Had Mehdi not been born into royalty, he could easily have been a tour guide. His in-depth knowledge of El Farah’s history was impressive, and he left no detail out as he showed her the various ballrooms, living rooms, and even a hookah bar. The faint scent of flavored tobacco tickled Steph’s nostrils, and she sneezed.
“This room hasn’t been used in quite some time,” Mehdi said, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket and handing it to her.
“Do you have a whole supply of these?” Steph asked, and Mehdi grinned.
“I’m afraid you’re the first woman I’ve ever used them on. I would thank you for the excuse, but I would prefer you not use them for your tears.”
Steph thought back to that fountain, where she had felt so lost and alone. Being with Mehdi, even as her parents’ wrath sat in the back of her mind, she felt freer than she had ever felt before. She wiped her nose delicately and pocketed the handkerchief, determined to get it back to him…someday.
Her feet were beginning to ache from so much walking. Judging by the windows, night had fallen in the time it had taken to tour the palace.
Mehdi glanced out a window. “Ah, we should be good now. Come on. There’s one last place I want to show you.”
He led her toward an ancient tower, the doorway at the bottom revealing only a narrow, winding stone staircase. Mehdi waved a hand at the door.
“Ladies first,” he said.
Steph cast a wary glance up the tall, steep staircase before taking her first step, Mehdi close behind her.
“If I fall you’re going to catch me, right?”
“I would always catch you,” Mehdi answered, and Steph’s heart fluttered.
After what seemed like an eternity of climbing, Steph saw an opening at the top, and she picked up her pace. When she got there, she looked up and held a hand to her mouth in astonishment.
The tower’s ceiling was made entirely of glass, so, much like she had in the aquarium, Steph felt like she was a part of her surroundings, this time enveloped in the sky. With no light pollution, she could see millions of stars streaking in glorious patterns all around her, stopped only by the dark mass of desert below. She felt Mehdi stand next to her.
“This is…unreal,” she breathed.
“Yes. I think that is a good word for it. It’s the one part of the palace I actually like. My ancestors were very interested in astronomy and the study of the skies, so they built this tower as a way to observe them while staying safe from the elements. They were able to learn much from this room.”
“I can imagine so,” she said, gazing around until her eyes landed on the most beautiful thing in the room.
Mehdi was staring up as well, but he seemed to feel her gaze on him, because he glanced down and met her regard, staring deeply into her eyes.
“Why did you do this, really?” she asked.
Mehdi’s expression clouded, and he frowned before answering.
“I too was placed in an arranged marriage. It only lasted a few weeks, as the woman was not at all a match for me, and we ended up getting a divorce. The whole affair was broadcast all over the papers. She threw as much mud at my name as she possibly could. After that, I developed a true dislike of the idea, and I thought I might have a chance to rescue you from the same fate.”
Steph tried to imagine Mehdi marrying another woman, and it left a sour taste in her mouth. It was good to piece together the part of his past he had been hiding, though, and she placed a supportive hand on his arm, unable to resist touching him under the starlight.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” she said.
Mehdi shrugged, though he didn’t seem to mind her hand on him, and Steph let it linger a moment longer before forcing herself to drop it.
“It’s all right. All of life’s experiences teach us who we are and who we want to be—and who we want to be with,” he said, gazing down at her once more.
A heavy pause passed between them, and Steph thought about just going that extra distance and pressing her lips to his perfect mouth. But the moment of opportunity passed, and Mehdi broke the trance by looking back up one more time.
“This is a far better place to make wishes than by the edge of a fountain with tears. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Steph looked up again, trying to take in every detail of the moment. Since meeting Mehdi, her whole world had opened up, and she had only known him a day. If she could wish for anything, it would be for just another day with him to live the way she had always wanted.
“Yes, a much better place,” she whispered.
They enjoyed the stars for a few minutes more before Steph found herself unable to hold back an enormous yawn.
“I’ve exhausted you. I’m sorry,” Mehdi said. “Are you hungry at all since our meal?”
Steph laughed. “Absolutely not. I am stuffed and happy,” she said.
Mehdi smiled. “Good. Since you’ve agreed to stay with us here a while longer, why don’t I escort you to your room so you can get some well-earned rest? It’s been quite a stressful few days for you, and I imagine jet lag is still a factor as well. Did you get any sleep last night?”
Steph thought about how she had woken up with Mehdi on her mind and nodded.
“Some,” she said.
Mehdi nodded. “But not much, I imagine. Come. I’ll lead the way down, so if you fall you can land safely on me.”
“That’s very gallant of you,” she said with a grin, and Mehdi’s smile broadened, revealing a dimple even in the dark.
Dear lord, he was attractive.
“I should hope so. I am a sheikh after all. I do have a Prince Charming reputation to uphold, do I not?”
“I think you can be whoever you want to be. There’s no need to put on an act with me.”
Mehdi turned and looked up at her from the stone steps. His eyes were filled with an emotion Steph didn’t recognize, and she knew she had struck a chord with him somewhere.
“Thank you, Steph,” he said, his voice husky.
He turned quickly and led the way back down the tower, seeming to collect himself on the way. By the time they reached the ground level he was back to his normal, jovial self. He asked her more about Vermont, and Steph regaled him with stories of the countryside, where she’d spent her childhood going to the state fair and helping raise baby chicks and goats.
“That sounds very rustic,” Mehdi said, and Steph nodded.
“It was. There aren’t a lot of people in my town, so we all generally know one another. Country life has its pros and cons. For one thing, we all have each other’s back if we get into trouble. On the other hand, everyone is a gossip and there isn’t a soul in town who doesn’t know your business.”
Mehdi nodded. “This city can be a little like that, though maybe that’s just my perspective because everyone seems to think that my life is their business. I suppose when they’re funding my existence, they are entitled to print about my behavior and love life.”
“Has there been much to report?” Steph asked.
She couldn’t help herself. Since Mehdi had told her he had been married, a whole slew of questions had flooded her mind, but she didn’t want to pry too much. It was clear that opening up was fairly difficult for him, and the last thing she wanted to do was break that trust.
Mehdi’s grin was wry as he glanced down at her. “Besides being placed in a terrible marriage that ended in a sticky divorce? No. I’m afraid that experience has made me a little skittish when it comes to love.”
“I understand,” Steph said, and she did. Even if her heart did sink at his statement.
Perhaps Mehdi really was just being kind, rescuing her because he would do it for anyone. She had begun to think that there might be something more between them, but perhaps she was wrong.
Before she could think more on the subject, Steph found herself staring at the guest-room door.
“Here we are,” Mehdi said, taking a step back.
Steph opened the door, turning back to face h
im. “Thank you again, for everything. This has been the experience of a lifetime.”
Mehdi gave her a gentle, respectful bow, and when he looked up at her his eyes were filled with impish humor. “It’s my pleasure. After all, how often does a king with no real power get to rescue anyone anyway? Hardly ever.”
Steph laughed. “I don’t think you’re giving yourself much credit. It sounds like you have the needs of your people in the back of your mind, always. You even welcomed me as one of your own, even though I’d never set foot in El Farah before yesterday.”
“You will always be welcome here, Steph, no matter what. Please know that,” he said earnestly.
They shared another heavy pause—so much unspoken that neither was willing to be the first to say—before Steph reached for the door and held it ready to close.
“Have a good night, Mehdi.”
“And you. I’ll have breakfast ready for us in the morning, and then perhaps we can go on another adventure?”
“That sounds wonderful,” she said, feeling a tingle of excitement for whatever Mehdi had planned.
“Good. Sleep sweet, Steph.”
“Good night,” she said, finally closing the door before he had a chance to walk away.
She stared at the door for a moment, wondering if she should act on her impulse to throw it open and run down the hall, straight into Mehdi’s strong arms. It was the one place in the world she wanted to be more than anywhere. She came very close to doing just that, her hand already on the doorknob, before her rational mind took over and she stopped herself.
Mehdi had just told her that he was cautious when it came to love. He had been through a terrible divorce, which was something that could have very easily happened to her if he hadn’t stepped in to help. Throwing herself at him could very well put an abrupt end to her little adventure, and that was the last thing she wanted.
Mehdi was a dream, and nothing more. Still, Steph was happy to dream of him for the rest of her life if she had to, though her brain reminded her that she might end up married to another man at some point, once she rejoined reality. That was not a thought she wanted to dwell on.
Turning back to her room, Steph felt the weight of exhaustion pressing into her, weighing down her eyelids. Still, she wanted to wash off the day’s events, so she headed to the armoire and found a comfortable set of pajamas before heading to the bathroom.
A large shower was raised on a platform, and there were three large showerheads protruding directly from the ceiling. Steph turned on all three, watching as the shower basically turned into a gentle, warm rainstorm that was contained in the middle of the room. She laughed in delight as she removed her dress and cardigan and stepped under the steaming water, relishing in the sensation of the water pouring all around her.
She found some expensive-looking soap and shampoo and took her time cleaning every inch of her body, washing away the anxiety and the stress. She thought about all the things she had done with Mehdi, and how much she enjoyed staying in the palace, even if it wasn’t his favorite.
After a while, her exhaustion won out, and she turned off the showerheads, finding a large, fluffy towel to dry herself with. She braided her hair before tossing on her pajamas and crashing into the enormous bed, sinking deeply into the mattress and pillows.
She pulled a pillow to her chest and held it tightly, thinking about Mehdi and what her true wish would really be, if wishes actually came true, as she drifted off into a deep, comfortable sleep.
Somehow her wedding day had turned out much better than she could have anticipated.
Chapter 10
Steph
Steph stretched languorously, her limbs easily fitting on the massive bed even as she extended them as far as they could go. She smiled into her pillow, which was comfort itself, before opening her blue eyes and welcoming the day.
From her terrace, the sun was rising just over the horizon, peeking out as it prepared to greet the desert with more glaring heat.
Remembering Mehdi’s promise of a new adventure for the day, Steph shot out of bed, heading straight for the armoire. It really was a fashion lover’s paradise, and she spent a chunk of the morning picking out clothes she would wear in any given situation, unsure what to put on. When there was a knock at her door, she ran over and answered, hoping it would be Mehdi.
A young serving boy was there. Steph squashed her disappointment with a smile as he told her the Sheikh would be ready for her at any time for breakfast. She thanked the boy and told him she would be just a moment, changing quickly into a long, flowing skirt and white blouse with a blue headpiece to cap it all off.
She was out of her room in a flash, following the boy with a hop in her step. He led her down one of the corridors she had taken with Mehdi the night before, though she could hardly remember which one was which—she had been far too focused on her companion to remember directions.
They entered a large foyer, and Steph saw Mehdi sitting at a table on another wide, sweeping veranda. When he saw her, his face lit up.
“Steph! I hope I didn’t wake you. It’s much nicer to take breakfast on the veranda early, before the heat really settles in.”
Steph smiled broadly. “I slept beautifully, and was awake long before your messenger arrived. Nothing to worry about there.”
“Good,” Mehdi said with a nod, gesturing for her to sit down.
There was another vast spread on the table for her to peruse, and Steph looked up at Mehdi with a sparkle in her eye.
“Let me guess, another series of El Farahn delicacies?”
Mehdi nodded, not looking away from her as he described everything that was on the table. If Steph were the hopeful sort, she might have thought he was looking at her that way because he couldn’t take his eyes off her in her perfectly chosen outfit, but she reminded herself that she was a realist and tucked that hope away.
“We have a very large amount of cinnamon produced in our northern region, beyond the desert. Because of this, many of our morning food options tend to have that spice included. Try this one,” he said, holding out a flaky pastry that was clearly cinnamon dusted.
Steph took it delicately from his fingers and tried a bite. An explosion of flavor erupted on her tongue, and she grinned.
“Now that is sensational,” she gushed.
“Does it taste different to you?”
Steph savored the flavor a little longer, realizing that it did taste different to the cinnamon she was used to.
“It’s not quite the same, though it is definitely better.”
Mehdi nodded. “That is because most of the cinnamon you have in the West is really what we call cassia. It’s a related plant, but it’s not true cinnamon. What you are tasting now is the real thing.”
“So you’re telling me I’ve been eating the wrong spice my whole life and never knew it?”
“Probably. Still, you’re eating it now, and that’s what counts! Try this one next.”
Mehdi had her sample every dish on the table, each one better than the next, before he was satisfied that she had had enough to eat. As the sun continued its rise into the sky, Steph felt herself getting warmer.
“It might be too warm to stay out here for much longer,” she said.
“I agree,” Mehdi said. “You’re still on board for a small excursion today? I think I’ve got just the thing for us to do.”
Steph’s eyes glittered at the possibilities. “Of course. Where are we going?”
“That is for me to know and you to find out. You will get one hint, however. Bring what you would need for a day at the beach.”
“The beach!” Steph squealed, elated.
Growing up in landlocked Vermont, it wasn’t often that Steph got to go to the beach, and when she did, it was a frosty New England one at best. She loved the ocean, and she had hoped for the chance to enjoy it in El Farah. It was as if Mehdi were a mind reader!
He laughed, dabbing the corner of his lips as he stood. “Well then, let’s not
wait another moment. Can you meet me at the front of the palace in a few minutes?”
“Heck yeah I can!” she said. Feeling impulsive, she rose and dashed around the table, throwing her arms around his neck and giving him a big hug.
Mehdi hugged her back before releasing her with a smile. “What was that for?”
“You must know, my rescuer!” she said, blushing as she turned tail and scurried back to her room, closing the door behind her.
He had felt so good in her arms for that brief moment. It had taken everything in her to let him go. If it hadn’t been for the promise of a new adventure, she probably wouldn’t have. As it was, she found herself back at the armoire, where she picked out a tasteful one-piece swimsuit and some beach clothes to wear over it. Grabbing a towel, she finished her packing within minutes and was out the door, navigating her way back to the main foyer, where Mehdi was already waiting.
He was dressed in swimming trunks and a bright blue shirt, and he looked like he could have been any surfer at a California beach somewhere, not the ruling sheikh of a whole country. Steph liked Mehdi’s beach look. Of course, she tended to like him in anything he wore.
When she approached him, his gaze was filled with challenge.
“Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” she said, her stomach exploding with butterflies.
How was this man able to make her whole body react with one word, one twitch of his lip? He was amazing in every possible way, and Steph walked a little closer to him than normal as she fell into step by his side. They walked down a hallway until they reached a door to the outside, where Steph saw a helicopter waiting for them.
“What?” she asked, incredulous.
Mehdi slid on a pair of sunglasses, turning into sexiness personified. His rugged smile had her heart doing somersaults.
“When I promise an adventure, I don’t go small.”
“I see that,” she breathed as he placed a hand on the small of her back, guiding her toward the helicopter.
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