The Sheikh's Stolen Lover - A Second Chance Sweet Romance (The Sheikh's New Bride Book 5) Read online

  She wrapped her arms under his, reaching up to grip his shoulders, and knew if he asked her to leave with him tonight she would say yes.

  The kiss seemed to go on for a long time, and she was lost in it, but then all too soon, it was over. They pulled apart. Ellie was gasping a little, trying to recover her composure. She felt as if the eyes of everyone in the room were on them, as though they were the only two people here.

  Bahir’s gaze searched hers. “Was that all right?”

  “That was… Yes. Yes. That was good. Yes.”

  He reached up and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I’m so glad I met you, Ellie.”

  “Me too.” I wish I’d met you sooner.

  “You’ve made this night truly memorable.” He kissed her again, chastely this time. She swooned a little. No wonder Claire had wanted to spend her final evening at school with Neil. Ellie forgave her friend on the spot.

  Bahir was clearly thinking along the same lines. “I’m actually glad our friends abandoned us. Is that awful?”

  “It gave us the chance to meet,” Ellie breathed.

  “My thoughts exactly,” he smiled.

  “Would you like to come back to my dorm?” Had she really said that? She was so unlike herself tonight. “I have ice cream,” she added quickly, and then could have kicked herself. Was ice cream really what she wanted out of this night? She didn’t think so.

  “I would love to come back to your dorm,” Bahir said. “Ice cream sounds perfect.”

  “Good. Great.”

  “Let me just get my coat.” He squeezed her hand. “Wait here.”

  “I will.”

  Bahir disappeared, then, and Ellie sipped her champagne as she waited.

  The place was starting to empty out. Couples and small groups were filing toward the door. The Red Rooster was open for several more hours, but Ellie knew people were saying their final goodbyes and preparing to get on the road the next morning. Would she still be ready to meet her parents at nine a.m. sharp, as she’d promised them after dinner? She would have to get Bahir out of her room by eight, she decided. It would be so awkward if they arrived to find him there…

  Her glass was empty. Ellie consulted her watch. Where was Bahir? The room was nearly empty now, and she didn’t see him anywhere.

  To her surprise, she realized it was nearly one in the morning. Had she really been sitting here waiting for almost an hour? The bubbles in Bahir’s half-drained glass, the only evidence that he’d been here at all, had now gone flat. Was he having trouble with his coat? She glanced at the coat check room.

  It was empty.

  Ellie’s cheeks burned. Of course.

  She was such an idiot. Of course it hadn’t taken him an hour to get his coat. Of course he wasn’t here, in this mostly-empty room. He’d left. He had never wanted to come home with her at all.

  She bit back tears. What an idiot she’d been to believe something real was happening here. Had four years of higher education taught her nothing?

  Ellie gulped down the rest of Bahir’s champagne, grabbed her purse, and headed toward the door.

  The perfect ending to four perfect years, she thought bitterly.

  Chapter 1

  Ellie

  2018: Al Fahad, Middle East

  Ellie rolled out of bed and found the cold, uncarpeted floor with her bare feet. The pervasive heat in Al Fahad never seemed to penetrate the thick walls of her hotel room, making it tough to stay warm at night.

  Before coming on this trip, she’d read up on the climate in this part of the world and had packed accordingly, loading her suitcases with lightweight linen articles that covered her body modestly but didn’t leave her sweating in the Middle Eastern sun. She’d been entirely unprepared for the chill of this room. Tonight, she thought, I’ll request an extra blanket.

  She examined the clothes in her suitcase. She’d layered them neatly and wrapped them in tissue paper to avoid wrinkling. As the first woman to rise to an executive position at Noralli Technologies, she knew it was important that she always appear well put together and professional. Today would be very important, because she was scheduled in meetings all day. It was the best opportunity she would get to pitch the company’s new app to Al Fahad’s developers.

  It had been Ellie’s idea to take the venture international—after all, who couldn’t use a tool that made a game out of paying one’s bills? Ellie used it herself—and she was eager to show her superiors back home that this trip had been a good idea.

  The taupe suit, she decided. It was certainly simple, unflashy, but she would let the app do the talking today. And, after all, very few of the Al Fahadis she’d met so far dressed extravagantly. It would be a good idea to show respect for local custom by trying to blend in.

  Ellie slipped into the suit and combed her dark hair into a neat updo. She applied a light layer of makeup, just enough to disguise the jet lag she was still battling, and fastened a simple gold chain around her neck. Perfect. She looked classy and professional, exactly what she was going for.

  The two team members who had made the journey with her were already waiting for her down in the lobby. Vince sat on the sofa across from the check-in desk, flicking absently through a copy of a tech magazine. Mark was leaning on the desk and choosing a complimentary candy from a dish. He glanced up when she stepped off the elevator. “Ellie! Did you sleep in a bit?”

  She checked her watch. It was seven forty-five. “We said eight.”

  “Gotta start pounding the pavement, right?”

  “You know that’s a door-to-door sales term, don’t you? We’re going to a convention, Mark.”

  “Tomato, tomato.” He didn’t even pronounce it to-mah-to the second time. Ellie had no idea whether he was kidding or just that stupid. “You want to get breakfast with us, Ells Bells?”

  “Can you not call me that?” She glanced at the complimentary breakfast laid out in the adjoining room. “I suppose some toast and coffee would be nice.”

  “Toast and coffee! Ellie, look around you! We’re on vacation!”

  “Oh my God, Mark, we are not on vacation.”

  They had been repeating this refrain since boarding the plane in San Francisco, where Vince and Mark had both been drunk on margaritas and wearing Hawaiian shirts. In her five years with the company, Ellie had never dreamed of speaking to a superior the way these two talked to her, and she certainly hadn’t gotten drunk in front of one.

  She’d have given anything to be able to move the two men to another department and make her own hires, but both of them had been with the company as long as she had, and the CEO had a soft spot for them. Why that meant Ellie was the one who got stuck with them had never quite been clear, but she held out hope that one day she’d advance to a senior enough position that she could make them someone else’s problem.

  Now she straightened Mark’s tie. “This is not a vacation,” she repeated. “We’re not here for fun.”

  “We might as well be. Just look at where we are! Have you explored at all?”

  “I’m trying to do the job. You remember, the reason we were sent here in the first place?” Frustration simmered within her. Shenanigans like Mark’s were the reason the higher-ups had been reluctant to send a team abroad in the first place. She had to prove this trip had been worth the money, and he was just making it harder.

  Vince shook out his magazine. “I could go for some breakfast.”

  Et tu, Vince?

  “Come on, guys. We need to be at the convention by eight thirty.”

  “Our first meeting isn’t until ten,” Vince said.

  “Yes, but we should spend the extra time walking the floor. Networking. We’re here to connect with the biggest names in Middle Eastern technology.”

  “And to enjoy the culture and cuisine,” Mark said. “Plus, I could go for a Bloody Mary before we start the glad-handing.”

  Ellie shook her head in disbelief. “Mark, you can’t show up to the event drunk.”

  �
��Who said anything about drunk? I’m talking one drink. Maybe two. I’m not driving.” He grinned. “Come on, Ellie. Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”

  She shook her head. “I’ll see you at the convention center.”

  “Fine,” Mark huffed. “Be a stick in the mud.”

  “Let her go,” Vince said. “Good for her, if she wants to spend extra time working.”

  It’s not extra time! This is the time we’re supposed to be working! Ellie thought, but she didn’t have the energy to continue arguing with them. She slung her purse over her shoulder and headed out to find a taxi.

  The dry, hot air hit her as she stepped out the doors, stifling her and preventing her from breathing comfortably for a moment. She scrabbled in her bag until her hand closed around her sunglasses. She knew she should start putting them on before going outside; one of these days she was going to blind herself just looking at the pavement out here.

  Al Fahad was a small but wealthy nation. Around her were all the comforts of home—well-maintained roads, classy restaurants, modern cars, stores that sold fresh fruits and vegetables. Ellie was curious about many of the things she’d seen in passing during her short stay here. There was a building that looked like it must be a library—what kind of books would it stock? Would she be able to find anything in English there?

  It seemed likely. Most Al Fahadis she’d met so far did speak her native language. She felt a little awkward about that fact. Here she was in their country, and God knew she didn’t have a hope of learning their language!

  There was also a museum, just adjacent to the convention center. Ellie would have loved to spend an afternoon there, learning more about the history of the community playing host to her and her colleagues.

  And, of course, there was the food. Although she’d declined to join the men for their breakfast, she couldn’t deny that she’d been tempted. She’d been mainly grabbing meals at the coffee shop in the convention center, and it was always something she could have gotten at home—a bagel, say, or a turkey sandwich. Passable enough, but Mark had a point. They were in a foreign country. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and Ellie was missing it.

  But someone had to take the meetings. Someone had to be present at the convention to get to know the Al Fahadis who might potentially become investors. Someone had to be available for late-evening conversations that would, hopefully, lead to closed deals. And when they flew back to California and reported on what they’d accomplished on their trip, it would all be worth it, Ellie thought. She would emerge as the most dedicated, the most successful. The leadership would have to see that she was the one who was truly dedicated to Noralli, and when it was time to hand out promotions, they’d remember this.

  Yes. It would all be worth it.

  A taxi pulled up and Ellie got in. “The convention center, please.”

  The driver nodded and pulled away. “American?” he asked, his voice heavily accented.

  Ellie nodded, then realized he probably couldn’t see her. “Yes. I’m here for the tech convention.”

  “Ah yes,” the driver said. “Are you learning a lot?”

  Was she learning a lot?

  She’d never thought of this experience in those terms. Ellie was here to promote Noralli’s latest app, not to learn. And yet, wasn’t that just one more opportunity she was missing by being so focused on her endgame?

  Maybe today it would be all right to relax just a little and take in more of what was going on around her. After all, networking meant listening as well as talking. It would be exciting to see what her Al Fahadi competitors were coming up with.

  “I’m looking forward to learning a lot,” she said to the driver, and watched as his smile lit up the rearview mirror.

  Chapter 2

  Ellie

  The convention center was smaller than the spaces Ellie was used to visiting back home. In California, tech conventions took place in multilevel buildings. You could wander around all weekend and still not see half of the exhibits. Here, although the booths were just as impressive as they were back home, the whole thing was smaller.

  She had already done a full circuit yesterday, stopping to shake the hand of every up-and-coming tech guru who crossed her path. Her wallet was stuffed with business cards, each with a QR code that would lead her to a free download of some aspiring developer’s app. Of course, Ellie wasn’t here to invest in anyone else’s apps, but it never hurt to see what the competition was up to.

  She stood in line for a coffee. The barista was one of the rare few who didn’t speak English, but Ellie was able to give her order to the woman behind her, who translated. She was grateful when the woman also helped her pick coins out of her change purse to pay for the drink; Ellie still hadn’t gotten the hang of the currency here. She accepted the cup of coffee and took a sip, feeling the jolt of the caffeine to her brain.

  Her ten o’clock meeting was with a young investor named Saad Kassab. Ellie arrived five minutes early, hoping to be the first one there so she could control the conversation, but he was already sitting at the table. He stood as she entered. “You’re the developer from Noralli Technologies?”

  She shook his hand. “I’m Ellie Mills.”

  “Please, sit.”

  She took a seat. “We’re still expecting two of my colleagues, I think.” At least, she assumed they were. It would be just like Mark and Vince to blow this off and make her close the deal without them, come to think of it. And she couldn’t picture them giving her any credit for it, either.

  “I’ve looked at your program,” Kassab said. He had a tablet in front of him, and Ellie saw the NorMo icon on the screen. She watched as he tapped it open. “I’ve been using it.”

  “How are you finding it?”

  “I have a high score,” he said, showing her. “Over ten thousand.”

  This wasn’t a very high score at all in the NorMo game, since you earned roughly a thousand points each time you paid a bill. Some were worth more than others—anything that reduced debt, for example, gained you two hundred bonus points, while paying membership fees on luxury activities earned you less. Based on the score, Ellie imagined Kassab had been playing the game for only a month or two. It probably hadn’t gotten its hooks into him yet. She took a beat to modify her sales pitch accordingly.

  “Have you tried exchanging your points for any rewards yet?” she asked.

  “I changed my avatar’s shirt.” He pointed. The little character on the screen was wearing a blue shirt with gold stars instead of the standard white that came with the game.

  “Do you have our companion app, Dinosaur Builder?” Ellie asked.

  “No. What is it?”

  “May I?”

  He handed over the tablet. Ellie searched the app store and downloaded Dinosaur Builder. “This game lets you grow a variety of pet dinosaurs. You can transfer your NorMo credits to DinoBuilder and use them to buy rare eggs, such as the Ankylosaurus.

  “A credit transfer!” He was clearly delighted. “That is clever.”

  “Well, at Noralli, we’re always brainstorming new ways to incentivize gameplay. We recognize that the target audience for NorMo is very different from that for DinoBuilder, but the pairing is ideal for parents with children. We’re also hoping that by making NorMo credits transferable to Noralli’s other games, we can entice non-playing adults to give them a try. As you know, every download helps.”

  “Ingenious.” Kassab was now tapping away at the DinoBuilder screen, offering food pellets to the tyrannosaurus that came free with the download.

  I’ve got him. “Your investment would enable us to develop as many as three new games, all of which would be interconnected with NorMo. As we help the world develop better financial habits, we’ll also be spreading the joy of online gaming and operating well above our target profit margin. It’s win-win-win.”

  “Hmm,” Kassab agreed. “Have you got a card?”

  She reached for her purse.

  Just then, the doo
r burst open. Mark strode in, glowing like he owned the place. “Saad!”

  Kassab looked up. “Mark! I didn’t know you were my ten o’clock!”

  “Yeah!”

  Ellie frowned. “You two know each other?”

  Vince followed Mark in and shut the door behind him. “We met last night at the hotel bar.”

  Of course they did.

  “I didn’t know NorMo was yours!” Kassab said.

  “You’ve seen it?” Mark asked.

  “Your girl was just telling me all about it.”

  Ellie bristled. His girl? She was Mark’s boss, for heaven’s sake.

  She wanted to correct Kassab, but there was no point in stirring things up. It’s for the good of the company, she reminded herself. What difference did it make, really, who this man thought was in charge? She and Mark and Vince all knew. The suits at home would know.

  “Why don’t I give you a call when I get back to the States?” Mark suggested. “We’ll get something set up.”

  “Absolutely,” Kassab agreed. “I’d love to invest.”

  Is he kidding? Ellie was furious. I made this happen! I’m the one who was here on time, I’m the one who demonstrated the capabilities of the product. Mark can’t just waltz in here at the eleventh hour and take all the credit!

  But apparently he could. He was already getting to his feet, shaking Kassab’s hand, and retreating toward the door. There was nothing for Ellie to do but follow.

  This isn’t why I got into coding, Ellie thought dismally, staring out the window at the Al Fahadi nightlife. God, it looked like so much fun out there. The restaurant across the street from the hotel had pulled its tables out onto the sidewalk and merrymakers were sharing food family-style. Their laughter carried up to her, and she slammed the window shut, frustrated.