The Sheikh's Quintuplet Baby Surprise Read online

  The butterflies in Nicole’s belly simmered down slightly at that piece of information. While the thought of traveling alone with Kadeen was exciting, the thought of Imogen’s wrath was enough to make Nicole feel squeamish about the whole affair.

  As though summoned by Nicole’s thoughts, Imogen burst through the door, her blue eyes filled with indignation.

  “Kadeen! I just read your email. What do you mean I’m not traveling with you tomorrow?”

  “Imogen. Did you forget how to knock?”

  Chastised, Imogen had the good sense to look remorseful as she continued her way into the room. It was then that she noticed Nicole, and her eyes narrowed.

  Great.

  “So, Nicole will be going instead of me? She has no curation experience, Kadeen! No offense, Nicole,” she said, casting a sideways glance at her before turning back to the Sheikh, “but she is simply not up to the job.”

  “The job requirements have changed,” Kadeen said, his tone cool and collected. “While there is a piece I wanted to evaluate back home, another one of much greater value has been brought to my attention, and I have changed gears so as to obtain that one as soon as I can.”

  “But how will you negotiate the price without me there?”

  “In this instance, price doesn’t matter. I’ll pay whatever it takes to secure this piece for my collection.”

  “That’s preposterous! I can get you the art for what it’s worth, not what some hack thinks he can steal from you. Kadeen, you must see reason!”

  “Are you questioning my judgement, Imogen?” Kadeen asked, his voice deadly quiet.

  Nicole had been watching the exchange like a tennis match, her gaze shifting from one to the other. She watched in wonder at the audacity Imogen had to address Kadeen in such a manner. His warning clearly had her thinking otherwise, because she changed her tone instantly.

  “Of course not, Kadeen. I know how capable you are, but Nicole is still new. We can’t be sure she’s ready for something like this.”

  “Yes, we can,” the Sheikh said, his eyes darkly serious. When they landed on Nicole, she shivered. He looked back up at Imogen, whose expression faltered. “And we will, because this is my decision, and it is final. Now, please come to terms with that fact, and leave us to work out the parameters of our next acquisition.”

  There was a heavy pause, the tension weighing on Nicole as she tried not to look at either person in the room. Finally, Imogen relented.

  “I understand, of course. I’m sure, whatever the project is, Nicole will be more than up to the task.”

  “I agree. Now can you please send me the numbers for the Cardigan piece? I want to take another look before we make an offer.”

  “Yes, of course,” Imogen said, and she cast one more meaningful glance at Nicole before clicking out of the room as fast as her heels could carry her.

  Nicole looked back up at Kadeen, who looked entirely unaffected by Imogen’s display.

  “So, you will be accompanying me. Can you finish your current project in time?”

  Nicole blinked before coming back to the present.

  “Yes. It’s nearly finished now, I just have a few finishing touches to make. It will be ready to ship in a few days.”

  Kadeen nodded approvingly. “Fantastic. You are nothing if not reliable, Nicole. So we’ll be set to leave tomorrow morning, then?”

  “I suppose so,” Nicole hedged, and Kadeen looked at her with a quizzical expression.

  “That’s not a full affirmative, Nicole. Can you be packed and ready for my car to pick you up first thing or not?”

  “Yes, I can,” she said with more conviction.

  “You have a passport, I assume?”

  “I do,” she replied.

  “Great. Until tomorrow morning, then,” he said, his tone becoming dismissive.

  Nicole had learned when it was time to get up and go, and she did so, making a quick exit and half-running back to her studio. She couldn’t tell if she was more excited or panicked. Having grown up in upstate New York, moving to the city was the biggest thing she’d ever done. She’d even gone to college just a few miles from her parents’ house. While she had spent a semester abroad in Italy studying art, that was the most experience she had with travel, and she had taken some time to plan ahead.

  On the other hand, she was about to be whisked away to a foreign land in search of priceless art. How exciting! She reminded herself to be grateful for such opportunities. Heaven knew her friends had experienced nothing like it since graduating college.

  Then Imogen entered the studio, and all excitement exited the room.

  Nicole grabbed her glasses and replaced them on her nose once more for her close-up work. She really was almost finished, and now with a shorter timeline, she really needed to focus. Also, ignoring Imogen was paramount, because the woman was glaring at her openly.

  “Don’t think your little stunt means anything,” Imogen hissed as Nicole set to work.

  “What stunt? I got called into the boss’ office for an assignment that I have to complete. There is no ulterior motive there.”

  “I’ve seen the way you look at him. You can’t tell me that there’s nothing there, at least on your end.”

  “You’re living in a fantasy world, Imogen. All I care about here is the art, nothing else.”

  “I certainly hope so, for your sake,” she said darkly.

  Nicole continued to focus on her painting, listening as Imogen made her exit. When the door closed, she let out a breath.

  If nothing else, it would be wonderful to get a chance to be away from that woman for a while.

  Chapter 3

  Nicole

  By the day’s end, the flutist was fully restored and drying. Nicole cleaned herself up at a large basin sink in the corner before donning a puffy jacket and heading out of the studio. As she passed by Kadeen’s office, she glanced over and noticed that he had already left for the day.

  The pang of disappointment was annoying.

  Heading down the elevator and to the subway, Nicole managed to hop on an approaching train, squeezing herself into the rush hour crowd as she popped in a pair of headphones and listened to music to help her decompress on the way home. When she reached her stop, she held her breath until she reached the top of the stairs, then gulped in the crisp air of winter.

  The one thing she couldn’t stand about New York was the smell. She had grown up in a small town, full of sprawling farmhouses and fresh country air. It was one of the many things she missed from back home, though she knew she had made the right choice in leaving. There weren’t any jobs there that came close to providing the opportunities that came with working at ZbK Acquisitions.

  Nicole’s apartment was a tiny studio on the third floor of a red brick building in Brooklyn. She pressed her key into the lock and let herself in, relishing the comforting scent of home as she closed the door behind her and dropped her work bag on the floor, hanging her keys on a small hook.

  From the front door Nicole could see her entire apartment. A small kitchen with a serviceable stove and oven shared a wall with her fridge and a small square of counter space. Across the room was her unmade bed and a reading lamp perched stoutly on a small bedside table. She had a little table with two chairs, a small couch, and a separate bathroom.

  It wasn’t lavish, but it was home.

  Nicole had been thinking about upgrading. With her job at ZbK Acquisitions she’d been able to put away a sizeable chunk of cash, but she was also loaded up with student debt. She figured she could live simply for a while as she paid those off, then get more extravagant later on, if she so chose. She would have the funds to do so by then, which was a comforting thought.

  Heading to her closet, Nicole opened a compact drawer and pulled out a pair of plaid pajama pants, which she quickly changed into. She padded over to the kitchen, found some leftover Chinese in the fridge and heated it up in the microwave above the stove. When her food was ready, she set it on the tab
le and pulled out her laptop, turning it on and calling her sister on video chat.

  It rang a few times before the screen showed that they were connecting, and a moment later her twin sister Ellie’s face appeared.

  “Hey!” she said, cheerful.

  Nicole smiled. It always warmed her heart to see her sister’s face. She was the biggest thing Nicole missed about being home. Before she could get a word in edgewise, a little face popped up in the corner of the screen.

  “Nico! Nico!”

  Ellie’s two-year-old daughter, Evie, was waving frantically at the camera as she climbed like a little monkey onto her mother’s lap.

  Ellie laughed. “Someone misses you!” she said, rearranging her daughter so that she could better see the screen.

  Evie continued to wave until Nicole waved back. Placated, she sat with a finger in her mouth, watching the screen.

  “How are you? What’s going on?” Ellie asked.

  Nicole told her sister about the day’s events, how her boss had asked her to fly to the Middle East with him the very next day, and how she wasn’t even sure what to pack.

  “Bring something to cover up with, in case it gets cold. That way you’re all set no matter what the weather,” Ellie advised.

  “Nicole, look! I can do a cartwheel!”

  Ellie grinned and turned the camera on her other daughter, Mia, as she flailed around their living room. In no way did her gestures look anything like cartwheels, but Nicole smiled and told her how great they were anyway.

  “Do you think this is crazy?” Nicole asked when Ellie brought the screen back to her face.

  “Not at all. People travel for business all the time. Your boss just happens to be rich enough to be able to do so at short notice.”

  “I suppose.”

  “Nicole, this is a great opportunity. Ignore your stupid coworker and go have fun with it. Enjoy the adventure!”

  “You’re right, as always,” Nicole relented with a lopsided grin.

  “Of course I am. I’m your big sister.”

  “By all of two minutes,” Nicole said.

  “And what a two minutes they were,” Ellie teased.

  Evie had decided she’d had enough of conversation, and jumped off her mother’s lap, sprinting away in an unknown direction.

  “Evelyn Marie Johnson, don’t you dare touch that… Gotta go!”

  Ellie made a face at the camera before ending the call, and Nicole chuckled to herself as she closed her laptop. She loved her nieces more than she could possibly express, and she thought about when she could head upstate again. With the amount of work Kadeen had for her, it was unlikely she’d make it out for a while.

  Nicole finished up her dinner before her thoughts turned to packing once more. She pulled a small suitcase out of the closet and began to pack a few items she thought might be practical for her and Kadeen’s destination. She had to dig around a bit to find her passport, and when she finally found it, she stared at it for a moment, turning it over in her hands.

  An image of Kadeen appeared in her mind’s eye. He was literally tall, dark and handsome, and she’d been fighting her attraction to him since day one. The fact that Imogen had picked up on it was enough to make her realize she would have to do her best to pack those feelings away and leave them at the door.

  She tossed the passport in her purse, and, finishing her packing, laid in bed, trying not to think about the next day. It would be a fun trip, but the most important thing she had to remember was not to act on her attraction to her employer.

  No. That would be a terrible idea.

  Chapter 4

  Kadeen

  Kadeen stood under the hot shower, allowing the water to run down the length of his body as he stood in the bathroom of his penthouse apartment.

  He had gotten the place on a whim, really. Kadeen had never particularly cared for heights, but when he’d seen the view of Central Park from this place, he’d known that he had to have it. The great thing about being a sheikh was that one could generally always have what one wanted, and he was handed the keys to the penthouse not two weeks later.

  Turning off the faucet, Kadeen reached for a fluffy towel and made short business of drying off. He had left the office early with the intention of going out and exploring a possible acquisition; it also didn’t hurt to leave behind the one woman who he absolutely could not get involved with. Shaking the water from his hair, he dismissed the thought entirely before heading to his closet to get dressed.

  The Sheikh’s closet was a room in and of itself. To his left, Kadeen had a wall of shoes and ties. To his right there hung a wide variety of shirts, vests, and blazers. Before him were rows upon rows of pants, perfectly organized. In the middle of the room there was a small bench for his leisure, or putting on his shoes. He tossed his towel on the bench, enjoying the feeling of the air on his bare skin.

  He made quick business of putting together an outfit—grey slacks with a contrasting vest over a button-down shirt. When he stepped in front of the mirror to look at his reflection, he was satisfied with the result.

  Sliding into a comfortable pair of shoes, Kadeen approached a lock box, where he pressed in a code. The door opened to reveal several sets of keys, and he deliberated for a moment before selecting one and closing the door once again. He walked into the living room, barely noticing the twinkling lights of New York that were viewable from every angle around him, before tossing on a coat and heading down the elevator to the main lobby.

  The apartment building was lavish, the lobby extravagantly appointed with marble flooring and crystal chandeliers. It was nothing Kadeen wasn’t already used to, but he did enjoy the feeling of walking on diamond-encrusted tile every time he left his building. There was a parking garage just across the street, and he glanced both ways before dodging cabs to get to the entryway. He typed in his passcode, the door buzzing loudly as he opened it and walked through.

  He had paid a little extra to have his car collection parked on the first level, and it was worth it. Kadeen often had very little patience when he was ready to go, and having all his cars at his disposal was something he felt was worth the extra couple thousand a month.

  He located his vehicle of choice for the evening—a black Jaguar—and slid into the driver’s seat, starting the engine with the push of a button. His sound system turned on, and he entered a playlist for a night on the town—something edgy with a techno beat. With the bass pumping, he peeled out of the garage and headed downtown, weaving in and out of the bustling, early evening traffic.

  Kadeen arrived at the club he was looking for, which was fairly empty so early in the evening. He parked his car at the front, leaving the keys with a valet in a red uniform who rushed to park it for him. Kadeen pulled a wad of bills from his pocket and slid it into the kid’s hand.

  “Park it in the front, will you?” he said.

  The valet’s eyes widened at the sight of so many bills. Seeing that they were hundreds, he grinned. “You got it, sir.”

  Kadeen nodded to him before striding confidently to the front door of the club. The doormen nodded to him, opening the door as he walked through. It was too early for there to be a line, but Kadeen was confident that he would have received the same treatment even if the line had been around the block.

  The club contained a dancefloor with several VIP areas surrounding it. It was one of the most exclusive places in town, and Kadeen just happened to be a good friend of the owner. Glancing around, he found that very gentleman sitting in a VIP booth in the back, doing some last minute calculations before the night got busy. Kadeen headed in his direction, though the man didn’t look up.

  “Seriously? You haven’t balanced out until now?” Kadeen asked, sliding across from his friend.

  Jake looked up, his young face sporting a pair of glasses that he removed as he glanced at his friend. “We had a party last night that didn’t end until eight in the morning. So yeah, this is when I have time to get my numbers lined up for the nig
ht ahead.”

  Kadeen took a look at the pile of papers Jake was going through. “Aren’t you too young to be using such antiquated methods? Get yourself a computer, man. You can afford it.”

  Jake replaced his glasses on his nose and continued his calculations. “I like to be able to write in my numbers. Looking at a screen isn’t helpful, and I don’t want to cram myself in an office somewhere in the back.”

  “So instead you’ll go over the private financials in the middle of the club where anyone can see.” Kadeen said, leaning over to read some of the papers. “A two-hundred-grand bar tab! Who paid for that?”

  Jake glanced up again as he finished writing out his last numbers. His grin dug into his cheek, revealing a dimple. “We had a celebrity or two in here last night. You know how they like to show off.”

  “I don’t know if it’s showing off so much as the inability to manage money, but who cares when we reap the profits?”

  “You said it,” Jake agreed, sitting back and looking at Kadeen. “You’re early. I didn’t expect you until much later.”

  Kadeen shrugged, leaning back as well. Jake’s table was one that had a view of the entire club, and it was permanently reserved for him. Like Kadeen, Jake was a young entrepreneur who had become successful well before thirty, and for that reason the two had become fast friends.

  “Figured I’d get your attention before you get swept into another party.”

  Jake nodded. “You’re a smart man.”

  “I pride myself on it.”

  “Come on, then,” Jake said, collecting his paperwork and scooting out of the booth.

  Kadeen stood and followed as they made their way past the bar and through a back door, to Jake’s office. Kadeen had often wondered why his friend refused to do business there. The space was elaborately luxurious. The walls were lined with books, though Kadeen could hardly guess what they would be about, sitting in a night club. The walls were adorned with art, which was what had brought Kadeen to the establishment in the first place. He glanced around until his eyes landed on the piece he had come to evaluate.