The Sheikh's Fake Courtship (Halabi Sheikhs Book 2) Read online

  She poured herself a cup of tea, ginger to soothe her stomach, and powered on her tablet. He’d gone to a gallery opening yesterday with Edlyn and Bas, but it was mostly Edlyn in the photos, posing next to a statue that looked a lot like her. Chadil stood off to one side, doing something on his phone.

  Raina flipped to the next site and nearly spat out her tea. Chadil wasn’t pictured, but the headline said it all—”ROYAL SPLIT–BRIDE IN HIDING.” Her own face was plastered underneath, wide-eyed and frozen with fear.

  “What? Where’d they even—?”

  She scrolled down, stomach turning as she read. The speculation was cruel—Chadil was a playboy, with a sidepiece in Rome. He was immature, irresponsible, unfit for his role. Bas was mentioned as well, a reminder of his quick marriage to Fiona. Some former councilor had commented, on video, no less, beard quivering with indignation.

  “I don’t understand it,” he said. “In my day, the royal family—I was close to the king. His dignity, his judgment, his sense of tradition, I never had cause to doubt King Akeem. Not for one moment. As for this new regime, I’m lost. I wouldn’t know where to begin. I’m not sure they know what they’re thinking, let alone—”

  Raina swiped him away, furious. She switched to another site, and another. They all had the story, and how was that possible? They’d agreed to keep mum, for the time being, keep their split in the family. As far as anyone knew, she was helping Zenab settle in. Apart from Edlyn and Fiona, she hadn’t spoken to a soul, except—

  “Mom!” She reached for her phone and dialed her number, but it went straight to voicemail. Raina hung up, cursed, and dialed again.

  “Mom? This was you?” She surged to her feet, trembling with rage. “What were you thinking? Are you trying to, I don’t know, shame us back together? Or is this your idea of revenge, your dirty laundry gets aired, so you hang ours out too?” Her voice caught, and she blinked back tears. “Is this all about money? I thought the Halabis were your friends. Is this how you treat—”

  An electronic voice cut in—you have reached the end of your recording. Press pound if you’re satisfied with your message, or hang up if you’re—

  Raina hung up. It didn’t matter. Whatever Mom’s excuse, the harm was done, and she wasn’t about to sit back and let it happen.

  “Sarah?” She turned and raced back to the house, dressing-gown flapping about her ankles. “Sarah? Are you here?”

  “Yes, Raina? Is something the matter?”

  “I don’t have time to explain.” She hurried down the hall, picking up speed as she went. “I have to get back to the palace. Could you call a car while I get ready?”

  “Of course. I’ll have your driver waiting.”

  “Thank you.” Raina pulled her into a quick hug, then dove into the bathroom. A quick shower, half an hour to get dressed—she could be there by noon.

  Raina swallowed her nerves as the spires of the palace rose before her. Chadil would be beside himself, spin machine running full-tilt. He’d be angry, upset, and she braced herself for that. Whatever he threw at her, this wasn’t her pity party. Mom had done this, and it was up to her to set it right, no matter what it took. It was the least she owed him, and more than that, she wanted to do it. She wanted to set something right for once, instead of tearing it down, show Chadil she was more than a disaster on legs.

  The paparazzi swarmed as they approached the palace gates, and Raina leaned forward, switching on the intercom.

  “Is there some other way in?”

  “There’s the staff entrance, or the garden gate.”

  Raina hesitated. “Which is more private?”

  “The staff entrance. It goes through the underground parking.”

  “Okay. Do that.” She hunched down in her seat, though the windows were blacked out. The roar of the crowd assaulted her senses, taking her back to that day at the book club, the day she’d blown it with Chadil. She kept her head down till she smelled the exhaust of the tunnel to the parking garage. The car stopped in front of a nondescript door, and Raina followed a bewildered maid through the staff wing to the dayroom.

  “Raina! When’d you get back?” Edlyn wheeled up to meet her, smiling wide. “I thought we’d lost you for good.”

  “Not yet,” she said. “Where’s Chadil?”

  “Out front, with the press. He was going to make a statement.” She took Raina’s hand. “You don’t have to join him, but I know he’d appreciate it if you did. He’s missed you.”

  “He has?” Raina leaned in, wanting to hear more, but now wasn’t the time. “Sorry. Thank you. I’ll go.”

  She tore through the halls at a sprint, laughing as maids turned to stare. Her shoes skidded on the marble as she crossed the great hall, but she didn’t slow down till she reached the grand staircase. There, she hung back, heart pounding in her chest.

  Chadil stood below her, halfway down the stairs, immaculate in a brand-new suit. His back was turned, but she could see he’d gone all out, hair perfectly styled, gold cufflinks twinkling at his wrists. Raina retreated behind a column, uncertain. She wanted to help, but was this the time, unrehearsed?

  Chadil tapped on his microphone. “I called you here for a statement, not a conference. Save your questions for the end.”

  The crowd murmured, but he silenced them with a gesture.

  “I met Raina Mousa in Rome,” he said. “We met by chance, as any couple might. She, ah—she tripped over me, coming out of her hotel, and I found her enchanting. She made me laugh. I wanted more. I showed her the city, and I can honestly say I’ve never had a better time.”

  Raina stopped breathing. This wasn’t what she’d expected. It didn’t sound scripted at all, more like a man in love describing his first date to a friend. She took a step forward and caught herself, wanting to hear more.

  “I didn’t know who she was that night. We had no intention of courting, no plans beyond Rome. It was only the next day I discovered she was on her way to meet my brother. Our aunt, unaware of his marriage, thought they might be a match, and when she said so, I panicked.” He coughed. “No. That’s not true. I leapt at the opportunity to claim I’d planned a traditional courtship, and I talked Raina into backing my play.”

  The crowd stirred again, voices rising. Raina shifted closer, straining to hear. She felt like she was dreaming, and she pinched herself, but Chadil was still there. He squared up to the cameras, head held high.

  “Let me be clear: Raina’s only intent was to spare my family embarrassment. She never set out to deceive. That was me. I thought we’d appeal to Al-Mifadhir’s more traditional elements—Raina’s family, our embracing of the old ritual—but it was all a farce. Instead of—”

  “Did you ever mean to marry her at all?” A voice rose from the crowd, sharp and outraged. Chadil bowed his head.

  “I didn’t. No. We meant to, ah, go through the courtship, then consciously uncouple, but—”

  Voices erupted, shouts and jeers, but Raina found herself smiling. Consciously uncouple. So he had been listening, after all.

  “I was stupid,” he called, shouting to be heard. “Let me say that again. I was a fool. Had I opened my eyes for a moment, I’d have asked her to allow me to court her in truth. I’d have thought of Rome, not of you—” He swept his arm at the mob. “I’d have thought of what we shared, not how we looked, and thrown my heart into it. I’d have let her be herself, not—not done my best to mold her into what I wanted you to see, because Raina is beautiful, inside and out, and the world deserves to see the true woman she is. To see what I’d have seen from the start, if I’d only allowed myself. No more spin. Now, I’ll take a few questions.”

  “Who do you think leaked the split?”

  “Is it too late to win her back?”

  “What are your plans now?”

  “One at a time.” Chadil laughed. “First of all, I’m the leak. I did it. I wanted the chance to come clean. More than anything else, Raina’s honest, and she deserved the same from me. Even if I
am—oh, how would she put it? A day late and a dollar short?”

  Raina heard scattered laughter, then a harsh, collective gasp. Shutters whirred, and she froze: they were all snapping her. She’d been inching closer without realizing, and now she was caught, framed in plain sight at the top of the stairs.

  “Life is messy,” said Chadil. He turned slightly, smiling as he caught sight of her. “I’m seeing that more than ever, with a newborn in the house.” He lowered his voice as she came to him, more for her than the press. “The truth can be hard, even painful or embarrassing, but it always gets easier when it’s shared with someone you love.”

  “Someone you love?” Raina trembled where she stood. She’d dreamed of this, longed for it, and now that it was happening, it hardly felt real.

  “I love you,” said Chadil. He took her by the hands, pulling her close. “I believe I always have. And I admire you. I want to take a page from your book, live an honest life. I want to be known for who I am, and most of all, I want you to know me.” He took a deep breath and sank down on one knee. “Raina, mia stella, would you be my wife?”

  “Your wife?” Raina’s head spun. This was a fantasy, an illusion. Any moment, she’d wake up, and Zenab would be there wanting breakfast. Chadil’s upturned face, the pure love in his eyes—

  “Well?” A woman’s voice piped up. “Are you going to say yes?”

  Laughter bubbled around her, dizzying as champagne, and Raina found herself joining in.

  “Yes. I’m saying yes. I’ll marry you.”

  Wild applause crashed over them, and the flashing of cameras. Chadil surged to his feet and lifted her up, spinning her around as she’d dreamed he would when he learned of their baby. He set her on her feet and leaned in for a kiss, and Raina finally let herself believe.

  This strange new feeling was a dream coming true.

  18

  “Hold still—hold still.” Fiona laughed as Raina glanced her way. “No, don’t move your head. Look straight forward.”

  “Straight forward. Right.” She turned back to the mirror. “I still can’t believe that’s me. I look—”

  “Like a princess?” Zenab lined up her camera, snapping her hundredth photo of the day. She’d been doing that lately, preserving every memory she could, so she could remind herself when they began to slip away. “Well, you will be, an hour from now. But every bride should feel like royalty. That’s what your bridesmaids are for.”

  “And to keep you from spilling that down your dress.” Edlyn plucked a glass of orange juice off the vanity and whisked it out of sight.

  “Hey. I wasn’t done with that.”

  “Yes, you were,” said Fiona, waggling the lip gloss wand. “Final coat, coming up. You’re a work of art now.”

  “And you’re an artist.” She reached up to touch the pearls in her hair, only to have her hand slapped away.

  “No touching. Not till after the first dance.”

  “Oh. We have visitors.” Zenab scurried to the door, though Raina hadn’t heard a knock. She threw it open, and Raina felt faint. She’d known her parents were coming, endured her mother’s endless advice in the weeks leading up to the event, but this was different, seeing them in the flesh.

  “Mom. Dad.”

  “Raina.” Mom rushed to her side, nearly bowling Zenab over in her enthusiasm. “Look at you, my princess. Picture perfect, if I do say so myself.” She took Raina by the chin and tilted her head from side to side. “A little more blush, I think. You need a lot for the cameras. They won’t catch just a dusting. Here.”

  Fiona snatched away the blush brush, just in time. “Ah! Nope. We had our test shoot already. The cameras are fine.”

  Mom tsked, but didn’t push, and for that, Raina was grateful.

  “How are you guys settling in?”

  “Just beautifully. The new house is glorious, and everyone’s so jealous. Aunt Aziza—you remember her, right? She can’t stop going on about how it ought to be her girl, but you and I both know that’s nonsense. You were born for this. Princess Raina.”

  Edlyn made a face, nearly setting Raina giggling. She smiled instead and shook her head.

  “Princess or beggar, who cares? I’m marrying the man I love, and you’ll soon be a grandmother. What more could I want?”

  Mom’s brow furrowed, and Raina braced herself. She knew that look, the lecture incoming look.

  “Enough, Yamana.” Dad stepped forward, laying a hand on her shoulder. “This is Raina’s wedding day. We’re here to share her joy, not rub our good fortune in her face. Now, tell her congratulations, and go find your sister. I’m sure you still have plenty to catch up on.”

  Mom scowled. Raina cringed, but to her surprise, the lecture never came.

  “Congratulations. Really. You’ve done us proud.”

  Dad shook his head as she took her leave. “She really is proud of you, you know.” He turned to Raina, eyes shining with emotion. “We both are, proud of everything you’ve accomplished. You’ve done so much, following your dreams, putting yourself through school, and now you’re getting married.”

  “And you approve of him?”

  “I heard his speech.” Dad positively beamed. “A man who’ll do that for you, pour out his heart in front of anyone who’ll listen, he’s a keeper. And if that weren’t enough, you’re more beautiful than you’ve ever been. If he’s the one making you glow like that, I’m proud to call him my son-in-law.”

  “Thank you, Dad.” She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. “You have to come to the palace whenever you can. Especially once the baby’s born.”

  “Of course we will. Of course.” He stepped back to smile at her. “I’ve looked forward to being Grandpa since you were born. I wouldn’t miss that for the world.”

  A bell chimed in the distance, and Edlyn sat up straighter. “I hate to interrupt,” she said, “but I think that’s our cue.”

  “I hardly need to ask if you’re ready.” Dad offered his arm, and Raina took it. Her pulse picked up as he led her out to the rose garden. Chadil was waiting under the arch, and Raina forgot everything else when she laid eyes on him. He looked perfect as ever, but his smile made her heart leap, so wide and full of joy. Every step led her closer to their life together, and her feet hardly seemed to touch the petals strewn in her path.

  “Raina.” Chadil’s voice shook as he helped her up to the dais. He kept hold of her hand as she took her place. “You look as happy as I feel.”

  “Then this must be the happiest day of your life.”

  “So far,” he agreed. “But this is just the start. Aunt Zenab will fill a thousand albums with our best memories.”

  “Yes. She will.” Raina slid her ring off and paused. “Any doubts, before I’m yours forever?”

  “Not a one.” Chadil took the ring and slipped it onto her left ring finger. “You’ve made me a better man already. You’re the love of my life. I want all my starlit adventures to be with you.” He took off his own ring and handed it to her. “And you? Any reservations?”

  “Only the hotel for our honeymoon.” She winked as she slipped the ring on him. “You taught me to dance. You make me feel like I belong. I can’t imagine a future that isn’t you and me.”

  Chadil said something else, maybe I love you, but the guests drowned him out, roaring their approval. Glasses clinked, and the music struck up, whirling them into their first dance.

  “With me, remember?” Chadil led her gallantly, but this time, he didn’t have to. Learning the steps had been easy, knowing what they were for, and Raina found herself gliding effortlessly, moving with the music. She stole a kiss as he pulled her close, and it was Chadil who missed a step.

  “Could it be I’ve surpassed you?”

  “You’re just very distracting.” He chuckled as he spun her, and when the music ended, he drew her to one side. “I have one more surprise for you, though this one’s already yours.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sparkling loop of gold.

/>   “Your mother’s bracelet?”

  “Yours, now.” He hooked it around her wrist and stood back to admire his handiwork. “Hold on. Let me Instagram that.”

  “What?” Raina slapped at him, but Chadil danced out of the way.

  “Just kidding. But we’re live tweeting the honeymoon, right?”

  “Oh, you are terrible.” She caught him by the wrist and pulled him in for another kiss. “But I know you know better than to bring your phone to that jazz club.”

  “And the Vatican and the Galleria Borghese.” He grinned, all boyish excitement. “We’ll see all of Rome this time.”

  “I can’t wait.” Raina snuggled close to him, looking out at their loved ones, all gathered to celebrate their happiness. She’d always thought her wedding day would be the happiest of her life, but tomorrow sounded even better, and every day after that.

  Epilogue

  Chadil sank back into the pillows, shifting closer to Raina as he did. She smelled sweet, even after an evening of bouncing a colicky baby, and her warmth was comforting. Raina opened her eyes, covering a yawn.

  “How’s Halima?”

  “Energetic as ever.” He chuckled ruefully. “She’s a little lion, that one, roaring all through the night.”

  “Lionesses don’t roar.” Raina laid her head on his chest. “Besides, she’s sweet as pie when her belly settles down.”

  “That she is.” He kissed her forehead and sighed. “How about you? Won’t you be tired for your first shift?”

  “Yeah, but I’m used to that. Or I was.” She squeezed his hand. “It’s been a while, but I’ve kept up on my reading. Getting back into nursing, even on the administrative side...well, it’s not quite like riding a bike, but at least I won’t need a helmet.”

  “You hope.” Chadil raised himself on one elbow, the better to admire his wife. Her strength never failed to astonish him, how she’d be up with the baby and studying the whole time, juggling spit-up and books like they were nothing. “It’s a huge project, coordinating a whole training program.”