The Sheikh's Virgin Bride(74)

She let the statement dangle, wondering what he would do with it.

“If we were, perhaps I might be able to do this,” he said, cupping her chin in his palm and capturing her lips with his own.

After months of forcing her emotions down, Kaye finally allowed herself to give in to her passions. Amir deepened the kiss, pulling her closer as he pressed her to him, their bodies molding like puzzle pieces in a perfect fit.

Lifting her into his arms, he opened his hotel room door and closed it behind them, lowering her gently onto his bed. Finally, after dreaming of him for so long, Kaye gave up all the rules, and together, they made love until the moon rose far above them, falling asleep in the early morning hours.

Kaye was nestled against Amir when his cellphone went off, startling them both awake. Reaching for the phone, Amir took one look at the screen and groaned. He pressed the answer key.

“What, Merle?”

“Don’t you ‘What, Merle’ me! The strike ended last night—you’ll be happy to know that we’ve landed and can get back on schedule. Call Kaye and get to the main lobby. I want to start filming immediately!”

With that, Merle ended the call. Kaye glanced up at Amir, lifting an eyebrow.

“Another day, another dollar, huh?”

He grinned down at her, but made no other move to touch her as he stood and dressed. Taking his cue, she did the same, grabbing her key from her back pocket.

“I’ll see you out there?” she asked.

She hated how vulnerable she felt. They had finally spent a night together, but with that call, reality had crashed right into their world of no consequences. She hoped he wasn’t having regrets.

She certainly wasn’t.

“Sounds good,” he said.

When he didn’t say anything else, Kaye made a hasty exit, not wanting to be awkward. Her stomach roiled as she wondered if what happened between them was just a regrettable blip, something that Amir would do his best to forget about as they moved on with production. Her heart sank at the thought.

She made quick work of dressing, hoping her acting skills would serve her well as they moved to film with the crew. When she entered the lobby, Jesse was there, waiting with a red-faced Merle.

“About time,” Merle grumbled, but Jesse ignored him.

“Good to see you, Kaye. Let’s get some images of you doing some contemplative thinking on the beach, then we’ll do some one-on-ones.”

“Okay,” she said, casting a glance over to where Amir was.

He was being pulled in another direction, likely for his own personal interview. Kaye tried not to feel disappointed as they went their separate ways. She did her duty, playing the giddy bride as she spoke to the cameras, and the morning whiled away. They headed back to the lobby, where Amir was chatting with a few of the other crew members.

When they walked in, his eyes burned into hers. He excused himself, making his way over to her.

“Hey! Can I show you something over here real fast?”

Kaye nodded, confused as he pulled her into a side hallway. Pressing her back against the wall, he pressed his forehead against hers.

“I can’t go another minute without kissing you,” he breathed.

Kaye grinned, thrilled.

“Be careful—we might get caught.”

“I don’t care,” he murmured, lowering his head and pressing his lips to hers.

Kaye melted into him, but as she opened her eyes, she went stock still. Sensing her unease, Amir pulled back, and, seeing the direction of her gaze, turned to see Merle staring daggers at them both.

“I thought this show meant something to you, Al-Asfour. Thought this was supposed to be your big break, and a cash cow for me. All you had to do was keep it in your pants, and you couldn’t even do that.”

His voice was low and threatening. Kaye knew what he was saying was true. They had blown everything!

She looked up to see what Amir would do. He had every right to end things with her then and there, to continue with the project and move on as though nothing had happened. Instead, he reached for her hand.

“No offense, Merle, but screw the show. I’ve found something better.”

He gazed down at Kaye before kissing her again, deeply. When he broke off the exchange, he held tight to her hand, leading them past Merle.

“Air whatever you want, but I’m writing up a new contract for Kaye, and you’ll be signing it. I’ll be in touch soon.”

“You’re an idiot, Amir.”

“I know. Isn’t that the best?”

He waved sarcastically at Merle, and Kaye laughed as he pulled her back into his room before kissing her silly once again.

“Let’s go home,” he said.

“What, already?”

“Yeah. I want to try out this whole relationship thing, for real. What do you say? Want to give us a go?”

Kaye wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, her heart singing.

“I’d be delighted,” she replied.

Together, they packed their bags and made quick work of getting back to Amir’s jet, where they snuggled together the rest of the way home.

It was a reality far better than they ever could have imagined.





Epilogue





Kaye sighed happily as she stretched in her cozy hotel bed. She reached across the sheets, and when she found the side next to her empty, she frowned.