Sheikh’s Fiancée (3 page)

A dainty knock at the door drew his attention from the schematic on his desk, and he looked up in surprise, wondering who was coming to speak to him. Was it one of the builders? He didn’t have any appointments until later in the afternoon…

“Come in,” he called.

The door opened, and Karim blinked in surprise as Azisa, his fiancée, glided in on a pair of cream-colored stilettos.. She wore a sea-green
abaya
that flowed around her figure, and her dark glossy hair cascaded around her perfect face, drawing attention to her fine bone structure and her large, thickly-lashed eyes. She was a vision of elegance, the personification of beauty. As usual, she commanded his attention, as she did of every male whenever she walked into a room.

“My love.” Karim rose from his chair, shock echoing through him. He wasn’t expecting Azisa until next week. “What a pleasant surprise!”

“Please, do not get up on my account.” Azisa’s sculpted lips curved into a small, polite smile that was just as perfect as everything else about her. “I am not staying long; I simply came by because I needed to speak to you.”

“All right.” Karim slowly lowered himself back down into his chair, confusion etched on his face. Azisa seated herself gracefully in one of the visitor’s chairs across the desk, then folded her manicured hands in her lap and lifted her chin. Her dark eyes were steady as she gazed at him, and a strange feeling slid down Karim’s spine. Her stare was that of one about to negotiate a business deal… or perhaps a personal one.

“Is this about our marriage?” he blurted out.

“It is.” Azisa unfolded her hands, and to Karim’s horror tugged off the diamond sparkling on her left ring finger. “I would like to break our engagement.”

She set the diamond band on the cedar wood of his desk with a firm clink. The sound shocked Karim out of his stupefied horror, and he snapped his gaze up to Azisa’s face, which was as still and calm as the surface of a pond.

“Why?” he demanded. “Why are you doing this, with the wedding just over a month away, and invitations already sent and accepted?”

Something like guilt disturbed the calm waters of Azisa’s face, and her dark eyes briefly flicked away. “I have come to realize recently that the time in my life is not yet right for marriage.”

Karim stared at Azisa in disbelief. Months of courting and engagement, and this was what he was hearing now? “What do you mean the time is not right? You are nearly twenty-six years old, Azisa, well within the time frame in which women in our society marry off, and I am – ”

“In need of a wife,” Azisa finished for him. Her dark eyes were apologetic, but firm as they met his. “I understand your predicament, Karim, but I cannot bind myself to you for the simple reason of solving your problem while neglecting my own needs. I am not yet ready to give up my modeling career and settle down yet.”

“I don’t understand.” Karim ran a hand through his thick, wavy hair and fought against the impulse to yank out a handful of it. “I have never told you that you have to give up your modeling career to be married to me. You would be free to continue traveling and taking jobs as you always have – ”

“Until when?” Azisa asked quietly. “Until your family and mine begin to wonder why we have not yet produced a child, why we have not yet settled down and started to raise a family of our own? Until they wonder whether or not we are barren, or estranged?”

Karim shook his head. “I don’t see why their opinion matters when I am not heir to this kingdom,” he insisted. “We are not obligated to have children before we are ready, and I would never force you to have them before you are ready to settle down. You told me that you wanted children, did you not?”

“I do.” Azisa sighed. “And I will have them when I am ready.”

“Then what is the problem?” Karim asked, his mind spinning as he tried to wrap his mind around the issue. He couldn’t understand why Azisa was doing this to him now, when they were so close to sealing the knot.

“Karim.” Azisa folded her hands in her lap and took on a very patient tone, like that of a mother speaking to a recalcitrant child. “In the ten months that we have known each other, and the eight that we have been engaged, how often have we spent time together?”

Karim shut his mouth as he tried to calculate. “I’d say we see each other about once a month,” he finally said. “But we both have busy lives, so that can only be expected – ”

“Exactly.” Azisa leaned forward, pinning him with her dark gaze. “We both have busy lives, and in fact our lives are
so
busy that we have little time to spend with one another, to cultivate and grow a relationship. I may look like little more than a sculpture to you on the outside, Karim, but I am a woman just like any other, and I dream of eventually settling down with a man with whom I can share affection and companionship, when I am ready. You and I are so busy with our own careers and aspirations that we have not had the time or energy to invest in cultivating our own relationship. At this rate, ours will be a loveless, passionless marriage, and that is not something I am interested in.”

Karim opened his mouth, and then closed it again. What could he possibly say to that? Much as he loathed to admit it, Azisa was right. He’d not put much effort into cultivating a relationship with her – he of course gave her his attention whenever she came to visit, and they did discover some similar interests during those short times they spent together – but the truth was that he’d taken the engagement for granted once it had been set, especially since the two of them had been paired up by a respected matchmaker. He’d trusted the woman’s instincts to be spot-on and had assumed that because their potential union was approved and blessed that it would move forward without a hitch.

Apparently he’d assumed wrong.

“I wish you could have at least told me about this earlier,” he muttered.

“I wish I could have as well,” Azisa admitted. “But I hadn’t come to the realization myself until just a few days ago.” Her face returned to that calm stillness of before, and Karim was struck with that odd unease he always felt from her. He realized it came from the fact that she was always just a little too perfect. This conversation he’d just had with her was probably the most honest and genuine interaction they’d ever had… and it was too bad it was going to be their last.

“Are you certain there is nothing I can do to change your mind?” Karim asked.

“No.” Azisa smiled slightly as she rose from her chair, and Karim rose along with her. “I’m afraid this decision is final. I wish you the best of luck finding a bride, and with all of your ventures in general.”

“Thank you,” Karim said as graciously as possible. He fought the urge to curl his hands into fists, and instead gripped the door handle and opened it to show his ex-fiancée out. “And you as well.”

She disappeared into the corridor, taking the scent of floral perfume with her along with his hopes for marriage. Cursing, Karim leaned his head against the closed door and gritted his teeth, his mind working fast as he tried to figure out what to do next.

If he didn’t marry within the next four months, his dreams would go up in smoke. But how was he going to find a bride in four months? And even if he did, how would he convince her to accept him?

***

“Come on, Alice. You have to at least
consider
the idea of moving to Dubai.”

Alice sighed as she hung her head between her elbows, easing her body into the downward dog position. The late afternoon sun beat down onto her back, and sweat trickled down her arms and onto the yoga mat beneath her. As she inhaled, the sweet scent of jasmine and roses tickled her nostrils, coming from the bushes and trees surrounding them.

“I have been considering it,” Alice retorted. “But that doesn’t mean I have to give an answer right now, do I?”

Sheridan rolled her eyes, then shifted back from downward dog and into child’s pose, folding her legs beneath and stretching her arms out until her fingers brushed her yoga mat. She had invited Alice to come out to the garden with her to do some yoga after Alice had returned from a meeting – she was here in Dubai on business for Armani, the third business trip to the Middle East in the last four months, and she stayed with the royal family every time she came to visit since she was a close friend of Sheridan’s.

“You’re being ridiculous,” she said. “Armani’s been sending you out so often, soon it’ll be like you practically live here.” Ever since Armani had found out she was a friend of the royal family, they’d been sending her out to the Middle East more and more often, since her relationship with Sheridan naturally gave her an edge.

“Maybe,” Alice retorted, “but my manager told me that I was up for a promotion due to my performance, and that I could choose to go anywhere in the world I wanted to.”

“Which is exactly why you should move out here.” Sheridan lifted her head and screwed up her face into a pout. “Unless you don’t want to because you don’t love me anymore.”

It was Alice’s turn to roll her eyes. “C’mon, Sheri. You know you’re my best friend. But I’ve literally got the
whole world
as my oyster here.” She rolled up into a sitting position and spread her hands wide. “I could live in Rome, or Spain, or even
France,
the fashion capital of the world! This isn’t just about you, this is my life we’re talking about, and the possibilities are endless.”

“I guess you’re right,” Sheridan admitted, rolling onto her stomach and pushing herself up into upward facing dog. Alice copied her pose, lifting her head to the brilliant blue sky and groaning as her lower back eased into the stretch. “It’s not like I can’t come visit you and vice versa, especially if you move to Europe. But it would still be nice to have you here.”

Alice opened her mouth to respond, but the double doors leading into the palace suddenly flew open, starling her. Through them stormed Karim, and Alice’s pulse rocketed at the thunderous expression on his face.

“Karim!” Sheridan jumped to her feet, concern etched on her beautiful features. “What’s going on?”

Karim stopped just short of their yoga mats, his nostrils flaring as he sucked in a deep breath. Alice slowly rose to her feet, and Karim’s amber eyes flickered in her direction, causing butterflies to fly into a frenzy in her stomach. Four months later, and he still had the same effect on her as he did the night they’d danced.

It had to wear off at some point, didn’t it?

His eyes flickered back to Sheridan, who was still watching him with concern. “Azisa came to visit me today,” he said, the skin around his eyes tightening. “She elected to end our engagement.”

“Oh no!” Sheridan’s hands flew to her mouth, her crystal blue eyes wide. “Why did she do that?”

Alice knew that she should say something, but Karim’s impromptu announcement shocked the words right out of her. Azisa had
left
Karim? Why the hell would she make such a stupid move like that? Yes, she was a beautiful model who could have any man she wanted, but as far as the world of eligible bachelors were concerned, Karim was an excellent choice.

Her eyes roamed over Karim’s form now. He was dressed in a blood-red button-down shirt and black slacks, both of which were tailored perfectly to his tall, lean body. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to expose his powerful forearms, and the shining belt buckle he wore drew attention to his trim waistline. The planes of his face were hard with anger, but still incredibly handsome. Who the hell would want to give up
that
?

“Evidently Azisa decided she couldn’t handle the balancing act of keeping up a successful modeling career and a successful marriage at the same time,” Karim said, sighing heavily. “And so she made a choice.”

“I’m so sorry,” Sheridan said, placing a hand on Karim’s broad shoulder. Compassion softened her features. “Is there anything I can do?”

“There is, actually.” Karim took another deep breath, then turned his amber gaze toward Alice. A jolt went through her at the intensity in his gaze, and the hairs along her arms prickled with apprehension. “I would like a few moments alone to speak to Alice Winter, please. Right now.”

Chapter Four

No! You can’t be left alone with him!

Alice opened her mouth to protest, but Sheridan beat her to the punch. “Can I ask why?” she asked, her blonde brows furrowed in confusion. The same question echoed in Alice’s head as well, and she bit her lip. Why on earth would Karim need to speak to her alone, right now, and so urgently that he was interrupting their yoga session?

“I would rather not discuss it just yet,” Karim said, his expression impassive as he returned his gaze to Sheridan. “Suffice it to say that I need to consult her on something.”

Consult me?
Alice’s confusion deepened further. What on earth for? The two of them had become friends these last couple months, or at least friendly, but Alice had been careful to keep him at arm’s length every time she came to visit, not wanting to end up in a compromising position for any reason. They certainly weren’t close, and Alice couldn’t imagine why he all of a sudden viewed her as a confidante.

“All right.” Sheridan’s brows were still furrowed, but she backed off. “I’ll be in my rooms, finishing my workout.” She turned her blue gaze to Alice’s. “Come find me when you’re done, okay?”

In other words, tell me everything.

“I will,” Alice said, giving her friend a strained smile.

And then it was just her and Karim alone in the garden.

Karim slowly lowered himself onto a stone bench hanging beneath an orange tree, then patted the spot beside him. “Why don’t you come and sit?” he suggested.

His deep, exotic voice was still fraught with tension, but it flowed over her nevertheless, tugging her forward by the heartstrings… or maybe that was just the libido, she admitted to herself. Still, she hesitated, not sure that it was a good idea to put herself in such close proximity to him.

Why does it matter? It’s not like he isn’t single now.

Oh, that’s right!
Excitement rushed through her at the realization. She didn’t have to worry about the morality of falling into bed with Karim anymore if he wasn’t attached. There wasn’t any danger in being alone together, was there?