The Sheikh's Virgin Bride(52)

“Got it,” Amir said, squaring his shoulders.

Instantly, he was domineering and commanding, his face set in a stoic frown. Kaye was meant to love him in spite of that, apparently, and she headed out of the room so she could wait for him to call out to her.

“And, action!” she heard.

The door opened and Amir stepped inside.

“Kaye!”

His voice was loud, and completely unlike him. She stepped back in from the kitchen, a curious expression on her face.

“What?”

He held out the box to her.

“This was sent to my office. Why did you send me your engagement ring?”

He looked almost menacing, and Kaye wanted to tell him to tone it down a bit. He still needed to be likable, even if he had to be more assertive. He was borderline aggressive, which wasn’t a good thing. Playing off his act, she approached him coyly.

“Oops, I thought that would be sent back here. They must have known it was yours.”

“It isn’t mine,” he reminded her, stilling holding out the box.

“That’s true,” she said as she faced him directly, taking his hands in hers. “I just wanted it to shine as brightly as possible on our wedding day, so I had it cleaned. You’re not mad, are you?”

She batted her eyes up at him while he continued to stand taut above her, his face a scowl.

“You’re so cute when you’re annoyed,” she giggled.

He narrowed his eyes at her, though she could tell he was about to crack a smile.

“I am not. Where I come from, men are not sent the rings they have already given. I thought you were ending the engagement!”

Kaye’s eyes widened at that admission, and she gave his hands a reassuring squeeze.

“I would never do that, Amir! How could you even think that?”

He leaned down, pressing his forehead to hers in a cherishing gesture.

“We come from such different worlds, you and I. There is still so much to learn about one another.”

“We’ll get there, my love. We’ve got this. It’s just you and me, against all the odds. Let’s show ‘em what we’re made of, huh?”

Amir nodded, gazing down into her eyes.

“Just…no more sending me jewelry I bought for you, okay?”

Kaye’s smile was warm as she gazed up at him adoringly.

“But you didn’t buy that one,” she said, gesturing to the box still in his hand.

“You know what I mean,” he grumbled.

He opened the box finally, removing the ring and placing it delicately on her finger. She gazed at the ring, then back up at Amir, whose eyes were hiding more complicated emotions beneath the surface.

The man deserved an Oscar. She couldn’t believe they were just filming a reality show in that moment!

“I love you,” she said, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders as though to knock him out of his foul mood.

“I know,” he said with a grin.

She swatted him playfully on the back.

“You never say it back!” she protested.

“I say it back plenty. Just not in front of cameras,” he said, gesturing around them.

“Whatever. I’m going for a swim,” Kaye said, and she walked out of the room.

Amir watched her go, and she heard Jesse call out to end the shot.

“Awesome work guys! Perfect!”

Kaye peeked back in, grinning.

“Yeah?”

Jesse nodded.

“Yeah. Swimming is a great idea, too. Let’s go see what swimsuits will look best on camera, and we’ll get some shots of you splashing around and swimming some laps. Sound good?”

“Sure,” Kaye said, heading back in that direction.

The rest of the day was spent much like the first, with Kaye and Amir placed in quirky and sometimes awkward situations, all in the name of good television. Amir was in character for the entirety of the day, his stern expression only lightening when Kaye walked into the room.

“That’s great. We want your eyes to really light up when she walks in, so that the audience knows that you may be a bit of a tough guy, but Kaye brings out the softness in you, just a bit.”

“Got it,” Amir said, and his eyes on Kaye felt warm.

As the sun began to set on another day of shooting, a cascade of colors erupted in the sky while Kaye sat down by the pool, feeling the hours of filming on her shoulders.

“Mind if I join you?”

Amir sat down next to her. He was wearing a comfortable pair of shorts and a T-shirt, and he looked handsome as ever. Kaye nodded, allowing her feet to dangle in the water up to her calves. Amir sat next to her, his own feet sinking into the cool, clear water.

“This has been quite the journey so far,” he said.

She was about to answer when she glanced up and noticed a cameraman filming from across the pool.

Ah, so they were still in character, but needed some night scenes.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” she agreed.

It was one of her more truthful statements, while things were rolling. Amir reached out and took her hand, rubbing the back of it with his thumb as he so often did when they filmed. She found it oddly soothing, even if it wasn’t real.

“You can say that again. I’m not about to help that, though.”