Page 35 of The Sheikh's Fake Bride Scheme

She thought he might pull away, that perhaps it had happened accidentally in the dark.

But he didn’t pull away.

Instead, he leaned closer, and Keira’s breath caught in her throat.

His hand found her waist. Her head swam. This was really happening. He really had been thinking of her in the same ways she had been thinking of him. And even if it was leading nowhere —of course it’s leading nowhere, he’s a sheikh and I’m just some girl— even so, right now, in this moment, they were together and they wanted exactly the same thing.

And it was going to happen. She knew it as surely as she had ever known anything in her life.

“I’ve been thinking about this from the moment I saw you, Keira,” Kareem said in a low voice. “But I never believed we’d actually get here. I never thought we would be in this moment.”

Keira couldn’t speak. She was too afraid of breaking the spell that seemed to have fallen over the two of them.

When he kissed her, it was like something out of a dream. It was surreal. Keira couldn’t believe it was happening — and yet, the sensations were so powerful that she couldn’t doubt it, either. The scent of him seemed to surround her, and his warmth blocked out the night wind. The only thing in the world was him.

At the back of her mind, a voice protested, reminding her that this was a bad idea. That this had never been the plan. She was supposed to be here for a few weeks, nothing more. She was supposed to fake a marriage. Nothing about it was supposed to be real.

But right now, in this moment, Keira thought this was the most real thing she’d ever experienced in her life.

CHAPTER 16

KAREEM

“You’ll be fine to meet with the vendors by yourself today?” Kareem asked.

“I’m on top of it,” Keira assured him with a warm smile. She rested a hand briefly on his shoulder as she picked up his breakfast plate, and Kareem’s heart missed a beat.

He had worried that things would be awkward between the two of them following the unexpected kiss — and to an extent, they had been. They’d spent the following day stealing glances at each other and speaking much less than they ordinarily would have. But now, two days after that, things had settled into a comfortable routine — even if it was a routine that gave Kareem more questions than answers.

Like now. The way her hand lingered on his shoulder. What was he to make of that? Clearly she was choosing to touch him, not shying away from close physical contact. Did that mean she had been so unaffected by the kiss that she simply didn’t perceive touches like this one as meaningful or unusual? Did it mean that she was trying to force things to seem normal between the two ofthem? Or did it mean… could it mean that she wanted another kiss and was trying to steer things in that direction?

He didn’t know. All he knew for sure was that she wasn’t choosing to avoid him, and for that he was deeply thankful.

“Remember, we need to sign the contracts with all of the food vendors by the end of the week,” Kareem said.

“I know,” Keira told him with a smile. “I’m on top of it, I told you. You don’t need to worry. Focus on your meeting with your father — do you know what it’s all about?”

“No. He just said that he needed to see me.”

Keira said nothing, and Kareem was sure that she was thinking the same thing he was. A summons from Kareem’s father might be very bad news indeed. It could mean that he had found out about the race, and if he had, there was simply no telling what his response might be.

“You’re sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Keira asked.

“No. You need to meet with the vendors. That has to happen today. Besides, I don’t think it would help matters for us to go together,” Kareem said. This might turn out to be nothing at all. Maybe he wants to have lunch with me because he’s interested in how things are going in our marriage. Maybe he wants to do something kind to welcome you to the family. We shouldn’t jump to the worst conclusion.”

“You’re right,” Keira said with a smile. “And whatever it is, I’m sure we’ll be able to handle it.”

Warmth spread through Kareem when she saidwe. He liked that they were a team. It did make him feel more confident, more capable of taking on whatever lay ahead for them. This, hethought, must be the reason people chose to get married in the first place — so they would have someone to stand by their side during whatever life threw at them. It didn’t mean thathewas going to get married, of course. But it felt good to understand the motive for that behavior nonetheless.

“Call me if you need help with anything today,” he said, getting to his feet. “But I trust you to make the right choices for us. I know you’ll do what needs to be done to get us prepared for the event.”

“I’ll do my best,” Keira said.

Kareem wasn’t worried. He had the utmost faith in her. The only thing that worried him was what he might be in for when he faced his father — but there was nothing for it but to head over to the palace and get this meeting over with.

His father was waiting for him when he arrived. His expression was somber — lips pressed into a thin line, gaze fixed on Kareem’s face. Kareem’s anxiety elevated. Whatever was going on, it was clear that it was no minor thing.

“What’s this about?” he asked his father.

---