A Christmas Bride (11 page)

She crossed back to the sofa. “You’re serious? You’re not just offering me this to keep me busy?”

“You have my word. This is vital information. I trust you to get it right.”

He spoke with a low, steady voice that seemed to pull her closer. There was something in his eyes that made her want to believe him.

Excitement grew inside of her. It was a project she could throw herself into, and still have plenty of time for the girls. It would be challenging and interesting and meaningful.

She rushed toward him. “I’d love to do it. Thank you.”

She leaned forward impulsively, then stopped herself. What was the plan? To hug him? One did not idly hug a prince and she didn’t go around hugging men.

She straightened and took a step back, not sure if she should apologize or pretend it never happened. As’ad rose and crossed to his desk. Apparently he was going to ignore what she’d almost done. Or he hadn’t noticed.

“Then we are agreed,” he said. “You’ll report your progress to me in weekly meetings.” He opened a desk drawer and pulled out a credit card. “Use this to get yourself a laptop and printer. Your suite already has Internet access.”

She hesitated before taking the card. No one had ever offered her a credit card before. She fingered the slim plastic. “I’ll, um, make sure I get a bargain.”

“You don’t have to. Kayleen, do you have any idea how wealthy I am?”

“Not really,” she admitted.

“You don’t need to shop for a bargain.”

But she would. She would be responsible with his money, even if he didn’t care.

“Okay. I’ll get right on ordering one.”

He studied her for a moment. “You may also use that to shop for yourself and the girls.”

“We don’t need anything.”

“You will. Clothes wear out. Even my limited knowledge of children tells me they grow and require new clothes.”

“You’re right.” She stared at the card. “You’re also very kind.”

“I am not. My daughters deserve the best because of who I am.”

“You don’t have a self-esteem crisis, do you?” she asked, both amused and envious.

“No. I am clear on my place in the world.”

Must be nice, she thought longingly.

“You belong here, as well,” he told her.

Because he was once again reading her mind? “Not really.”

“If I say it is so, it is.”

“Thank you” seemed the right response. He was being kind. The truth was, she didn’t belong here at all. She was just staff and easily replaceable.

She turned to leave, but he called her back.

“I’ll get you information on your salary and benefits,” he said. “I should have taken care of that before.”

She smiled. “You’re a prince. I guess you’re not into details.”

“You’re very understanding. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

His dark gaze caught hers. She told herself it was okay to go now, that they were done. But she couldn’t seem to pull away. She felt a powerful need to move closer, to...to... She wasn’t sure what, but
something.

The phone rang. He glanced down and she was able to move again. As much as she wanted to stay, she forced herself to walk out of the office.

* * *

“WE’RE MAKING PROGRESS,” Lina said as she curled up on her bed and held the phone close.

“There is no ‘we,’” Hassan told her. “You are in this on your own.”

“That’s not true. This was all your idea. You’re in this as deeply as I am.”

“You’re a very difficult woman.”

“I know.” She smiled. “It’s part of my charm.”

“You
are
charming.”

She squeezed her eyes shut and did her best not to scream. Not only wasn’t it fitting her position, but she was forty-three. Forty-three-year-old women didn’t go around screaming because a handsome man flirted with them on the phone. Even if that handsome man was the king of Bahania.

“Kayleen really likes As’ad,” she continued. “She’s having a little trouble adjusting to the palace, but who wouldn’t? Still, she’s doing well. He came and talked to me about making sure she had a salary and benefits. He wants to be generous. That’s something.”

“You may be reading too much into what he says.”

“I hope not. She would be good for him. He always holds back his emotions. I blame his father for that.”

“How refreshing,” Hassan said dryly. “One usually blames the mother.”

She laughed. “Speaking as a woman, I would say that needs to change.”

“This is my favorite part of our conversations. The sound of your laughter.”

Her heartbeat went from normal to hyperdrive in two seconds. Good thing she was lying down—otherwise, she would have fallen.

“It is as beautiful as the rest of you.” He paused. “Have I startled you with my confession?”

“Um, no. It’s fine. I mean, thank you.”

He sighed. “How much of this awkwardness is because I am a king and how much of it is because I am so much older?”

“None of it is because you’re the king,” she said without thinking.

His short “I see” had her backpedaling.

“No, no. It’s not about your age. I just wasn’t sure... We’ve never really talked about... I thought we were friends.”

“We are. Do you wish us to be more?”

Oh, my. Talk about putting it all out there.

Lina clutched the phone and told herself to keep breathing. She was terrified to tell the truth, to admit that she thought about him a whole lot more than she should. What if he wanted to know so he could let her down gently?

“Hassan,” she began, then stopped.

“I would like us to be more than friends,” he said. “Does that information make things easier or harder for you?”

She exhaled. “Easier. A lot easier. I want that, too.”

“Good. I did not expect to find you, Lina. You are a gift for which I will always be grateful.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, not sure what else to say. “I’m intrigued, as well.”

“Intrigued,” he repeated. “An interesting choice of words. Perhaps we should explore all the possibilities.”

* * *

AS’AD WALKED INTO his suite at his usual time in the early evening. But instead of quiet, dark rooms, he found the living area bright and loud. Dana and Pepper were stretched out on the floor, watching a show on his large television. Nadine swirled and danced by the window and Kayleen stood at the dining room table, arranging flowers.

She looked up when he entered. “Oh, good. You’re here. I called Neil to ask him what time you’d be home. He didn’t want to tell me.” She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think he likes me.”

“Perhaps he is just trying to protect me.”

“From us?” She asked the question as if it were a ridiculous possibility. “I wanted to have dinner ready, which it is. I have to say, this calling down to the kitchen and ordering food is really fun. We each picked a dish. Which may not have been a good idea. The menu is fairly eclectic.”

She paused for breath, then smiled. “We wanted to have dinner with you.”

She wore another dress that was ugly enough to be offensive. The dull gray fabric sucked the life from her face and the bulky style hid any hint of curve. Yet when she smiled, he found his mood lifting. He wanted to smile back. He wanted to pull her close and discover the body hidden beneath.

Heat stirred, reminding him how long he had lived only for his work.

He ignored the need and the wanting, the heat that forced blood south, and set down his briefcase. He even ignored that, given her past, Kayleen had probably never been with a man, and instead focused on the fact that she and the girls were in his room.

He had made himself extremely clear. She was to keep the children away from him. They had their own suite and everything they could possibly want or need. He had only taken the sisters to keep them from a less desirable fate. Yet when he started to remind Kayleen of that, he could not seem to bring himself to say the words.

Perhaps because she looked so hopeful as she smiled at him. He did not want to squash the light in her eyes.

“I’ll get some wine,” he said, moving to the small wine rack tucked in a cabinet. Something stronger might make the evening go more quickly, but he only had wine in his rooms. He did not, as a rule, drink here. Of course he did not, as a rule, have a woman and three children to contend with.

Nadine danced over to him. “Hi, As’ad,” she said, her eyes bright with happiness, her mouth smiling. “Did you have a good day? I got every word on my spelling test except one and it was really hard. My new teacher says I’m a good speller. I’m good in all my subjects, except math, and Kayleen is gonna help me with that.”

Pepper ran over and pushed in front of Nadine. “Hi! I’m in school, too, and I’m good at math.” She stuck out her tongue at her sister, then smiled back at him. “I made a picture and I brought it for you, but you don’t have a ’frigerator, so where are we gonna put it?”

Dana stood and joined them. “He doesn’t want your picture,” she said, then sighed, as only an older sibling can. “She’s not a very good artist.”

Pepper stomped her foot. “I’m an
excellent
artist. You’re just a butthead.”

Dana gasped, Nadine looked worried and Pepper slapped her hand over her mouth. Terror darkened her blue eyes and she glanced between him and Kayleen. Apparently saying “butthead” was not allowed.

As’ad rubbed his temple.

Kayleen walked over and looked at Pepper. “You know that’s wrong.”

Pepper nodded frantically, her hand still over her mouth.

“You need to apologize to Dana.”

Pepper, a tiny girl with long, curly blond hair, turned to her big sister. “I’m sorry I called you that.”

Dana put her hands on her hips. “That’s not good enough. You always call people—”

Kayleen cleared her throat. Dana hunched her shoulders.

“Thank you for apologizing,” she grumbled.

Kayleen touched Pepper’s shoulder. “Now you help me think of a suitable punishment. What is appropriate for what you did?”

Pepper’s eyes filled with tears. “No story tonight?” she asked in a whisper.

Kayleen considered. “That’s a little harsh. What if you have to give up your choice on movie night? Dana gets two choices instead.”

Pepper shivered slightly, then nodded. “Okay.”

“Good.” Kayleen smiled at As’ad. “We’re healed. You ready to eat?”

He opened the bottle of wine and joined them at the table. When he was seated, before he could pour, Kayleen reached for Pepper’s hand and his. He stared at her.

Pepper leaned toward him. “We have to say grace.”

“Of course.”

He took Kayleen’s hand and Nadine’s, then lowered his head while Kayleen offered brief thanks for their meal. While she served, he poured two glasses of wine and passed her one.

Kayleen handed him a plate. “I’ve never been much of a drinker.”

“Neither have I.” Although under the circumstances, he just might be starting.

This was too much, he thought. More than he’d expected or wanted. There were children at his table. And a woman he did not know and was not going to sleep with, and having sex with her would be the only acceptable reason to have her here. Yet he saw no easy way to escape.

“We go around the table and talk about our day,” Kayleen said as she passed Dana her plate. “Everyone has to say one good thing that happened. I hope that’s okay.”

And if it was not?

He glanced down at the plate in front of him. Lasagna, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and a salad.

“Perhaps some kind of menu would be helpful,” he told Kayleen.

“I know. I’ll get one made up. But the girls really wanted to order you their favorites.”

Dana talked about how she’d finished her homework early and had found a collection of medical texts in the palace’s main library. Nadine mentioned her dance class and how well she’d done.

“I hit a boy,” Pepper announced cheerfully. “He was teasing these three girls. He’s kinda big, but I wasn’t scared. So I hit him. The teacher didn’t like it but because I’m new, she said she was going to let it go this one time. I heard this other teacher saying that boy needed a good beating and maybe I’m the one to give it to him.” She beamed. “That was fun.”

Kayleen quickly covered her mouth with her napkin. As’ad saw the humor in her eyes and knew she was hiding a smile. He took a sip of wine to keep from laughing. He liked Pepper—she had the heart of a lion.

“Perhaps hitting boys is not the best plan,” he said as he set the glass down. “One day one of them might hit you back.”

“I’m tough,” she said.

“Still. Violence is a poor strategy.”

“What’s a better one?”

He hesitated, not sure what to say.

Kayleen grinned. “We’re all waiting to be dazzled by your strategy.”

“Perhaps you would like to offer a suggestion?” he asked.

“Not really. Go ahead.”

Privately he agreed with Pepper’s approach, but he doubted it would be successful as she grew.