The Sheikh's Secret

by Knight, Kylie

  “You remember me, so I’m sure you remember what we did a few months back.” She murmured, blushing deeply.

  “Of course,” he said, raising a brow.

  “Well, I’m... pregnant,” she murmured. She let each word slide out one by one the fear echoing in her voice.

  His reaction was surprisingly calm. “You’re pregnant?” he asked. “Are you sure?”

  She nodded, “I’ve taken multiple tests and they’ve all come back positive.”

  “And I suppose you want money?” he asked. His voice dry and lacking any warmth.

  “Well...I just lost my job and I can’t really afford to raise a baby on my own.”

  He tapped his fingers on his desk.“ I see. Well...If that's the case then we’re going to need to come to some sort of agreement,” he said with his eyes fixed on her face.

  His look was making Sheryl a little nervous. “Agreement?” she asked quietly.

  Another nod and he leaned forward. “You have to understand my predicament here,” he said. “I’m a single 43-year-old man who is constantly in the spotlight. Showing up in public with a different woman every night is not really good for my image. My PR people have been advising me to settle down for years, but I’ve been putting it off.”

  She didn’t like where this was going. “Okay...,” she said sounding hesitant.

  “If you can’t tell yet, I’m not interested in settling down. Not right now. But it would be beneficial to have a wife and kid to trot around at events,” he mused as he stroked his beard.

  All of his charms flew out the window in an instant. “Are you asking me to be a trophy wife?”

  “No. I’m telling you that if you expect to see any kind of money you will be my trophy wife,” he corrected smiling at her as if they were having a casual conversation.

  She looked appalled, but he continued on. “It’s a very beneficial situation for you,” he pointed out. “You’d move in with me and all of your expenses would be paid for. Personal expenses and anything related to that baby. It would all be handled,” he said simply. “Your commitment to me would be entirely social and you’d be welcome to carry on with whatever relationships you wanted as long as you kept them quiet. You’re a beautiful woman and well respected. I think this could be good for both of us.”

  Sheryl was silent for a long time. The offer sounded good on the surface. It really did, but something about it felt wrong. She didn’t want to be a trophy wife. She wanted to have a loving husband and a happy family. How was she supposed to have those things if her marriage was a sham?

  Sam finally spoke again, “I understand that it’s not an easy decision. I don’t expect you to make it right this second.”

  He shuffled through his desk for a moment and pulled out a white business card scribbling something on the back. It was a phone number. He slid it across the desk and leaned back putting his fingers together. “That is my cell phone number. It’s my only direct line. When you make your decision give me a call. I’ll be waiting,” he said. He stood up and started walking to the door.

  Sheryl’s head was swimming. There was so much to think about. When she stood her knees felt weak but she walked out the door anyway forcing herself to hold her head high as she passed him. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her break.

  She made it out of the office and to her car before the tears came again. She’d always hated crying. She considered it a sign of weakness but at least she had a good reason for crying. Sheryl pulled out the business card and stared at the shiny finish, flipping it over in her hands again and again. Finally, she shoved it in her purse and turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot.

  Her mind was a mess. On one hand, it was a good offer but it came with a lot of personal sacrifices. It wasn’t the kind of life she wanted to live, but at least she and the baby would be more than cared for. She knew she couldn’t go to her family with the problem. Having a baby outside of a marriage was a big deal in her family and she wasn’t ready to deal with that drama.

  A deep sadness filled her as she made her way home. She was going to have to make a decision and either way she was going to be giving up a lot.

  ***

  Her meeting with Sam had been over a month ago and her situation had not gotten any better. She made a deal with herself that she wasn’t going to take him up on his offer unless it was her last resort. Sheryl had tried to find another job. She’d been pounding the pavement but the only job she’d even gotten a call back on was a retail job that never would have even begun to pay the bills.

  Speaking of bills, they had started to pile up. Her counter was scattered with debt notices and warnings that her power would be shut off. She’d never been in this kind of a situation before and she didn’t know how to handle it. She shoved the debt notices into drawers and cried herself to sleep.

  There was nothing to keep her mind busy during the day. Her savings were drying up and even her unemployment had been denied. Things were looking grim. It didn’t help that as the days passed she was starting to show more and more. It was a constant reminder that soon she would not just be worrying about herself. The panic that this thought instilled was what made her finally pick up the phone and call Sam.

  Sheryl was surprised that he didn’t seem smug at all. He was very matter of fact, asking her if she needed help moving her things to his home. She told him yes and a few hours after they hung up movers were at her house. Sam had texted her an address and told her to pack the essentials and head over. The movers would handle everything else.

  It made her nervous to leave strangers along with all of her things but there was also a huge relief that came along with just letting things go and letting someone else handle everything for a little while. It was the mental break that she so desperately needed.

  As the movers worked on getting her furniture out, she was packing up a few suitcases of important things like her laptop and clothes. She didn’t have a terribly impressive wardrobe and it managed to fit into a few larger suitcases. She packed them up into the car and put the address into her GPS.

  Butterflies fluttered in her stomach at the thought of finally giving in. Sheryl wasn’t sure if her butterflies were because she was scared or excited. She was trying to focus on the fact that she wasn’t going to have to worry about drowning under a mountain of bills anymore. Along with that relief came a bit of sadness, though. She’d always prided herself on being a strong independent woman and it felt like that had been stripped away.

  Sheryl let out a slow sigh and looked up at the house she’d stopped at. She wasn’t very surprised, but she was still impressed. A huge iron gate separated the house from the outside world and just beyond it was a huge, lush lawn with flowering bushes and fruit trees. The house was even more stunning. It was an old plantation house with a huge wraparound porch and two bay windows on either side. It was two stories and had pillars on the porch that helped support the large balcony on the second floor.

  It was truly beautiful and took her breath away. She looked over at the little speaker and number pad. There was a red button so she pressed it. Sam’s voice greeted her, “Hello! Sheryl?”

  Sheryl jumped a little at the response and then laughed at her own silliness,“Yeah. It’s me.”

  There was a clicking sound and the gates began to slowly open. She pulled herself back in the car and drove up the long circle driveway, parking at the apex and turning her car off. She opened the door and got out only to be met by Sam who was already walking out of the house. He met her at the car and wrapped his arms around her. Sheryl was a little shocked that he was being so affectionate but returned the hug anyway, smiling.

  “Did you find the place pretty easily?” he asked looking around for her bags.

  She smiled a little and nodded turning to pop her trunk. “Yeah. No problems,” she said as he walked around and picked up the two biggest suitcases out of the trunk.

  She grabbed the last two and followed
him into the house. It was just as elegant on the inside as the outside and had the feel of a pre-civil war home. He was definitely a southern boy who loved southern everything. “Wow! Your house looks really...historic,” she said looking around at all the real wood furnishings and old photos.

  “Thanks a lot,” he said with a smile. “I really love antiques and there’s a lot of them in this area. The house is actually pretty old. I’ve updated it some, but a lot of this is the original house.”

  That was a bit impressive. She continued to follow him stealing glances at everything around her. She hadn’t expected him to be so kind and warm. That kindness reminded her a lot of the night they shared together that created this baby.

  Sheryl put a hand on her belly idly and sighed happily as he opened the door to a large bedroom that was done in shades of purple and white. It was very soothing. She stepped into the room and set her bags down. Sam was just behind her and set the other two on the bed. “So, this is your room. You’re welcome to do whatever you want with it,” he said with a nod. “I thought we could go look for a bassinet this week and maybe start on the nursery.”

  She smiled tiredly at him and nodded. “Yeah...That sounds nice.”

  The day had been a little overwhelming for her and she was ready to get some rest. Sam nodded taking the hint. He started to leave the room but turned and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her. “I’m glad you decided to stay with me.”

  That was all he said before leaving and it left Sheryl confused and wanting.

  ***

  The movers were quicker than Sheryl anticipated and by the end of the week she was completely moved in. Sam had even paid extra for them to stick around and help unpack and get rid of unneeded furniture. She honestly didn’t think the house needed another couch. She was thankful that Sam let her have some type of control over what was happening in the house. It was helping her feel less helpless.

  It took the boys a few days to finish everything up but when they left it felt like home. Sheryl tried to keep her things in the front of the house and in her room so she’d see them often. She wanted to be reminded that she had things she’d worked hard for.

  The only piece that was tucked away was her favorite chaise lounge that she’d put in Sam’s enormous library. She wouldn’t have considered it tucked away, though. Now that she didn’t have to spend all of her time running around trying to find a job, she spent a lot of time reading. It was a nice change of pace.

  When she first decided to take Sam up on his offer she thought things would be awkward and difficult to handle. She imagined that they would skirt around each other and avoid eye contact. That wasn’t how it worked at all. They had dinner together every night and laughed with each other. It was surprisingly warm and Sheryl was thankful for it.

  The weekend had finally come and Sheryl was excited. They were going to go out to lunch and start shopping for nursery furniture. The room had been painted earlier that week after Sheryl came to live with Sam. They’d agreed on a yellow room with cream accents. Neither of them wanted to know the gender of the baby until it was born.

  Sheryl had just finished getting dressed when Sam knocked on her door. “Are you dressed, can I come in?” he asked polite as usual.

  She smiled just a little and nodded. “Yeah. Come on in, Sam,” she called.

  Sheryl had put on her favorite flowy sundress that was just tight enough to show off her small baby bump. She’d put on just enough make-up to enhance her beautiful eyes and high set cheek bones. Her lips were painted a light pink and she was glowing.

  Sam stepped into the room and faltered a little when he saw her, his eyes going wide. She was absolutely stunning. She noticed him stumble a little and cocked a perfectly arched brow. “Are you alright?”

  “Ah. Yeah...I’m fine...Just...a loose floorboard,” he said as he stomped on the completely even floor.

  She couldn’t help but laugh at his little lie. “Are you ready?”

  He offered his arm to her and nodded. “Of course I am.”

  Sam led her out of the house and to his cruising car. A 1969 Chevy Nova. It was a beautiful car that Sheryl wouldn’t have minded laying across naked. The thought made her giggle as they took off down the road. Lunch came first. They stopped at a Nashville staple known as the Loveless Cafe. It was an early lunch so neither of them felt bad about getting the biscuits and gravy.

  After their brunch, they went off to a little town called Franklin. It was one of the biggest (and most expensive) antiquing areas in Tennessee. Sam stated that he wanted to try and find either a handmade bassinet or an antique one. Sheryl was on board though she didn’t really know where to look.

  They started walking through various antique malls. Sheryl was absolutely enamored by them and Sam noticed. Anytime she looked sideways at something he would have it packed up and delivered to the house. It was sweet and she wasn’t going to argue. She felt pampered and adored. It was a feeling she hadn’t been aware that she was missing.

  It was getting late and they were about to give up on the crib when Sheryl pointed out a children’s store in the heart of downtown. Sam had never been inside it before but thought it was worth a look. The store was an adorable boutique painted in various shades of blue and pink. It was mostly clothes and toys but in the back there was a beautiful nursery set. It came with a crib, bassinet, changing table and rocking chair.

  It was all painted a rustic white with some of the wood showing through and had incredible details carved into it. The woodworkers initials were etched into every piece and there was a lullaby carved into the bassinet. It was absolutely stunning and it stole her breath away.

  Sam seemed just as impressed and walked up behind her. “Is this the one?” he asked softly putting a hand on her shoulder.

  She felt tears in her eyes as she put her hand over her belly, nodding quickly. “It’s perfect!” she gasped, running over to the crib to touch the intricate woodwork.

  Sam followed her and smiled. “Then it’s yours,” he whispered softly, his hand brushing over her belly for the first time since she’d told him she was pregnant.

  The possessive, protecting hands of her baby’s father sent a shockwave through her. Her eyes widened and she swallowed hard. Sam moved away to talk to the shop owner before she could call him back but that touch changed this whole situation.

  ***

  The furniture was scheduled to be delivered to the house the next day. The woman had actually argued with Sam, explaining how expensive the set was. She didn’t lay off until he put the amount she’d asked for on the table in cash. That shut her up real fast.

  Sheryl was vaguely aware of what was happening. She was in the rocker, trying to process the emotions she was suddenly feeling. Her hands hadn't left her belly, trying desperately to keep the warmth of that touch within reach. What was happening? The touch had come with a stark reminder of what this was. It was a business arrangement meant to benefit them both. It wasn’t love and it wasn’t affection. This was placation.

  That thought didn’t leave her for the rest of the. Sheryl was all but silent on the drive home. Sam tried to get her to tell him what was going on, but she simply smiled at him and told him she was tired. It wasn’t entirely a lie, but it was more a lie than it was a truth.

  When they got home, she disappeared to her room without much of an explanation and left Sam confused and nervous. He felt that today was a good day. It seemed like they’d been bonding and making strides in their communication. She seemed less nervous and afraid. Well, until the last part of the day anyway. He wanted to know what had happened to change her mood.

  She wasn’t going to tell him mostly because it seemed childish. She shouldn’t have been acting like this. She should have been happy that he was touching her at all. He’d made it clear in their first meeting that he was approaching this as business. That had been why she’d been so afraid and so hesitant. If he had seemed willing to make this work then she would have been more tha
n eager to try and make something out of this.

  Sheryl fell onto her bed and curled around her pillow. She didn’t come down for dinner that night. She stayed in her room and had it brought up to her. Sam tried to talk to her again, but she shut him down quickly explaining that she felt sick. His worry didn’t console her.

  Night came and with it, her anxiety and sadness only got worse. It got to the point that she couldn’t take it. She needed to tell him how she felt. She decided to do this well after midnight for some reason. Sheryl crawled out of her bed and wandered down the hall, her light steps making the wood floor beneath her feet creaking as she walked down the hall to Sam’s room.

  She pushed the door open slowly and peeked inside. Sam was asleep in the bed, one hand thrown over his eyes. He was shirtless and his muscular chest was exposed with the blankets tossed haphazardly over him. He was snoring softly and it made her smile for some reason.

  Sheryl crept into the room and over to the bed. She slid in over the sheets and curled up next to him, sniffling a little. His snoring stopped and he groaned a little, turning to look at her squinting his eyes in the dark. He didn’t have glasses on and it struck her that she couldn’t remember ever seeing him without his thick rimmed glasses. She could see his gray eyes even better now.

  “Sheryl?” he asked though his arm automatically curled around her.

  She sniffled and the tears started again for the hundredth time that day. Damn these hormones. “I’m scared, Sam!” she wailed, burying her face in his chest.