The Sheikh's Fiery Lover (The Tazeem Twins Series Book 2) (4 page)

It had been two days since Joshua left on his business trip. She’d been trying to put on a brave face, but it was tough.

“Please, Miss Rene, cheer up,” Maria said in a soothing voice.

Muna gave Rene’s shoulder a reassuring rub, “He will be back soon, these business trips never last very long.” 

“Back soon...” Rene fidgeted with her hands as a memory flashed across her eyes.

“Miss Rene?”

Rene snapped back to reality, “Oh, nothing. Just Deja-vu,” she said, forcing a smile.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Maria said, blinking.

Rene glanced between her two maids, taking in their concerned stares. They’d been so good to her since her arrival, but she hadn’t shared her past with anyone but Tanya before.

Rene gulped in a big breath and then began, “I was six. My father always worked so hard. Then one day… I was too young to understand, I just thought maybe he was at work or something.” Rene stared down at her hands, “So I’d take Molly; my little teddy bear and sit on the doorstep, waiting for my dad to return.”

Muna squeezed Rene’s hand, “The prince will be back, Miss Rene. You know he loves you.”

“For months, I waited. I never saw my father ever again. Now, Joshua is always in the office and I’m always stuck waiting here. Those feelings I’d long buried have resurfaced,” Rene said softly as she let the tears fall.

*****

“Miss Rene?”

Rene slowly blinked her eyes open, feeling groggy from her sleep.

“The Prince is back!” Maria said smiling widely, “See, we told you!”

Rene dressed quickly and made her way to Joshua's quarters to join him for breakfast. He was already at the table when she arrived and he stood up as soon as he saw her walk in. Running into his arms, he swept her up into a hug before kissing her. Moaning, Rene wrapped her arms around his neck as she opened her mouth to his. It felt so good to be in his arms again.

“Morning, my love,” he said to her as he set her down.

“Hi,” Rene replied breathlessly. She didn’t realize how much she had missed him up until now. Simply being this close to him made her forget that she was angry. She loved the feel of his strong arms around her. It made her feel safe. She took a moment to inhale his scent and then sat down.

“How are you this morning?” he asked her.

“I am fine,” Rene replied. One of the maids poured her some coffee. “Thank you,” she said as the maid nodded and left.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Not as well without you, but yes.”

“Did you dream of me?”

Rene let out a small laugh. “I did not,” she said.

“I think you did.”

“I most certainly did not!” Rene protested. She had dreamt of him on other nights, just not last night. She could see that Joshua did not believe her. She took a bite of her na’an and stifled a groan. It was fresh and warm, just how she liked it.

“Denial.”

“I am not denying anything. I simply did not dream about you.”

“Overly explaining yourself does not make me believe you more.”

“Joshua!” Rene called out. She looked at his face and raised an eyebrow. “Is it because you dreamt of me?” she asked him. Joshua did not respond as he sat there looking at her, chewing his eggs with an expressionless face. It made Rene feel a little nervous. She broke off eye contact and took a sip of her coffee. She swallowed and asked him, “Are you recalling the dream?”

“No, but I am picturing you naked,” Joshua replied. Rene choked as she quickly swallowed her food. He said the words as if they were normal and as he spoke them, he did not take his eyes off her face.

“What?” she asked him.

“Naked,” he replied simply. “I find that I cannot stop thinking about you naked. On the bed, in the shower, in the hot tub. The feel of your skin. Running my fingers through your hair. You intoxicate me.”

Rene's eyes flew open, as she took a sidelong look at the maids standing at the entrance looking straight ahead. She blushed when she saw their own flushed faces.

“We are having breakfast right now,” she said to him, “And, we are not alone.” He shrugged his shoulders as if he did not understand what was so wrong about what he had just said.

“After?”

“Oh Joshua, you are something else.” Rene shook her head as she searched for something cold to drink. The room had suddenly grown quite warm and she needed to cool herself down. She spotted some orange juice and poured herself a glass, gulping it quickly.

“Fine,” Joshua said. As they finished eating, they rose from the table. Striding over to her, he wrapped his arms around her as he tilted her back for a kiss. As he plundered her mouth, Rene moaned, as she placed her hand on his chest for support. Standing her back up, he held her elbows until she was able to stand on her own. He kissed the top of her head before stepping back. “There is something for you on my dresser,” he said to her and left. Excited, she sprang to her feet and rushed to his bedroom.

Rubbing her flushed cheeks, she smiled broadly when she saw the clear vase with purple roses. Joshua could be so sweet when he wanted to be. Hugging the vase, she inhaled the fragrant flowers as she giggled to herself.
He really did care for her.

Rene frowned when she noticed some papers next to the vase. Picking them up, she realised that they were work-related. She growled and put them back down. The sweet moment was instantly ruined by his work, which always had a way of creeping up and ruining everything. She could not help but feel that if it came down to it, he would choose his work over her. Was there a place for her in his life?

Rene picked up a rose. “He loves me,” she said and pulled a rose petal off. “He loves me not,” she said and plucked out another. As she kept going, she wondered if it was all worth it. Maybe their relationship was meant to be nothing more than a fling.

The men in her life seemed to leave when she needed them most. Her father walked out on her and her mother, and Craig, her fiancé, had cheated on her one week before their wedding. Well, that’s when he was caught. Who knows how long he had been cheating on her prior. And Joshua was a workaholic.

She left his bedroom and headed back to her quarters. For once, they had finished breakfast together and he had not left halfway through to go to the office. Rene sighed as she walked back into her quarters. Muna and Maria both bowed their heads when she walked in.

“Is everything okay, Miss Rene?” Muna asked.

“Is it that obvious?” Rene asked her. She walked over to the sofa and threw herself on it. The palace was so huge and yet she felt so alone.

“Is there anything we can help you with?” Maria asked.

“Unless you can stop Joshua from working so much, no,” Rene replied forlornly. “I am feeling a bit homesick and there are times that even when we are in the same room together, I feel all alone.” Looking up at the women, she gave a soft smile, “I am sorry, I do not mean to go on like this. Please. I do not need anything right now, you can go.”

As the maids bowed and turned to leave, they both gave her a sad look, as she stared at the roses she still clutched to her chest. It was clear that she was not like the other women the princes tended to associate with and they both hoped that Prince Joshua would not break her heart.

Joshua sat in his office reviewing the contract concerning the Russians one more time. Although he had read it several times already, he wanted to make sure every single detail was perfect. It was important to him that this deal went through flawlessly.

It was their father, the king, who had first set up this contract many years ago and it was his superior negotiating skills and unrelenting authority in the boardroom that assured the prosperity of the oil pipeline through their country. The twins spent months working on the renewal negotiations and they did not want to disappoint their father or their people. But Rene’s presence was making it tough to focus.

“Joshua.” James said. He looked up and saw his brother staring at him with a puzzled look.

“James, when did you get here?”

“I have been standing here for a while now but it seems as if there is something occupying your mind, brother.” James pulled up a chair and sat opposite him.

“I am reading over the contract.”

“Could have fooled me. What’s really on your mind?”

Joshua sighed. His brother knew him too well. Of course, he did, they had come into the world together, played together, learned together, fought together. They had been reading each other's thoughts since they were little. “Rene,” Joshua finally said.

“What about her?” James asked, tilting his head to the side.

“She complains that I work too much.”

James raised his eyebrows. “She knows how important your work is to you, does she not?” he asked.

Joshua leaned back into his chair. “I do not think that she does understand.”

“You have to take into consideration that she is a western woman. Maybe men over there are quite different to us.”

“I wish that she would be more understanding.”

James sighed. “Brother, you have much to learn about women.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Joshua cut him off.

“It means you might not be the best at understanding women.” James said.

“I have no time for love and understanding women. I need to do my job. Our father groomed us to take over his empire, and that is what we must do.”

James raised his eyebrows. “One day, the time will come when you will settle down with a woman. Since you brought Rene back with you, we assumed that it was going to be her,” he said. Joshua narrowed his gaze at him. 

“We have work to do.” He did love Rene but she wanted more than he could give her. She needed to understand the kind of man he was and she needed to accept it.

James smiled and shook his head. “I will leave you to it,” he said as he got up from his seat and left the office. 

*****

The next morning, James and Joshua went to dine with their parents for breakfast at their private residence away from the palace. They were preparing to meet with the Russians again and their father had requested their presence.

The twins sat in the back of the chauffeur-driven Bentley on the way to their parents’ house, each reading through a document. James looked up from the paper in his hands and out the window. “Hey, isn’t that Jazon Laiks’s house?”

Joshua glanced up, “Wow, it is. How many years has it been?”

“Twenty? Maybe more?” James said, then gave a laugh, “He used to have the best birthday parties.”

“Yeah. Ours weren’t so bad, either!” Joshua replied giving his brother a light punch on the arm.

“At least until our tenth. We were expecting action figures and we got a private tutor instead. Thanks, dad!” James said, as he laughed.

“We should be thanking him,” Joshua said, tensing his fists and feeling his heartbeat jump. “We are the men we are today because of him. He groomed us for this, whatever we gave up, it was worth it. And that’s why we are going to nail this deal.”

They entered their father's house, acknowledging the guards inside. The interior was grand, beautifully and intricately designed. Each piece of furniture had been selected and placed for a specific purpose. The hard uncomfortable chairs designed to avoid lengthy conversations and the pictures of the King with famous diplomats adorning the walls demonstrated his power. Joshua felt no personal attachment towards his father's house. Whenever he came to see his father, it was usually about business. They rarely spoke of other matters.

They walked down the corridor and entered the dining room. The queen was already sitting at the table when they walked in. She stood up with a smile on her face.

“My boys!” She kissed both her sons on both cheeks before the three of them sat down at the table. “It has been far too long.”

“It has. We have missed you,” Joshua said. He meant it, his mother always made him smile.

“Yes, life has been so tough without your delicious Basbousa cake!” James replied.

“Oh yes, tortuous!” Joshua added.

The queen laughed, “Stop it, you two! Anyway, Joshua, I hear there is a certain gi-”

All three of them turned to face the dining room door as the king entered.

He was dressed in an expensive navy blue suit and a white cotton shirt. Joshua swore his wardrobe consisted solely of suits or traditional wear. The king nodded and sat down at the long table and looked over the variety of pastries, fruits, and cooked meats spread before him. James and Joshua sat down after the king was seated and a hollow silence filled the air.

“So, you are going to meet with the Russians again?” the king finally asked. Although he had retired, he still kept tabs on what was going on.

“Yes. We leave this afternoon,” James replied. The king nodded as he chewed a pastry.

“Are you confident that you can get this contract renewed?”

“Yes, we will be successful,” Joshua replied.

The king laughed with satisfaction. “Good!” he said and sipped his tea. 

“Enough business talk,” the queen interrupted. “What will happen to that girl?” she asked. Joshua narrowed his gaze. He knew his mother was referring to Rene.

“What girl?” the king asked, his thick eyebrows crossing.

“The one your son brought back to the palace.”

“She will remain here,” Joshua replied. He was not going to take her with him, if that was what his mother expected him to do. Joshua never liked to mix business with pleasure.

“Mother, don't you like her?” James asked her as he took a sip out of his cup. 

“I do not know what to make of her yet,” the queen replied. The king kept eating his food. Joshua was not surprised that his father was not getting involved. He did not really care about such things.

“Well, I like her,” James said.

The queen looked at them both, “The two of you should have married by now. I am ready for grandchildren.”

Joshua and James looked at each other. It was not the first time their mother had brought up marriage. Joshua had protested stronger than James did, as work was his primary focus.

“Not this again,” Joshua groaned.

“It is true. When your father was your age, we were already married and had our first child,” the queen said.

“And that was great for the two of you.”

“Did you have women in mind for us?” James asked.

“Do not encourage her, brother.”

“I do actually,” the queen said and wiped her mouth with a napkin.

“I am not interested,” Joshua said.

James laughed at his reaction. “Glad you find this amusing,” he said to him.

“How can you say that you are not interested when you have not even met the young lady?” the queen asked him.

“I am not ready to be wed,” Joshua replied.

“Is it because of that girl?”

“No! I am simply not ready to marry.”

“I found some beautiful African flame lilies,” James said.

“Do not try to change the subject,” she replied as she glared at James.

“I just remembered them and I had to tell you. You don't want them?”

“Of course I do.” Joshua knew the queen loved flowers, especially African flame lilies because they were such rare flowers. He could not wait for this meal to be over and he was grateful that James changed the subject when he did. Otherwise their mother was going to go on and on about grandchildren.

When they had finished eating breakfast, they bid their parents farewell. The king left for a cabinet meeting and they returned to the palace to prepare for their departure. Dining with their parents was always difficult for Joshua. He had no emotional connection to his father and their discussions were always about business, even growing up. Whereas, their mother clearly loved them, but she often delved into their personal lives far more than he would prefer.