The Sheikh's Virgin Bride(73)

“Don’t get your hopes up. Just something to make our lives a little more comfortable.”

“More comfortable than living in a mansion?”

“Are you packing while you talk?”

“No.”

“That’s what I thought. Get a move on, wifey. We’ve got work to do.”

Kaye sighed dramatically.

“Fine,” she said, but as she threw together a suitcase, she couldn’t stop grinning.

When she stepped outside, Amir was there with another sports car, waiting impatiently. She tossed her bag into the narrow back seat as she slid inside, Amir starting the car.

“So, what is this? I thought getting married yesterday was surprise enough.”

“Really? I thought that part was pretty clearly laid out.”

“Well, yeah, but no one told me it would be yesterday.”

“Communication, I tell you,” Amir muttered, staring ahead as he drove out of her neighborhood and onto the freeway.

Before she knew it, Kaye recognized the private airport they had driven to weeks before. When she glanced at Amir, he shrugged.

“We’re going a little ahead of the crew. I’m tired of flying commercial, and I figured you’d make pretty decent company.”

Kaye repressed a grin as he tried to cover up something a little deeper than that. Instead, she followed him obediently up the steps and into his posh private jet, the two of them picking a row and nestling in for a lengthy flight.

She thought about chatting with him, but she decided against it. Instead, she found a book in his plane’s tiny library and pretended to read for the entire trip, stealing glances at him from time to time. Besides Amir offering her a glass of champagne, he also said very little, though every now and again, she caught his eye when she looked up.

It was going to be a very tough honeymoon.

Kaye managed to read little bits and pieces of the book in her hand, but she found herself more often than not staring out the window, wondering what the future held. Beneath them, a dark blue ocean flew by.

Before she knew it, brighter, azure waters appeared below as the plane lowered toward the tropical island of Barbados. She barely felt the wheels touch down as they taxied along the private airstrip, Amir’s phone immediately going haywire as service returned. Glancing down at it, his face grew somber.

“Thought it would take him a little bit longer to have a meltdown,” he mumbled, answering the call. “Merle,” he said, his tone cautious.

Even from the other side of the plane, Kaye could hear the man’s rant.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Amir?”

“Saving you money, last time I checked,” Amir retorted.

“I don’t care what you think you’re doing! There’s a strike at LAX and the entire crew is stranded here with nothing to film! They’re in negotiations now, but we’re wasting time!”

It seemed as though Merle were a broken record personified. It was always about wasting time with him. Or wasting money.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Do let us know when you make it out. We’ll hang tight until then. Goodbye.”

Amir hung up the call, Merle’s voice screaming until the very end. He looked up at Kaye and shrugged, his eyes bright.

“Looks like we’re stranded in paradise.”

“Oh, darn,” Kaye replied, crossing her arms and grinning at him.

The cabin door was opened, and a car was already waiting for them on the tarmac below. Kaye found she also preferred Amir’s style of travel, convenient as it was. They rode side by side in the back of the sleek black town car, approaching a beautiful island resort on the beach. A bellboy moved quickly to take their bags as Amir went to book them a pair of rooms, tossing her a key.

“Looks like we’re side by side,” Amir said as they walked down a hallway, stepping in front of two hotel doors.

“Looks like it,” she said.

“Would you like to go for a walk?” he asked.

Grateful for the chance to spend more time with him, Kaye readily agreed. She had been right to be worried. As the sun sank toward the horizon, all she could think about was being close to Amir. In fact, she had thought of little else since he’d arrived on her doorstep.

“I’d love to. Let me just put my bag down, and I’ll meet you outside.”

Amir nodded as they entered their separate rooms. The hotel suites held a tropical scent, the faint aroma of coconut permeating the air as she stared out at nothing but white sand, palm trees, and crystal-clear blue water. Leaving her suitcase where it was, she headed right back out again, only to find Amir waiting for her.

She smiled at him as they fell into step together, walking slowly along the length of the endless beach. They walked on in silence for some time, listening to the gentle rush of the waves. After a time, the sky began to darken as they turned and headed back in the direction of the hotel.

There was so much to say, so much that couldn’t be said. Still, Kaye couldn’t help herself any longer.

“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you over these past few weeks, Amir.”

They reached their rooms, standing just outside as he faced her.

“Getting to know you has been one of the greatest experiences of my life,” he said.

“It’s such a shame we’re forbidden to show affection for one another off set. If we were allowed…”