Christmas with the Yared Sheikhs: The Complete Series

by North, Leslie

  Yonas smiled up at her with sleepy eyes, one pinched shut. “Morning.”

  “Morning.” She nibbled on her lip, picking up the items strewn around her room. Making it look orderly, as if they hadn’t just stumbled in here and started screwing like teenagers.

  Yonas turned in bed, rubbing at his eyes, yawning boyishly. He assessed her quietly, and then said, “Did you shower?”

  “No.”

  “Then why are you wearing that towel?”

  She froze. In the morning light, her decisions rang stupid, awkward, embarrassing. She had a freaking sheikh in her bedroom. In her friend’s house. While her son slept in the other room. She wasn’t eighteen and sneaking around her parents anymore. She should have some class.

  “I…” she began, “I thought…”

  “Take it off.” He sounded annoyed, rolling onto his side. “You’re hiding that beautiful body.”

  She smirked, but relief shivered through her. Fine. So at least there was that. She let the towel crumple to the floor.

  “Thought you might not want to see it in the light of day,” she murmured, only half joking. He tutted.

  “If you’re going to pretend you aren’t as sexy as you actually are, then you can stop right now.” He shoved the covers off, his soft penis moving gently against his legs as he came her way. “And let’s just cut straight to the chase.” He grabbed the sides of her face, planting a big, sloppy kiss on her lips. “There. Morning breath, out of the way.”

  He walked past her, heading for the bathroom. She watched after him with a silly smile on her face. Now this approach was refreshing.

  “Listen, what are your plans for today?” Yonas asked over the sound of running water.

  “Uh, just working. Which, you know, I’m contracted to do.”

  “Right, right.” He came out of the bathroom, running his hands through damp hair. His dick was framed by neatly trimmed black hair. It was hard not to stare. Even soft, it was the largest one she’d ever seen. “But after?”

  “Uh,” she began, her mind swirling. This whole thing felt surreal. He still wanted to hang out with her? The playboy sheikh wanted a next day? “Nothing?”

  “How about this?” He walked over to his discarded clothes on the far side of the room, stepping into his boxers. “We go take care of your work for the morning, then I take you and Julian out for a fabulous lunch somewhere secret. A surprise.” He waggled his eyebrows.

  Maia didn’t want to admit how much his eagerness to spend the day with her warmed her. “But just a half day of work?”

  “I’ll be there to help,” Yonas reassured her, stepping into his jeans. He tugged them up, buttoning them deftly, that dark line of hair now leading to his jeans. “And I’ll focus. I swear.”

  She couldn’t fight the grin. He was such a charmer when he wanted to be. And that was dangerous.

  “I guess that sounds fine,” she said. She reached for her bra and panties, sending him a playful look. “May I get dressed now, or does the sheikh demand I stay nude?”

  Lust shimmered across his face, and he pulled her into his arms by the hips. “The sheikh demands just a few more moments with this sexiness.”

  They kissed hungrily, breaking only when Maia pulled away. She pressed her palms to Yonas’s chest.

  “I have to go get Julian up and ready for the day.” She studied the contrast of her pale hands on his dark chest. “I don’t know if he should see you here.”

  “I understand.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ll skulk away like the spurned lover.”

  A laugh burst out of her. “Spurned for only a short time. I’ll see you at the palace?”

  “Yes. And put on your surprise pants.” He grinned, nuzzling her neck.

  “Surprise pants?”

  “Yes. The ones you wear prior to a surprise.” He laughed, slipping his arms into his dress shirt. “Obviously.”

  She couldn’t fight the grin as she redressed. There was no doubt about it: Yonas made things fun. And she was happy to get lost in his whirlwind for a little bit.

  As long as it stayed just a little bit.

  * * *

  Yonas fought to hide his grin. He loved the air of suspense for the duration of the car ride. He’d packed Julian and Maia into the palace car after work wrapped up, bringing along just a few sweets so as to not ruin their appetite.

  While he and Maia worked at hyper speed levels over the morning, Yonas also worked to set up the clandestine plans. And now—all would be revealed. Maia cast him a suspicious look.

  “You’ve been grinning at me for twenty minutes.”

  “Nonsense.” He moved his gaze out the window, where trees zoomed past as they headed down the road. The road grew progressively sandier at the edges. “Do you know where we’re going?”

  “Well, I do know we’re going toward a surprise. So, does that count?”

  “Surprise!” Julian shouted, tugging at Maia’s arm.

  “I’ll allow it,” Yonas said, sitting back into the seat. Julian kicked his legs between them, grinning goofily as he watched out the window.

  “You enjoy this too much,” Maia said, looking like she was fighting a smile.

  “You’re probably correct.” Yonas laughed softly. The happiness swirling in his chest wasn’t just because of being able to surprise someone with a nice day. Part of it had to do specifically—and resoundingly—with Maia and her son. If he’d had Shaia in this car—if she’d ever deigned to show up to Maatkare or meet him anywhere in the world—he didn’t think he’d feel half this excited.

  After another few minutes on the winding road, the car drove through a tunnel of bent trees, covering the road like protective arms. And then they burst through the other side, sunlight greeting them again, the enormous jewel of the ocean spread out before them.

  Maia gasped. Julian screeched. “Yay, we’re going to the beach! We can swim!”

  “Is that true?” Maia asked, arching a brow.

  “Of course.” Yonas ruffled Julian’s hair. “I wouldn’t bring a three-year-old to the beach without allowing him a sample of the sea.”

  “Can we build castles?” Julian asked, excitement pitching his voice upward.

  Maia looked at Yonas again.

  “I’ve got that covered too,” Yonas said, leaning down a bit closer to Julian. “We’re going to build the most fabulous castle you’ve ever seen. After lunch, of course.”

  “Oh, thank God.” Maia wilted. “I was hoping the surprise lunch would take precedence. I am wearing the surprise pants, after all.”

  He snickered. He loved that she was so easy to joke with, so easy to be around. Like they could spend the entire week, even the entire month together, and still find things to laugh at on the other side.

  The car wound closer to their destination, a section of trees pushed up against the edge of the beach. Nestled into the flora, Yonas spotted their lunch area: canopies staked back to create a dreamy alcove among the trees, gold and brown carpets along the ground, their lunch table and chairs in place overlooking the sea.

  “Is this…” Maia began, her eyes fastened on the fast-approaching hideaway.

  “Lunch,” Yonas confirmed. Julian wriggled excitedly on the seat between them.

  “I want macaroni and cheese!”

  Maia smiled in a way he’d never seen before, like it came from the purest, deepest part of her. “We’ll have to see if they have any, buddy.”

  Once the car parked, each step unfurled perfectly and just as he’d arranged: the server led them to their spots behind the long, low table; each one afforded an unbroken view of the glittering water. Some yachts dotted the horizon, the salty tang of the sea reaching them in bursts. Julian sat between them, kicking his legs as he folded the mauve napkin into various shapes.

  “This is beautiful,” Maia whispered. Yonas reached over the back of Julian’s chair, squeezing Maia’s shoulder.

  “I thought you might like it.” He watched as her bright gaze swept over the beach,
up to the thick, gnarly palms shading them from the early afternoon sun. “This is one of my favorite spots to come and sit.”

  “Do you always bring the entourage of chefs and caterers?” she asked, winking.

  “Only for special people.” Yonas ruffled Julian’s hair, then sank back into his seat, letting the beach air overwhelm him. The servers arrived a moment later, unfurling the grand lunch feast. A special scallop soup to start, followed by flatbread with a variety of toppings and adornments: falafel bites, tzatziki, a rich assortment of cardamom-infused sauces. For Julian, Yonas had requested a simple pasta dish that resembled macaroni and cheese closely enough to elate the young boy. By the end of lunch, Julian was eager to get into the water.

  “Can we swim now?” He tugged on Maia’s shirt.

  “We need to wait a bit,” she said with the sleepy tone of a satisfied diner. “Let’s give it a half hour, hon.”

  “Until then,” Yonas said, “Shall we build sand castles?”

  Yonas led Julian out onto the sand, Maia trailing behind. He’d requested all the necessary implements to be included with their lunch, so the pails and small plastic shovels were at the ready. As he and Julian horsed around in the sand, scooping long valleys that wound into dense walls of a slowly appearing castle, Maia watched with a grin.

  “Come now, decorator,” Yonas teased. “You should put your special touches on this masterpiece.”

  “I thought this day was about escaping work?” She lifted a brow.

  “Sand castle design is a different category.” Yonas huffed. “Didn’t you learn that in school?” A laugh burst past Maia’s lips.

  Time faded to a background blur as Yonas and Julian played, crafting a castle that was by all rights both elegant and absurd. Maia joined in on the fun, helping with the small details: the sweep of a turret, the ridges lining the moat. They had so much fun, Julian forgot all about wanting to get into the water. He only glanced that way once, and when he did, he shrieked, pointing to the sky.

  “Look, Mommy!” He hopped up and down, pointing at the giant object hovering in the sky. Yonas sat back on his heels in the sand, peering over the top of his sunglasses as it approached. “It’s a balloon!”

  Maia lowered her own sunglasses, mouth rounding as she assessed the hot air balloon. “Daaang. That’s a big one, buddy.”

  “I wanna go in it! I wanna go in it!”

  Yonas fought a grin. The next phase of his plan was unfolding nicely. The hot air balloon loomed closer—right on time for the beach landing he’d arranged.

  “It’s getting really close,” Maia murmured. Her gaze slid to Yonas. “This isn’t…”

  “What?”

  Her lips flattened, and she sent him a stern look over the edge of her glasses. “Is this hot air balloon for us?”

  Now he couldn’t hold the grin at bay any longer. “Perhaps. But only if you say you’d like to get in it.”

  A laugh rippled out of her. She shook her head, watching the green and yellow hot air balloon once more. “You are too much, Yonas Yared.”

  “Are you surprised?”

  Maia snorted. “Shocked the surprise pants right off of me.”

  Yonas bit his tongue on the lewd response that leapt to mind. They’d have plenty of time for repeats of last night. He’d make sure of it. But for now, this unexpectedly sweet family day was turning out better than even he’d imagined.

  Being with Julian and Maia was so easy it almost felt familiar. Like they’d been doing this together for years. Maybe since the beginning. As the hot air balloon gently touched down on the far side of the beach, Julian broke into a run to greet it, shouting and skipping along the way. Maia and Yonas followed in his sandy trail. The enthusiasm was contagious; spending time with Maia was amazing, but sharing time with her son made it even better.

  So good, in fact, that he didn’t want it to end. Not just the day, but having them within reach. Accessible. Ready to make happy memories.

  If they were in Maatkare, he wanted to be here too.

  12

  Maia’s world became a merry-go-round—the most lavish, elegant, and fastest-swirling carousel she’d ever accidentally boarded. Busy days at the palace blurred into fun and delicious evenings. Yonas spent the night almost every night—with Iliana’s blessing, of course—and nearly every day featured a new activity with Julian.

  It was when they were visiting Yonas’s garage for the fourth time that week when it hit Maia: she was falling for Yonas. Somewhere between Julian’s excited squeaks and Yonas showing off the shiny silver wheel wells, it stung her like a surprise slap across the cheek.

  And what hurt more than the surprise slap was the inevitable bruise. Yonas could only break her heart. He was designed for breaking hearts. A twenty-five-year-old sheikh with washboard abs and enough toys at his fingertips to distract himself for a lifetime. What would he want with a workaholic mom and her son? Certainly not a happily ever after.

  Besides, she didn’t even know if she wanted that. She frowned, kicking at the rubber tire of some go-kart monstrosity. Yonas had explained what it was, multiple times even, but she couldn’t pull her head out of the clouds. Just looking at him anymore provoked a heart clench and a wave of warmth.

  This was bad. She was in deep.

  She took a cleansing breath, looking around the garage but only seeing Yonas. She saw him in his sleek black sports car; in the parachute draped over the far wall. She saw him in the shiny black SUV that looked more surveillance unit than leisure vehicle. She saw him in all the shiniest, most expensive things that the richest people of the world utilized and expected.

  And here she was, a lowly 2005 Corolla, hanging with the Lamborghinis.

  “Maia?”

  Yonas’s voice cut through her fog. She startled and turned on her heel. Yonas looked over at her as he peered under the hood of a car, Julian eager and bouncing in front of him.

  “Sorry, what?”

  His dark eyes glinted from across the garage. That look could send her to her knees even before she’d fallen for him. Now, a glance like that was fatal. “Do you mind if we start the car?”

  “Pleaaaase, Mommy?”

  She smiled. “Go for it.”

  “And a ride to follow?” Yonas asked.

  She sighed, leaning against the car behind her. Until she realized it was the actual Lamborghini. She stood straight, hoping he wouldn’t notice. Yonas sent her a flat look.

  “Sure. Yeah. Go for a ride. But slowly,” she said.

  “Yaaay!” Julian hopped up and down, prancing in a jerky circle around the car. Maia sank back into her thoughts as she vacantly watched them pile into the car. The rumble filled the space as one of the garage doors slid upward. She smiled into the square of sunlight that hit the cement floor.

  So she’d fallen for the sheikh. She waved as Julian peered out the window, his hand flapping excitedly. Yonas made the car rumble on his slow crawl outside the garage.

  And her son had fallen for the sheikh too.

  No big deal. The smile felt strained as she headed for the driveway, where Yonas had paused the bright red Porsche. If there was one thing she shouldn’t have done with her life, it was move to a foreign country only to fall in love with the definition of a non-attached transient. Not only was Yonas constantly on the move, there was no way he could be even remotely interested in anything beyond having sex for a few weeks.

  And in theory, that’s all Maia wanted too. Except it wasn’t the whole story.

  She’d wanted love. A partner. Someone to share her joys and triumphs and stresses. She’d wanted it since the beginning, but since the nasty breakup, she’d convinced herself she just wanted some space.

  But she didn’t. As the shiny red Porsche glittered along the winding driveway, she knew that what she wanted—still—was the reassuring security of her other half.

  She’d thought her ex had been the perfect other half, but really, she’d been enamored with his stability. His boringness. His uncanny rese
mblance to her banker father. Behind the dependability was his secret desire to change her, to meld her into a boring, cookie-cutter version of himself. Their first home purchase was what did them in. He wanted the walls to be muted gray, all the floors white, exactly like every rental apartment ever conceived in the United States. As if her profession and passion could just be discarded, overlooked, a forgotten accessory to be packed away in the closet.

  So apparently her mistake in her last relationship had led her here: overcompensating now by finding someone without an ounce of stability. She rubbed at her temples, starting a slow pace along the line separating the garage from the driveway. In the distance, the Porsche revved. She could just imagine Julian’s tinkling laughter. She smiled despite the tumult in her heart.

  It was too much to think about. She had four weeks left, and the last few were going to be some of the most intense. If she had any sense left, she should let things cool with Yonas until they chilled. Then, when it came time for her to board the plane and fly home with Julian, all they’d be missing was their acquaintance Yonas.

  Besides—if she didn’t let things start to chill now, then she’d never get the plans ready for New Year’s Eve. It was the next big party on the docket, and she needed to get a complete proposal ready to present to Sheikh Yared. Sondra, the event planner, was pushing for a meeting about it.

  The Porsche rumbled up to the garage a few minutes later. She must have looked stressed, because Yonas’s brows were drawn together when he stepped out of the car. Julian bounded out a second later, prancing around her, shrieking about the cool car.

  “What’s wrong, Maia?”

  She drew a deep breath, trying to slough off whatever wouldn’t leave her alone. She didn’t want to admit the truth—that she was trying to envision a happily-ever-after with Yonas and coming up blank. She smiled down at Julian, stroking his hair.

  “Nothing.” She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. She forced herself to look at Yonas. “Why do you ask?”

  “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”