Page 32 of The Sheikh and the Single Mom

“And they all lived happily ever after,” Rashad said, his voice still low and soothing. He gently closed the tablet’s cover and lookeddown at Kate and Miles, who were sleeping peacefully in the big bed, their blond heads bent together. Then he raised his gaze to Nina and smiled. “I think they’re asleep,” he whispered.

“Come on.” Nina led the way out of the room, her steps soft and quiet so as not to wake the sleeping children. Rashad followed, staying by her side as she gently closed the bedroom door then turned to him. In her normal voice, she continued. “Shall we have some dinner?”

“That would be lovely.” Rashad started down the hallway, Nina falling into step beside him. Together, they climbed up the stairs to the kitchen. By now, the sun was already well below the horizon, and bright pinpricks of stars were beginning to emerge in the dark, velvet sky above.

“How about some Chinese-style noodles?” Nina asked, after surveying the ingredients at hand.

“I don’t know… Do you have a recipe?”

Nina rolled her eyes, grinning. “I’ve made this enough times that I know how, even without a recipe.”

“That’s a relief.” Rashad winked. “I’ll be your sous-chef. Just tell me what you need me to do.”

So, Nina directed him to help her with the chopping. Rashad started some music, and soon they were dancing around each other, sautéing and chopping and stirring. Nina wasn’t sure she’d ever cooked so easily with someone, as though they were parts of an intricate dance that wove in between the fridge and the cupboards. Soon, Nina was dishing up fragrant noodles onto two plates, and Rashad was pouring them each a glass of wine.

“Should we talk business over dinner?” Nina asked as she carried both plates to the outdoor table under the stars. The gentle sea breeze was welcome after the warm kitchen.

“Let’s not. It’s our last night on the yacht. We’re already on the way home. Let’s just enjoy each other’s company for one more night.”

“Rashad Al-Zayed.” Nina set the plates down and slid into her seat. “If I didn’t know you any better, I’d think you cared about getting to know me more than about your business interests.”

“I’ll never tell either way,” Rashad said, handing Nina her wineglass. “But what Iwillsay is that it’s been nice to take a break from business. It’s been years since I enjoyed myself like this.”

“Same here.” Nina took a sip of her wine. “Maybe we both need to take vacations a little more often.”

“Maybe, although I doubt either of us will.” Rashad twirled his chopsticks into the noodles. “I get the feeling that the minute we step onto shore, it’ll be back to real life.”

Nina nodded. “I think you’re right. Is it strange that I don’t feel excited to get back to my real life?”

“Not at all. I feel the same way.” Rashad toasted her with his glass. “Thanks to you and the kids, of course.”

“It probably helped that cell reception has been spotty since we left the harbor,” Nina pointed out. She didn’t want to think about how Rashad’s words made her heart stir. Perhaps he felt the same kind of attraction she felt for him — even if she wasn’t going to act on it, that would be nice to know. Nina had spent solong being a mom and a businesswoman that it had been a while since she’d felt like an attractive woman in her own right.

“That helped. Although now I’m worried about what happened with Health Trackr while I was relaxing.”

Nina chuckled. “I can definitely empathize with that. Whenever I step away from work, even just for a few hours, I always find myself wondering if something went wrong.”

“Same here. That’s why I never really take vacations.” Rashad shrugged.

“You know, I told you why I started Heartbeat — because of my Aunt Katherine. But you didn’t tell me why you started Health Trackr.”

“I’m not sure I should. Your story is so beautiful: honoring your aunt’s memory by making sure everyone has access to quality healthcare. My story won’t make me look very good in comparison.”

“Let me guess.” Nina leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “You started your company because you wanted to make money. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Sure, and if that was why I’d started Health Trackr, I wouldn’t hesitate to tell you. The real reason is less flattering.”

“I’mverycurious now.” Nina smoothed her hair behind her ear. “Come on, tell me.”

Rashad hesitated, but then he nodded. “All right. I mentioned my brother to you before, right?”

“Right. Khalid.” Nina nodded. “The sheikh of Al Soub and your older brother.”

“Exactly. Well, I told you about how close we were when we were young kids. We did everything together, and some part of me always thought we’d rule together, too. But the older we got, the more my parents reminded us that Khalid was the future ruling sheikh of Al Soub and the heir. And since he was the heir, that made me the spare.”

“Oh, Rashad.” Nina bit her lip.

“My parents encouraged me to know about Al Soubi politics, just in case I might need to take over the throne for some reason, but they were also clear that there was no place for me in government. Khalid was the one who needed to learn about politics. He was the one who needed to get married and produce an heir of his own. He was the one who was groomed to someday sit on Al Soub’s throne. WhatIdid didn’t matter, as long as I was around in case the family needed me.

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