Marrying the Sheikh

“You don’t have to,” he said in an offhanded way. He knew what he had said was hurtful, but was getting desperate to change the subject. He had already revealed too much.

The situation was getting complicated and Karim needed a way out. He was feeling things for Ella that he hadn’t felt for any woman in a long time, and he knew he was dangerously close to crossing a line that he couldn’t let himself cross. Even though he didn’t want to, he knew he had to push Ella away.

SIX

They sat for a while in silence, sipping on their drinks and watching the candlelight dance on the walls of the hotel room. After several minutes, Karim stood up and headed out into the living room. He looked out through the sliding glass doors and listened for the wind, which had died down considerably.

Ella sat on the bed and looked up at him when he returned. “What is it?” she asked, breaking the silence.

“The storm has broken,” Karim said, his voice dull and distant.

Ella stepped out into the living room to see for herself; the wind was still blowing hard and she could see palm fronds and tree branches scattered across the beach. The surf was angry and smashing against the shore.

“It still looks pretty bad to me,” she said, pointing to the rain gushing down the sliding glass doors.

Karim looked at her with distant eyes. “I have to go. I have important engagements that I must attend to.”

His words were not questioning or informative. They were commanding; words that he would speak to a servant.

“Karim,” Ella said, trying to reach the kind, funny man she had been speaking to just an hour before. “It’s still really bad out there. The pilot said he can’t fly in this weather. It’s too dangerous.”

Karim ignored her words and walked to the bathroom to splash some water on his face. “I’m going. I have to get back.” He placed the drinks on the dresser and walked back to Ella in the living room. “I have to get back to New York. I’ll take a cab to the airport if I have to and then take a commercial flight. One way or another, I’m getting out of here; with or without you, Ella.”

Ella stood still and bristled from the harshness of his tone. She looked at his dark eyes and saw nothing but coldness in them. This couldn’t be the same man she was just laughing with, could it? Could this mean-spirited bully be the same man that had made her heart melt with his smile? Ella didn’t know where that Karim had gone. But she knew he wasn’t here right now.

“Okay then,” Karim said, not waiting for Ella to respond. “If that's how you want to play it, I’ll ask the driver to stay here and you can take the jet when the storm breaks.”

Karim walked out of the room and down the hall, back to the main lobby. The glass had been cleaned up and a piece of plywood was nailed against the broken window. Karim breezed past the front desk and stepped out onto the patio under the portico.

Ella caught up with him and saw the trees blowing in the wind. Branches slapped against the building and shutters flew wildly. The rain was still coming down and the wind had begun to pick up again.

“Karim!” she yelled over the sound of the wind. “Don’t go! It’s too dangerous!”

He kept walking to the main road, thinking he'd be able to hail a cab, as Ella called out behind him.

“Karim! There won’t be any taxis! Please, come back!” She ran to catch up with him. She knew he would have heard her voice through the wind, but he kept walking.

She moved quickly through the rain, trying to reach him before he got to the main road. The rain was pouring down, obscuring her vision. Her heels jabbed into the loose gravel as she ran, and branches were scurrying along the ground, threatening to trip her. She made her way down the driveway and came to a stop just beneath a large palm tree when she heard the crack.

The lightning lit up the dark sky and the sound of it hitting the tree was louder than anything Ella had ever heard. She turned to run back to the hotel and tripped over some debris caused by the downpour. She fell to the ground and grabbed her ankle, screaming in pain.

Karim heard the commotion and turned to see Ella on the floor. He watched as the top of the tree caught fire and saw the trunk split in two. He turned and ran back to Ella, scooping her up in his strong arms just as the palm fell to the ground below, barely missing them both.

Ella looked up through the rain and saw unmistakable worry in Karim’s expression. She felt her heart swell as she stared deeply into his eyes. He looked back at her, his tears mingling with the fresh rain, his heart clenched with worry.