She stretched, and then turned back into the room, leaving him alone with the night and his need for her. Tomorrow night couldn’t come soon enough. He had booked a table at a popular restaurant in the heart of downtown, because he knew Amina would understand that the lack of a more intimate venue was meaningful. He knew it would certainly make it easier for him to let her down. His primary concern was getting to know Alexandra better, and he didn’t need any distractions, which was all that Amina would be.
He was more than ready to leave next morning, after a long run and some weight training in the gym. He breakfasted with Malik, who had done the running portion of his morning routine with him, and he told him of Alexandra’s concerns.
“I know you have your finger in every kind of pie, Malik,” he said, smiling. “So this won’t be hard for you. I don’t want her to be distracted by worrying about her child.”
“Everything has already been arranged, my Lord,” Malik said calmly.
Amir was not surprised. “Thank you. I know I can always rely on you.” He paused, and then added, “Please make sure the car is ready to pick me up at The Oasis at precisely nine.”
Malik cocked an inquisitive brow but said nothing.
“I will tell Amina tonight that she and I will no longer be seeing each other,” Amir said, knowing his PA and friend would never ask, but wanted to know anyway, why he was having dinner at the famous restaurant.
A small smile played on Malik’s lips. “It’s probably for the best, my Lord,” he said smugly.
Amir laughed. “I know you never really liked her, so you can stop pretending.”
Malik’s chuckle echoed his amusement. “It is not my place to approve or disapprove of Your Highness’s choice in female companionship,” he said primly, setting his lips in a tight line, no doubt to contain a grin.
Amir laughed again, and wiped his lips on the napkin. “Today would be the first time that has ever stopped you from voicing your opinion.”
He stood up, pulling on his robe over his business suit, and donning the agal before heading out the door. He had left a number of things for Malik to do while he was out, beginning with dealing with Alexandra’s childcare needs, and as he settled himself in the back of the limousine that was taking him to his first meeting, he hoped that whatever Malik had planned would satisfy her. He would check in on her as soon as he returned home
By the time that the dinner hour approached, Amir was weary of meetings and ready to relax. However, the closest he got to doing that was a half hour alone in the back of the limousine, with a stiff drink and some of his favorite music being piped over the speakers into the earphones he had in his ears. He needed to be calm when he met Amina, whom he knew was highly strung on a good day. Arrived at The Oasis, he straightened his tie, brushed a hand over his face, and exited the cool interior of the car. He had made sure to arrive exactly fifteen minutes before the hour at which he had invited Amina to arrive, and when she did, he saw her being escorted to his table, in the main dining room, but still somewhat separate from the others nearby. He could see that she was puzzled by the choice of venue, and he could also see, by the alluring outfit that she wore, that she had thought the unexpected invitation meant something more than it did.
While Amina was a very proper Muslim woman, whose attire was always appropriate, she chose colors that highlighted her hair and eyes, and then complimented those with makeup that enhanced her beautiful face. As she had done before, tonight she wore an emerald green caftan, threaded through with gold leaf patterns, and her face was carefully and flawlessly made up so that he could not miss her peach-colored, pouty lips, or long, slender neck. She should have been alluring, but all he could see, as she glided over to him on impossibly high heels, was a gorgeous, scrubs-clad woman in Keds reading quietly in his father’s bedroom.
“Good evening, my prince,” Amina said, as he stood and waited while she was seated by their attendant.
“Good evening, Princess,” he replied, smiling kindly at her.
He could see the puzzlement in her eyes. He had chosen not to seat her himself, which was his right, and it was a small enough courtesy, but one that would have indicated his continued interest in her. And to address her merely as ‘Princess’ without naming her or claiming any attachment to her, as her greeting to him had done, was almost a slap in the face. He wanted to prepare her for what he knew she would see as bad news, and these were the gentlest ways, aside from the venue for their evening, that he could think of. As Malik had said earlier, it was probably for the best. He had known all along, even before he had met Alexandra, that he did not want Amina. It was best to end it before either of them was hurt too badly.
“My lord, are you ready to order?” the waiter asked, appearing as if conjured by Amir’s troubled thoughts.
“Indeed I am,” he replied, and proceeded to order for both of them.
Amina’s eyes widened. This was also unprecedented behavior on his part. Before tonight, he had always given her the courtesy of choice in what she ate, but as this was not an evening meant to end well, there was little use in pretending that he was concerned about her meal choices. She would eat what he ordered, even if she would have chosen different items. But Amir chose things he knew she enjoyed, so it was not as much of an affront as it otherwise might have been.
“Is there somewhere that you need to be, my prince?” she wondered, sipping the wine he had ordered for her.
“I have hired a new caregiver for my father who, as you know, grows weaker daily. I would like to observe her closely for the first few days. As it is, I was away all day today on business and could not be there,” Amir explained, willing to answer her curiosity if it meant he could leave when he wished to.
“Surely your assistant can see to her supervision,” she said, a small frown making its way fleetingly across her brow.
“He is my father, not Malik’s,” he reminded her with a touch of asperity. How dare she question his decisions regarding his family?
“And is this why we are having dinner here instead of in your suite?”
Her next question was a quiet rebuke, and Amir bristled. He did not owe this woman anything, not even the courtesy of a goodbye dinner, but he was not one to burn his bridges. Her father was an ally and he would like to keep the relationship open and friendly. Hence this evening, and the careful words of separation which he would speak to her before he left.
“This restaurant is more convenient for the conversation that I need to have with you,” he replied honestly.
For the first time since she had sat down, Amina’s demeanor changed. She paled, and the smile she had been striving to keep plastered on her face slipped. She covered her reaction to his words by taking another sip of her wine, using the glass to shield her shock from him until she had managed to get herself back under control. Amir waited, feeling more and more strongly as he did that he was doing the right thing.
“This sounds quite serious, my lord,” she said eventually.
Amir bit back a smile. He had never been her prince, and it amused him. He found he could handle her disapproval quite well.
“It is, and it is not,” he said cryptically. “Let us eat, and then you will hear all.”
He would not allow her to set the timing of events. He intended to show her that he was in charge, and had always been. Again, the waiter appeared as if by magic with the starters, and Amir began to eat, knowing that Amina would follow suit. She would not speak again until he did, which was exactly what he wanted. By the time the meal was concluded, he knew she was steaming with irritation. He had spoken of her family, asked after her mother’s health, wondered when her younger sister would be returning from university, and whether her older brother was still deployed on a military mission. She had answered all his questions politely, but he had watched as her color changed, a flush of anger making her cheeks glow. She was beautiful even when she was angry, and still he felt nothing. No stirring in his blood, no remorse for what he
was about to do…there was no question in his mind that this would be their last meeting in a private setting.
She declined dessert, but accepted a cup of coffee, while he had another Scotch. As she sipped, he began to speak.
“We will no longer see each other, Amina,” he said. “It must have become clear to you that there is nothing between us. I cannot allow you to continue to hope for an end that will never happen.”
He paused, taking in the shock that spread across her features as he told her that their time together was over. By the time he was finished, she had put down the delicate teacup, and was staring at him in horror. He waited, knowing there would be a strong reaction, and not entirely sure what it would be, but bracing himself for anger and venom. She drew herself up in her chair, dabbing at her lips unnecessarily with the napkin, and then said,
“I see.” She paused, as if gathering her thoughts, and then added, “And is that the only reason for this sudden decision, my Lord?”
Amir hid his surprise and annoyance at the question. Of all the things she could have asked him, that had not been the question he expected. It irked him that she thought to question his reasons for breaking off an acquaintance that was burdensome to him, if not to her. Why should she care what his reasons were? He did not answer her question. No arrangements had been agreed upon between their two families, and he was free to discontinue their relationship if he so chose. As was she, although he knew she would never have ended it.
“What is that to you?” he demanded imperiously.
She saw her mistake at once, and tried to smooth over her gaffe with placatory words.
“I apologize, my prince,” she said. “I did not mean to cause offense.”
So she thought to charm her way back into his good graces, did she? Rather than the effect she no doubt hoped it would have, her return to calling him ‘my prince’ only served to irritate him further.
“I hope that you will be happy, Amina,” he said, indicating that the conversation was over.
The waiter appeared as his cell phone buzzed. He picked it up, and handed the young man his credit card.
“Yes, Malik?” he said into the phone. “All right. Thank you.” He hung up and turned to her.
“I apologize for the interruption. Malik tells me my car has arrived. I had already taken the liberty of ordering one for you to take you home. Shall we?”
He stood and gestured for her to precede him out to the lobby where she was helped into her coat by another attendant. Collecting his card after he signed the receipt, he escorted her out to the waiting limousine and ushered her in.
“Take care, Princess,” he said, before closing the door on her. He stood and watched the car move silently away from the curb before getting into the second one that was waiting for him.
Chapter 6
The king was sound asleep, and Alex crossed each arm in turn over her chest and stretched her tired neck and shoulder muscles. Simone had had a great first day of school in Mubaira, and was now fast asleep as well. Alex took her tablet and sat in the armchair by the window. She would sit up a while longer, just to make sure the king was down for the count, and then she would go to bed. She tried to read, but found herself yawning widely. Giving up, she closed her eyes, promising herself that she would get up and go to sleep soon.
At first, her thoughts were full of the dreams that had been waking her in the middle of the night for the last few nights. The first time it happened, she had apparently called out in her sleep, because Simone had been disturbed, waking up crying, and she had had to soothe the child back to sleep before trying to get some rest herself. She had been wet, and the explosive climax she had been on the verge of having still made her tremble as she remembered it. Prince Amir starred in all those dreams, and she had been more than glad that he had not been around during the days following. She didn’t know how she would have handled seeing him in the flesh, after the erotic scenes that her fevered imagination had conjured up between them in her sleep. If dreams represented some kind of wish fulfillment, then she was in a whole lot of trouble, because the prince could never fulfill any of those dreams. It had been another week since the last time she had seen him, and she realized with some trepidation that she missed him something fierce.
She had been without the attentions of a man for four years, and she had not had anything like the reaction she was having to this man. It frightened her, in a way, because it suggested that she hadn’t gotten over her childlike fantasy of a prince of her own. She thought that she had long ago given up dreaming of a man who would be her prince, giving her everything she needed, loving her above all others, and fulfilling her every sexual need. Apparently, though, that dream man still lurked in her subconscious, and he had taken on the visage of her new employer. She needed to get a grip before she embarrassed him, or worse, herself, and got her ass fired for inappropriate behavior.
A gentle touch woke her from her nap, and she found herself looking into a pair of dark eyes. She sat up self-consciously, ready to apologize for sleeping on the job.
“Why aren’t you in bed?” the prince asked her.
He was crouching before her again, and she had an overwhelming urge to reach out and touch his face, and the beard that graced his chin. His beautifully full lips were curved up in a smile.
“I hope you do not think I expect you to be awake all day every day,” he added. “That is why I bought the monitor.”
“I like to make sure that your father is properly asleep before I go to bed,” she said, feeling uncomfortable with the prince at her feet. Especially when she knew that where she really seemed to want him was between her legs, deep inside her. The thought made her blush, and she lowered her eyes.
He stood up, and extended a hand. She looked up into his face, but could see very little as the room was dark aside from the night light. Taking the hand he held out to her, she stood up and found herself very much in his personal space. But there was nowhere to go, so she stayed still, willing her body not to give away just how much she was enjoying being this close to him.
“How was he today?” he asked, turning to look at his father, but remaining where he was.
Alex cleared her throat. “He was a little grumpy, but he complained of body aches, so he might be coming down with something. I made arrangements for him to be given a warm bath, and it seemed to settle him better. I also took the liberty of giving him some medication for the aches. The instructions that the last nurse left for me says they can be given with his other meds.”
Something that she was curious about came back to her. “How is it that in a Muslim country such as yours, your father allows a woman to tend to him? Why isn’t that forbidden?”
The prince turned his eyes back to her, focusing on her as though she were a specimen under his microscope.
“My father has mellowed over the years, and in these last years, he has recognized the need for round-the-clock help. Women in our culture are mostly forbidden to mix with men outside of their families in such a way, but because we need him to be cared for constantly, it was easier to hire one person to do the bulk of the work. And because you are not of our faith, your traditions allow you to treat and care for him as he needs to be, without breaking any of your laws.”
He reached out and touched her cheek gently. “Thank you for coming here,” he said. “It took a lot of courage for you to leave everything you are familiar with to live in a foreign country, even if it will only be for a short time.”
Alex resisted the urge to lean into his touch. “You’re welcome,” she said simply. Knowing that she needed to step away from him before the urge became overpowering, she added, “I’ll just go to bed now.”
She looked at him expectantly, willing him to move away enough for her to pass by him, and when he did she moved to step away from him. He took her elbow, however, and led her out of his father’s bedroom, escorting her to her door, across the living room. And once there, he did not release her, but turned her
to face him and said,
“I have never been one to put off doing the things that need to be done, Ms. Downing. Nor have I ever been one to deny the truth when there is overwhelming evidence to support it. I just wanted to warn you beforehand, so you will not be surprised.”
Alex turned puzzled eyes to his face, which she could see more clearly in the dim light left on in the room. What had he found out about her? He didn’t sound angry, but she couldn’t be sure he didn’t know about Simon. She held herself stiffly, and said,
“I’m afraid I don’t understand, Your Highness.”
Her voice trembled slightly, and she swallowed to stop the tremor. He stared at her mouth, and the desire she saw in them when he raised his eyes to look into hers again started her trembling all over again.
“Did you find Malik’s arrangements for Simone satisfactory?” he asked, surprising her.
The question did not address either the flash of desire she had seen, or her comment, but she was fine with that. At least he wasn’t asking about Simone’s father. She hastened to answer him.
“Yes, thank you, Your Highness. There is a nursery school in the town, where expatriate children go, and he took me there with her after His Majesty was settled in for his afternoon nap. Because mornings are busier than afternoons, I registered her for the afternoon session. I will go with her at noon, unless there is an emergency here, and Malik will bring her back at the end of each session. I’ve explained that to her, and she understands why I can’t pick her up as well.”
SHEIKH'S SURPRISE BABY: A Sheikh Romance Page 95
