The Sheikh's Amulet (Sheikh's Wedding Bet Series Book 3) (2 page)

J
aymin was sexy
. All the Khalidizack men were attractive, but Tamrin hadn’t expected to get so up close and personal with the next crowned sheikh. Her entire body had responded to their careless bantering, and for a moment, she’d gotten swept away.

It was hard not to lock eyes with him as she made her move. Taking a deep breath, she reached up to touch the amulet. It was supposed to be a thoughtless gesture. A woman touching her necklace could mean a countless number of things. Maybe she was attracted to the person watching her. Maybe she was touching it for comfort or confidence.

Only when she reached up to touch it, it was gone.

Tamrin clawed at her neck and looked around in a panic. She heard a scream and it took her a moment to realize that it had come from her. The guests were silent and staring at her, but the necklace was gone. The amulet was gone!

“Someone stole it,” she whispered. “Someone stole the Menalik amulet. It’s gone. Oh God, it’s gone.”

The crowd parted, and Jaymin reached her. “Tamrin, what’s wrong?” His eyes immediately lowered to her bare neck, and he inhaled sharply. “The amulet.”

“What the hell kind of stunt are you pulling, Khalidizack?” a male voice boomed. “Why is my daughter panicking in the middle of your party?”

Tamrin’s eyes widened, and she positioned herself between the two men. “Father, calm down. Please. It’s not his fault. Someone stole the amulet.” Wrapping her arms around her body, she stared at her father. She was trying to diffuse the situation, but as she stared at the anger in her father’s face, the anxious ball inside her tightened. Heaving her chest, she tried to catch her breath. “Someone stole the amulet,” she repeated softly. Over and over again, the sentence ran through her mind.

“How could you not have better security?” her father roared. “How is that possible? I want everyone in here searched! No one leaves until we find that amulet!”

Jaymin grabbed Tamrin’s arm and immediately hustled her out of the room with her father right behind them. The rumors were already circulating. She could hear the whispers and feel the heat of their stares. Once she and her father were in a private room, Jaymin stuck his head out the door to speak to someone.

Once the doors were closed behind him, Jaymin looked at her sadly. “We have country leaders at this party, Tamrin. I’m sorry. I can’t have people searched before they leave.”

“Someone stole it, Jaymin. Someone stole my amulet. I can’t…I can’t breathe. I need to find it. I can’t lose it. I can’t. Please, you have to help me. You have to search them. I can’t leave without it. I can’t!” Her eyes fluttered, and her whole body began to shake. Suddenly, she closed her eyes and felt the anxiety closing in, and she slid to the floor.

When her eyes finally opened, her father and Jaymin were staring down at her. “Tamrin, are you okay?” Jaymin asked softly as he leaned down to stroke her head.

Inhaling, she breathed air into her lungs and lifted herself up. “I’m fine,” she muttered as she pressed a hand to her head. “Seriously, I’m fine.”

“Mr. Lewis, I’d like to offer you and your daughter a place here at the palace for the night. It’s the least I can do after you’ve been compromised within the walls of my home. Stay until we can straighten this out. Please.”

“It’s Sean,” her father said gruffly. “And until that necklace is found, we accept.”

“No,” Tamrin said with a shake of her head. “Thank you, Jaymin, but we can’t possibly accept. We’re going back to the hotel tonight, and tomorrow we’ll revisit the situation. I’m sorry I made such a scene.”

“Tamrin, the amulet is gone,” Sean said darkly. “I want it found.”

“So do I, Dad. But panicking and threatening all the guests is not going to get the amulet back. We’ll go back to the hotel, I’ll clear my mind and try to retrace my steps and figure it out. I had it when I spoke to Jaymin earlier. So that’s only about ten minutes where someone could have swiped it. And I can’t think about those ten minutes when you’re both hovering. So we’ll go back to our hotel rooms so I can think,” Tamrin snapped.

“You can have a quiet place here to think,” Jaymin reminded her.

“I can’t.” Tamrin told him, shaking her head. “I appreciate the offer, but I just had a panic attack and fainted. I don’t think I’ll find much peace here tonight.”

The future crown sheikh nodded. “Very well. I’ll call someone to get your car pulled around, and I’ll be in touch in the morning. In the meantime, I’ll have security start reviewing the guest list. We’ll get to the bottom of this, I promise.”

A shadow crossed over his face, and Tamrin had to turn away. He thought it was all his fault. He was bearing the responsibility, and she couldn’t look at him. Sharing a private look with her father, she took his arm, and he led her out.

* * *

J
aymin tapped
his finger furiously on the wood table. He didn’t personally know everyone at the event, but there was no one hurting for money. Everyone at that party was beyond wealthy, so no one would have stolen it for its monetary value.

“Someone knew what it was.” He closed his eyes and tried to think back to the conversation he and Tamrin had. Any number of people could have overheard them, plus he had no idea who she spoke with at the party. There was no telling how many people knew the history of that amulet.

He’d spent all night going over it in his head, but he was no closer to figuring out who had stolen that damn necklace.

“Sheikh Khalidizack?”

Jaymin lifted his head and rolled his eyes. “It’s Jaymin. We’ve been working together for ten years. You can drop the sheikh,” he muttered to Kaz, his head of security. “Please tell me that you’ve found something.”

“I’ve found something,” Kaz said with a smile. “We’ve interviewed everyone at the party with as much discretion as possible. No one has admitted to anything, but the serving staff have all mentioned an individual in particular who we can’t account for. A black-haired woman who came in with the caterers. No one is sure where she came from or where she disappeared to.”

“Good.” Jaymin nodded. “That’s good. We have a lead.” Then he frowned.

Kaz noticed. “I thought you’d be more excited.”

“She stole from the most well-protected structure in this country. You are the best-trained security guard that money can buy. I can’t even begin to imagine how talented this woman is. You have to respect that kind of talent.”

“Sir?”

Jaymin shrugged and stood. “I want everyone out looking for her. I might respect her talent, but she still stole from my party, and I want her found.”

Kaz smiled. “Yes, sir.”

“Keep me updated. I’m going to talk to Tamrin and inform her of the good news.” He spread the palm of his hand over his suit and looked down to make sure there were no wrinkles.

“And you want to look good while you do it?” Kaz said stoically, but there was a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

Jaymin stared at him. “Excuse me?”

“As you’ve pointed out, sir, we’ve known each other for a long time. That is your best casual suit. You only wear that when you’re trying to impress someone. So who are you trying to impress, Jaymin?”

“Are you implying something?” Jaymin said as he narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms.

Kaz’s mouth twitched into a smile. “I’m not implying anything. I’m observing. I’ll let you know if we find anything,” he said as he nodded his head and turned to leave the room.

“I’m speaking to a victim from my event,” Jaymin called out coldly. “There’s nothing else going on.” But Kaz was already gone, and Jaymin was speaking to an empty room. Shaking his head, he fiddled with his sleeves and frowned. There was nothing out of the ordinary with what he chose to wear. Tamrin deserved for Jaymin to take this robbery seriously, and that’s all that was on his mind.

Pushing aside any other thoughts that lingered, he picked up the phone and called Tamrin’s hotel room. When she answered, her voice sounded groggy.

“Ms. Lewis? This is Jaymin Khalidizack. I apologize for waking you, but I wanted to speak to you about the latest development in your case.”

“Okay.” Tamrin cleared her throat. “I can come meet you, or did you want to discuss it over the phone?”

“Actually, I was hoping for a more formal setting. Would you be interested in having dinner with me this evening? In a strictly professional manner, of course. Your father is invited as well.”

“That won’t be necessary. It was my necklace, and I’ll be responsible for communicating with you. Dinner this evening will be fine.”

There wasn’t a single hint of nerves in her voice. She sounded as calm and collected as he desperately wanted to feel. It helped him to focus. “Excellent. I’ll have a car pick you up at seven. See you then, Ms. Lewis.”

There was a pause on the other end. “Thank you, Sheikh Khalidizack.”

Jaymin hung up the phone and stared at the table in somber silence. He could have just told her over the phone. There was no reason for him to think that the phone line wasn’t secure, and he really didn’t have anything sensitive to tell her. He had a woman who snuck in with the catering staff and was now unaccounted for. He should have just told her so he could focus on the next phase of the investigation.

That’s what he should have done, but instead he’d extended an invitation for dinner. A business dinner. Because as much as he enjoyed looking at her, he had another problem that he needed to deal with. Someone stealing from his party was a serious lapse in his security, and he couldn’t risk that kind of information getting out. Jaymin needed to charm Tamrin and convince her to let him handle things from the inside before everything spiraled too far out of control.

J
aymin had
a private table waiting at the most exclusive restaurant in the city. On the VIP balcony, they would have the privacy and quiet to discuss the theft, but she would be able to see the diners and dance floor below. He hoped that it would afford the distraction that she might need from the difficult situation he’d managed to put her in.

She arrived at exactly seven-fifteen. His driver had already informed him that Tamrin had been ready and there would be no delays in the evening. It was important to Jaymin that everything go to plan. They would order wine and dinner. Over the appetizer, he would discuss what he had found. Over dinner, he would ask her for more information on the amulet. And over dessert, he would discuss his plan with her. By the time dinner was over, he would hopefully have impressed upon her how seriously he was taking the situation and how important it was to avoid making it public.

When she ascended the stairs, he stood and smoothed a hand down his shirt. She was dressed in a conservative black dress that looked anything but conservative on her. It stopped mid-thigh but still accentuated her impossibly long legs. Before he could stop himself, his gaze lingered on her slim figure. Elegant. The only word he could use to describe her was elegant.

In a panic, he snapped his eyes up and held out his hand. “Ms. Lewis. Thank you for meeting me.”

Tamrin smiled at him as she took his hand. He led her to the table and pulled her chair out for her. “So stern,” she murmured as she sat down. “Jaymin, I’m more than happy to have dinner with you, but if you keep calling me Ms. Lewis and acting so formal, it’s going to be the most boring dinner in the world. So, unless you stole it, and I’m quite sure you didn’t, you are not responsible for the theft of my pendant. These things happen, and the most important thing is that we move forward with deciding how to fix it.”

Jaymin’s eyes widened as she finished her speech. “All that’s important to me, too.”

Biting her bottom lip, she reached out and lightly touched his arm. “So, this is just a professional dinner?”

He stiffened under her touch. He was supposed to be charming her tonight, not the other way around. “Did you have something else in mind?”

“You could let the police handle the investigation. I appreciate all the hard work that you’re putting into this, but I’m sure someone like you has more important things to do.”

“No police,” he said. His words were harsher than he’d anticipated, and she immediately pulled back and stared at him.

“Excuse me? What do you mean no police?” she asked suspiciously.

Angry with himself for slipping, he relaxed his shoulders and smiled at her. “I’m afraid I must confess that I’ve taken the loss of your amulet personally, Ms. Lewis. The theft occurred on Khalidizack property at a party I organized. Given recent history,” he paused, hoping she knew what he was talking about, before continuing, “if word got out that we were unable to resolve this internally, things could become embarrassing for us.”

Picking up her glass, she sipped the water. He could feel her studying him from above the rim. “You’re so stiff and formal. Are you going to call me Ms. Lewis all night?”

“Most women consider it a sign of respect.”

A brilliant smile spread across her face, and he was struck by her raw beauty. He immediately signaled for the waiter. “Are you a white or red wine drinker?”

“Definitely red wine. I like something bold,” she said mischievously.

Jaymin nearly choked and quickly tried to clear his throat to hide his reaction. “Red wine it is,” he said softly. The waiter came around, and he ordered a Barolo. He hoped she would enjoy its rich, peppery taste. He also ordered their appetizer and gave her a few minutes to look over the menu. After the wine was poured and the dinners were ordered, Jaymin tried to take control of the conversation.

“Security has found an individual who’s unaccounted for within the catering staff. A black-haired woman entered, claiming to be a last minute substitute, but no one can account for her after the party started. My guards are now privately interviewing everyone at the party to see if we can pinpoint her actions during the event. I can’t say that she’s the one who lifted the necklace, but the fact that she’s unaccounted for is telling.”

Tamrin frowned in concentration. “I see. Do you have anything to go on other than black hair? I mean, over half the females at the party had dark hair, and I really didn’t pay any attention to the catering staff.”

He sipped his wine and nodded. “You’re not wrong. Unfortunately, we don’t have anything other than that. It’s feasible that she changed after entering the party and blended in after that, so unless someone comes forward and mentions that they witnessed a change in attire, we can’t be sure what she was wearing. We are reviewing the video footage from the cameras, as well as checking any photos that were taken during the party, but it has been a slow process, as we can’t demand that the guests show us the photos they took.”

He expected her shoulders to slump in defeat, but instead she smiled and nodded. “Okay. Well, it seems that you have a plan, and that plan sounds solid to me. Jaymin, once again, I don’t blame you for this.”

“You are so relaxed about this,” Jaymin commented, as he stared at her.

She sipped at her wine and shrugged. “I know that I really freaked out at the party, but in the heat of the moment, I panicked. I did more than panic, and for that, I apologize. But that’s just what I do. I react, and then I calm down and think everything through. You will find that I am normally relaxed, and I will stay relaxed.”

“I appreciate that.”

“Jaymin, you don’t have to stay so uptight. I trust you. I need you to trust me, and this dinner is an excellent start with that.”

He couldn’t help but smile. Just being in her presence made all the muscles in his body relax. This was a sensitive situation, but her reaction to it made everything better. And it was contagious. She was happy and positive, and now he felt the same. For the first time in months, he was enjoying himself.

“Okay,” he said softly as he stared at her. “I trust you.”

Her smile was almost triumphant, and she ate with gusto. Everything that she touched, everything that she ate, seemed to bring her even more pleasure. For an odd moment, he felt peaceful watching her. Despite the reason for their dinner, he felt a sense of pleasure just being with her. She was completely at ease, and that was something he envied. He hadn’t felt at ease with himself for a very long time.

When dinner was over, he realized that he wasn’t quite ready for the evening to end, but there was nothing left for him to do. After paying for dinner, he stood and nodded. “Tamrin, thank you for an enjoyable evening. I’d like to leave this by assuring you that I will do everything within my power to find your amulet.”

Tamrin gave him a surprised look. “Jaymin, you make it sound like this is over. I’ve been watching people dance downstairs all evening, and now I would like to join them.”

“What?” He frowned. “I’m not sure that would be appropriate.”

“Appropriate?” she said with a laugh. “Jaymin, I can tell how tense you are. I appreciate how seriously you take this matter, but if you can’t loosen up a little, you’re not going to figure this out.”

His forehead creased as he tried to connect the dots. “I’m not sure what one has to do with the other.”

“When that necklace was stolen from me, I expected to be dealing with the police. The fact that you have taken this under your wing is flattering, but I know that you have a lot on your plate. I don’t want this to be the reason that you lose your self-control, so if we’re going to do this, then we are going to do it together. And if I’m going to work with you, then I’m going to need you to loosen up a bit. Dance with me, Jaymin. Dance with me so I know that we can make this work,” she said, as she stretched out her hand. She sounded so sincere and determined that Jaymin didn’t know how to deny her.

“Very well,” he said as he took her hand.

Giving him a crooked smile, she led him to the stairwell. “If you’re a terrible dancer, now would be the time to tell me. I should know if I’m about to be embarrassed.”

“Embarrassed? I’ve had dance lessons since I was five,” he said dryly. “You’ll have to keep up.”

Laughing, she pulled him to the dance floor and flowed easily into his arms. “Dancing is about having a good lead. So this is only going to work if you can lead.”

“It all depends on how well you can follow,” he said teasingly. “You don’t strike me as someone who follows very well.”

She tossed her head back and laughed, and he was stunned by her beauty. Dancing with her, he forgot about everything. He forgot about the missing necklace. He forgot about his duties as the next crown sheikh. He forgot about all the pressure of the responsibilities to his family. The world melted away, and it was just her in his arms. And she fit perfectly.

“Sheikh Khalidizack,” she murmured. “Do you ever take the time to have any fun?”

“My responsibilities are fun,” he said with a frown.

Tamrin snorted and looked up. “I’m in your arms, and you just told me that responsibilities are fun. You really need to loosen up.”

“I am dancing with you,” he argued. “How much looser do I need to be?”

Her hands were hooked around his shoulders, and she slowly slid them over his chest. “You’re very tense here.” Her hands traveled lower to his abdomen. “And here.”

Jaymin’s body stirred, and he almost moaned when, instead of going lower, she hooked her hands around his shoulders again. Pressing her body against his, she bit her bottom lip and batted her eyes. “I bet I know what could loosen you up.”

“And what would that be?” he asked softly.

She turned in his arms and wrapped his arms around her. “More dancing,” she laughed.

If she could tease him, he could certainly return the favor. His hands were pressed against her sides, but he moved them over her flat tummy and up higher until his thumbs brushed just under her breasts. He heard her breath hitch, and he waited for her to slap his hands away, but she didn’t.

“You don’t seem tense at all,” he murmured hotly in her ear. “But then I haven’t checked everywhere.”

“Touché,” she moaned. “And unless you plan on finishing the job, I suggest you stop touching me like that.”

“Do you like it?”

“Move your hands lower, and you might just find out.”

He was so tempted to hike her dress up and slide his finger inside her just to see how wet he could make her. He was certainly hard enough to finish the job.

Before he could indulge in his fantasy, she pulled away. She was breathless, but he could see the joy on her face. “I should probably go,” she said softly. “I’m sure you have an early morning.”

“I do. I have a necklace to find.” He reached over to take her hand. “I’ll walk you to the car.”

Her expression softened and she nodded. “I’ve never had a driver wait for me before. Normally, I call a taxi for this kind of thing.”

The air outside was considerably warmer than the circulated air conditioning inside. Two cars immediately pulled up to the front, and the drivers stepped out. One for him and one for her. Just like that, the magic of the night was over.

“Thank you for dinner,” she said as she gazed at him. “I can’t believe that I’m saying this, but I had a good time.”

He raised his eyebrows mockingly. “You didn’t think dinner with me would be fun?”

“Jaymin, are you going to kiss me goodnight or is there some other reason that you’re stalling the end of the evening?”

Stepping close to her, he bent his head. “Do you want a kiss from me?” he whispered.

“Answering a question with a question is a tactical stalling technique,” she said with a laugh, and he immediately leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. At first, she stilled under him as if she’d never expected him to kiss her, but then she opened up to him. He immediately delved in to taste her. She was sweet and warm, and he lost himself at the very first taste. Moaning softly, he pulled her even closer and let his hands roam down her body.

After what seemed like forever, she pressed her hands to his chest and pushed him away. “Good night, Jaymin.”

Shocked by his blatant carnal reaction to her, he watched her duck into the car. “Sir?” his own driver asked. “Are you ready to go?”

Turning his head, he stared at his driver. “I suppose I am,” he murmured. Stepping into the car, he rested his head on the window and wondered what the hell had happened.