When she finally did fall asleep, a smile on her face, she woke up to a note from Asad saying that he was conducting some business in the city. Wanting to surprise him for lunch, she dressed and hurried to find the driver. “I need to discuss something with the sheikh,” she said breathlessly. “Can you take me to him?”
Ori chuckled, and Liyah could have sworn she heard him mutter “about time” under his breath. Full of hope and love, she sat back and watched the city fly by.
Dubai.
Home.
“He said he had some business in the market,” Ori said as he pulled over. “I’ll wait right here until you return. Take your time. Enjoy yourself.”
Thanking him, she practically flew out of the car and into the throng of people. Peddlers and shoppers jostled her, but she paid them no mind as her eyes scanned the area for her intended.
Liyah finally found Asad sitting at a small table at a restaurant patio. She was a little disappointed that he was already having lunch, but when the person in front of her stepped away, her heart dropped into her stomach, and she froze.
He wasn’t alone. A beautiful brunette sat in front of him, their hands clasped around the flowers and candle that danced in the middle of their table. There was a charming smile on his face, the smile that he’d reserved for Liyah, and clarity finally settled in.
Asad was never going to be interested in her. He just wanted to conquer her body. She was a convenience set up right in the middle of his suite for him to sample, and she’d signed on to be the appetizer for the next six months—but the main course?
He couldn’t even refrain from his dalliances until they were married.
Asad Sharif was never going to love her.
She was such an idiot to fall for the kisses and the sweet words. Gullible. Naive. The perfect woman for Asad’s devious plan.
There was no pain as she walked back to the car and slid in. “Take me to the palace,” she said calmly.
Ori raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. The first thing that Liyah did when she returned to the suite was to pack her things. The dresses that Asad and Amira had bought her still hung in the closet, but she wouldn’t wear any more of those clothes. She couldn’t. If she was going to get through this, she needed to shed her vulnerable shell. When she left, she’d leave all this behind.
After all her judgment of her mother, she hadn't picked a winner, either . . .
Unable to hold the tears back anymore, she ran to Amira’s room and let herself go.
Asad returned to the suite to have dinner with Liyah, only to find her dressed in a classy pair of pants and a lovely blue top. “Are you dressing up for me now?” he teased.
“I had an early dinner,” she told him simply as she picked up her book. He waited to hear the details, but she barely looked at him.
“I got you a gift while I was out today,” he said and set down a rose-colored box. He knew how much his bride-to-be loved the local food, and he’d gone to a small, well-hidden local place and purchased the best baklava around.
She didn’t even look up from her book. “Thanks,” she said coldly, eyes glued to the open page.
“What’s wrong, Liyah?” he said as he gently took the book away. “You’re not acting yourself.”
Cocking her head, she stared at him. “I’m about to be the wife of a sheikh. I need to play the part. At least for now.”
“What do you mean—for now?”
Swinging her legs off the couch, she snagged the book back from him and stood. “I don’t believe my mother will be attending the wedding. I’m a little concerned for her, so after the honeymoon, I’ll be returning to the States.”
“Okay. I’ll go with you.”
“No, you won’t. We’ll be conducting the rest of this arrangement long-distance. You’re welcome to tell everybody that my mother has taken ill, and I’ve returned to tend her. I’m sure from there you can also spread some lies about my wild conduct while I was away and divorce me. I’d like to be paid right after the wedding.”
His mouth dropped open, and ice filled his veins. He’d never, ever seen her act like this before, and she didn’t even bother to wait for a response.
Instead, she stalked to her room, and he heard the unmistakable sound of a lock turning.
14
There was a lovely breakfast cart waiting outside her room the next morning. Fresh fruit, warm pita and lemon hummus, cardamom-sugar cakes, and Darjeeling tea.