Shackled to the Sheikh

There was someone there waiting for them, standing on the steps in addition to the guard of honour that seemed to grace their every entry and exit. Someone tall and broad-shouldered with deep black hair and he was looking at their car and smiling.

‘Who is that man?’ she said, and Rashid looked to where she was indicating.

‘Zoltan!’ he said, with a wide smile. A man Rashid was clearly beyond excited to see from the way he didn’t notice when she slipped her hand from his, and Tora figured the dinner invitation was off.

* * *

‘Zoltan!’ Rashid called as he jumped from the car. ‘You’re early.’

Rashid ran up the steps and pulled his friend into a hug. ‘I was told you were arriving tomorrow.’

Zoltan laughed. ‘I thought I’d surprise you.’

‘It is a good surprise. Thank you for coming. You don’t know what this means to me.’

‘To me, too. Whoever thought a humble orphan child turned petroleum and gas billionaire would ever finally make good?’ he joked before turning serious. ‘You have had a rough ride of it lately, I understand.’

Rashid shook his head. ‘I am glad you could come. There is so much to tell you.’

‘Tell me over dinner.’

And Rashid suddenly remembered and looked around, to where the cars of the convoy were spilling their contents, but with Tora nowhere to be seen.

‘Tora,’ he said. He’d asked her to have dinner with him and now she was gone and he felt her absence like a sudden hole in a perfect day.

‘What did you say?’ Zoltan asked, and Rashid once again felt the jolt of pleasure that his brother was here. It was probably for the best that she’d gone, he thought, given the circumstances. At least it saved an awkward introduction. With any luck, Zoltan wouldn’t have heard he was married. He’d save that gem for later. There were more important matters to discuss right now.

‘So tell me,’ he said, turning his back on the hollow feeling in his gut as he led Zoltan into the palace. ‘How are Aisha and the family?’

* * *

It was for the best, Tora told herself as she made her way back to her suite. He was so excited to see his friend, he would have regretted asking her to have dinner with him the instant he saw him. Besides, dinner would have been pointless. It was all so pointless. She would be going home soon and leaving this world behind. Why establish links that would have to be broken?

Because when it all came down to it, this wasn’t about her. This was about ensuring a bond between Rashid and Atiyah, and the signs were heartening.

It was enough.

Yousra was waiting for her in her apartments, singing to Atiyah as she rocked the baby’s cradle. She looked so relieved when she saw Tora coming, Tora thought the girl was going to burst into tears.

‘How was she?’ Tora whispered with a frown, peeking over into the cot expecting to find a sleeping child, only to find two dark eyes that immediately locked onto hers and widened before her face crumpled and she started wailing before Tora could duck out of the way.

‘I’m so sorry,’ she said to Yousra, scooping the child into her arms. ‘I shouldn’t have left her.’ After all the turmoil she’d already suffered, all the losses, Atiyah had grown used to having Tora around, only for Tora to disappear for hours, and her heart was breaking for the little girl. She should never have agreed to go with Rashid.

And she knew she couldn’t afford to think that way. Knew that it was wrong. She couldn’t afford to become a fixture in this child’s life, and yet already it was happening. She should have returned home as she’d been supposed to. She should have handed Atiyah over and walked away. And she would have, if Rashid hadn’t come up with this whole crazy marriage deal.

And now the longer she stayed, the harder it would become because the more attached to her Atiyah would become, and one day soon she’d be leaving for good and Atiyah would be hurt all over again.

She swayed as she pressed her lips to Atiyah’s soft curls and felt tears sting her own eyes as Atiyah’s tears threatened to rip out her heart. Staying longer was such a double-edged sword. It gave Atiyah security for a little while. But it gave Tora more time to fall in love with a precious dark-eyed child.

She’d never felt this way about one of her charges before. She’d never come so close to feeling what a mother must feel—protective and defensive and determined that she should have only the best of everything, including love. But then, she’d never had such a tiny baby to look after.