Page 46 of The Sheikh and the Single Mom

“The yacht. Ten o’clock tomorrow.”

Nina almost laughed. “I’m not agreeing to another yacht trip with you.”

“We won’t even leave the harbor.” There was a hint of something in Rashad’s voice, something that sounded a great deal like a plea. “It’s just a private place where we can meet and talk.”

“Fine. I’ll see you then.” Nina hung up. Tapping her phone against her palm, she sighed. A meeting with Rashad, even if it was truly just a business meeting, wasn’t going to be easy — especially when the meeting was taking place on his yacht, where everything had happened between them. Nina would have to do all she could to show Rashad that she was in control of her company and that she was unfazed by what had passed between them. It would be difficult, but she had to do it.

The next day at ten, Nina clicked her way down the pier in a pair of chunky heels. She’d dressed in a suit, complete with slacks, a white blouse, and a jacket, and pulled her hair back into a neat bun. Her professional outfit was her armor against what was to come — and a reminder to keep things professional, no matter what happened.

Rashad was waiting on the balcony, just as he had been when she’d first boarded the yacht with her enthusiastic kids in tow. He waved to her, then disappeared. Nina boarded, morememories flooding back as she climbed the stairs to the meeting room where they’d sat a few times. Rashad met her on the way up and they walked together, in silence, into the meeting room. Rashad pulled out a chair for Nina, which she was tempted to reject entirely, but she sat.

“All right.” She folded her hands and placed them on the table. “What did you want to discuss?”

“First, thank you for coming.” Rashad met her eyes, his own deep brown ones serious. “I want to present a business proposal.”

“All right.” So, it was coming: the offer to buy her company at an undercutting price. Nina schooled her features. She wasn’t going to sell, even if it was the right move, even though being in Rashad’s presence again was overwhelming. He smelled faintly of aftershave, just as she’d remembered, and her gaze was drawn again and again to his hands as he opened a folder and slid a stack of papers across the table to her. She remembered those hands enveloping hers, resting on her waist, sliding into her hair.

“I’ve spent the last few days working nonstop on a deal that I think could help both of us.” Rashad indicated the papers. “My business partners were skeptical, but it doesn’t matter. I was able to pull together a merger — we can work together, as equals. It’s a step beyond what we discussed on the yacht, but I think you’ll see that this will be even more beneficial.”

Nina didn’t even look at the proposal. “There’s no way I’m going to work with you. The last time we discussed a deal like this, you pulled the rug out from under me.” Beyond that, it stung that Rashad was truly only interested in business when she was sitting across the table from him, pregnant with his child.

“I know.” Rashad flipped a few pages. “That’s why this agreement has a guarantee in it — if I ever try to screw you over again, you can activate the guarantee, and the company will pass, in trust, to the twins and our child. You would still be able to earn income from it, but I wouldn’t. I’ve already signed.”

Slowly, Nina raised her eyes to Rashad’s. “I don’t understand.”

“What don’t you understand?” Rashad’s voice had lost the businesslike tone. He now sounded like the man who’d shared heartfelt conversations with her under the starlight — open and a little nervous.

“Why would you do this?” Nina gestured to the agreement. “This helps me, butyou’dbe worse off than you were before. If you’re offering this merger out of guilt over the baby, I think it’s a mistake. Guilt isn’t enough for us to be able to work together.”

“I do feel guilty,” Rashad said. “I should never have pushed you away after our weekend together, and I should have made sure my assistant knew to put calls from you straight through. But I’m not offering this merger out of guilt.” He hesitated. “I’m offering it out of love.”

Nina could hardly believe what she was hearing. “Love?” She meant to sound scathing, but her voice shook a little.

“Yes. All my life, I’ve been scared to get too close to anyone, because it meant I could be hurt. The world of business was safer, because nothing was ever personal, and everyone was working towards the bottom line — nothing more. Then I met you, and Miles, and Kate. I know it only lasted a few days, but the weekend we spent together changed me, Nina.Youchanged me. I saw what life could be like if I allowed myself to open myheart, but I was still too much of a coward to take that risk. I’mnotnow.”

Nina was speechless. After two months of silence, Rashad was saying exactly what she’d never let herself dream of hearing — and she didn’t know what to do.

“What are you saying?” she asked, her voice hushed.

“I want another chance with you.” Rashad reached for Nina’s hands across the table, and she let him take them, still half in a daze. His thumb skated across the back of her hand, sending pleasant shivers down her arm. “I made a terrible mistake when I walked away from you. I never should have done that, and I can only hope that it isn’t too late to make things right. Because I love you, Nina. I love you. I love the twins, too, and I know I’ll love this baby just as much. I can’t imagine my life without you. And the only way I can ask you to trust me again is by sharing everything with you — including our companies.”

“You love me?”

“Of course I do.” Rashad’s mouth quirked into a smile. “I’ve loved you for a long time, Nina. You’re amazing. I don’t know many people who could do what you do — raising kids on your own and running a business can’t be easy, but you handle everything in your stride. You’re smart, resourceful, funny, selfless, playful, gorgeous, and so much more. When I’m with you, I feel like a better man. What’s not to love?”

Nina’s heart was pounding in her chest. Part of her wanted to throw her arms around Rashad and let herself melt into him, but she held back. Her hand in his was more than enough right now, and she still had questions.

“What about the baby? And Kate and Miles? If you’re going to be in a relationship with me, if you’re going to say you love me, you have to be ready to acceptthem, too. You have to be ready to be a father to our baby.”

“I’m ready.” Rashad squeezed her hand. “I never thought I would be, but I understand now thatno onereally feels ready to be a parent — especially people like me, who didn’t have good role models. But if I walk away from you and the twins and our baby now, that would make me just as bad as my parents. Worse, probably. Showing up for you and for them is the only way for me to be the kind of man, partner, and father I want to be.”

Nina nodded and drew her lip between her teeth. Worry flickered across Rashad’s handsome features.

“That is, I want to show up for you and the kids — if there’s a place for me. I understand that I’ve made mistakes, and that my business proposal doesn’t erase those mistakes. Despite that, do you think, perhaps, you’d be willing to give me another chance?”

A tear rolled from Nina’s eye, though she was barely aware of it. She nodded again and finally trusted herself to speak.

“Rashad.” His name felt as sweet and rich as creamy coffee on her tongue. “I’m ready to give you another chance. I… I love you, too. I wanted to deny that, especially given what happened the last day on the yacht, but I do. I love you.”

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