The Sheik's Ruby (13 page)

Shelby was not heavy, and Hakim was in good shape, but one hundred yards over uneven rocks was a long way to carry anyone. He worried when he felt his arms tire, but when he felt Shelby’s head drop onto his chest, his strength revived.

“I’m sorry, Hakim,” Shelby said as he set her on the blanket. “That was a long way.”

Instead of answering, Hakim sat next to Shelby and put his arm around her. Placing her head onto his shoulder, he lay back, pulling her down to lie next to him, resting his free hand behind his head. “Just rest for a few minutes, Shelby Jo.”

She didn’t argue and instead, rolled on her side, nestling closer.

He held her tighter, feeling the heat from her body where she pressed against him. Hakim listened to Shelby’s breathing slow and deepen as she fell asleep. As he kissed the top of her head, he breathed in the fresh smell of her hair.

Hakim had never had this kind of closeness with a woman. He had never spoken with anyone about his mother or the pain he still felt over her loss. Soon after her death, he had tried to talk to his father, but it was not long before he learned men in his family were expected to cope with their feelings silently.

When he thought about leaving Shelby, he felt an emptiness in his heart. He knew their separation was unavoidable, but seeing her again made it so much harder to imagine being without her. Could the two of them ever have a future together? He didn’t know how such an eventuality was possible, but he held on to the hope that he would figure out a way to keep from losing her. It would obviously mean telling her the truth, but he was sure he would find a way to do it, and she would forgive him for keeping his identity hidden.

Eventually, he would need to make some decisions, but for now, he was content to just hold Shelby and feel her soft body melt into his and hope that somehow their relationship would last.

Shelby woke and lifted her head. “Hakim.” She turned to face him and blinked. “How long did I sleep?”

“Perhaps an hour. I did not keep track of the time.”

“I am so sorry. How embarrassing. I…”

Hakim brushed his thumb across her lips. “Please do not apologize. I cannot remember ever spending an afternoon in a more pleasant manner.” Rolling onto his side, he caressed her cheek with his fingers. He stroked her hair, studying her face before he pulled her closer, kissing her forehead, her nose, and finally her lips.

Shelby tickled the back of his neck, sending shivers down his spine. The kiss deepened, and Shelby’s hand tightened on his back. Hakim kissed her cheek and felt her tremble when his lips touched her earlobe.

She laid her head back onto his arm, her hair splaying around her head.

“What are you thinking about right now?” he whispered, nuzzling her ear.

Her face reddened. “Do we still have to be honest?”

Hakim ran his fingers over her collarbone. His mind briefly acknowledged the lack of restrictions in America, and how welcome they were. He would never be permitted to take such liberties with a woman in his country. “Definitely.”

Shelby licked her bottom lip. “I was thinking your lips are really soft, for a guy, and your whiskers are tickling my face.” She traced the hair around his lips with her fingers.

Hakim chuckled as he bent to kiss her again, relishing the sensation of warmth that spread throughout his body.

The afternoon air grew cool. Hakim gave Shelby a piggy-back ride down to the ATV, and they drove back to the ranch. They approached the house and saw a black car parked in the driveway.

“That is Nasir.” Hakim drew his brows together. “I wonder what…”

“Go ahead and talk to him, I’ll take in this stuff.” She indicated the backpack. “Nasir is welcome to stay for dinner.” Shelby waved to Nasir, and turned to go into the house.

Hakim caught her arm and turned her toward him. He brushed a kiss on her lips and then strode toward the car.

Nasir stepped out of the driver’s seat

Hakim’s chest tightened. Nasir was not supposed to be here. His bodyguard would only have changed the plan and acted against the prince’s wishes if something were wrong. Five minutes later, Hakim walked up the wooden steps of the front porch.

Nasir followed. “I must insist again that we depart immediately, Your Highness.”

Hakim turned, holding onto the wooden railing with one hand. Anger and fear battled inside him, making his stomach quiver. “I will not leave Shelby without an explanation, and again, I wish to speak with her alone.”

“I acknowledge your demand, Your Highness, but after what has happened, I will not allow you from my sight.”

Hakim turned and ascended the last steps. He remembered how nervous he had been the first time he had stood at this door. That paled in comparison to the stomach-twisting fear he felt now. The front door stood slightly ajar, and Hakim knocked before pushing it open.

Debbie glanced up from where she sat on the couch, folding clothes. “Are you feeling okay, dear? You look a little pale.”

“Yes, thank you. I am just a bit tired.”

“I’m sure Shelby won’t mind changing plans if you aren’t feeling well.”

“Hey, Hakim.” Chet didn’t look up from where he was sprawled next to his mom scrolling through the channels.

“Hello, Chet.”

Nasir stepped into the doorway, moving behind Hakim.

Debbie widened her eyes.

“Debbie, this is my friend, Nasir.” Hakim swept his hand toward the man behind him. He tapped his fingers against his jeans as he looked past her, wondering where Shelby had gone.

“Hello, Nasir.” Debbie looked back to Chet. She edged away from the door and toward her son when she saw the large man in her house.

Seeing her nervous behavior, Hakim turned to Nasir and in Arabic asked him to wait outside.

Nasir folded his arms across his chest and shook his head.

Debbie widened her eyes and lifted a hand to the base of her neck as she heard the men arguing.

Hakim said as much to Nasir.

“It does not concern me, Your Highness. I am here to protect you, not the feelings of others.”

Shelby entered the room from the kitchen.

Hakim felt a small relief at seeing her, but his anxiety returned when he thought of what he must do.

“Hi, Nasir. My dad’s about ready to fire up the grill, then I thought we could check out his Western DVD collection.” Shelby saw Hakim’s expression and her smile faded. “You okay?”

“Yes,” he said. “Shelby, I—” His cell phone rang, interrupting him. “Excuse me.”

“Sure.”

Hakim stepped back onto the porch. He spoke quickly into the phone, knowing Shelby and her family waited. He finished talking and walked back into the living room.

Nasir closed the door behind them and leaned against it.

Hakim noticed Burke was in the room now, pretending to watch TV with Chet and Debbie, but Hakim knew he was there for his wife and children’s protection because of the two foreign strangers in the house. Hakim turned his head until his gaze found Shelby. She had come to rest her hip against the arm of the couch while he was on the phone. He took a few steps closer.

“Is everything okay?” She linked her fingers into his.

He squeezed her hand. “No, Shelby, there is something I need to speak with you about. Can we talk privately?”

The next moment, Chet shouted and pointed toward the television.

Hakim jumped and whipped his gaze around to Nasir. He knew the big man was on edge, and he needed to stop him before he overzealously tried to protect Hakim from Chet.

But Nasir wasn’t looking at Chet. He was frozen, staring at the television.

Chet turned up the volume, and they all watched as Hakim’s picture flashed on the screen. The anchor was finishing the story, “…his only son and heir, Hakim Abdal-Salam bin Rashid Al Khalid, is expected to take his place as the ruling monarch. Again, authorities have not been able to identify the source of the explosion, though it’s widely believed the
Nahl
group is behind the attack. Sheik Rashid’s condition has been upgraded from critical to stable. We will keep you updated as details of this story become available.”

An icy feeling filled Hakim’s chest.

Chapter Nine

Shelby froze, her mind reeling in confusion. Thoughts flew through her head, and she didn’t know which ones to grab onto.

“Shelby,” Hakim squeezed her hand.

Chet clicked off the TV, and he and his parents turned to stare at Hakim across the back of the couch. Chet was, for once, completely speechless.

“Shelby,” Hakim said again. “Can we talk?”

Nasir spoke in a clipped tone. He grabbed Hakim’s arm, pulling him toward the door.

Shaking his head, Hakim said something in an angry voice.

Nasir dropped his hand and stood next to the door, glowering.

Shelby’s family gaped through the entire interaction.

Unable to form a coherent thought, Shelby just stared at Hakim. She’d never heard an angry tone from him…and directed at Nasir? She started to understand the dynamic between the two.
Do I even know this man?

He reached for her elbow.

Shelby’s stomach was in a knot. She folded her arms and raised her eyebrows, waiting for an explanation.

“Good luck, dude,” Chet muttered.

“Shelby”—Hakim’s voice wavered—“I am so sorry. I—”

“So, it’s true?” With a shaky hand, she pointed toward the TV. “That news story was really about you?”

Hakim dipped his chin. “Yes, I am the prince of Khali-dar. But I didn’t want you to find out this way.”

“How did you want me to find out?” She heard her voice had taken on an edge, but didn’t care.

“Truthfully, Shelby Jo, I hoped to keep my title from you as long as possible. You were the first person I had ever met who did not know. I did not intend to mislead you. But the longer I knew you, the harder it became to tell you the truth.” He glanced toward Shelby’s family and frowned.

They watched across the back of the couch.

Shelby glanced toward them and pursed her lips together. Her family was acting like this was some kind of soap opera.
Good
.
Let him feel uncomfortable.

“Shelby, you have no idea. Being a regular man meeting a regular woman, and not having her opinion of me biased because of my position was freeing.” Hakim lifted her hand.

She jerked it away. “Everything you said about being honest…that apparently just applied to me, right?” Her emotions swung from confusion to anger.

Nasir folded his arms and spoke again.

Hakim silenced him with a glance. “I never lied to you, Shelby.”

“So, this was just some kind of game? A little experiment?” Angry tears stung the back of her eyes. She looked away and saw her family still staring.
Maybe they’d like some popcorn.

“No, truly, everything I said was sincere. I was not lying when I told you how I feel about you.”

Shelby tried to sort out her feelings.
Is this for real?
Had she let herself develop feelings for someone who turned out not to be who he claimed? He’d seemed so genuine when he’d told her he cared. He had flown halfway across the world just to see her. Why would he do that if she was just a joke? There had to be plenty of women in Khali-dar, if he was looking for some fun. For all she knew, he had a whole harem. Then why was he here? Why
her
?

“Shelby Jo, please say something.”

She studied him for a long time and finally asked, “Is your dad okay? Is he in the hospital?”

Hakim blinked and paused for a moment before he answered. “That was the reason for the phone call. He is safe and recovering.”

She nodded, but her anger didn’t dissipate.

“Please tell me how you are feeling. What are you thinking?” He reached for her hand again, but rubbed his palm on the back of his neck instead.

“Does it matter?”

“Of course, it matters.”

“Hakim, I’m not stupid. Nasir—what is he, your bodyguard or something?”
Duh, how did I not see that?
She flicked her gaze to the larger man. “He’s waiting to take you home, and you aren’t coming back.” Shelby could feel waves of ‘I told you so’ floating through the air from the direction of her family. “Deep down, I knew this relationship wouldn’t end well, but I kept talking myself into believing it could.” The tears flowed now, and Shelby swiped them away with her fingers. “I really thought you would never hurt me.”

“Shelby Jo, I…”

“Just go, Hakim.” She grabbed her crutches and moved to walk away.

Hakim caught her elbow and pivoted around to face her.

Both Burke and Chet stood, frowning.

Nasir moved to stand between them and Hakim.

Hakim lifted up her chin and held her gaze. “I promise, Shelby Jo, I would never intentionally hurt you. Whether you believe it or not, everything I said to you was true. I care about you more than I would have believed possible.” He brushed a kiss on her cheek and left with Nasir following him.

Shelby walked through the living room in a daze. Her family still stared between her and the closed door, apparently stunned into silence.

“Too bad he left,” Chet said. “I was just thinking of all the fun we could have with his diplomatic immunity.”

She could tell her brother’s attempted humor was forced.

“Hush-up, Chet.” Debbie swatted at his knee and turned to Shelby. “Are you okay, dear?”

Even though her mother’s expression was filled with compassion, Shelby only wanted to be left alone. She shook her head and kept going, climbing the stairs to her room. She closed the door and got into her bed without taking off her shoe. Pulling the quilt over her head, for the first time in twenty years, she cried herself to sleep.

****

“I can’t believe it, Shel. A real prince. No wonder he acted so classy, and did you notice his posture? And how delicious he smelled? He even had great table manners eating pizza. He used his napkin and somehow managed to look sophisticated drinking out of a straw. That had to be a first for Italian Garden.”

“Lace, did you hear what I’ve been telling you for the last twenty minutes?” Shelby set the mug of hot chocolate on Lacey’s kitchen table. “
Who
he is isn’t the issue. He misled me.”