The Sheikh's Virgin Bride(51)
“Yes, well. I’ve had plenty of exposure. The harder parts will be when we go to Al Rayyan, and I’ll have to act alongside my family.”
Kaye nearly spit out her champagne.
“Al Rayyan? We’re going to be taking a trip to your home country? Meeting your family?”
“Of course. I believe we’re scheduled to go next week. It makes sense, doesn’t it? Two people in love will need to meet one another’s families. We’ll be scheduling time to do an episode meeting your family, as well.”
Kaye swallowed, thinking about how her family would react to cameras in their faces while living their regular everyday lives.
“Is something wrong?” Amir asked, picking up on her unease.
“No, not at all. Just planning,” she replied quickly, downing the rest of her drink.
Amir lifted an eyebrow but said nothing, instead rising as he moved to put the dishes in the sink.
“I can help with this,” Kaye said, standing up as well.
Amir shook his head.
“No worries. The kitchen staff will take care of it. I just like to compile and rinse a little to make their lives easier.”
“That’s very considerate of you.”
Amir shrugged as he organized the kitchen. As he did so, Kaye yawned. It had been an exhausting first day, and the effects of the champagne sank in as it relaxed her body and soul.
“You are tired, and rightly so. Allow me to make sure the guest house is suitable.”
Not entirely ready to say goodnight to him, Kaye nodded as she followed him back up the stairs, across the house and around the pool. A few stars were visible above them, but the light pollution from the city generally blocked most of them out.
Amir opened the door to the guest house, checking all the rooms quickly before he stepped back toward the exit.
“I hope you sleep well,” he said.
“Thank you. And you as well,” she replied, not sure what else to say.
Did she wish him sweet dreams? Did she dare think of what Amir looked like asleep, his perfect face resting against a plush pillow?
He nodded, hesitating before he turned around and made his way back into the main house. Kaye watched him go, finally turning back and closing the guest house door. She glanced down and turned his ring on her finger so it glinted in the light once again. It felt heavier than it should have, like it carried a lie with it that shouldn’t have been there. Still, in spite of that, it looked stunning on her hand, and she found that she loved it.
Walking around, she gave herself a small private tour of the space before she landed in the bathroom, sifting through the drawers as she discovered a fresh toothbrush, toothpaste and mouthwash. After washing up, she rifled through some drawers, finding cloud-soft pajamas that looked brand-new, as though a whole wardrobe had been purchased just for her.
That night, Kaye slid into the most comfortable bed of her life, turning off the light and staring up at a dark ceiling. Her thoughts drifted to Amir, and she shooed them off. Instead, she made herself think about how nice it felt to have a full belly and a warm bed, with work promised in the morning.
She tried her best to focus on that, even as the idea of the sensation of Amir’s arms wrapped around her won out, and she drifted off into a deep, comfortable sleep.
Chapter Nine
The next day, the crew arrived at the main house earlier than expected. Kaye dressed in one of the many outfits in her expansive closet before heading over to see Amir laughing with a few members of the camera crew. When he saw her walk in, his eyes lit up.
“Kaye! Good morning,” he said, gesturing toward the pyramids of food on the kitchen counter. “Breakfast?”
Kaye’s stomach grumbled, and she nodded, eyeing the food with gumption.
“Don’t mind if I do,” she said, reaching for a whole wheat bagel and slathering it with cream cheese. She added a pile of fruit to her plate and took a seat next to Jesse, who grinned down at her.
“Amir was just telling us about our fatal flaw yesterday,” he said, glancing down at Kaye’s hand.
The ring shone as brightly as ever, and she smirked up at him.
“Kind of an important detail when you’re supposedly engaged, huh?”
“Kind of,” he agreed. “We’re not giving up the footage from yesterday, though. We got too much good stuff to do that. What we’ll do today is film a scene when Amir brings the ring back from the cleaners for you, and we can explain it off that way. Plus, we’ll get some conspiratorialists that will use yesterday as a way to ‘prove us false.’ There’s a big part of the fan base that loves to do that.”
Kaye frowned.
“Isn’t that exactly what we don’t want to happen?” she asked, confused.
Jesse chuckled.
“You would think so, but the truth is, those are viewers, too. We like to give them little Easter eggs to keep them coming back for more. If we keep them guessing, we keep getting their views, which is the goal in the end, right?”
“Right,” Kaye agreed.
They finished up their breakfast, Kaye sliding off Amir’s ring and placing it back in the box for them to film the scene. A part of her felt empty when she took it off, and she chastised herself for such irrational feelings.
“Okay, Amir, why don’t you come on in and announce that the ring is ready, but remember, you are a big tough guy, so all this girly stuff annoys you, right?”