The Sheikh's Virgin Bride(10)

“Yes. It’s either that, or a helicopter ride over the city.”

He was speaking with a perfectly serious face.

“Rashid, I meant what I said. I still haven’t made up my mind.”

“I know. That being the case, I don’t see why we can’t spend the day together.”

“I can think of plenty of reasons why.”

“Oh yeah? Name them.”

“Well, first of all, my job. Secondly, my job. Third of all, did I mention my job?”

Rashid fake-yawned, then showed me his phone. I had to read the message on the screen three times before I fully grasped what it said and what it meant.



Hi Rashid, thanks for your message. Of course you can take Lacie out today. My store really appreciates your donation. You two have a great time—Tania.



Seeing my constantly grumpy boss’s downright chummy text, I directed my stunned gaze to Rashid.

“What the… How did you…?”

Rashid shrugged. “For a thousand dollars, there’s not much that people won’t do.”

I couldn’t really argue with that.

“And me? Is that why you’re so sure that I’ll say yes to your proposal?”

He shook his head. “Not entirely. It’s more that I think you feel the same way I do.”

“Which is?”

He stepped forward and took both of my hands in his.

“You feel this. This, whatever it is. That we get along, that—even though we hardly know each other—we have chemistry. We could work together. Maybe even build a real relationship.”

I was mesmerized by his words, his broad chest almost pressing against me, his handsome, chiseled face inches from mine.

An ambulance careened past and we separated.

“So, you were saying something about plenty of reasons?”

I rolled my eyes at him. “Okay, what if I say that I want both?”

“You mean a flying gondola? That can be arranged.”

Rashid offered me another one of his stoic shrugs and I almost bought it before he started cracking up again. With an exasperated groan, I punched him in the arm, then he grasped my hand in his.

“C’mon princess, we’ve got a gondola to ride!”





Chapter Nine





Rashid




“Are you sure you’re okay with this? I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable—especially not with me.”

I glanced down at Lacie. It was the fifth time I’d asked her since she’d admitted that she was afraid of large bodies of water.

“No.”

It was the first honest answer she’d given me so far.

With a resigned sigh, I took her hand.

“What do you want me to do?”

She took a deep breath, then gave a determined look, which wasn’t very convincing.

“Pick me up and plop me in there. And don’t, under any circumstances, let me fall out.”

When I glanced at her again, she looked terrified, but there was a glimmer of excitement there, too. So, all there was left to do was pick her up, carefully set her down in the back of the gondola, and get in myself.

The scene around us was stunning, and truly romantic. Central Park’s lake reflected our images along with the verdant trees behind us perfectly on its serene surface. Birds chirped in the branches high above the dock, and the sky shone a blue as bright as Lacie’s eyes. The gondolier began paddling, and I turned my attention back to the beautiful woman in the boat with me.

“So, let me get this straight—you’ve never swum in your life?”

She shook her head, keeping her eyes locked on mine. “Never.”

“And this is because…?”

“Something I will tell you in the future as we go through the motions of getting to know each other, like any normal couple.”

She blushed, and it was clear that neither of us had missed her referring to us as a couple, but I let it go, not wanting to stress her out more than she already was due to being in the boat.

“All right, fair enough. But you still like beaches, right?”

She grinned. “Is that a rhetorical question?”

Throwing my arm around her, I squeezed her. “Okay, maybe we can get along, after all.”

I reached into my suit jacket pocket and took out the box that had been nestled in there since that morning.

“I got you something.”

Her eyes widened as they settled on the little jewelry box.

“Well, go on. Open it.”

So, slowly, she lifted the lid. Seeing what was inside, she gave a sweet little gasp.

“Rashid, it’s…wow. It’s beautiful.”

“Try it on,” I urged her.

As soon as she had the necklace on, it was clear that I’d made the right choice. The sparkling, teardrop-shaped sapphire set off her sky-blue eyes perfectly, while the silver chain twined around her neck as if it had been designed with her very body in mind.

Turning the stone in her hand, her happy gaze settled on me.

“Are you trying to bribe me?”

I nodded. “Is it working?”

She took my hand. “Maybe.”

With my arm around her, I directed her gaze out to the lake.