by Holly Rayner
There was another knock at the door. Majeed lifted himself off her. “That’s probably the breakfast,” he said.
“Should we get it?” Her hands were already working their way under his sleep shirt.
“I don’t know,” Majeed murmured, lowering himself back down to kiss along her collarbone. “I’m not actually that hungry, now that I think about it.”
Dakota nodded, her heart racing. “I could definitely wait to eat.”
They spent the next several hours enjoying each other’s company, alternately making love and revisiting the minibar for more champagne. Majeed brought in the covered trays of breakfast foods the hotel worker had left outside their door and the two of them fed each other bites of fruit. The outside world seemed to fade away. To Dakota, the bed seemed big enough to house their entire world. She would have been more than happy to never leave this room again, to stay sequestered here with Majeed for the rest of her life.
Only once or twice was her happiness intruded upon, as she caught sight of her phone lying like a brick on the desk. How many missed calls would she have when she turned it back on? How many voicemails from her parents? Were they worried? Upset? Angry? Or was there a chance, no matter how remote, that they had recognized that this marriage was what Dakota wanted? Could they have understood at last that she was truly in love? And if they had, would they be able to forget the past and be happy for her?
She tried not to think about it. There was nothing they could do at this stage anyway, she reminded herself. It didn’t really matter what they thought about her actions or the fact that she had married without their consent. She was an adult, after all. She didn’t need their approval.
But she couldn’t quite lose herself in Majeed, not with these doubts racing through her mind. She had worked too hard and too long to make her family proud. Her whole life had been devoted to them, and it was hard to set that aside now. As much as Dakota wanted to tell herself their opinion didn’t matter, she had to admit that she would feel a whole lot better if they approved of her marriage.
She would know soon enough. For now, there was nothing to do but wait and hope.
Chapter 24
The Emir’s summons called for Dakota and Majeed to appear before him at seven o’clock the following evening, but they decided to leave their hotel at five. It felt better, somehow, to make their own way to the palace, and not wait for a car to collect them.
During the ride, in Majeed’s sports car, neither of them spoke, but the silence was companionable, not strained. Dakota felt comfortable in this moment—over the past several days she had mastered the art of enjoying her surroundings and not allowing herself to worry too much about what would come next. Majeed, for his part, seemed as confident and self-assured as she had ever seen him, and that gave Dakota more confidence in turn.
The palace was gated, but the guard at the gate recognized them and let them in, telling them they could park in the driveway in front of the main entrance. Majeed grinned at Dakota as he drove them slowly up to the steps. “I’ve never driven my own car on the Emir’s property,” he said.
“Cross that off your bucket list, then,” Dakota said.
“My what?”
“Your list of things to do before you die.”
“Is that an American custom?” Majeed frowned. “Do you have such a list?”
Dakota laughed. “It isn’t a literal list. It’s just a saying.”
“It’s a macabre saying,” Majeed said. “I certainly don’t plan on dying today.”
“Glad to hear it,” Dakota said, smiling.
He parked the car, and they climbed out and ascended the marble stairs. A valet stood waiting for them at the top.
“The man at the gate must have sent word that we were here,” Majeed murmured. “Maybe he’ll be able to see us early.”
The valet beckoned them to follow. “Mr. bin Ayad. Ms. Lee. His Highness has been expecting you.”
“Are we the first to arrive?” Majeed asked.
“You are quite early,” the valet said, raising his eyebrows. “You will have to wait in the tea room until the Emir is ready. And no, none of his other guests are here yet.”
Guests, Dakota thought. As if it’s going to be a party.
She followed Majeed and the valet into the tea room and took a seat at an ornately decorated table with a delicate looking tea service in the middle.
“Can I bring you anything?” the valet asked.
“Perhaps some hot towels?” Majeed asked.
The valet bowed and backed out of the room.
Dakota was confused. “What do you want with hot towels? It’s a hundred degrees outside.”
“He’ll have to go to the laundry to get them,” Majeed explained. “It was the farthest place I could think to send him. I just don’t want him hovering while we’re trying to talk.”
Dakota smiled. “That was smart.” She leaned over the table to plant a kiss on his cheek.
After preparing and pouring the tea, the two of them got up with their cups to walk around the room. Majeed showed her the artwork that hung on the walls, introducing her to some of the small nation’s great painters. Dakota valued the lesson. This would be her homeland now, and any opportunity to get to know its history and culture a little better was a good thing. Majeed kept his arm slung around her lower back as they walked, casually keeping her close, and she sensed that he was as reluctant as she was to have any distance between them. It still felt necessary to cling to each other to make sure they weren’t pulled apart, even though logically Dakota knew the fear was unfounded.
After a while, the valet returned with their hot towels. Majeed showed her how to wrap her hands and wrists. “It’s a technique that encourages relaxation,” he said. “My mother taught it to me when I was young.”
“We could stand to be relaxed,” Dakota agreed.
They sat back down at the table, pulling their chairs close together so that Dakota could rest her head on Majeed’s shoulder as they waited. It was stressful, sitting here and waiting to discover what their fate would be, but every time he looked at her, she felt the tension melt away. Maybe the Emir would be angry, she thought. But if he was, they would deal with it as they had dealt with everything else that had happened to them so far—together.
The biggest concern in Dakota’s mind remained what would happen when her family arrived. Despite everything, in her heart she longed for her parents’ approval. She imagined them walking in on her and Majeed embracing and understanding, with just a look, that this was her heart’s desire. If they really understood that, they couldn’t possibly want to take it away from her. After all, they were her parents, and they loved her. Dakota believed that, and she clung to her belief. Everything that had happened so far had been the result of misunderstanding. She hadn’t told them she was in love. If she had, they would never have pulled her out of that wedding.
Unless they honestly don’t care how I feel…
Dakota pushed the thought away. It was too poisonous to allow it to take root. Her family could be manipulative when it came to business, she knew that. But they loved her.
“Majeed,” she said.
“Yes?”
“No matter what happens, we’ll be together, won’t we?”
He turned to face her and bent to press his lips to hers. “Of course,” he said. “No matter what.”
“Even if the Emir is angry?”
“Even then.”
“Even if your family forbids us to stay married?”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her. “Dakota Lee bin Ayad,” he said, “nothing in the world could make me leave you now. That’s a promise.”
“Dakota!”
Majeed and Dakota jerked apart from each other in unison. For a disorienting moment, Dakota felt like a high schooler caught in a stolen moment with a boy. Her mother’s voice echoed across the entry chamber of the Emir’s palace like a gong.
Dakota grabbed Majeed’s hand.
The valet, who had been standing in the doorway of the tea room, looked scandalized at the sound of the shout. He turned and strode quickly toward its source. Dakota got to her feet and followed at a slower pace, bringing Majeed along with her, dreading what she would find. Her mother had definitely sounded angry.
The Lees stood in the entry chamber. They had clearly come straight from the airport—Dakota recognized the smart but comfortable traveling clothes her parents always wore on long flights. She was pleased to see that Dylan was with them, dressed in jeans and an old concert T-shirt and looking distinctly uncomfortable. She wondered whose decision it had been for him to come. Had the Emir decided the entire family needed to be present, or had Dylan thought he could help protect Dakota from their parents’ wrath? Either way, it was always a relief to see her older brother. She knew that she could count on at least two people to be on her side in the upcoming meeting.
Anne spotted her daughter and stormed across the room. “Dakota, what in God’s name were you thinking?”
“Hi, Mom.”
“Dakota,” Ben said. The look on his face was grave. “Are you aware that you broke the law by coming back here?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Then how could you do it?” he asked. “Knowing the consequences it would bring for you, and for the family?”
“Dad, is this about me?” Dakota asked. “Or is this about the family?”
“What do you mean?” he demanded.
“Are you worried I might be in trouble, or are you worried I might make you look bad?”
“How can you even ask me that?” Ben demanded. “Of course, I’m worried about you, Dakota. Why do you think we flew all the way out here? Your mother’s been frantic. And when we heard you’d gotten married, for God’s sake…well, we didn’t know what to think. Did he strong-arm you into it? Are you trying to stay out of trouble? Because we can take care of this, you know. Our family takes care of each other. You don’t need to marry him for protection.”
He was offering to take care of her. It was like a balm. Dakota suddenly felt overwhelmed with love for her family. So often she had been required to do unpleasant things to get them out of sticky situations, but when they thought she was in trouble, they had all rushed to her side. Our family takes care of each other. It was all she had needed to hear. She knew now that whatever the Emir said, her parents would stand by her side. They would fight for her. And that meant she could count on them to be happy for her, too.
“Dad,” she said, and then reached out a hand for her mother. “Mom. It isn’t like that. I wasn’t coerced.”
Over her father’s shoulder, she saw Dylan raise an eyebrow, and knew what he was thinking—are you really going to tell them? He had been the one to advise her to end the whole thing, after all. She just hoped he wasn’t offended that she hadn’t taken his advice.
Before Dakota could explain herself to her parents, however, a low voice rumbled across the room. “Majeed. Get over here at once.”
Everyone turned. Ubaid bin Ayad was striding over, trailed by his wife, who was wringing her hands and looking very upset. Dakota released her hold on Majeed’s hand, but he made no effort to leave her side. He stood still and forced his parents to come to him, to stand side by side with the Lees. The two families shuffled awkwardly and looked uncomfortable next to each other.
“Don’t fight,” Dakota said. She meant to be authoritative, but it came out as a plea.
“We won’t,” Ben Lee assured her.
“Well, we won’t, at least,” Anne murmured.
“Mom,” Dylan snapped. “Stop it.”
Dakota reached back and found Majeed’s hand again. “We’re sorry for the way we handled things,” she said. “We’re sorry for running away, and for sneaking me into the country. We’re prepared to answer to the Emir for those things. But the marriage—”
“It can be annulled,” Ubaid bin Ayad interrupted. “I’ve already consulted my lawyer.”
“We’re not going to do that,” Majeed spoke up. “Dakota and I are going to remain married.”
“Majeed,” said his mother. “It’s too late to change the Emir’s mind. His punishment has been handed down. Going through with the marriage now won’t make any difference.”
“It will,” Majeed countered. “I’m in love with Dakota.”
Everyone seemed to inhale at once, in a collective gasp that went around the room. Ubaid bin Ayad opened and closed his mouth several times, as if he wanted to argue with Majeed but couldn’t think of what to say. His wife was squinting at her son as if she’d never seen him before.
“Dakota?” Anne asked, breathless.
She nodded. “I love him, too. We fell in love before the official wedding, the one that you…that was ruined. We both wanted to get married that day. We were both heartbroken when it didn’t happen.”
“My God,” Ben Lee said softly. “You wanted to get married? And we stopped you.”
Majeed’s mother clapped a hand over her mouth.
“Afterward, when we went back to Seattle, Majeed and I stayed in touch,” Dakota said. “He made phone calls from places other than home so no one would know he was talking to me. He came to Seattle to find me. We weren’t intending to do this, but once we saw each other again, it became too hard to say goodbye.”
“And one thing led to another,” Majeed took up the tale, “and the next thing we knew we were standing in the courthouse saying our vows.”
“We missed your wedding, baby,” Anne said, embracing her.
Dakota returned her mother’s hug, suddenly on the verge of tears. “It’s okay, Mom,” she said. “We’ll have another ceremony. A real party. This was just a document signing, it wasn’t a big deal. We’ll do it again, and we can all celebrate together.”
Ben reached over and shook Majeed’s hand. “I guess I should say welcome to the family, son.”
“I hope we can put the difficulties between our families in the past,” Majeed said. “I love Dakota very much, and I know that would make her happy.”
Ben nodded. “You and I want the same thing, then.”
To everyone’s surprise and amazement, Sheikh Ubaid bin Ayad stepped forward and wrapped Dakota in a giant bear hug. “I owe you an apology,” he said gruffly. “I assumed you and your family were taking advantage of the situation we were all in. I never suspected your feelings for my son were legitimate.”
“They are,” she assured him.
He nodded. “I can see that.”
The family reunion was broken up by the voice of a valet. “The Emir is prepared to receive you,” he announced.
The Lees and the bin Ayads all exchanged nervous glances. Dakota was amazed at how much had changed in the last few moments. It felt as if they were one family now, truly united. The original goal of the arranged marriage seemed to have been achieved. The fighting between the Lee family and the bin Ayad family had—she hoped—at last been laid to rest.
Chapter 25
The Emir sat quietly at his desk at the head of the courtroom and listened to their story in full. Majeed and Dakota took turns relating everything that had happened. They began with their first date, explaining that they hadn’t wanted to marry in the beginning but that their parents had convinced them to give each other another shot. They explained how, over the course of their courtship, they had gotten to know each other better and had gradually fallen in love. Dakota had to fight to keep a grin off her face as Majeed described the moment he had realized he had true feelings for her. She knew it was important to maintain her composure so the Emir would see that she was taking this seriously.
Their parents spoke too, giving an account of what had happened at the wedding. It was wonderful and cathartic to see them taking responsibility for their behavior. Dakota knew that her parents were staking their reputations here because they wanted to see her happy.
Finally, the Emir got to his feet. Everyone waited with bated breath to hear what he would say.
“It seems to me that the feud between your two families is under control,” he said. “That was, after all, my primary demand. And although the means of getting there were most indirect and surprising, that demand has now been met.”
Dakota’s heart fluttered with hope. He didn’t sound angry!
“I also find this tale of young love most moving indeed,” the Emir continued. “It would serve no one to separate the two of you. I, therefore, find it appropriate that you, Dakota Lee, pay a small fine as penalty for your illegal return to Baraq, after which you will have no criminal record. You are free to remain here as a legal citizen and as the wife of Majeed bin Ayad.”
Dakota was torn between jumping in the air, applauding, or grabbing Majeed and kissing him. It was with great restraint that she merely nodded and said, “Yes, Your Highness.” But she could no longer keep the smile from her face.
“There remains the question of what to do with the rest of you,” the Emir said then. He glanced around the room, his gaze lingering on each of the Lees and the bin Ayads. “The punishments that were levied no longer seem necessary in the face of the information that has come to light. In particular, the fact that you all seem able to get along now without erupting into scandal gives me hope that we can all move forward.”
Ben Lee got to his feet. “Personally, I feel that we all owe it to Dakota and Majeed to commit ourselves to a harmonious relationship,” he said. “After all, we’re family now.”
Ubaid bin Ayad nodded. “I agree with that.”
“Well then,” the Emir said, “I would be happy to restore the Lee family’s visas if you wish to return to Baraq. You may lose some money on the repurchase of your corporation, but the infrastructure is the same as it was when you left. Is that acceptable?”
“We’d be more than grateful,” Ben said.
“And our endorsement of Ayad Aviation can also be restored,” the Emir continued, “as well as a public pardon issued to both families.”
