??m ready, Rami. I want to be your wife and partner. On one condition.”
“What’s that?” His heart beat faster.
“No end date,” she answered.
“Never,” he agreed. “Never.”
“I love you, Rami,” she said. He thought his heart would burst from joy.
“I love you. More than the sun and the moon.”
He didn’t let her out of his arms for a long, long time.
Epilogue
“You’re up,” said Catelyn, pressing a kiss to Rami’s cheek as he stood at the edge of the stage. Whenever he spoke at events, she came backstage to wish him luck—then hurried back to her seat in the audience. This time was no exception.
They were back in Texas at the scene of the original crime—Lydia’s estate. Only things were so much different now. And better.
From the middle of the stage, Lydia herself waved Rami up to the microphone. He met her there, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “Good luck, Rami,” she said into his ear.
“I’ll need it,” he joked, but he knew he wouldn’t.
It had been a roller-coaster of a year. He and Catelyn had split their time between Al-Dashalid and New Jersey so both of their enterprises had thrived. They’d made several visits to Lydia’s estate, where Lydia had come to know him—and, he hoped, genuinely like him. At any rate, she thought he was good enough at sponsoring STEM scholarships to ask him and Catelyn to set up a similar program for the children in Texas. They’d done just that, and tonight’s cocktail reception was meant to celebrate the kickoff of the program.
Rami smiled out at the faces in the crowd. “Good evening,” he said, and he felt completely calm. He was never nervous to speak when Catelyn was with him, and he saw her now, taking her seat at one of the tables in the front. She was his rock, and he relished the sight of her. Especially her pregnant belly.
Yes—she was pregnant with his child and due in three months. It had been the delight of his life to discover that Catelyn was pregnant, and every day since had been an adventure unlike any he’d ever had in his life. Through it all, she’d kept him on an even keel. Together, they’d worked to slow down. To treasure every moment.
“Time is precious,” he began. “And no time is more precious than that of our children, which is why we’ve dedicated our efforts to making sure that the children of Texas have access to the very best in technology and education,” he said. “All of you have helped us to make this possible.” Catelyn beamed up at him from her seat, eyes shining. “So my wife and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts.” It felt so good to say that. A year had come and gone, and they were still together. They would always be together. He knew it. “And in the interest of making the very most of our time, I’ll keep my remarks succinct. Thank you again, for all that you’ve done, and a special thank you to my wife, who makes the world go around. Now, please, enjoy the party!”
The room burst into applause, Catelyn first on her feet. Rami didn’t bother to take the stairs—he simply leaped down off the stage, still desperate, even now, to have his hands on her. He lifted her chin and kissed her, right there in front of everyone, so deeply that they drew a wolf whistle.
He broke the kiss and looked down into Catelyn’s eyes. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” he said.
“Than this ballroom?” she said wickedly. “I can think of a few other places.”
“Than by your side.”
“I love you,” Catelyn said simply. They’d said it a hundred times. A thousand. A million more times would never diminish its meaning.
“More than the sun and moon,” he promised, and he meant it with all his heart.
End of The Sheikh’s Blackmailed Bride