by Erin Snihur
“What?” everyone asked Tariq and Amira blushed at the realization that she had said it as well, in dumbfoundment. Her mind was spinning and through the silence, Amira heard someone approaching the doors of the sitting room.
At the sound of the growling voice, Amira’s skin tingled and her nerves skyrocketed as she laid eyes on Kasin, rumpled shirt, tired eyes and all.
Kasin only had eyes for Tariq as he glared at the man and stated the one thing that sent the whole room into chaos.
“Get your hands off of my wife.”
12
Amira stared in shock as men and women alike yelled over each other at intermittent times. At Kasin’s request, Tariq had dropped his hands, but was still looking quite happy with himself as he grinned over at the silent Kasin who still had not removed himself from the doorway of the sitting room.
Finally, a sharp whistle could be heard all around and everyone turned to Teresa who gave a pointed look to the baby in her arms. “I think that’s enough for tonight. No need for my son to learn so many angry words so early in his young life.”
Glancing between Tariq and Kasin, Amelia’s husband, Khalid’s gravelly voice broke through the silence, “Just so we are clear, Kasin, this woman is your wife? Not Tariqs?”
Amira watched as eyes moved from between her and Kasin before landing on Kasin, whose dark eyes drifted over her so warmly. “Yes. Amira is my wife. Has been for five years.”
Gasps rang out and everyone appeared shocked before Tariq whistled low and turned to Amoz, who glared back at him in understanding. “I’ll take that twenty now.”
Amoz’ wife, Teresa, turned to her husband and glared up at him, conscientious of the infant in her arms. “You made a bet? At Kasin’s expense?”
Shrugging, Amoz briefly met Kasin’s gaze as he pulled his wallet out of his pocket and held out an American twenty to Tariq. “I’m sorry.”
Kasin shrugged and took another step into the room. “I knew about the bet.”
Tariq grumbled as he grabbed the bill, “Of course you did. Your spies are everywhere.”
Ignoring Tariq’s comment, Kasin grimaced and glanced around the room. “I didn’t know any of you were coming, but this has Tariq’s handiwork written all over it. Why don’t you all go up to your quarters, rest, relax and then join us for an evening meal and drinks in the private gardens later.”
When everyone hesitated, Kasin glared at the men in the room. “I need to speak with my wife. Alone.”
At the coolness of his tone, the men pulled their wives out of the room. Not before Amelia steps forward, hand still clutched in her husband’s, as she squeezes Kasin’s forearm.
“Be nice to her, or else I’ll show you the moves Haseem has been teaching me,” Amelia murmured with a sweet smile before following her husband’s lead as he dragged her out with a smirk on his face.
One corner of Kasin’s mouth lifted as the couples departed along with a winking Tariq who closes the doors to the sitting room, locking Amira in with Kasin. Staring into Kasin’s eyes as he cooly stares her down, Amira bit her lip nervously and shifts from foot to foot.
“Aren’t you going to say something?” Amira finally asked, exasperated with the silence as Kasin continued his stare down of her.
Finally, he strides over to her and before she can even process what is happening, Kasin envelopes Amira into a tight embrace against his chest. Hand cupping her back while the other runs through her hair, Kasin breaths in her scent and tingles erupt from her skin as his nose caresses her forehead.
“I was so worried about you,” Kasin murmurs as his lips find her forehead and he cups her face so he can see her. Their foreheads touch as they stare at one another, violet eyes to dark pools.
“Did anyone hurt you?” Kasin asked, his voice strained, as if asking that question physically hurts.
Shaking her head wordlessly, Kasin sighs in relief and closes his eyes as he relaxes against her forehead. “I thought…I thought you had been taken.”
By who? Amira wants to ask, but Kasin’s lips inching closer and closer to hers, causes tingles to erupt throughout her skin and face to flush.
“Kasin,” she protests and this seems to startle Kasin, who freezes, as if realizing where he is and what he was about to do.
Straightening and removing his grip from around Amira’s body. Clenching his fists tightly together, Kasin levels her with a cool look.
“You are never to leave without guards again, do you understand? It isn’t safe,” Kasin growls and then runs his hands through his hair in frustration. “If something had happened to you…”
“Well, it didn’t!” Amira growled back, fed up with everything.
Before he could say anything, Amira continued, “Do you want to know why nothing has happened to me?”
At his silence, Amira snorted sarcastically, “Because no one knows I’m your wife, Kasin! Don’t you get it? I’m your big, bad secret. Forgotten and replaceable.”
“You are not replaceable and you could never be forgotten!” Kasin yells back, swinging his hand through the air and hitting a vase of flowers that lands on the ground with a smash.
Jumping in fright, Amira backs away, nervous now. She’d never seen Kasin so angry. Staring at him, Amira tried to gage the signs. Had he been drinking? Her father drank all the time, but Kasin appeared too alert. Alert and angry.
“You are my wife.” Kasin snarled and clenched his fists.
“Then how do you explain all of those women, Kasin? Why did you keep me locked away for five years?” Amira shouted back. These were the questions she’d wanted answers to for five years.
Sobs wracked her throat as she continued, “When my father came to me and told me you wanted to marry me, I thought I was the luckiest girl in the whole world. I idolized you. But now I see how wrong I was to put that much trust in you. You’ve ruined me! Are you happy now?”
Breathing heavily, Amira wiped at her eyes and tried to quiet her sobs, but they wouldn’t be silenced.
“Amira…” Kasin began, his voice soft as he stared at her, as if unsure of what to do or say.
“Just forget it. Forget everything, just like you did for the past five years.”
13
Amira didn’t want to be caught pacing around the palace by any of Kasin’s friends. She couldn’t bare to see those looks of pity or hear their questions. As Amira raced down the many paths of the palace gardens, she breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the Socotra Dragon Tree. It stood like a silent giant, leaves swaying in the soft breeze and cast a dark shadow over Amira as she moved forward. Hidden in the branches and green leaves were a few wooden planks pressed and nailed together to form a floor that sat on top of a few coinciding branches. Smiling at the sight of the place Amira would use to hide from reality as a child, she moved closer, searching for the rope that she used to use to pull herself up the tree.
Where is it? Amira grumbled under her breath as she circled the trees trunk, but found no rope.
“My father had the ladder removed when Carmen scraped her knee. She had been trying to climb to the top by herself,” Kasin’s voice murmured behind her.
His rumpled suit jacket had been removed and his eyes appeared glazed, but not from drunkenness. Instead, they were glazed over in a way Amira had seen many times through the children in the orphanage. Sadness. Undeniable grief. Kasin was filled to the brim.
Biting her lip, Amira placed her palm on the trunk of the great tree and carefully circled around the trunk, feeling Kasin’s tired gaze as he too followed her in a circle until she stopped. Her fingers had come across the familiar carved bumps that had been etched into the tree a lifetime ago.
“After the attack on the capital, I couldn’t bare to have it chopped down. It was the only thing left…” Kasin’s heartbreaking words trailed off.
Swallowing the sob that threatened to escape her throat, Amira finally turned her gaze on the carved heart etched into the old wood. Their initials in the center of the he
art had been carved roughly with an inexperienced hand. Sloppy, her brothers had called it when they used to tease Kasin about the carving. Amira didn’t care. At the time, she knew what the carving symbolized. Their first kiss.
“Seems silly now,” Amira murmurs softly as she tries to wipe away the tears that threatened to fall.
“It’s not,” Kasin murmurs back and Amira closes her eyes tightly when she feels his presence grow closer to her back.
A warm hand gently covers her own where the carving lays etched into history. Opening her teary eyes, Amira stares at their joined hands. Kasin’s skin had always been darker than her own. Even then, as children, Amira had felt small compared to Kasin. Now, she felt like a dwarf compared to his hands.
Blushing as her mind swiftly darted to wondering what else had grown with age, Amira turned away from the tree. Facing Kasin as he encased her against the tree, her hand falling from his, Amira stared into his dark eyes. There was longing there and something else. Something that reminded Amira of that night when they were so innocent to the ways of love.
As if by deja vu, Amira felt her tongue wet her lips out of habit and Kasin’s eyes moved down to her lips, just like they had when they were children.
“We can’t…” Amira murmurs, pressing her hand flat against Kasin’s chest as he inches his body closer. Now, Amira can feel the bark of the tree pressing against her skin through her clothes.
“I’ve carried the memory of that day with me for five years,” Kasin mutters and then in a blink, his facial expression changes to one of a sad smile instead of intense heat, “I can wait a few more days.”
Stunned, Amira watched as Kasin took her hand in his, placed a soft kiss on her knuckles before departing with a bow. Watching him weave through the garden paths, Amira’s heart plummeted. She had wanted him to kiss her. She had wanted what he offered. What was holding her back?
Groaning, Amira felt her head hit the tree trunk and she sighed in frustration. Nothing could make this day any better.
“My lady?” A clear voice broke through the silence and Amira jumped in fright at the voice.
There, standing in the exact place Kasin had stood when he had found her in the gardens, was Leeta. Smiling in delight, Amira raced forward and met her friend in a tight hug.
Words racing a mile a minute, Amira pulled away, “How are you here?”
Blushing slightly, Leeta’s eyes met Amira’s as she grinned sheepishly. “The Sheik sent for me. He said you wanted a familiar face with you while you were staying in the capital. I flew on a plane, my lady!
Amira’s mind was jumbled. Kasin had brought Leeta here. To the capital. To be with her. As Leeta spoke about the plane and all the things she’d seen since arriving, Amira’s gaze drifted in the direction of the path Kasin had disappeared on. In the sun’s setting light, Amira could see a tall figure shift into the darkness.
Heart thumping, Amira whispered the words in her mind, thank you, husband.
Kasin glared at the doors of his study. His friends were like starving dogs with a bone. They could never just sit back and relax, perhaps even wait for him to explain everything on his own time. No, they had to ambush him in the one place they knew he would retreat to.
Kasin knew Tariq was the reason they had all arrived when they did. He also knew his friend enjoyed chaos. Muttering a curse under his breath, Kasin clenched his fists when the sounds of a baby could be heard on the other side of his study doors.
Not waiting another moment longer, Kasin pushed open the doors and stared in alarm at the sight before him. All four of his friends were encircled around the table that usually housed his maps and other important papers. Now, it housed a half naked infant and four grown men bickering about the proper way to put on said infant’s diaper. Noticing the baby’s face reddening and his mouth beginning to open to let out another wail, Kasin cleared his throat, gaining his friends’ attention.
“What are you doing?” Kasin growled.
Raising a fresh diaper in the air, Amoz sheepishly grimaced. “Teresa made it look so easy.”
Rolling his eyes, Kasin pushed his way through the group and plucked the clean diaper from his friend’s hand, much to the other’s shock. Glancing down at the squirming infant, Kasin grimaced as he plucked a few wipes from the bag container next to the baby’s head and began wiping.
Ignoring his friends as they all watched over his shoulder while Kasin scooped up the baby’s legs and slipped the diaper under his bum. As quick as he could, Kasin taped the tabs around the baby’s waist in the appropriate spots and straightened with a satisfied smirk. The baby’s red face diminished and his curious green eyes stared back at Kasin as a toothless grin appeared. The spitting image of Amoz with Teresa’s emerald eyes.
“I suppose your daddy can always hire another man to change your diapers. Isn’t that right, little Xavier?” Kasin crooned and, as he turned to Amoz who glared good-naturedly back at him, Kasin merely shrugged in response. In his mind, Kasin’s thoughts drifted to the future and the idea of his and Amira’s children. Would they look like him? Would they have her pale hair or maybe even her violet eyes?
Not waiting to hear Amoz response, Kasin turned to the others. “Why aren’t you all resting with your wives?”
Amoz, Khalid and Malik all shared knowing looks before Malik grinned and answered for the three married men, “Samara invited the women to our quarters. I believe Khalid’s chief of security, Haseem is with them. They are trying to find out more about your not so new wife.”
Tariq chuckled and shrugged his shoulders as he collapsed into a nearby chaise lounge. “I’m here for the fun, of course.”
Glaring at Tariq, Kasin took an intimidating step toward his friend. “I’m surprised the women haven’t tied you up in Samara’s room to extract information from you.”
Tariq shrugs again. “I already told them everything. I know as much as they do.”
“How did you know?” Kasin growled impatiently.
Grinning, Tariq nodded his head toward the ring on Kasin’s left hand. “You never wore that before.”
Clenching his fists tightly, Kasin glares at his friend. “It was necessary.”
Now holding his infant son in his arms, Amoz plops down next to Tariq and gazes confusedly up at Kasin. “Necessary? To lie to us?”
“I never lied,” Kasin bit out. “None of you ever asked if I was married.”
Khalid’s raspy voice chuckled behind him as he and Malik shifted toward the other chaise lounge and motioned for Kasin to take a seat. “Why would we even think to ask that question?”
Throat throbbing for a drink, Kasin scanned his study, eyes landing on the liquor cabinet. Marching to it and flinging open the doors, Kasin cursed at the empty shelves.
“Oh, yes, about that. I took the liberty of removing the alcohol from the palace,” Tariq’s voice rose over the sound of Kasin’s curses. “Your wife detests alcohol.”
Clenching his fists together tightly, Kasin spins about and glares at Tariq. “Stay the hell away from my wife.”
Tariq innocently looks at Kasin. “Why? From what she seems to believe, you’re the playboy ladies man, not I.”
“We only want to help, Kasin,” Malik murmured softly from his seat. All heads nodded in agreement as Malik continued, “Perhaps it would be best if you keep your head clear for a little while.”
Glaring at Tariq, Kasin sighed and turned away from his friends, closing the doors to the cabinet with a soft click. At the sound of the door closing, Amoz chuckled softly.
“I’m sure Teresa will be pleased to know that you can do more than rule a country. She just might decide to hire you to change Xavier’s diapers full-time.”
With that, the tension in the room eased as his friends laughed along with Amoz. Feeling a tad bit lighter than he had in years, Kasin turned to watch as his friends went from ribbing him to ribbing each other.
A soft breeze floated into the room from the balcony and Kasin breathed in the spicy ai
r. His mind turned to Amira and the way she’d lovingly caressed their tree. Would she ever do the same for him?
14
Amira stared at the door that led to the formal dining hall. On the other side, she could hear whispers and light teasing. Laughter even drifted through the wood. Amira couldn’t go inside. It was too much.
When Leeta had forced Amira up to her new chambers to change for dinner, Amira had been stunned. Her chambers were the master chambers. She knew this because the large bed and a closet full of Kasin’s clothes practically yelled at her upon her entrance. His spicy scent lingered in every corner.
Clothes Leeta had Amira wear were quickly produced. A soft, navy dress flowed down her body like a waterfall. Everything fit. As if it had been made for her. With her wedding ring now firmly on her hand as she fidgeted with her fingers and twisted the ring around a few times, Amira shot a look to the servant who patiently waited for her to be ready to be announced.
Inhaling, Amira forced a smile on her face and nodded to the servant. “I’m ready.”
Acknowledging her with a respectful bow, the servant pushed open the doors and cleared his throat. Before she could stop him, he announced her.
“Her Highness, Sheikha Amira Almasi.”
How the servant knew exactly who she was dumbfounded Amira. She had been under the assumption Kasin wished to keep her his dirty little secret. Obviously, she wasn’t a secret any longer.
All eyes were on her as she nodded her thanks to the servant and entered the warm, spicy scented air. A long table to accommodate everyone sat in the middle of the room. The women, her fellow Sheikha’s, all sat clustered in a group near the uncovered dishes of food. The new mother, Teresa, seemed to be sampling some hors d’oeuvres while Amelia and Samara whispered to each other on either side of Teresa.
Standing and pushing away from her friends, Teresa was skirting the table to stand before Amira.
