ROMANCE: THE SHEIKH'S GAMES: A Sheikh Romance (108 page)

“I didn’t sleep with her.” Shala’s look was incredulous. “I didn’t. She tried to…we almost…but I couldn’t. Shala, I couldn’t.”

“Is that supposed to impress me? Why are you making this into something it isn’t? You got what you wanted, sex while you were away from home and your company back. Congratulations.”

“I love you.”

She slammed on her brakes and looked up at him with watery eyes. “What?”

“I love you, Shala.”

“No, you don’t.”

“I do. That’s why I left the morning after we first made love, because I didn’t know what it meant to you or if I could fulfill your expectations. I don’t know if you know this, but that’s not exactly my strong suit.” He knelt down inside her door so they were eye to eye. “I do love you, though Shala. Your smile, those killer curves and your crazy sense of humor. You drive me crazy and you’re the first person I want to tell when something good happens.”

She didn’t know what to say. The sincerity shining in his sparkling green eyes touched her in a way she couldn’t describe. Her heart opened like a flower in bloom and it began to warm. “You mean that?”

“I do. Please put me out of my misery and tell me that you love me to.”

She smiled. “I love you too, Zadir.”

His body visibly relaxed and he laid his head in her lap, arms banded tight around her. “I’m so glad to hear that.” He leaned forward and kissed her mouth long and hard, until they both leaned across the front seats, his body pressed tightly against hers. “Oh, Shala, I love you so damn much. I can’t wait to make you my wife.”

That smile was so sweet, she cupped his face and kissed him again. “I love you too Zadir. I have in one way or another since I was about thirteen years old and those girls bullied me.”

He smiled. “I remember.” He kissed her forehead. “That was a really good burn.” He chuckled at the memory.

“It was,” she smiled and pushed him off her until they both stood outside the car. “As I was saying. I’m so in love with you and when you ask, I’ll happily accept the proposal to be your wife.”

He frowned. “I did just ask.”

“No, you said you can’t wait.” She smiled at his confounded expression.

“Okay,” he groaned. “One day soon I’ll ask you for real.”

“And I promise I’ll say yes to forever with you.”

“Forever,” he smiled, “I like the sound of that.”

THE END

Riley Foster sprinted up the hospital stairs and found a bored-looking receptionist sitting behind her desk. The nine and a half hour flight from London to Miami had done nothing to still her nerves. She had spent those long hours drifting between mentally willing the plane to fly faster and bitter tears of resignation. She could do nothing but sit and wait while her brother lay in a hospital bed half way across the world.

“I’m looking for my brother,” Riley told the receptionist. Her voice wavered on the brink of tears. “He was in an accident. His name is Matthew Foster.”

“Just one moment,” said the receptionist. Riley tapped her fingernails anxiously against the desk while the woman gazed at her computer screen. Riley wasn’t sure if she
had
a moment — if
Matthew
had a moment. She felt the tears brimming up once more and fought to keep them down.

“Please,” begged Riley. “It’s really serious. Can’t you just do a search for the name?”

“I’m sorry, Miss,” said the receptionist. “I’m going as fast as I can.”

Riley was just about to jump over the counter and hijack the computer when she heard a deep, familiar voice from her left. She almost jumped.

“Riley? Riley Foster?”

She spun to face the man who had called to her. He was dressed as if he had just stepped from a tense business meeting, the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up to the elbows revealing tanned, muscular forearms, his tie pulled down and the top two buttons undone, as if at some point he had found the smart shirt stifling and had hurriedly ripped them loose. The stubble dotting his cheeks might have been sexy under other circumstances, but here, under the fluorescent lights of the hospital, it hinted at a man who had barely slept in days, let alone had time to shave.

“Yes, I’m Riley,” she said.

“Follow me. Your brother is this way.”

The man turned and began down one of the hospital’s long, sterile corridor, without a backward glance at her to make sure she was following him. He walked with long, purposeful strides and Riley had to jog to catch up to him.

“Are you his doctor? Is he okay?” she asked him as they wound through the hospital corridors. He smiled warmly, tenderly.

“No, I’m Nick Maddox. Matthew’s business partner. We spoke on the phone. The doctors say his condition is critical but stable for now. We had some scares earlier, but it looks as if he’s pulled through.”

It was hard to believe that less than twenty-four ago she was in her dorm room at the University of London, talking to this man on the phone. He had called her from the hospital within hours of the accident and offered to pay for her tickets to come home to see Matt. Without a thought to the man on the other end, she had accepted, thinking only of her brother. Now she felt as if she owed him a huge amount of gratitude.

“Nick, I’m so sorry. I expected you to be older,” said Riley. “I can’t thank you enough for getting me back here so quickly. I’ll pay you back the money for the flights.” She paused for a moment, thinking of the mountain of student debt she was already facing. “It might take a while.”

Nick waved the offer aside. “No need. I know how terrible it would be to be stuck on the other side of the world while all this was going on. I’m just glad you’re here. For Matt’s sake.”

Riley regarded his face for a moment. “You look really familiar,” she said.

“We met once before,” he said, eyes focused ahead of him as he navigated the bleak corridors. Riley cast her mind back, trying to place him in a memory. “About three years ago,” he continued, “before you left to study in England. Before Matthew and I started the company.”

She found herself staring at him as they walked, trying to remember, her overburdened mind unable to slot things into place. Then it clicked. It had been at Matthew’s apartment in Tampa before he moved to Miami. She’d been visiting him for the weekend and Nick had come around to discuss a business opportunity. He’d introduced himself as one of Matthew’s college pals, brimming with excitement over a crazy idea he had to start a tech company. He’d had long hair then like some figure from Greek mythology with a penchant for checkered shirts and surfing. She was eighteen then and remembered thinking how cute he was in a beach bum kind of way.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize you. My mind is…” she trailed off.

“I understand.” His voice was resonant, but tender. “Here we are,” he said gesturing to a door. She felt another overwhelming wave of gratitude for him then as she realized that she would never have been able to find the room by herself. The number on the door was faded and indistinct and the hospital corridors seemed like a maze in her state of disorientation.

“Listen,” said Nick softly, his hand resting on the door handle. “It might be difficult to see him like this, he’s pretty bruised up. I want you to know that we have the best doctors in Florida treating him. They’re doing everything they can. Are you sure you’re ready?”

Riley nodded, steeling herself.

He opened the door and ushered her inside.

Riley’s hands fluttered to her face as fresh tears burst from her eyes. Matthew’s eyes were bruised and puffy, his neck was wrapped in a tight brace while needles in his arm fed him nutrients from a drip. She rushed to his side, wanting to throw her arms around his neck and hold him, but not wanting to disturb the equipment. Instead she took his hand gently in hers and smoothed his hair back away from his forehead.

“Oh, Matt, please be okay.” She planted a kiss on his forehead and squeezed his hand. “I’m so sorry, I haven’t spoken to you in so long, things just got really busy and now this…”

Matthew’s chest rose and fell gently.

“How did it happen?” Riley asked Nick.

“It was my fault.” A look of helpless self-directed rage passed over Nick’s handsome features. “We were out surfing. I should’ve known not to have gone down so close to the cove. I guess we got cocky. A riptide took him, smashed him against the rocks. I tried to pull him out, but the current was so strong. I should’ve been quicker dragging him out of there.”

“But you saved him,” said Riley, wanting now to throw her arms around him. “That’s all that counts.”

“If I had got to him sooner…” he trailed off.

“What about you? Are you okay?”

“Just some scratches, but otherwise I’m fine,” he paused, as if thinking about the incident caused him pain. “Can I get you anything? Some coffee maybe?” he asked eventually.

Riley nodded gratefully, unable to form the words through the lump forming in her throat. As Nick left the room, the dam walls finally gave way and Riley let her head fall to her brother’s bedside as she sobbed, still clutching his hand.

“Matt, if you can hear me, I love you. I’m sorry I’ve been so busy. I’m sorry for not being here for you.”

At the sound of her voice, his fingers curled around hers and the steady beep of his heart rate monitor quickened.

“Matt?” she said, “You can hear me, can’t you?”

She allowed herself to hope for a moment. His hands tensed again.

“Matt? Matthew?” Riley launched herself to her feet.

His eyes opened slowly, straining against the swollen lids.

“Riley?” he croaked. “How did you get here? Am I dead?”

A chuckle, half surprise and half relief burst from her and she threw her arms around his neck, being careful not to jostle him around too much.

“Take it easy,” groaned Matt. “I’m feeling a little tender.”

To Riley’s relief, though he still sounded groggy, Matthew was incredibly lucid after his ordeal.

“I must be dreaming,” said Matt. “Last thing I remember is being on my board. I’ve never seen a wave that big. Wait a second, how did you get here?”

“Nick dragged you out of a riptide, you got beat up by some rocks. Nick flew me over just in case. We were so worried about you.”

“Oh, yeah. I remember the rocks. And the foam. It was crazy.”

Nick walked in then with two paper cups of coffee. For a second Riley thought he was going to drop the cups, but then his eyes widened with joy.

“Big guy! You’re awake!” He rushed to the bedside grinning.

“How long have I been out?”

“Going on forty-eight hours,” said Nick. “If you wanted to take a couple sick days, you just had to ask.”

“Am I correct in assuming you’ve been working twice as hard at the company to make up for my absence?” quipped Matt.

“Nah, I left that to the PA to handle. No way I’m letting you take time off and leave me sweating away.”

Matt chuckled and then winced. “Man, I’m pretty beat up, aren’t I? What’s the damage?”

“So far just a couple broken ribs, a concussion, a neck sprain and some bruises and scratches. You also have two massive shiners, but I’d say that’s an improvement. What do you think Riley?”

Riley giggled. The guys jostling each other was helping to drive home the fact that Matt was going to be okay. Their bravado in the face of an otherwise serious situation put her at ease. “Yeah, Matt, it kinda looks like you’re wearing eye shadow,” she chipped in.

Matt chuckled softly. “Stop making me laugh. It hurts.”

“Maybe you damaged your funny bone as well. Then again, your sense of humor was pretty weak to begin with,” said Nick still grinning. Their comradery was that of brothers and Riley couldn’t help feeling that she was in good hands.

“You know something, Nick? I think I might take a break from surfing for a while.”

“You sure? I was thinking we could head out again tomorrow, maybe just strap you to the board and push you out. You can paddle with your toes.”

The door creaked open and Riley spun around to see a large, angry-looking nurse standing in the doorway. “What’s going on here?” said the nurse sternly. “Visiting hours ended at nine. You need to leave. You’re disturbing patients in the other rooms.”

Matt looked up at Riley apologetically. “Thanks for coming, sis. Really means a lot to me.”

“We’ll be back again tomorrow to take you surfing,” said Riley and pecked him on the cheek.

“You take care of my sister,” said Matt as the fuming nurse escorted them out. “And hands off.”

Outside in the hall, Riley looked at her watch. “Oh my gosh,” she said. “It’s like five in the morning in London right now. My body is telling me I should only be waking up around now.”

“Yeah, it’s already midnight here. We should probably get some sleep.”

“Is there a motel somewhere around here I can book into?”

“No way,” said Nick. “I couldn’t let you spend the night in some dodgy hotel. I promised your brother I’d look after you. I’ve got a spare bedroom at my place. Come on, I’ll drive you back.”

“I would’ve settled for a couch to be honest,” said Riley. “But okay. Only if you let me make you breakfast in the morning.”

Nick grinned, a broad and honest smile. “I think you have yourself a deal.”

The hospital parking lot was all but deserted and the night was warm and thick with humidity. Riley wasn’t sure if it was her relief that Matt was going to be okay, the joy of being home again, or — though she couldn’t believe she was thinking this — the thrill of being in Nick’s presence, but the night seemed electric with possibilities.

She’d missed nights like these. She loved London and the friends she had made there, but the constant gloom and cold always made her feel a little homesick.

Suddenly she felt very little like sleeping at all, and her awareness of Nick’s body beside her became almost unbearable. She could feel the fine hairs of her arm standing on end as if the man exuded some sort of electrical field. His solid frame, cavalier stride and quiet strength in the face of the crisis gave him an almost preternatural aura of calm and magnetism.

Whatever you’re thinking,
she told herself,
just stop it. He’s your brother’s best friend and Matt’s in hospital. Not to mention he’s ten years older than you. It would all be so wrong!