by Holly Rayner
His gaze met hers, shining with anticipation. “Want to go for a ride?”
NINE
Hallie gulped as she stared at Sadiq’s outstretched hand. He had deftly jumped into the yacht and was waiting for her to join him. She tried not to think of the last time she’d been on a boat as she reached out and shakily wrapped her fingers around his.
Pulling herself into the boat, she instantly lost her footing and tumbled in, crashing against his body.
“Whoa there!” Sadiq said, steadying her.
Hallie realized quite suddenly that she was encircled in the Sheikh’s very strong, very muscular arms, and she tried not to tense up. Her whole body tingled with awareness as the yacht rocked back and forth with the energy of her unladylike tumble.
They stood like that, Sadiq holding Hallie in his arms, as the boat’s rocking gradually subsided. She pressed the balls of her feet into the floor, trying to find her balance.
Sadiq smelled amazing. He was wearing some kind of cologne, but it wasn’t overpowering, and Hallie tried to be subtle about breathing him in. When she was finally brave enough to look into his eyes, she found that their faces were barely an inch apart. Her gaze darted to his full lips, so enticing, so mesmerizing. Just one inch away…
Sadiq cleared his throat, breaking the spell as he stepped back, running his hands along the length of her arms until he was barely holding her fingertips.
“Got your sea legs?” he asked with a small grin.
Hallie blushed. “Yeah, thanks. I’m not exactly the most graceful person on the planet.”
Sadiq shrugged. “Everyone adapts to the sea differently. It just takes some time. Now, let me show you how this little lady sails.”
He talked about his boat like a proud parent spoke of their child, Hallie thought. She liked that, but she wasn’t so sure that she liked how much stock he took in his material possessions. She wondered if this was just another item bought to impress, but she dismissed the thought. The joy on Sadiq’s face was evident here—this was something he truly loved.
He sat behind the wheel and unlocked a drawer, pulling out a shiny, silver key. With one twist, the engine roared to life beneath them, and Hallie took the seat next to Sadiq as he slowly pulled the boat out of the dock and steered it into the bay.
Gazing out across the water, Hallie shielded her eyes. The sun was hot, but she liked the feel of it warming her skin as the breeze whipped about them.
Sadiq glanced over at her, and his eyebrows furrowed. “You’re already turning a little pink,” he observed. Leaning down, he pressed a button, and the seat behind her opened up, a small covering folding out above her head.
While the heat had been nice, Hallie hadn’t noticed she was burning, and she smiled gratefully at Sadiq as she reached into her purse and pulled out a pair of sunglasses. Dots of light glimmered across the waves as they headed further and further from land.
After a while, Hallie felt the rumbling engine slow. She tried to ignore the pang of disappointment at the ride being over; speeding along that smooth surface with the wind in her hair, the sun tickling her toes, and a handsome man at the wheel had been pure heaven. Hadn’t she been in a cube entering data just a few days ago? It didn’t even seem possible here.
Sadiq turned off the engine and gazed out across the water. Al Shayam City was shimmering in the distance, beyond it the towering dunes of sand rolled across the background. It truly was a sight to behold.
“It’s beautiful,” Hallie breathed, trying to take it all in.
Sadiq followed the direction of her gaze, staring out across his homeland. “It really is. I’ve loved it here all my life. There is nowhere on Earth I would rather call my home.”
“I can understand why,” Hallie said.
Sadiq turned his gaze back to her, his expression focused as though he were continuing with a puzzle he’d forgotten about, and was trying to remember where the extra pieces were. “And what about you, Hallie? If you could live anywhere, where would it be?”
Hallie thought about that for a moment.
“I’m not sure, to be honest. I thought for a minute that I’d be able to settle…well. It doesn’t matter now. I was wrong. I guess if I could live anywhere in the world, it would be somewhere I could be myself.”
Sadiq raised his eyebrows at the cryptic answer, but Hallie wasn’t quite ready to tell her whole story yet. Even as the waves coaxed her into relaxation, as the city lulled her into a sense of security, she still had only known Sadiq for a very short time. If things continued to go well, she might confide in him. Until then, she reserved the right to hold her secrets close to her broken, tattered heart.
To her relief, Sadiq didn’t press any further. Instead, he walked to the back of the boat and opened up a compartment Hallie hadn’t noticed before. Inside, there was a bottle of chilled champagne and a plate of fresh strawberries drizzled in chocolate.
Hallie grinned. “Are you trying to woo me, Sheikh?”
Sadiq shrugged again, glancing up at her with a shy expression on his face. He looked wildly insecure for someone who could have whatever he wanted. Whomever he wanted. What was she doing here, again?
“I can tell that you are a woman who will take more into account than money in the bank, but I hope that you’re not above simple romantic gestures.”
He popped open the champagne bottle and poured the bubbling liquid into two flutes before handing one to her. Their fingers brushed in the exchange, and Hallie felt a surge of lust pulse through her body.
“No, I think I’m quite on the right level for this. I love chocolate-covered fruit.”
Sadiq beamed. “Remind me to have some sent to your room tomorrow for breakfast. We have plenty of delicious fruits here. I’m sure you’ll want to try them all.”
“You are correct,” Hallie said, pointing a strawberry tip at him before taking a succulent bite.
The fruit was delicious, the chocolate even more so. Hallie closed her eyes again, the better to savor the sensation. “Don’t tell me you grew your own cocoa beans in that greenhouse, too,” she said, opening her eyes to find him staring at her.
She wanted to blush, but the truth was, she wanted him to stare at her just like that. As each moment passed, she found she wanted him more and more. She was there to consider a marriage proposal, and it was starting to sound like the greatest idea in the world.
“Guilty,” Sadiq said, taking his own bite of strawberry.
“That is amazing! This is the best I’ve ever tasted, hands down.”
“That means a lot; thank you Hallie.”
They enjoyed their drinks as they bobbed lazily along the water, whiling away the afternoon. Finally, Sadiq turned the engine back on and drove them back to the pier, though Hallie looked forward to the next time they could take the boat out.
“Do you think we could try this some other day this week?” she asked eagerly.
Sadiq looked satisfied by that question. “I’d be happy to take you out on the boat any time you’d like. Perhaps next time we’ll let you take the wheel, eh?”
“If you’re brave enough,” she laughed, and Sadiq laughed with her. It was a rich sound, so full of life. She found she could get drunk on it, and wanted to make him laugh more often.
***
For the next few days, Sadiq and Hallie enjoyed more of what Al Shayam had to offer. He took her on an extensive visit of the capital city, and came good on his promise to let her drive the yacht. They took a different car out each day, and Hallie was pleased at the number of environmentally friendly options he had available—they all looked so futuristic, like space ships. There was so much the world had to offer that she had never even fathomed, but with Sadiq it seemed as though everything were possible.
One afternoon, Hallie was resting in her room after a morning of sightseeing with Sadiq, reflecting on the fact that she had just had, by far, one of the best weeks of her life. A knock at her door disrupted her thoughts, and she went to open it.
/> A young girl stood in the hallway when Hallie opened the door, and she gave a little bow.
Hallie smiled. “Yes?” she asked.
The girl handed her a letter, written on thick parchment and sealed with a wax stamp. The girl bowed again and walked away without saying anything. Hallie had learned fairly quickly that not all of Sadiq’s staff spoke English, and while they were polite, many were unable to speak with her. Holding her note in her hand, she closed the door and sat on her bed, breaking the wax seal.
Sadiq had been so full of romantic gestures. He was an old-school romantic—holding doors, taking her out for delicious meals, showing her his favorite landmarks and beauty spots. She couldn’t wait to see what he had in store next.
His handwriting was bold and block-like. Hallie absently caressed the writing, imagining him taking the time to sit down and pen a letter to her. Without realizing it, she was grinning from ear to ear. She read the letter.
Dear Hallie,
Please do me the honor of joining me for a special meal tonight, just after sunset. I will meet you in the foyer.
Yours,
Sadiq
She read the words over several times before chuckling to herself. Sadiq had such a direct way of writing. In person, he was warm, charming and funny, and yet when he wrote he got straight to the point, all business.
Hallie moved to her wardrobe, wondering what she should wear to dinner, when there came another knock at the door. This time she answered it to find a valet holding a large box, wrapped with a golden ribbon.
“For you, miss,” he said.
Hallie thanked him and brought the box inside. When she opened it, she found a small card on top of what appeared to be a bejeweled evening gown.
No need to worry about what to wear. –S
Hallie stared out across the desert, the view from her room beyond outstanding, and sighed happily.
Tonight, she would look her absolute best.
TEN
As the last few golden rays of sunset filtered through the windows, Hallie inspected herself in the mirror. She was ready.
She had taken the rest of the afternoon to pamper herself, taking a long bath, applying just the right amount of makeup, and misting herself lightly with perfume. Unfolding the dress from its box, she’d found that it was long, sleek and black, with dark gemstone accents that shimmered in the light, as though the dress itself were made of the evening sky. To her surprise, it fit her perfectly. How had Sadiq managed to do that?
When she exited her room, a staff member—the same maid who had delivered Sadiq’s note earlier—was waiting to escort her to the atrium.
She found Sadiq waiting for her in the lobby, checking at his watch. When he looked up, he swallowed. She kept her eyes locked with his as she approached, confident, and the look in his eyes told her she was correct to feel that way—he looked like he wanted to devour her, in the best possible way.
And goodness, did she want to be devoured, by no other man than Sadiq.
He moistened his lips, which had gone dry at the sight of her. “You are…” He paused, staring.
She beamed up at him, stepping a little closer, coquettishly. “What am I?”
Sadiq reached down and took both her hands in his, pulling them up and placing a delicate kiss on her knuckles.
Hallie could hardly breathe. The tension between them had grown exponentially over the course of the week, and the feeling of his lips against hers was all she could think about.
Her eyes darted down to his shining leather shoes, taking in his well-fitting slacks and the button-down shirt he wore. He was devastatingly handsome. And he was looking at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the world.
Could she really be this lucky?
“Hallie Richards, you are the most beautiful woman in Al Shayam. In the world. Possibly the universe.”
Hallie chuckled, not releasing his hands as she lowered them. “That’s a bit of an overstatement. I’m sure there are plenty of alien women out there who far outmatch me.”
Sadiq laughed. “Well they’re a world away, and we are here, so my statement still stands. Ready?”
It was a question he had asked her many times since she had arrived. He always wanted to know if she was okay with what they were doing, if she was prepared, and it was something she loved about him. One of many things, really.
“Always,” she replied
The Sheikh kept hold of her hand as, instead of heading to the front door, he took her through one of the arches that led past the tiger enclosure. It was curiously quiet.
“What happened to your tigers?” Hallie asked, curious.
Sadiq kept walking, not looking back. “They’ve been sent to an animal sanctuary in the southern part of Al Shayam. They should be happy there. I’ve heard they’ve taken to it quite well.”
Hallie dug her feet into the ground, forcing Sadiq to stop and look at her. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, and she forced herself to keep them that way—she didn’t want any streaky mascara lines this early into their evening. “You freed them?” she asked.
Sadiq ran his thumb along her cheek as he cradled her face. “Of course I freed them. It upset you, and you were right. There was no real reason for me to keep them here merely to impress my friends. I barely looked at them anyway.”
“Thank you,” Hallie whispered, glancing down.
Sadiq gently lifted her chin with two fingers until she was staring into his eyes. “Thank you, Hallie, for helping me see the error of my ways.”
They stared at one another in that hallway, and Hallie waited for him to kiss her. But then his phone let out a ding, breaking the tension, and seeming to remind Sadiq of something.
“We’ve got to keep moving,” he said, taking her hand again as they traversed several other hallways until they reached an elevator.
Sadiq pressed the button, and the door opened. The elevator took them up several stories, and when the doors opened, a blast of desert air his Hallie’s face.
They were on a helicopter pad. A helicopter with Arabic writing on the side was already running, the pilot waving to Sadiq as they approached. His grip on her hand tightened as he ushered her up into the seating area and gave her a headset to put on. Hallie was relieved to have the roaring sound of the blades out of her ears; who knew helicopters were so loud?
“Are you all right?”
Hallie heard Sadiq’s voice in her headset as though he were on the phone. She glanced over at him, his face etched with concern, and grinned reassuringly.
“Never better,” she said.
He laced his fingers with hers as the helicopter rose into the sky, and Hallie scooted a little closer to him as they lifted high into the air. The city from above was quite the sight to see, and Hallie forgot about all her nerves as she took in the view. They flew over the city, towards the desert, and soon Hallie couldn’t even see the artificial lights anymore.
The sky changed from creamy orange to twilight as they enjoyed their ride across the sand dunes. Hallie could see stars poking through the darkness when her ears began to pop, signaling the lowering of the helicopter. It blew sand in every direction as it plopped down on top of an enormous dune.
“Let’s go!” Sadiq shouted, removing his headset.
Hallie did the same, leaving her headset on the seat as they exited the helicopter. Immediately, her heel sank into a foot of sand. Hallie yelped as she tripped, and Sadiq caught her.
“Oops, didn’t think about this part,” he said.
The helicopter pilot turned off the engine, though he didn’t get out. It was clear he would be waiting for their return from wherever they were going, but with Hallie’s footwear, it was clear they wouldn’t be going anywhere fast.
She looked up helplessly at Sadiq. “What are we going to do? I can’t walk like this,” she said, tugging her foot out of the sand simply to have it sink right back in.
“Not to worry. I’ve got you,” he said.
Then
, to her great surprise, he knelt down and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her down the side of the mountainous sand dune.
“Sadiq, you can’t carry me the whole way!” Hallie protested, though she didn’t move.
The Sheikh grinned down at her, his smile more than reassuring, bordering on seductive. “Nonsense. It’s only over this hill. Are you hungry?”
Hallie laughed. He wanted to have small talk while he carried her like a groom carrying his bride over the threshold? Oh well, she thought. Might as well take advantage.
