by Leslie North
“Shit. Tessa,” Sebastian said hoarsely. “Did you hear any of that?”
“Did I hear it? Half the camp heard it. And what’s worse, the press members standing right outside the tent heard it. What the fuck is going on?”
“Oh, my God,” Maria moaned. “Damage control. We need to do damage control right now.”
“What the hell are we going to say?” her brother asked dully. She could tell that he was already retreating inside himself, and he wouldn’t be any help.
“I don’t know, but we need to figure out what they heard and figure out a way to fix it, because if we don’t, this will be the last good thing Christmas Crates ever does, thanks to you.”
Jarik stood impatiently on the courthouse steps. Turning, he pocketed his cell phone, as he watched a dark car pull up and Kivi climb out. Jarik felt all his old anger rise to the surface. It was bad enough that Maria had accused him of using his money like a weapon, but he couldn’t stand the smug smile on his old friend’s face.
“Well, well, well. Jarik. I certainly didn’t expect to see you here,” Kivi said mockingly.
“I heard the good news that your key witness was dropping from the trial. I thought I’d come along and see how things were progressing for you.”
Kivi raised his arms as the authorities leaned over and unlocked the handcuffs. As he rubbed his wrists, he cocked his head. “I didn’t expect you to be the one to celebrate my release.”
“You’re not released yet, Kivi. And you’re right. That’s not what I’m here for.” Jarik reached into his bag and pulled out the folder. “You see, I was here to give the court this.”
“What is that?”
“Copies of all your financial records. After three of my friends decided to invest in your new business, I did some digging. It may have been my word that got you arrested, but I’ve been compiling evidence against you in case this ever happened.”
“What evidence? My operation was smooth and clean. The only reason I was in these handcuffs is because you are the son of a crowned Sheikh.” Kivi stepped closer to him. “But we’re not in your country, and you have no authority here.”
“Your operation was clean and smooth while you were targeting the rich. They didn’t give a damn when a few hundred-thousand went missing here and there. When you went after my friends, things changed. They went broke, and I started having you followed. I’m the new key witness, Kivi, and you’re never getting out of prison.”
His old friend’s jaw tightened, and Jarik smiled coldly. “I’ll see you inside.”
“Jarik, wait,” Kivi said desperately. “We can come to some arrangement. I’ll make sure your friends are taken care of!”
“I made sure my friends were taken care of. I don’t need a damn thing from you.” Kivi stared at him in shock, and Jarik stepped back. “What’s wrong? Worried now that you know you can’t bribe your way out of this?”
“You’re one to talk,” Kivi hissed. “You have the weight of an entire country behind you. You throw your money around like it’s nothing. You can’t imagine what it’s like for someone like me.”
He sounded like Maria. “People work for their money. You stole it, and I’m going to make sure you go to prison for it. I introduced my friends to you, and you took advantage of them. You took advantage of me, and now you’re going to pay.”
When his phone rang, he stepped away and watched as the authorities pushed Kivi inside. Glancing at the screen, he saw that it was Halil calling. “Now is not a great time.”
“This won’t take long. You allocated a lot of money to a charity called Christmas Crates.”
“Your point?” Just because he and Maria weren’t together anymore didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to follow through with his promise to help them out.
“I’ve emailed you some links. Read them.”
Halil ended the call, and Jarik quickly pulled up his email. It wasn’t like Halil to be so abrupt with him. When he clicked on the links and read the news article on Christmas Crates, he felt bile rise up in his throat.
A huge chunk of money was missing from the charity, and the press was crucifying them for it. Someone in the company was stealing the funds.
He couldn’t believe that Maria would lead him astray in order to steal money from him, but he couldn’t discount the notion just yet. First, he’d deal with Kivi.
Then, he’d deal with Maria.
13
Maria couldn’t find much joy and bliss in handing out the toys this year. Despite the laughter in the camp, she wished that there was someone else there sharing the day with her. She had kicked Sebastian out of the camp and sent Tessa with him to make sure that he upheld his end of the agreement. Christmas Crates was on shaky ground, and unless her brother went public with his mistakes, there would be nothing else for her to do.
“He’s not a bad guy,” Tessa had whispered as she hugged her. “He made some mistakes. We’re going to fix it.”
“If it looks like he’s going to back out, you need to tell me. Immediately.”
“He’s not going to. I was with him last night, and he feels awful about what he’s done and how it’s affected you.”
“You were with him last night?”
Tessa had blushed, and Maria chuckled. They left early that morning for the airport, but they had an important stop to make on the way.
Maria settled in her hotel room and turned on the television. For once, she wasn’t running to make a deadline. She’d deliberately cleared her flight schedule to give her a week off after Christmas so she could have a cool down period. She briefly thought about returning to the Gulf. It had been a long time since she had the time to work on her tan. After a few minutes, she watched the news.
Sebastian’s face filled the screen, and she breathed a sigh of relief. He’d gone through with it.
“I’m sorry to say that my gambling addiction has affected my relationship with Christmas Crates. After some misjudgments on my part, I will be stepping away from the charity until I can get some help. My sister, Maria Walken, and my good friend, Tessa, will continue to use Christmas Crates to do a great deal of good in this world. I would like to apologize for misleading the donors and the press. Thank you.”
Maria breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back in the pillows. So long as Christmas Crates stayed clean, next year would go much more smoothly. She would help take care of Sebastian’s gambling debt and get him in a rehab program.
She was about to turn off the television when another familiar face filled the screen.
“Jarik,” she whispered. Quickly, she turned up the television.
“Sheikh Jarik Shadid, second in line for the crown of Al-Harmid, appeared in court today with evidence against Kivi Mahaas, the famed con man. Mahaas was arrested last year for targeting both the wealthy and the poor. It looked like he might walk after the key witness in the trial decided not to testify, but Sheikh Shadid showed up unexpectedly with enough evidence against Mahaas to assure a long prison sentence.”
“Oh, God.” Maria’s shoulders slumped and she closed her eyes. She’d been so wrong about Jarik. Here, she’d been thinking that he was trying to get to some fancy party, and all along he was making a court date.
Was Kivi the old friend he was meeting? Just what the hell was going on?
Rolling off the bed, she opened her laptop and stared at her accounts.
One million dollars. That was what Jarik had offered to give Christmas Crates. Of course, after she’d pushed him out the door, she doubted that he’d actually give her that money.
And she had. She’d pushed him right out the door.
Sighing, she was about to shut the laptop when she got an email notification. Opening it up, she leaned down and gasped.
It was from Jarik. He wanted to meet to discuss the terms of his donation.
“No. No, no, no.” She couldn’t accept his donation. Not after everything, they’d been through. A clean break. That was what she needed. She and Jarik were t
oo different to make anything work, and she didn’t think she could be near him.
But a million dollars could go so far in helping others. Could she really be selfish enough to deprive her charity of all that money because she didn’t think she could face Jarik? That wasn’t the kind of woman she was.
She kept the reply short and businesslike, but it didn’t make her feel any better about sending it. Now, instead of relaxing, she twisted and turned and thought about Jarik.
The memory of his touch haunted her. It wasn’t only the pleasure that he’d brought her body, but it was the way that he’d comforted her when she was upset and protected her when she was in trouble.
Maria remembered the way his arm had tightened around her at night as though he was desperate to keep her close. This whole time, they were playing two very different games. She’d been looking for a little fun, but he’d wanted something more from her.
She couldn’t give it to him, could she? She couldn’t live in that world, and he’d never live in hers. What was the point in even trying?
Maria smoothed her hand over her skirt and button-up blouse before taking a deep breath. She had only a handful of outfits that were appropriate for her to meet with donors, but she’d left them all at home. A quick shopping trip that morning had her dressed in grey and cream. Simple. Sophisticated. For most people, it was business attire.
For her, it was armor.
Jarik sat at the edge of the bar and swirled his drink. He’d wanted to meet her at a small cafe, but she knew that this was his domain. As long as she thought of him as a donor, she might be able to get through this without any emotional wreckage.
“Jarik,” she said as she smiled stiffly. “It’s good to see you.”
He looked surprised when he slipped off the barstool, but he shook the hand that she’d extended to him. “Maria. I’m glad you agreed to meet with me. I wasn’t sure if you were going to.”
“Well, your offer is extremely generous, and I’m sure with all the news circulating about Christmas Crates, you’re concerned about the use of your money. I want to make sure that you’re still comfortable with your donation.”
“Right.” His voice was neutral as he put his hand on the small of her back. “I got us a table. Let’s go sit down.”
Her body warmed under his touch, and she tried not to focus on how close they were. It had only been a few days since she’d seen him, but her body reacted like it was starved for his touch. She fought her desire to lean into him and tried to remember the mantra she’d repeated over and over again.
It’s only a business meeting.
When he pulled out her chair for her, he bent down and whispered in her ear. “I like the skirt.”
A delicious shudder ran up her spine, and she fell like a stone into the chair. What was he doing? Was he trying to flirt with you?
Clearing her throat, she tried to ignore the heat in his gaze. It was like meeting him all over again, only this time, she knew how dangerous it was to play. “So, I have an idea about how I can put your mind at ease. I know Sebastian is no longer part of the charity, but you should feel that your money is going where it needs to go.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that your brother had a gambling problem? You have to know that your issue with money stems from your brother’s obsession with it.”
“Oh, wow,” Maria shook her head. “I actually think this might go much easier if we don’t try to bring our personal lives into it. I mean, I know that my brother’s gambling issue is public now, but I don’t really want to talk about it.”
“I do.”
This was not going well. “Jarik, I’m getting help for Sebastian, but if you’re still worried, I was thinking that we could keep the money in your account and allocate it for certain bills. That way we only use it when we need it and each transaction will be transparent.”
Rather than commenting on her idea, he leaned back and studied her. “How long has he been gambling?”
“Jarik, you’re not listening to me. I don’t want to talk about this.”
“All I’m asking is that you answer a couple of questions.” His tone was still easy. “Maybe a drink would help you. What would you like?”
Tugging uncomfortably at her skirt, she sighed. “Sebastian started gambling in college.”
“And he quit?”
Pursing her lips, she crossed her arms in defiance. “Two years ago, I made him promise to quit.”
“Why?”
“Because gambling is bad.”
“Maria, talk to me. Please,” he coaxed her softly.
What was the point? They weren’t there to talk about her dysfunction with her brother’s past. They were there to talk business, but she could tell that he wasn’t going to budge. “All of his friends were much richer than we were, and at first, it was his way of trying to keep up. Then, I realized that they didn’t keep him around because they liked him. They did it because he amused them. A few years after I’d started the charity, he started hitting up donors on his own to get money from them to pay off his debts. It didn’t work, and his bookie put him in the hospital. I lit a fire under his friends to cover the debt and told them that if they ever tried to take him gambling again, I’d take the whole situation public. Sebastian was nobody, but they all had reputations to protect.”
“I can see why you hate rich people,” he muttered.
“Okay, well now that we’ve established that, can we get back to the matter at hand?” The waiter stopped by to take her drink order, but she waved him away.
“I lied to you, Maria. I didn’t bring you here to talk about the donation that I promised you.”
There it was. The truth. Wiping the palms of her hands on her skirt, she swallowed hard. “I understand why you’re withholding the money, but bringing me here to tell me that is cruel.”
He reached out to grab her hand before she could stand up and leave. “Maria. The million dollars is yours. You can do whatever you want with it, and I’m not saying that because I don’t care about the money. I’m saying it because I trust that you’ll make the right decisions.”
Stunned, she stared at him. “You are giving me the money? Then, why did you bring me here?”
“You have to know that I care about you.” His hold on her hand turned soft as he caressed her skin with his thumb. “I felt something from the moment I saw you running for that bus. That’s why I bribed the driver to stop for you.”
Maria stared at him before a huge smile broke out over her face. “You paid the driver to stop?”
“I did. Of course, that was before I knew your feelings about money. I’ve always used my wealth to impress women, but you are not easily swayed. I like that about you.”
“No, you don’t.”
“I do. Because I know that, any feelings you have for me are because of me and not my money.” Taking a sip from his drink, he rubbed his finger along the condensation on the glass. “In fact, I suspect I’d have had a much easier chance with you if I didn’t have money.”
Closing her eyes, she pulled her hand away from him and fidgeted. “I saw you on the television at that trial. Why didn’t you tell me that you actually had something serious to do? I gave you a lot of grief.”
“I should have told you but not because I didn’t want your grief. Kivi was a personal matter that I needed to clean up. Once upon a time, we were friends, and he used that connection to swindle friends out of their money. He didn’t care if he was taking thousands from the rich or an entire life savings from the middle class. I got him arrested, but when I heard that he stood a chance of walking away without paying for what he did, I knew that I had to do something. Unfortunately, my father had ordered me to stay clear of Kivi. He was afraid that our reputation might hurt us in the end. I disagreed.”
“Jarik, I’m so sorry. That’s definitely not something you should have shared with me. That’s personal.”
“And that’s why I should have told you. I hated that you didn’t open up
to me, but I didn’t open up to you either. Maria, I will put all of my money in a trust fund for a hundred charities for you. I don’t care about my money, I care about you. If you’ll have me without the money, I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.”
He was going to give up his money? For her? “I don’t actually know what to say. I know I haven’t given you the impression that I’m ready for a relationship or that I’m even any good at one. I said some horrible things to you.”
“Maria, I already know that you love me.”
“What? You do? Wait. I do?”
“I do.” He smiled and reached for her. “On that beach, you said ‘I can’t.’ Do you remember that?”
Of course, she remembered it. It played in her mind like a broken record. “I said a lot of things on that beach,” she said with a small smile. “But yes, I know what you’re talking about.”
“Did you want to finish that sentence?”
Staring at their joined hands, briefly wondering when he grabbed her hand again, or had she grabbed his? She tried to ignore the pounding of her heart. “I can’t fall in love with you.”
“Did you say that because you really believed it was true? Or because you were already falling for me? All you have to do is be honest, and everything else will fall into place.”
“You want me to be honest?” Pulling her hand free, she reached up and cupped his chin with both of her hands. “Jarik, I did group you in with all the other rich people, but I know you now, and I don’t need you to give up all your money for me. I do, however, need you to realize what a life with me entails. I’m not going to give up my job to be some trophy girlfriend. Not that I’m exactly a trophy, but I’m a pilot. I’m not going to stay at home and host parties. I’m going to fly. I’m going to travel. I’m going to do my damnedest to help out anywhere that I can.”
Jarik wrapped his hands around hers and held them to his face turning to kiss each of her palms. “I wouldn’t change anything about you, Maria. I love that you find freedom in the skies. I love that you want to change the world, and the only thing that I want is to be by your side when you make that happen.”
