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  Lauren loved how warm and loving the whole dinner turned out to be. It wasn’t like anything she’d expected, especially when she was fretting over eating with royalty. Hakim’s parents were kind and generous, and they treated Lauren like she was part of the family.

  It was nothing like her dinner with Patricia every month. Lauren knew her mother loved her and was proud of her, but the way she showed it couldn’t be further from the warmth Lauren experienced with Hakim’s family. She thought she could get used to dinners like this one.

  They moved to a balcony outside for coffee and dessert. Lauren asked about the plants in the garden and Hakim offered to walk her through and show her everything before they made their way back to the car.

  So, after dessert, Lauren bid Hakim’s parents good night. Tarana hugged her and kissed her cheek. “Come back again, my dear. We’d love to see you another time.”

  Musheer shook her hand. “Lauren, it was a real pleasure. Promise to visit again, and encourage our son to come home more often, too.”

  He laughed heartily as Lauren smiled and promised, and then Hakim all but dragged her away from his parents. Breathless and laughing, Lauren pulled him to a stop when they reached the garden.

  “Your parents are wonderful,” she said.

  Hakim shook his head, but smiled fondly. “They are, even if they’re a bit much sometimes.”

  Lauren put her hand on his chest to get him to pay attention to what she was saying. “Hakim, your parents are really wonderful. Thank you for insisting I be here tonight. I wouldn’t trade meeting them for anything.”

  Hakim covered her hand with his, and Lauren was startled by the shock of electricity that went through her at his touch. “Thank you, for being here. It meant a lot to me, you meeting them.”

  Lauren held his gaze; she was looking for something that would give her a clue to where they stood. He hadn’t wanted her in Al Asaab to work for him; he’d wanted her there to be with him. And she wanted it too, in spite of everything. So, where did that leave them?

  She saw the second he decided not to pursue the moment any further, instead taking her hand in his and pulling away.

  “You wanted to see the gardens, right? Come on, let me show you.”

  Lauren let herself be pulled along as he narrated a tour of the truly spectacular gardens. Hakim told her about how he and Sadira used to put on their own plays in one of the hidden alcoves that formed a natural stage, and how his mother cultivated jasmine and roses. How his father sat reading out loud to all of them as they ate picnics on the lush grass.

  It was a window into his life and she held it as the special gift it was. Lauren had no idea how he’d turned from this man into the cold businessman he was back in California, but she liked this Hakim even better.

  After spending an hour or so in the garden, Hakim reluctantly checked his watch. “We should go. We have an early flight tomorrow.”

  Lauren shook her head. “Not yet, please? Can’t we stay just a few more minutes?”

  Hakim laughed once, almost to himself. “How can I say no to that request?”

  She picked out an ornately carved wooden bench and sat down, then pointed up. “Look at how bright the moon is tonight.”

  “It’s lovely.”

  Something in his tone made Lauren look back at him to see that he wasn’t looking skyward at all. Hakim sat on the bench, as close to her as he could get without touching her. Lauren felt the urge to lean back into his arms, but she held herself still.

  The garden was quiet except for the splashing of a nearby fountain and a slight breeze stirring the leaves on the trees. Lauren didn’t want to break the spell of the moonlit moment because once she did, she would have to go back to her reality. This night was their last together and even though she understood more about him now, she didn’t think it was enough to change anything about their situation.

  Finally, Hakim stood and held out his hand. Lauren took it and intertwined her fingers with his. They walked in silence to the car and didn’t speak all the way back to his house.

  Lauren cast about for something to say when they walked inside, but it was late and he seemed to be just as lost as she was. All she could think of was to say goodnight.

  She took a deep breath. “Thank you, Hakim. For this trip, and for this week.”

  Hakim stood a few steps away, quiet for a long time.

  “Thank you, Lauren. I wish… Well, I wish a lot of things were different.”

  Lauren nodded. “Me, too. I’ll see you in the morning?”

  Hakim took a step forward and for a second, Lauren thought he might kiss her. But instead, he simply brushed his hand over her arm and stepped away.

  “Goodnight, Lauren.”

  She got ready for bed, feeling torn. Part of her was happy to be going back to her regular life—as interesting as this week had been, it had also been stressful. But the other part of her was going to miss seeing Hakim every day.

  She didn’t expect to sleep much, so it was a bit of a surprise when she woke up to the same bright sunshine as the day before, and this time knew exactly where she was. But the only thing she felt was sadness.

  Chapter 14

  Hakim

  Hakim got up early, wanting to run up to the hospital for another quick visit with his sister and niece before flying out, just in case it was a while before he was able to make it home again.

  When he got back home, he found Lauren sitting in the kitchen, staring out the window, her breakfast in front of her. She held her coffee cup, but didn’t look like she’d touched her food.

  It upset him to see her so obviously sad. She knew as well as he did that when they got home to Anaheim, their time together would be over. He hated that the week had to end, though he most regretted the way it had begun. If he could take it all back, he would.

  He cleared his throat, startling her. “Good morning. When you’re ready to go, we’ll head for the airport.”

  Lauren nodded. “Let me get my things.”

  Hakim waved a hand at her. “No rush. You have time to finish your breakfast.”

  Lauren looked down at her plate like it was the first time she’d seen it. “It’s okay. I’m not hungry.”

  Hakim watched her finish her coffee and stand up. She carried her dishes into the kitchen and put them in the sink.

  “I’ll be ready in ten minutes,” she said as she brushed past him and walked down the hall.

  Hakim got his own bag and met her at the front door. The ride to the airport was quiet, since neither of them felt much like talking.

  They boarded the jet and Lauren settled in, this time taking a seat much closer to Hakim’s. She was still mostly silent, simply looking out the window, until the steward served them lunch and she moved to sit with him at the small dining table.

  Hakim offered to pour her wine and she shook her head. He asked the steward to bring her iced tea instead.

  “I’m sorry,” she said softly, halfway through the meal.

  “What for?” Hakim asked.

  “I don’t mean to give you the silent treatment. I just don’t feel much like talking right now.”

  “I can understand that,” Hakim replied.

  Lauren shook her head. “I hate that our last few hours have to be like this.”

  “Me too. I understand how difficult it is, for both of us.”

  Lauren nodded. “It is difficult. But I’m still sorry for not being more cheerful right now.”

  Hakim decided to tell her about his first impression of her; he wanted her to know that he considered her one of the most positive people he’d ever met. He leaned forward to catch her attention.

  “Lauren, when you walked into my office on Monday and learned who I was, do you remember what you did?”

  She shook her head.

  “You looked me right in the eye and smiled like everything was perfect,” he answered for her. “You acted like you couldn’t wait to get started. I was so impressed because I’d just thrown
you for a wild loop and you acted like it didn’t faze you in the least. From what I’ve seen of you just this week, you meet everything with a positive attitude. It’s one of my favorite things about you. But with me, right now, you don’t have to smile and say everything’s okay if it’s not. You don’t have to be cheerful; I don’t think any less of you.”

  Hakim could see his words get through to her. She gave him a faint smile. He reached out and lightly touched her hand, then sat back so they could finish their meal in silence.

  After lunch, Lauren moved to her original seat and went back to staring out the window. Eventually, she fell asleep curled up in the chair and Hakim watched her. He had to find a way to make their parting easier on her. It was his fault she was in this position, so it was up to him to find a way to make her want to not see him again.

  When Lauren woke up, Hakim was sitting behind a small table, using it as desk. When she walked up to the table, he barely looked up and said without any emotion, “Yes?”

  “You’re working?”

  “Yes,” he snapped off the word. “The world hasn’t stopped because I took a day off, and I need to catch up on things.”

  He could almost hear her confusion, and it took everything he had to keep up the front. He continued to work, reading through the papers spread out on the table.

  “Hakim?” She sat across from him. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing, Ms. Sanders. I’m simply trying to get some work done.”

  “Okay, that’s it.” Lauren put her hand over the papers so that he couldn’t get to them and he finally looked up. She raised her eyebrows at him in question.

  “Really, Lauren. I’d like to get this finished before we land.”

  “See, if you’d gone with that first, I might have believed you.”

  “Believe me about what?”

  Lauren shook her head. “You’ve never once called me Ms. Sanders. Even when we first met.”

  Hakim tried to sound annoyed, when in reality, he wanted to laugh. “Really, what does it matter what I call you? Our contract is almost over, so you needn’t worry about that any longer.”

  “Sorry, no. Try again.”

  He looked up and her and sighed. “What do you want?”

  “For you to act like you. This,” she waved a hand at him, “isn’t you.”

  “It isn’t?”

  “No. I think you’re trying to make it easier for us to say goodbye to each other, and while it’s sweet in a twisted sort of way, it’s not working.”

  He stared at her, then started laughing. “I am a terrible actor, aren’t I?”

  Lauren gave him a wry smile and nodded. “Only around me, yes. I know you better.”

  Hakim sighed heavily. “I had hoped to make it simpler for you. I don’t think his week has been what either of us expected and I know the end of our time together is going to be more difficult than we anticipated.”

  “And why is that?” Lauren sounded curious, but not like she disagreed.

  Hakim couldn’t help himself; he had to tell her how he felt.

  He stood and moved around the table, then held out his hand. Lauren took it and he led her over to the couch where they could talk more easily.

  When they were seated, he didn’t let go of her hand. Gathering his thoughts, he finally said, “I like you, Lauren. More than I thought I would. I admire you and I value your thoughts, and throughout this week, I’ve found myself wanting to pick up the phone to call you more than once during the day while I’m at the office just to talk. To tell you a funny story about something that happened. And I keep wanting to touch you. To hold your hand and put my arm around you.

  “And the last thing I wanted to do was make you cry,” Hakim finished, unnerved by the tears he saw in Lauren’s eyes.

  Lauren laughed and squeezed Hakim’s hand to reassure him while she swiped at the tears with her other hand. “No, it’s okay. It’s just that I like you, too. Definitely more than I thought I would after meeting you on Monday. This week has been unexpected and fun; I’ve been distracted because all I can think about is you.”

  Another tear rolled down her face; Hakim lifted his hand to gently wipe it away with his thumb. As he cradled Lauren’s cheek in his hand, he moved so that he could wrap his other arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer to comfort her.

  Lauren leaned against him, looking up at him with wide eyes. She felt so right there in his arms, and Hakim didn’t want to let her go anytime soon.

  He traced the skin of her cheek with his thumb, marveling at the softness of her skin. He could stare into her eyes for days, just like this, and never get tired or bored.

  She smiled at him and he was completely lost in the warmth of her presence. Hakim leaned down, hesitating in case she didn’t want the same thing. Lauren tilted her head back, inviting him closer, and so Hakim pressed his lips to hers gently, savoring their first kiss.

  Sensation rushed through him and it was all he could do not to deepen the kiss. But he didn’t want to push—they still had so much to work out. Plus, he wanted to enjoy this simple, sweet feeling of her lips tenderly exploring his. They were taking it slow and that was a good thing.

  When they broke the kiss, Lauren stayed in his arms, shifting so that she could lean her head on his chest as he stroked her hair. She placed one hand on his chest and they were both quiet for a long moment.

  He’d never been happier, Hakim thought. He had never known he could be this happy. It was like all the pieces of his life, work and home and family had suddenly fit together into one. This felt like the kind of joy he saw in his parents and in his sister and brother-in-law. Hakim wanted, more than anything he’d ever wanted, to make Lauren happy and to be happy with her.

  Lauren looked up at him, then, and he couldn’t resist kissing her again. Soft and sweet, but with a rising passion, this kiss was even better than their first.

  The steward interrupted them, clearing his throat as discreetly as possible. Hakim pulled back from Lauren and grinned impishly at her. She just shook her head at him like being caught kissing him didn’t bother her. Hakim turned to the steward.

  The man said, “The pilot asked me to tell you that we’ll be landing soon. Can I get you and Ms. Sanders anything else to drink or eat beforehand?”

  Hakim checked with Lauren, giving her a quick look, and when she shook her head, he said, “Thank you. We won’t need anything else. How long until we land?”

  “Approximately thirty minutes.”

  Hakim nodded and said, “Thank you.”

  Once the steward left them alone, Lauren sighed heavily. Hakim dropped a kiss on her forehead, knowing as she did that their little moment of joy was about to come to an end.

  “We have the worst timing, you know.”

  Hakim agreed, but he was trying to stay positive. “I don’t know. Your mother could have been at the party. That would have been terrible timing.”

  Lauren barely rolled her eyes at his weak joke. “I’m serious, Hakim. How do we make a relationship work? You and my mother can’t stand each other. How can we even start a relationship knowing that there’s all this bad blood between the two of you?”

  “That’s business. It’s completely separate from you and me.”

  Lauren pushed back from him. “It’s not separate. You bought me at an auction, at my own party, simply to spite my mother. You’re right about one thing—when she finds out about that, she will flip. And I don’t know how we come back from that beginning.”

  Hakim cast about for the right thing to say. He did see the feud with Patricia as business, but Lauren’s point was valid. He was the one who had furthered a business rivalry with a personal insult. Maybe if he’d met Lauren under different circumstances—at a bar, at a work event—they might have hit it off.

  No, they would have hit it off, he was sure. Once he’d gotten to know Lauren the tiniest bit, he’d liked her, and that would have been the same no matter how or when he’d met her.

 
Hakim took a breath and thought about what he wanted to convey to Lauren. He felt like this might be the most important argument he’d ever make.

  “I’m over the rivalry with Patricia,” was how he started off. “It was petty in the first place—I could have ignored it and just kept on doing things my way—but it was easier to rise to the bait. I still think some of the things she pulled were underhanded and unnecessary, but I take responsibility for my role in our feud and in doing so, I want to end it.

  “I don’t think we’ll ever be friends. At best, we’ll be friendly competitors. And I’m fine if that’s where we end up. I can’t control what she does, but I can promise not to retaliate to any of her actions toward me. I’ll protect my company, but I can do that without it devolving into these trivial fights.

  “This isn’t just about you and me, either. I’m tired of trying to one-up Patricia when I could use that time to build my business. Move it in a different direction if I have to. I’ve been tired of the artifice for some time now; being with you has made me realize how much I hate it. I’m ready to move past focusing only on my work.

  “I’d like for you to be part of that, Lauren. I think we have something special and I want to see where it goes. If that means giving up a stupid feud I never should have kept going, I’m comfortable with that path forward.”

  Lauren reached out and put her hand on his cheek. Hakim leaned into it, loving her touch. Then she dropped her hand and sighed again.

  “I wish my mother could hear you say that.”

  Hakim shrugged. “I’ll tell her. You’ll probably have to set up the meeting, but I have no problem telling her that I’m done with this fight.”

  “The only thing is, I’m not sure it would matter. Even if you’re willing to stop fighting, she will never accept me dating you.”