by Cara Albany
Why was she doing that? Hadn't she realized the importance of what they had just shared together? Shahid reflected on that a moment as everyone made their way along the corridor, heading to the sitting room where they'd been told refreshments were waiting.
He'd wanted to kiss her up there on the podium. In fact, he'd had to restrain the urge to wrap his arms around her and hold her close, even in front of everyone watching. He'd reached the point where he didn't care, anymore.
Even saying pretend vows to Aliyah had fired up his need, ignited a powerful desire that he knew just would not be denied. He knew that now, knew there was nothing that was going to stop him winning her, claiming her for his own. Those words had been so sweet, so tender and so incredibly meaningful.
"Wasn't that lovely," Nadyah said to Shahid dragging him back to the moment.
"Wonderful," he agreed with his sister.
She quirked a brow at him. "That's all?"
Shahid glanced ahead at Aliyah. She was busy talking with Lucy.
"What do you want me say, Nadyah?" Shahid asked quietly.
"I don't know. I was expecting a bit more than that, I guess," she responded.
"Just glad to be of help," Shahid added trying to sound casual.
Nadyah leaned her head closer to him and whispered. "You two looked so good up there. You know that, don't you."
Shahid frowned at her. "What are you getting at?"
Nadyah frowned. "You know. Don't try and pretend."
"I thought that was the whole point of what we just did. It was all pretend," Shahid retorted.
"Is that the only thing you and Aliyah have been pretending about?" Nadyah asked slyly.
Aliyah turned quickly and looked back at them, smiling. "Somebody mention my name?"
Nadyah looked suddenly sheepish. "No. Shahid and I were just saying how lovely you looked up there. Weren't we, Shahid," Nadyah said looking to him for support.
Shahid nodded. "Of course," he agreed. Aliyah's gaze met his for the first time since they'd left the reception room. His heart quickened when she smiled straight at him. He felt a tightening in his middle as he gazed at her beautiful smile, her bright eyes. He smiled right back at her and then she quickly turned away from him as Lucy said something to catch her attention.
"See what I mean?" he heard Nadyah say.
Shahid looked at her quizzically. "What?"
Nadyah shook her head and grinned. "Nothing, Shahid. I don't need to say anything more."
They all made their way to the sitting room where the table between two sofas had been laid out with tea, cold drinks, and small, delicious looking cakes. Lunchtime was near, and Shahid wondered if Aliyah was planning to stay, or whether she would make her excuses and leave. If she did that, he had a decision to make. He had to speak to her before she left.
Tomorrow would be the wedding, and he guessed there were plenty of things to keep everyone busy. Aliyah would probably be involved in those preparations. He was sure of that, but he knew he had to find a way to get her alone.
The conversation amongst everyone drifted to details of the wedding plans. Shahid tried to listen, tried to show a real interest, but the truth was, the only person he could think of was Aliyah. She sat opposite him next to Nadyah. Every time she looked at him, his pulse began to race faster, and he had to seize firm control of himself. Just seeing her sitting across from him was driving him mad, he realized.
Shahid needed to know just what she was thinking, how she felt about the whole, crazy mess they'd gotten themselves into this week. He needed to get a better sense of what her intentions were. Was she about to end it all? Did she intend to push him away once and for all? Or was there still a chance for them?
If so, he knew he had to do something to show her just how much she meant to him. Hadn't he already done that, he asked himself? What would it take to win Aliyah over? Why was she so determined to keep him at arm's length? Had he miscalculated the whole thing, or read the signals wrong?
After they'd all had drinks and cakes, Aliyah stood and gazed across at Azim and Lucy. "I best be going. I've got lots of things to do this afternoon," she announced.
"Really? You're welcome to stay for lunch, Aliyah," Lucy said eagerly.
"Thank you, but I really must be going," Aliyah responded. And then she glanced at Shahid, saying nothing to him, but giving him the distinct impression that she'd just sent him a signal, an unspoken message. The way she'd held her gaze on him for a fraction of a second longer than needed to, told him, in no uncertain terms, that she wanted to speak with him.
Hope leaped within him, and he stood quickly, glancing down at his brother. "I need to be going too, Azim," he said.
"Are you sure?" Azim asked.
Shahid nodded, trying to maintain a casual air. He looked across at Aliyah. "I'll walk you to your car, Aliyah. If you like," he suggested.
She nodded, probably too hastily for it to be convincing, he thought. "That's nice of you, Shahid," she replied with a tone of forced politeness.
They said their goodbyes and made their way out of the sitting room. He was sure the others hadn't really been fooled by the pretend casualness of their manner.
As he walked alongside Aliyah, Shahid felt relief sweep through him. He had her to himself now. As they walked side by side, he glanced down at her, savoring her sheer beauty, her petite, full-bodied frame, the way her long, dark hair shimmered in the soft light in the corridor. She was just stunning, he told himself. She moved with such an easy grace. He could watch her all day long.
She looked up at him, catching his admiring gaze. Had that been the flicker of an appreciative smile at the corner of her gorgeous mouth?
"What did you think?" he said after a few moments.
Aliyah looked at him and he saw her eyes narrow slightly. "About what?"
He squinted at her and then smiled. "You know what I mean," he exclaimed.
Aliyah nodded. "It was nice," she said in a casual voice.
"Nice? Just nice?"
Aliyah nodded. "That's what I said," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. She was playing with him again, he told himself. Her gaze flashed to him. "What about you?" she asked brightly.
"It was more than nice. That's for sure," he said.
"I'm glad we could help out Azim and Lucy," she said, sounding as if she wanted to avoid something.
"So am I," he replied. He slowed his pace slightly, and she slowed down at his side. "But didn't you think there was a little more to it than that?" he asked.
"Than just helping out?" she replied.
Shahid nodded, feeling a mild impatience begin to wind up inside him.
Aliyah shrugged again. "They both seemed to appreciate it," she said, once again sounding casual. "And the official seemed like a nice man. I'm sure I've met him before," she said idly. "Maybe I'm mistaken," she added thoughtfully. She was definitely trying to avoid something, he told himself.
Shahid drew to a halt. They were at the intersection of two corridors. There was a marble bench at each corner of the intersection.
Shahid took hold of Aliyah's arm and moved gently to one of the benches. He heard her gasp as he sat down, easing her down next to him.
Shahid looked along the corridors, checking that no-one was coming. Then he turned to Aliyah and saw that she was staring at him wide-eyed.
"Why did you do that?" she asked breathlessly.
"Because I need to say something to you. And I'm not going to allow you to drive away without saying this."
Shahid noted that she had remained seated. If she had intended to avoid him, he was sure she would have risen from the seat and walked away. The fact that she hadn't done so emboldened him.
Shahid reached across and took Aliyah's hand. She didn't remove her hand from his gentle grasp. In fact, she seemed more than unusually intent, as if she had been expecting this.
"What do you want to tell me, Shahid?" she said, and it sounded almost like a challenge.
Shahid drew
in a deep breath, curling his fingers around her hand. He could see the color change on her cheeks as she waited for him to speak.
Shahid leaned closer, inhaling her delicious scent. He lowered his voice even though he was sure they were alone in this part of the palace. "I need to you to know what that meant to me, Aliyah," he murmured. "What it meant to stand there and say those words to you, " he stated, surprised at how direct the words sounded.
Her gaze dropped, and he was sure he could see her fighting to control her response to his words. When she lifted her head, he saw the emotion in her eyes. Did she feel the same as him, after all?
"They meant a great deal to me, too, Shahid," she said in a soft voice.
"They did?" he asked trying to contain the pleasure her words had caused in him.
Aliyah nodded. "But it was just pretend, Shahid. Again."
"Was it? Really? You believe that, Aliyah?"
She nodded again, although this time he wasn't convinced she was so sure.
Shahid gripped her hand tighter. "You still think this whole thing has been one long pretense?" he asked.
"I don't know, Shahid," she said, the hint of an anguished tone in her voice. "I thought that's what we agreed."
Shahid leaned closer. His leg pressed against her thigh, and he could feel the heat of her body. It sparked desire, and he felt himself firm in response.
"Hasn't the whole thing felt real to you? Because it has to me," he declared.
Aliyah smiled defensively. "We've just been playing a game. Just like we did in the past."
He could hear the hesitation in her voice, could sense that she didn't quite believe what she had just said.
"But, that's where you're wrong, Aliyah," he replied. He dipped his head closer to her. "As far as I'm concerned this isn't a game anymore," he growled. His heart was thudding, hammering like a wild thing, and he could feel energy coursing through his body.
He saw her eyes narrow, and she examined him closely, as if searching for any hint of insincerity.
"We're just friends, Shahid. You said so yourself," she replied.
He groaned and leaned against the hard wall behind them, feeling the cold marble against his back. The chill of her words spread along his spine.
Shahid gazed at her. "That's where you're wrong, Aliyah. So very wrong. All of that is in the past."
He saw her shake her head and felt a stab of panic cut into him.
Shahid leaned closer and noticed she didn't back away from him. Was she encouraging him by letting him get so close? Did she really believe what she was saying, or was this what she thought she needed to say to him? Even if she knew deep down that any claim that they were just friends was no longer true?
"Maybe it should all stay in the past," she said softly.
Once more her words dug painfully into him.
"You don't believe that, do you?" he demanded quietly.
Even speaking so softly, he knew their voices would probably carry down the long corridors. What if someone heard them? His jaw tightened, and he told himself he didn't care anymore. They'd already seen the truth, as far as he was concerned. There was no point in denying it any longer.
He was in love with Aliyah.
The realization struck him like a physical blow. He'd known it deep inside for a long time now. He loved her.
"Well?" he prompted Aliyah. He was burning to know what she had to say.
"I'm not sure what to believe anymore," she said softly.
Shahid's gaze flickered down to her lips, and he was seized with an uncontrollable desire, one that he'd felt so many times these past few days. The moment for words had passed. He felt that in his bones and knew there was only one thing he should do.
Shahid reached across and rested his fingers on one edge of her graceful jawline. Her skin felt incredibly soft. Her eyes widened imperceptibly as his head dipped closer. When his lips eased down upon hers, he felt an exquisite shiver of delight. He sensed her head tilting back, offering up her mouth to him. Need flared inside him, and he shifted closer to her, struggling to contain the urge to wrap his arms around her and crush her wonderful softness against him.
He didn't care if anyone saw them. He'd gone past that now. All he wanted to do was kiss this incredible woman, possess her, taste her, feel as close to her as possible. He heard her moan slightly as he probed her mouth with his tongue. Once again their bodies were one, their desire for each other uniting them in a moment of rapture.
Shahid felt her hand on his shoulder, and she drew her nearer to him. He wanted to be closer to her but knew that here, in the corridor of the palace was no place for that. There was only one place where they would have any hope of taking their passion for each other to the next, inevitable level. But would she go with him to his palace? Dare he ask her?
Their lips parted, and he gazed into her eyes, seeing that they were moist with emotion. Those dark pools had a mysterious ability to transform how he felt. If he was brutally honest, they always had been able to bring him to life with just one look. He gazed into her eyes searching for her thoughts, questioning their every slight movement.
"Shahid," she breathed her hand reaching up to his jaw. She ran the back of her fingers across the stubble on his chin. He saw the corner of her mouth crease with an appreciative smile.
"Aliyah. I need to tell you something," he murmured.
She shook her head softly and placed a finger over his lips. "Don't say anything you might regret, Shahid," she said.
He furrowed his brows. "I'll never have any regrets about falling..." he started to say and then stopped as he saw her eyes widen in sudden alarm. She pulled away from him. The sharp separation felt shocking compared to the intimacy of moments before.
Aliyah stood quickly, wringing her hands nervously and pacing in front of him. "Don't say that, Shahid," she ordered sharply. "Not unless you really mean it."
Shahid stood and reached out toward her, but she took a few steps away from him. She stared at him, and he realized the magic of the previous moment had been utterly destroyed by his attempt to utter one simple, life-changing sentence.
"Aliyah, please hear me out," he stated firmly.
She shook her head. "I have to go," she muttered glancing down the length of the corridor.
She started to walk away from him. He caught up with her, but she didn't slow, merely gave him one sharp look, and then continued.
They reached the front door of the palace, and he followed her outside. He saw her car parked near his.
At the foot of the steps, he took her gently by the wrist and held onto her. She halted and whirled around. He took brief encouragement from the fact that she had let him hold onto her arm. The panic he'd seen in her eyes back inside the palace building had dimmed. Now she just looked confused. He hadn't meant to cause her pain. It was the last thing he ever wanted. He only wanted to make her happy.
"Aliyah. You know what I wanted to say to you in there," he stated.
"I do, Shahid." She frowned, and he saw the torment she was going through. Pain lanced through him. This wasn't how it was supposed to be, he told himself. Was it just that he'd never had to declare his love to anyone before? Was it as simple as he didn't even know how to do that?
"Come to my palace. We can have lunch," he suggested knowing full well that what he was proposing was far more than a lunch date at his home. He could see she understood that too.
"Lunch?" she said softly, one brow rising.
He suddenly didn't know what to say. He wanted her, and she knew it. He could see the understanding in that hypnotic, dark, knowing gaze.
She seemed to consider his offer for a moment.
Finally, she shook her head. "Not today, Shahid," she said at last.
Disappointment crushed him like a lead weight. He let her hand go and watched her stride to her car, get inside and close the door with a resounding thud.
The growl of the engine failed to drown out the roaring sound in his ears as he watched her c
ar start to pull away.
Chapter Fifteen
Aliyah gripped the steering wheel of her car and glanced into the rearview mirror.
Why had Shahid tried to say that to her? Those words of all things. Didn't he know how a declaration like that would change everything? She couldn't believe how close they'd come to ruining everything with one simple, devastating sentence.
She could see Azim's palace getting smaller as she sped along the road that only days before she had traveled with Shahid. But the circumstances of that drive had been so very different, she told herself. There had been no hint of love during that drive, had there? Now that she considered it more carefully, maybe there had been more to that than she had wanted to admit.
One thing was for sure. She and Shahid were no longer playing a game. She'd realized that when she'd reflected upon what had happened during the wedding vows rehearsal. Their pretense had felt so real.
And then Aliyah had seen the look in Shahid's eyes when he'd almost uttered those heart-felt words. Words of love. Perhaps they were words he had spoken to countless other women, she told herself. Maybe.
But, deep down, in her heart of hearts, she guessed that wasn't the case. There had been a truthfulness to the way he'd looked at her. She had known what he had been prepared to say to her.
He'd almost declared his love for her. Hadn't he?
Why had she stopped him?
One reason came to mind. Because she knew that if he said that he loved her, there would be no pretending anymore. There would be no way to hold back the torrent of emotion they'd been holding at bay these past few days. And then what would happen? She knew the answer to that question, had thought every night this week about being so close to Shahid. As close as was possible. Then, everything would change; nothing would be the same ever again.
Aliyah glanced in the mirror. Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel, and her eyes widened with disbelief.
Shahid's car was emerging from the gates to Azim's palace. Was he following her? Was he trying to catch up with her?
