by Holly Rayner
He raised his glass and we all clinked glasses.
“All of you have been more than generous with your kind hospitality and your warm advice. Being around such close and dear family has just reminded me just how precious family is. And, with that, I have something to say…or ask, really.”
Then, Khabib’s gaze was on me.
“I’ve talked to my father about this, and he has agreed that I am making the right choice—and, moreover, that if I don’t make it, he’ll smack me himself.”
Laughter sounded around the large wooden table.
“This amazing woman, Lucy Morrison, has been there for me this past year in ways no one else ever has, or ever will. But enough about that—I don’t have to convince all of you that this woman is worthy; I have to convince this woman that I’m worthy.”
Now, rising, Khabib came to a stop in front of me. My heartbeat was thrumming like that of a hummingbird’s.
“Lucy, even when I’d just met you, I knew there was something about you. I could never say what, could never put my finger on why I stopped to chat with the new receptionist each and every day. Sure, you were cute, but it was more than that—although, only how much more I didn’t realize until I got to know you better.
“Despite your best efforts, we grew closer, until our attraction was undeniable. And, one of the things that astounded me about you, all the while, from our first kiss to even now, my love, is how you’ve never demanded anything of me. How you’ve never expected me to be anyone other than who I am—a flawed but determined man. One who would do anything to make you happy, the woman who’s made me grown, and challenged me just by simply loving me and refusing to see anything but the best in me, time and time again.
“I could sit here and talk about all the wonderful dates and experiences we’ve shared—restaurants, volunteering, picnicking, that gondola ride, so long ago—but that’s only the start of it. It isn’t what we’ve done, it’s who I’ve had the honor of doing these things with. And, for me, Lucy Morrison, that’s you—the kindest, most fun, most surprising miracle of a woman I’ve ever met.
“I don’t know why, and I certainly don’t know how, but you get me, Lucy—you get me, through and through. You understand me and like me, even when I have trouble doing so myself. Yes, to say that I love you wouldn’t be doing this feeling pounding in my heart justice, to say that I’ll love you as long as I live would be low-balling the timeline.
“You, Lucy, are the making of me. Every day I wake up next to you, I’m the most ecstatic I can remember being. I’ve already asked so much of you, I know, but if you could do me one last honor, then I’d be the happiest man in the world.”
Khabib took out a little blue felt box from his pocket, the kind that held rings. Opening it revealed, sure enough, a gold beauty of a ring, with three hearts made of dazzling diamonds.
“Lucy Morrison, will you marry me?”
A hush has settled over the room. It took me a few seconds to realize just what everyone was in suspense for: my answer.
“Yes, of course, yes!”
Khabib slipped the ring onto my finger, then took me in his arms and swung me around, while his family applauded and roared their approval.
The rest of the night was a haze of joy. More food, more drinks. Everyone was dancing and laughing together. It was like that night when Khabib had coaxed me into dancing, into venturing out of my comfort zone.
So, here I was, grooving away with my husband-to-be and my family-to-be, shaking my hips and smiling so hard my face hurt. And the whole time, all I could think was: could it get any better than this?
The End
Sign up to Holly’s newsletter and get THREE FREE BOOKS
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
The Sheikh’s Christmas Triplets
Holly Rayner
Last, but by no means least, here is an exclusive teaser of my sweet, festive romance, The Sheikh’s Christmas Triplets
Copyright 2017 by Holly Rayner
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part by any means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the explicit written permission of the author.
All characters depicted in this fictional work are consenting adults, of at least eighteen years of age. Any resemblance to persons living or deceased, particular businesses, events, or exact locations are entirely coincidental.
Chapter One
“Yvonne, stop!”
Peeking over the rim of her glasses, Yvonne Hunt glanced briefly at the office manager before turning back to her computer screen.
“Two minutes. I’m just about done with this report.”
“You are ridiculous. Even God took a rest on Sunday, Yvonne.”
“Yes, well that was before financial planning came to be, isn’t it, Mack?”
Mackenzie crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway to Yvonne’s office, her hot glare burning into Yvonne’s back as she stubbornly finished the report and clicked the send button, emailing it off to her boss to evaluate before passing it onto the customer.
Swiveling in her comfortable office chair, Yvonne grinned up at her still glaring coworker.
“Less than that. That had to have been a minute and thirty seconds.”
“But who’s counting? Now come on. This party is so dull without you there. Shenanigans are happening and we are missing them!”
“Fine,” Yvonne sighed, rising and stretching her sore back.
She had worked at ELA International for a few years under the strong (and handsome) leadership of Sheikh Zadid Al-Alamein, the stunningly attractive, incredibly intelligent co-owner of the financial planning firm. As she stepped out of her office and into the hallway, the center lobby echoed with Christmas music from below. Yvonne stared down, looking for a certain gentleman, and finding herself disappointed.
She hadn’t been the only one missing the festivities, it seemed.
They made their way down the staircase, Mackenzie chattering on about some boyfriend drama. Yvonne tuned back into the conversation just before she got caught thinking of other things.
“And I told him, if he wants to make it official with a ring on Christmas, I really don’t mind, I just want to know about it, you know?”
“Definitely,” Yvonne said, doing her best to act as though she had been paying better attention.
As they reached the ground floor where the party was in full swing, Yvonne felt a rush of amusement. All around them, her colleagues were drinking from the fancy bar Zadid had rented just for this event. With free drinks flying around, every young successful person in the office was letting their guard down, flirting shamelessly with people they would have to be professional with once the shining holiday lights faded into a cold January morning.
It was going to be a brutal wakeup call.
“I can’t believe Evan is hitting on Candice. Doesn’t he know she just got dumped?” Mackenzie observed, pulling two flutes from a passing waiter’s tray and handing one to Yvonne.
She took a delicate sip from her glass. The champagne was certainly top of the line. Zadid had spared no expense to make his people happy. That was so like him, she thought, her eyes scanning the outer perimeter of the room as though he might appear.
“I think he knows that perfectly well. Why else would he be chatting her up like that?” Yvonne replied, still sticking with the conversation even as her thoughts drifted.
“Good point. She is going to smack him if he tries to kiss her, though, mark my words.”
“I doubt they would do that here,” Yvonne said.
Mackenzie nodded toward a darker corner of the lobby, where a very large ball of mistletoe hung. Yvonne noticed that several couples were standing just out of reach, as though waiting for their moment to sneak someone under for a kiss.
I wonder if Zadid would be a good kisser, she mused.
After allowing herself a brief daydream of him dipping her beneath that ball of mistletoe, Yvonne looked up once again to see if she could find him there. To her disappointment, he continued to be the one person not in attendance. Instead, the lobby glistened with gold and silver holiday décor—beautiful, except for his notable absence.
“Where do you suppose Zadid is?” she asked her friend.
Mackenzie smirked at her as she took the last sip from her flute.
“Why, looking to get some mistletoe action?” she asked, her tone conspiratorial.
Yvonne’s eyes narrowed as she stared down at the petite woman. Mackenzie’s blond hair and hazelnut brown eyes were a stark contrast to Yvonne’s chestnut hair and crystal-clear green gaze, but the two had been thick as thieves since the moment they’d started their jobs on the same day, years before.
“I think I’m a little more professional than these folks,” she hedged, gesturing toward the room of flirty twenty-somethings.
Mackenzie scoffed.
“Please. Your crush on Zadid has been so poorly hidden, you couldn’t even disguise the fact that you want to kiss him right now. Next time, don’t stare longingly at the mistletoe corner then ask where Zadid is, and I’ll believe that you only think of him professionally.”
“I do only think of him professionally,” Yvonne protested weakly. “I’ve given no reason to believe otherwise. He’s a great boss, and it feels weird that he’s not attending a party that he paid for. That’s all.”
Mackenzie rolled her eyes at her friend’s argument, entirely unconvinced.
“Whatever. You can say what you want, Yvonne, but I know the truth. I’ve known it since the first day I met you.”
“Why are you teasing me? Have another drink and tell me more about how your boyfriend is scheduling his proposal with you on Christmas.”
“He’s not scheduling it with me. He’s discussing it with me. Totally different,” Mackenzie corrected with a laugh.
The two women continued to watch the crowd make some serious social mistakes, sipping their drinks and relaxing for the first time in weeks. Life working at a financial planning firm was anything but boring, and Yvonne had found herself completely swept away from the moment she’d stepped foot in that building. Of course, the feeling hadn’t always been entirely work-related.
“What are you doing for Christmas?” Mackenzie asked, shaking Yvonne from her drifting thoughts once more.
She frowned.
“Nothing,” she replied, and Mackenzie stared at her with narrowed eyes.
“What do you mean, nothing? You’re not going to be alone on Christmas, are you?”
Yvonne shrugged. The holidays had been a complicated time ever since her parents separated and remarried, starting new families of their own. Even though her family was happy, it was convoluted.
“Both sets of parents happened to schedule their Christmas day festivities out of town before they realized that left me with nowhere to go. Instead, they planned two different Christmas Eve meals, which is going to be quite the marathon.”
Mackenzie’s eyes filled with sympathy as she rested a comforting hand on her friend’s arm.
“I’m so sorry, Yvonne! I wish I’d known! I would invite you to spend the day with me, but…”
“But you’ve got a romantic engagement to experience. Don’t even think about letting me butt in on that. Not happening.”
Mackenzie’s smile was still sympathetic as she stared at her friend.
“There’s got to be something you can do. It’s Christmas day!”
Yvonne chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
“Yes, and there will be another one next year, and the year after that. They don’t all have to be special and filled with magic.”
“Nonsense. Every Christmas should be magical.”
“I think Evan agrees with you,” Yvonne said, taking the attention off herself as the two of them watched him lean in to kiss a bright-eyed Candice.
As he cradled her face, his lips touching hers, Yvonne looked away. She was a single woman surrounded by lovers in a place where none of it should be happening. Setting her drink down, she took a step toward the staircase.
“I’d better get going,” she said. “I’ll see you in the new year.”
“You barely spent any time here. At least have some food or something. Zadid set up a whole cookie and milk bar over there.”
Yvonne glanced across the room, where a table filled with glistening milk pitchers on ice was surrounded by warm cookies of every variety. She wondered when she’d walked in how he had managed to get the whole lobby to smell like freshly baked cookies, and the answer had shown itself. Shaking her head, she leaned over to give Mackenzie a hug.
“I’m good. I’ve got a busy day tomorrow and there will be plenty of food, believe me.”
Mackenzie frowned at her friend, unconvinced.
“If you say so. Merry Christmas, Yvonne.”
“Merry Christmas,” she replied, leaving her friend with a gentle wave of her hand.
She was still wondering where Zadid had gone off to as she packed up her work bag to take home. If nothing else, there were a few other reports she could work on Christmas Day to get them over with. Then, she could take their week off and simply enjoy herself, if that were possible.
It was a lonely apartment she lived in, after all.
She locked her door, her coat buttoned up, her green scarf wrapped tightly around her neck. She turned to leave, but her feet refused to budge. Instead, she found herself glancing up in the direction of Zadid’s corner office, on the far side of the building. Curiosity winning out, she walked on silent carpet to the opposite end of the building, where Zadid’s office towered above, encased in glass.
There, standing alone, Zadid stared down at the lobby far below. His dark hair and eyes were shaded, even in the light of his office. He held a tumbler filled with amber liquid in his hand, looking somber and lonely. Seeing him like that cracked Yvonne’s heart, and before she knew it, she was on the stairway to his office, knocking gently on his door before entering.
Zadid continued to stare out the window.
“You know, there’s a party going on out there,” she said.
Zadid turned, his eyes clouded with an emotion she couldn’t quite pin down as he stared at her.
“I know,” he replied.
“Hiding from the festivities, are we?” she teased gently.
Zadid’s face remained unchanged, and he didn’t answer her question.
Curious, Yvonne moved to stand beside him, and they both turned to gaze down at the party below.
“Do you have any plans for the holidays?” Yvonne asked.
Perhaps changing the subject would make him more comfortable? Yvonne had seen Zadid in any number of foul moods—they worked in a high-stress environment together nearly every day—but this somber version of him was almost unbearable. After a pause, he released a breath.
“None, I’m afraid. I was going to head back to my home country for the week, but family drama has convinced me otherwise.”
“Family can be tough,” Yvonne offered, and she meant every word.
She waited for him to say anything to that. Instead, he took another sip from his drink, the sharp scent of the whiskey tickling Yvonne’s nose. An idea occurred to her then, and before she could chicken out, she gazed up at her handsome employer.
“Would you want to have Christmas dinner at my place?”
His eyes darted down to hers in surprise.
“You don’t have plans?”
She shook her head.
“All my plans are tomorrow. I’ve got nothing to do with myself on the day itself. Why don’t I cook you a traditional Christmas dinner, Hunt style?”
The corner of Zadid’s full lips turned up, and Yvonne’s stomach stirred with butterflies. The man was positively delectable—and he was her boss! She was being a fool, she knew, but she couldn’t help it. She would do anything to
remove the sad look from his eyes.
“I would like that very much. I’ve never actually celebrated the holiday in America before.”
“What? You don’t know what you’re missing!”
“I’m sure I don’t. Based on the décor around here, it appears to be quite the celebration.”
“That’s an understatement. Come to my place, and I’ll show you exactly how great an American Christmas can be. Deal?”
She held out her hand for him to shake. He stared at her with an amused expression for a moment before clasping her hand firmly, his warm palm fitting perfectly against her own.
“Deal. I look forward to it, Yvonne. Thank you for taking me in.”
She blushed, waving off his statement.
“Now, neither of us has to spend the day alone. Then, we can move onto those reports you wanted me to tackle.”
She purposefully moved the conversation back to business, removing her hand from his. She had no reason to believe that she had a future with Zadid. He was her boss, for heaven’s sake! It would do her well to remind herself of that fact at least twice a day, if not the fifty times she could feel herself crushing on him day in and day out.
His eyes hardened slightly at her topic change.
“Yes, indeed. Have a good evening, Yvonne. I’ll see you soon.”
“Goodnight, Zadid.”
She turned away from him, making a quick exit as she wondered what she had been thinking. Then, she grinned.
Yvonne was going to show the Sheikh just how great Christmas really could be. Maybe in the process, she could even show herself.
Chapter Two
Yvonne stepped out of the office building on light feet as a wave of cold air flowed over her face. All around her, office parties were in full swing, lights and music and the sound of happy chatter echoing through the air. She passed by other city dwellers, enjoying the window displays in the D.C. shops.
