The Sheikh's American Bride (The Sharqi Sheikhs Series Book 2)

by Leslie North

  “Yes indeed. The Sheik’s views on western ideals was well known to many,” Malil replied.

  “My father is a particular man,” Taleb replied.

  “He came around in the end. It just shows even the most stubborn people can change.” Malil said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

  “Yes,” Taleb pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to clear his mind of the image of Claire. “Right. Set up the meeting with Vanessa.”

  Chapter 11

  “I’m telling you, he’s nothing like you described.”

  “I don’t get why he’d be so different.”

  Shrugging her shoulders, Claire looked at her friend, Kim, as they Skyped. “I don’t know what to say. When he isn’t arrogant, he’s insulting. And when he isn’t insulting, he’s….” Claire’s voice trailed off.

  “He’s what? Claire?”

  Closing her eyes, Claire wondered if she shouldn’t tell her best friend, but she needed to tell someone. “Kissing me,” she mumbled.

  “What? He’s what? I couldn’t hear you.”

  “Kissing me, all right? We kissed.” Claire cringed at Kim’s squeals and demands for more information. “There’s not much to say. Just the day before, we were arguing and on more than one occasion I was prepared to tell the Dean that I quit, and then suddenly we’re kissing.”

  “We’re? As in…”

  “Yes, I kissed him back,” Claire said with a sigh. “I don’t know what I was thinking. He has this checklist for the requirements for a bride and not even one applies to me. Oh, what am I doing? He’s unattainable.”

  “Wait, there’s a checklist?”

  As Claire shared Taleb’s checklist with Kim, she kept having to pause while her friend giggled or made noises of outrage. By the time she was done, she couldn’t help but smile.

  Leave it to Kim to find a way to be completely supportive without having to be here. Before she could continue, her phone rang. Answering it, she blushed when she heard Taleb’s deep voice as she wondered if he knew that she was talking about him.

  Agreeing to meet with him, she disconnected the call and returned to Kim.

  “So?” Kim asked blinking her eyes slowly at her friend.

  “So, what?”

  “What was that all about?

  Sighing, “It seems that Malil has found a potential candidate for Taleb and he wants me to play tour guide slash chaperone this afternoon. This is going to be so awkward after that kiss.”

  Staring at her friend wide-eyed, “Wait, you agreed to do it?” Kim practically shouted into her laptop.

  Nodding her head, “Yep, I don’t have much choice. It’s all part of the Dean’s blackmail to keep Taleb around as long as possible and for me to get that transfer.”

  “Honestly, Claire, do you even need the transfer now? It sounds as if things are going well and you certainly seem in better spirits.”

  Shrugging her shoulders, “I don’t know anymore. My focus has been Harvard for so long, maybe if I transfer some place where no one knows me, I can have a fresh start where everywhere I look, I’m not constantly reminded that I’ve had to yet again take second or third place with someone in my life.”

  Kim frowned, “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. I wish I could be there with you.”

  Smiling at her friend, “I wouldn’t dream of it. Your place is with Karim. Besides, I’ll get to see you at the wedding.”

  “It’s not for a few months, maybe I could take some time off and come see you.”

  Shaking her head, “I’ll be fine, Kim. Promise. All right, if I’m going to sabotage another date for Taleb, I better get ready to go. Talk soon?”

  “Definitely. Lurrvvvve ewe,” Kim replied as she made kissing noises into her laptop.

  Laughing, “Lurvvvve ewe, too.”

  Signing off with her friend, Claire fought with her sudden feelings of loneliness. She was happy for her friend and she wanted the best for her, but sometimes, she really did wish for her own fairy tale ending.

  Standing up, she quickly showered and then stared at her open closet. Off to the side were a few sundresses that she hadn’t worn in years. The weather was still nice; maybe she should…shaking her head.

  No, she wasn’t going to change how she dressed simply to get Taleb’s attention. Besides, they’re meeting along the Charles River. Pulling her favorite pair of jeans shorts and a Harvard t-shirt out of a drawer, she dressed and slipped on her sneakers. Brushing her hair out, she pulled it up into a ponytail before grabbing her backpack. If she hurried, she might just be on time.

  As she walked along the footpath by the Charles River, she wondered about Taleb’s date. He had told her that she was the daughter of some CEO of a cosmetics company. Claire could well imagine what she looked like, as she contemplated what they would do today.

  Looking up, she spotted Malil, Taleb and some woman in a distance. It was probably his date. Walking toward them, Claire could see that Taleb was dressed in what she was rapidly referring to as his uniform as she wondered if he owned a pair of jeans.

  He looked damn sexy in his too-tight polo, as she remembered what he felt like underneath. His muscles seemed to ripple as she ran her hands over his chest.

  Stopping, she pretended to check her phone as she silently ordered herself to get it together. It wouldn’t do her any good to think about things like that while he was on a date with another woman. Slipping her phone back in her backpack, she walked up to them.

  “Hello,” she said as she joined them.

  “Hi, Claire, this is Vanessa,” Taleb stated. “Vanessa, this is Claire. She is going to be showing us around.”

  “Hello, Claire,” Vanessa said, a hint of annoyance in her voice. Despite her attempts to dress casual, she looked as though she had just stepped off the latest fashion runway. She was tall, blonde and beautiful and Claire wanted to laugh at how different they were as her own diminutive height stuck out standing next to the three of them.

  “Hi,” Claire smiled at Vanessa who didn’t return the smile, choosing instead to look out at the river. Malil dismissed himself and left the three of them to go about with their tour. Claire would have preferred that Malil stay with them so that she would feel less like a third wheel.

  As she was about to speak, Vanessa placed a well-manicured hand possessively on Taleb’s arm and leaned into him. “We really don’t need a chaperone. I’m sure we can find something interesting to do without her,” she practically purred.

  Patting her hand, Taleb responded, “I trust Claire’s judgment,” he told her as he smiled at Claire. “Shall we?”

  Claire suppressed a smile as she watched Vanessa reluctantly nod. Perhaps this wasn’t going to be such a bad day after all, she thought to herself as she headed along the river path with the couple trailing behind her talking about their lives.

  They were asking each other different questions, getting to know each other. They seemed to be having a good time and anyone looking at them wouldn’t suspect that this was their first date. As much as Claire didn’t want to admit it, they actually made a good couple. They were both beautiful and seemed to be each other's type. Claire was sticking out like a sore thumb.

  As they walked along the river, she scanned the area for something to do that would make or break the date. Seeing boaters out on the river, she had an idea for an activity that she was sure Vanessa wouldn’t want to do. Smiling to herself, she half-wondered if sabotaging Taleb’s date today was more for the Dean or herself.

  Turning, she pointed to the building, “Kayaking could be fun,” she suggested to the couple. Taleb and Vanessa looked up.

  Claire could see that Vanessa was not dressed for kayaking. She seemed like someone who didn’t participate in any type of sports. It was perfect.

  This is for the dean...right? I'm not jealous. That's not it; she told herself. Claire could not understand why her subconscious was arguing with her. She felt nothing for Taleb and she was going to sabotage his date because she wanted her
transfer. That's all there was to it.

  “I am not all that into kayaking,” Vanessa stated.

  Oh there's a surprise, Claire thought to herself.

  “We don't have to do it,” Taleb offered.

  “It's the best way to see the Charles River and we can leave the boats by the Riverfront Café where I thought you two might enjoy a romantic lunch,” Claire added eagerly. Vanessa and Taleb looked at each other.

  “It does sound like fun,” Taleb said with a smile. Claire looked at Vanessa who glared at her.

  “Are you sure you can handle a kayak?” Vanessa sneered, “You don’t look like you’re in shape.”

  Swallowing her anger, Claire stood as tall as her height would allow her as she stared down Vanessa, “I was coxswain on Harvard’s men’s team for two years. What about you?” Vanessa swallowed, as she seemed to grow pale.

  “Come on, you’ll have a good time,” she said to her with a smile Vanessa did not return.

  “Okay, I will do it for you,” she told Taleb as she turned to him and smiled. Claire rolled her eyes.

  “Okay, let's do it,” Taleb said as he rubbed his hands together in sudden excitement. Taking Vanessa’s hand, he tugged her toward the kayak rental as Claire practically skipped along beside them. It had been a couple years since she’d manned her own boat, but based on Vanessa’s reluctance, this was going to be far more entertaining for Claire than her.

  Chapter 12

  Before they were allowed out on the kayaks, they had to sit through a quick instruction on how to paddle and steer. The kayak instructor recognized Claire from her time on the rowing team and quickly waved her off to grab a lifejacket and choose her kayak.

  Claire felt as though she had a spring in her step as she chose her boat and climbed in. Pushing off from the dock, she floated a few feet out and turned the kayak around to await the couple.

  Summer was almost over and the leaves were already starting to change. Inhaling deeply, Claire closed her eyes as she took in the scents. She loved everything about the water. One of her favorite things about Harvard was all the different water sports clubs; otherwise, she never would have been able to afford her passion for sailing. Being small had its benefits as she could scoot around the sabots easily enough.

  Growing impatient, she opened her eyes to see Vanessa struggling to put on her pink lifejacket. She wondered if she was doing it on purpose as Taleb stepped up to help her. Once she was ready, Taleb helped her into her kayak before stepping into his own. He pushed off the dock and paddled out to join Claire as Vanessa seemed to rock back and forth before the instructor shoved her off from the dock.

  Turning her kayak, Claire began paddling down the Charles River as Taleb joined her. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Vanessa struggling.

  “Are you okay?” he called out.

  “I am fine,” she replied bitterly. She wasn't fine. Claire could see that but she was feeling too good to care at the moment. She was in her own element and feeling free. And the petulant side of her was enjoying watching Vanessa struggle as she bet that this was the first time she ever had to work at something.

  Claire paddled closer to Taleb as he watched Vanessa over his shoulder, she dipped her paddle in the water and sent a spray of water over him. She could not help herself the temptation was too high. Taleb looked at her with his eyebrows raised.

  “What did you just do?” he asked her as he paddled closer to her.

  “Nothing,” Claire replied, paddling away from him but she didn’t get far when Taleb splashed her back. Claire screamed as the cold water splashed against her and ran down her back. “Taleb!” she scolded.

  “Did you think that you would get away with it?” He splashed her again.

  “Hey! I only splashed you once!” Claire splashed him with her paddle as she laughed.

  “Blame yourself, you started it,” he teased.

  Claire was shocked that Taleb splashed water at her and she was beginning to see a more relaxed and playful side to him. She paddled closer to him and bumped his kayak with hers.

  “Claire, behave yourself,” he warned mockingly. Claire started giggling and did it again. Taleb shook his head. Claire nodded in Vanessa's direction.

  “So you've found a potential candidate,” she stated.

  “I have. Jealous?”

  “You're so full of yourself.” Claire tried to splash him again but he managed to move his head out of the way at the perfect time.

  “Can you blame me?”

  No, she couldn’t blame him. He was gorgeous, intelligent and downright yummy. Claire shook her head and started paddling away from him. They both had gotten soaked with all the splashing and she didn’t want to imagine what his shirt would look like under his lifejacket, as it adhered to him like a second skin. She smiled as she pictured the outrage coming from Vanessa if anyone dared splash her.

  “There wouldn't be any sharks in here would there?” Claire asked, loud enough that Vanessa would hear. She turned her head and saw Taleb frowning at her.

  “This is a river not an ocean, there wouldn't be any sharks here,” Taleb replied as Claire started laughing.

  “Well, I just had to be sure, Taleb.”

  He shook his head. “There are no whales either,” he said sarcastically. Claire narrowed her gaze at him as she turned her kayak around to face him.

  “Aren't you too young to be a sheik?” she asked him.

  “It’s a title conferred by heredity of decree, so it can happen at any age.”

  Circling her kayak around, they both appeared to be circling each other in the water as they talked.

  “So, um, about the library,” Claire began.

  Lifting his brows as he paddled to her left, “You did leave rather quickly,” he said carefully.

  “I did.”

  “Why?”

  Sighing, she looked at him. “Before the Dean assigned me to show you around, I had just ended a relationship with someone who cheated on me and I wasn’t prepared to be in another one with someone so soon.”

  “We are not in a relationship,” Taleb replied as Claire tried not to visibly flinch at his comment.

  “No, but I liked it. The kiss. A lot,” she confessed.

  A slow grin spread across his face, “So, you’re saying I’m a good kisser?”

  Before Claire could respond, Vanessa finally caught up to them. She was breathing heavily, her makeup was smudged and her hair had fallen loose around her.

  “Who’s a good kisser?” Vanessa asked as she paddled ineffectively toward them. Clearly, she wasn’t paying attention during her instruction.

  Claire bumped his kayak again to keep him from answering and quickly started paddling away. “I told you to behave yourself,” he called out as he started paddling after her. Claire giggled as she tried to get away from him.

  She stopped paddling and circled around to splash him again but before she could, she noticed Vanessa waving her hands in the air.

  “What is she doing?” Claire asked him, as she motioned to Vanessa. He turned to see what was going on. Vanessa stood up in her kayak and waved her hands at the guy renting the kayaks but he was looking the other way.

  Suddenly, Vanessa’s kayak began to rock wildly as she began flailing her arms around and screeching. Before she knew it, she rocked too far to one side, lost her balance and fell into the water with a loud splash. Claire gasped as she clapped her hand over her mouth unsure if she was going to laugh.

  Taleb quickly jumped into the water and swam towards her, as she continued to scream and flail around in the water forgetting that she was wearing a lifejacket. Reaching her, he wrapped one arm around her waist as he held her up while someone from the kayak rental came out in a motor boat. Pulling up alongside them, he reached his hand out to grab Vanessa’s as Taleb helped hoist her into the boat where she landed clumsily on her stomach. Rolling over, she sat up and clutched at the boat as it rocked with her movements.

  Turning to Taleb, “The next time
you ask someone out on a date, you better make sure that you aren’t already on one,” she told him. “I'll leave you here to have fun with her.”

  Vanessa left on the motor boat with one of the kayak instructors, giving him a flirty wink as they sped off. Taleb stared after her before smiling to himself; he really was having more fun with Claire. As he turned to swim back to his kayak, he heard Claire laughing.

  No longer able to keep silent, she roared with laughter as she slapped at her thighs with absolute glee. Vanessa falling into the water was the funniest thing that she had ever seen. Taleb looked at her with his eyebrows raised. Claire could not stop laughing.