adopted and an only child.” Yonas didn’t say anything, just grunted a moment later. Then he walked away.
Maia squashed the urge to find out where he was going and instead got to work twining the columns with garland. Yonas returned a few minutes later, holding something out for her in his hand.
“I brought us some sweets,” he said, flashing a grin. She glanced at the wrapper then back at his face. When she didn’t respond immediately, he added, “They aren’t as delicious as I am, but I think the candy will tide you over.”
She snorted, snatching up the candy. She hated how aware he was of his own handsomeness, but even more she hated how right he was in teasing her about it. “The candy is fine, thanks. You’re probably like Tootsie Rolls anyway. They look good from the outside but once you bite into one, you wonder why you wanted it in the first place.”
Yonas glanced up at her as he unwrapped his candy, amusement shining in his eyes. “Ouch.”
She shrugged. She’d never gotten anywhere in life by sugarcoating herself around men. And she was even less inclined to pussyfoot around them since ending the underwhelming relationship with her son’s father a year ago. She’d thought she was making the safe choice, the right choice, by staying reserved around the man who’d promised to be her life mate. Even though he was a little sexist, a little hotheaded, and a little boring—he was better than nothing.
Only through trying—and failing—to raise Julian together did she realize that nothing was a lot better than her ex. And staying meek around men just to not piss them off was no longer her MO.
She unwrapped her candy, finding a sweet date inside. She smirked, looking up at him.
“You assume I even want to taste you.” She popped the date in her mouth. It had a creamy filling, but what, she couldn’t say. It was delicious.
“It’s no secret that many women find me attractive.” He sent her a disarming smile. “But gorgeous women like yourself can almost never stay away.”
There was a compliment buried in his words—but also a confirmation of his rumored playboy status. She sighed, tossing the candy wrapper.
“I’m sorry to be the first one to break your record, then. If you’ll recall, last night’s kiss was only because you bargained for it.”
Yonas narrowed his eyes at her, but the satisfied smile on his face told her just how much he liked the banter. And truth was…she did too, a little. She’d kept her nose to the grindstone for long enough, ignoring everything and everyone except for her son and her bank account. This flirtatious dance was fun, as long as it stayed within her boundaries.
And her boundaries demanded absolutely nothing more than work assistance and the occasional sweet treat. Even though the deepest part of her was desperate to see where those kisses last night might have led.
5
Yonas helped Maia for the better part of the day, long after the twins had wandered off to go finish their studies with the in-palace tutor. By the time Maia was wrapping up, it was nearly dinner time, and his stomach was grumbling. He normally ate well and often, but between today’s hangover and his dedication to helping Maia, he’d overlooked his own hunger.
“Are you hungry?” he asked, jerking his head down the hallway toward the kitchen. “Let’s go find something to eat.”
“It’s almost dinner time,” she said, snapping shut the lid of a large box. “I have plans.”
“I’m not asking you out to dinner. We’ll have a snack.” He started off for the kitchen, trusting that she would follow him. When he glanced over his shoulder a few moments later, she was still in the foyer.
“Come on!” he called out to her.
Her sigh echoed down the hall, making him smile. She walked up to him, fists clenched at her side.
“Is it this much of a struggle to get you to do everything in life?” he asked, elbowing her.
She stiffened, but the usual snarky reply he’d been expecting didn’t arrive. Instead, she looked like she was fighting a smile.
“You have access to the best kitchen in the Middle East, and you won’t even accept my offer of a snack.” He pushed open the swinging doors leading into the kitchen. Cooks bustled around, prepping dinner. Yonas couldn’t remember what was on the menu for that night, but he just wanted something quick and tasty. Across the kitchen, Noel stood flanked by dishes.
“What’s all this, brother?” Yonas strode his way, checking out the dishes. Flatbread, some green sauce, a plate full of lightly fried dumplings. He clapped his brother’s shoulder. “Looks delicious.”
“Just looking at the setup for tonight’s meal.” Noel scratched at the back of his neck, glancing up at Maia. He nodded his greeting. “Maia, hope your evening is going well.”
“Well enough, I suppose,” she said with a sweet smile, setting her phone down on the countertop. “Your brother insists we snack.”
“Yes. And this looks like just the thing.” Yonas reached for the flatbread, but Noel stilled him with a hand on his wrist.
“Yonas,” he said, that irritating disciplinarian-older-brother tone in his voice, “This is mine.”
Maia stifled a laugh from behind him. Yonas furrowed a brow. “What, all of this?”
Noel sent him a flat look. “Maia can have some. But not you.”
Yonas narrowed his eyes, then looked back to find Maia laughing behind her hand. “He’s just acting this way because he’s my older brother,” he said.
“Right,” Maia said.
Noel must have been loving the interplay, because he exaggeratedly offered the plate of flatbread to Maia. “Would you care for one?”
Yonas rolled his eyes. “Okay, funny. I’m the starving one.”
“You were snacking the whole day,” Maia chided, ripping into a piece of what looked to be the softest flatbread ever made.
“Yeah, but I never had breakfast. Or lunch.” He reached for a piece of bread, but Noel moved it out of reach. “Come on.”
“He’s afraid of me because I’m taller,” Noel explained, a smug smile on his face.
“Oh, please. I’ve never been afraid of you.” Yonas shoved his shoulder playfully. But the brotherly tension was alive and well. Especially when it came to food.
“I know you only arrived recently,” Noel went on, “but you’ll quickly learn who the brother in control is.”
“Yeah. Robel.” Yonas teased, lunging past Noel to grab the flatbread. He snagged it with a victorious laugh, biting into it before Noel could object. “Now give me some of that sauce.”
Yonas’s phone buzzed in his pocket once, and then again. He snatched it out, silencing the call and setting the phone on the counter so it didn’t bother him again. Noel moved the dish away from Yonas’s reach as he tried to dip his bread.
“Not again,” Yonas said through a full mouth of bread.
“Here, Maia, please try some of this sauce.” Noel’s devilish grin stretched wider as he reached around Yonas to offer her the plate. “You’ll love it.”
Maia dipped her bread appreciatively into the sauce, biting her lower lip. Yonas couldn’t rip his gaze off her face as she took a bite then emitted a low hum.
She was way sexier than he remembered from last night.
“Delicious,” she finally said.
Yonas frowned, turning back to Noel. “Are you finished? I’m so hungry I could eat a cow.”
“Father won’t allow that,” Noel chided. “Not now that we’re in the vegan observance of the Christmas holidays.”
Yonas grunted, stealing another piece of bread. He swiped it through the sauce before Noel could protest.
“Yonas has always been the hungriest brother,” Noel said. He was gearing up for some embarrassing, comparative tale; Yonas could sense it. “He once won an eating contest in the city center.”
Yonas stared at his brother, chewing loudly.
“Oh, really?” Maia’s eyes shone with interest. “What kind of food?”
“Don’t say it,” Yonas warned.
“Eight scoops of ice cream,” Noel said gleefully. “And he won!”
Yonas sighed, tearing another piece of flatbread in half. “And I couldn’t walk for a day afterward. All for the glory of Maatkare.”
Maia grinned over at Yonas, the first genuine smile he’d gotten from her. It warmed him, more than he wanted to admit to himself. He met her gaze, and something shivered between them.
“That’s quite noble,” she said, swiping a piece of bread into the sauce. “And whatever this sauce is, is absolutely amazing.”
“Ana, our new head cook, made it. I’m just making sure the spread for tonight’s dinner is as pleasing as father requires.”
“It looks lovely,” Maia said. She reached for her phone, swiped through the screen, then frowned. She looked back at the countertop, then at Yonas. “I think we have the same phone.”
She held up his own shiny white smart phone, then reached for the other one. The same model.
“Well, look at that.” Yonas grabbed his phone from her outstretched hand. “Does this mean I win the privilege of your number?”
Noel snorted with a laugh behind him.
“I think you have plenty to keep you occupied,” Maia said with a tight smile. She looked at Noel, then said, “Thank you very much for the tastes. I appreciate it. And Yonas, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Maia turned and left befo
re Yonas could say anything further. He felt a little bit like he’d done something wrong, but he couldn’t figure out what.
“She’s cute,” Noel said finally.
“I know.” Yonas jabbed another piece of bread into the sauce, glancing back at the swinging door that still moved slightly from when she’d walked through. “And she detests me.”
“You did something to deserve that, I’d bet.”
“Maybe.” Yonas chewed thoughtfully. “But she’s very intriguing.”
“Why’s that?”
“She doesn’t care that I’m a sheikh. She talks to me like I’m the pool boy.”
Noel snorted again. “I always sensed you had a submissive side to you.”
Yonas shoved him in the side with his elbow. “Well it doesn’t matter anyway. I’ll be running off to meet Shaia soon.”
“Shaia?” Noel lifted a brow. “Is this a new flavor of the week?”
As soon as the name escaped his lips, Yonas realized he hadn’t told his brothers about the internet romance. He worked his jaw back and forth, considering how to play it off. He didn’t want his brothers to know about his plans to leave for the holidays, because they’d surely tell his father. And this year, more than ever, they would put up a fight to keep him here.
“More than a week, brother.” Yonas squeezed his shoulder. “I must not have told you yet because I thought you’d say exactly what you just said.”
Noel shrugged. “It’s impossible to keep up.”
“Then don’t try.”
A tense silence settled between them as Yonas ripped off another piece. He cleaned out the bottom of the bowl.
“You’d think it’s a crime to talk to women in this household,” Yonas finally said. “I think I’m the only one here who knows how to enjoy himself.”
“Perhaps too much,” Noel said. “And nearly always with people who aren’t your family.”
“Is it also a crime to have my own social circle?”
“No. But you certainly seem to be gone a lot.”
“I’m here now, aren’t I?” Yonas smiled at his brother. They were just a few inches apart in height. “I’ve been here for the past two weeks, as well.”
Christmas with the Yared Sheikhs: The Complete Series Page 13
