The Sheikh's Purchased Bride

  ***

  Amie apologized profusely when Sadira returned. She explained—in vague terms—that she and Zafina had gotten into an argument and that she didn’t think Malik’s sister liked her very much.

  Sadira took the news as gracefully as Amie had imagined she would; telling her not to worry and stating that Zafina could be a very unpleasant girl if the mood struck her. True to motherly fashion, Sadira assured her that, deep down, Zafina would be a good sister to her and had a good heart—just like Malik.

  Amie went straight home after the shopping trip, after thanking Malik’s mother over and over again for buying the dress. That phrase she’d used, ‘a good heart’, stuck with her for the rest of the evening. Did Malik really have a good heart? Did she?

  Sadira certainly seemed to think so, but how would she really feel if she knew Amie had just let her pay who knows how much money for a dress that was basically the crux of a drawn-out sham. And what about Malik? Was he as good and kind as she thought he was, or had she just been sucked in by the same charms that had seduced dozens of women before her?

  Amie shuddered at the thought. She usually didn’t think of herself as a jealous person, but the idea that her affections were going unreturned was driving her insane. Then again, if Malik told her that he did share her feelings, that probably wouldn’t be good, either. Amie had been witness to too many careers ruined by young actresses who dated their agents or producers. Ick, she thought. It just wouldn’t work.

  In the dark of night, Amie wandered from her bedroom to the theater room. She hadn’t bothered grabbing anything for supper that evening, even though she’d been starving.

  She fell into the overly padded theater chair and selected a black and white movie to watch. She didn’t even care which one it was; if Malik had set it up for her to enjoy, there was a good chance she was going to enjoy it. She snacked on the sour candies beside the chair and quickly devoured the box. She told herself that she wouldn’t have done so had she eaten a proper dinner, but the truth was when gummy candies were around they didn’t stand a chance.

  The movie was sweet and funny; everything you’d want to watch when winding down for the evening, yet Amie’s thoughts kept twisting over to Malik. The more she got to know him, the more she liked him… He was sweet, thoughtful, romantic, and had gone above and beyond to make her feel comfortable in her temporary home.

  She kept tracing back to when he’d grabbed her hand; tickled her; brushed her hair behind her ears. There was nothing about his behavior that said I’m only acting. Yet, even with her feelings becoming clearer, she couldn’t shake the basic fact that her very presence in Rabayat was little more than ruse for Malik to return to Chicago and continue his high-finance, playboy lifestyle in peace.

  Thoughts of ‘should I or shouldn’t I?’ kept her mind reeling for most of the night until she finally fell asleep in front of the projector screen.

  She awoke to Malik caressing her bare shoulder and whispering, “What, are you a 70-year-old man, now?”

  “What?” she asked groggily.

  “Who falls asleep watching TV?” he chuckled.

  She smiled and locked eyes with him; her gorgeous, enticing playboy employer. It was in that moment, staring into his deep brown eyes, that she decided she couldn’t cross any lines. Not for Malik, and not for any boss. Instead, she reminded herself that she had a job to do.

  TWELVE