Page 11 of The Sheikh and the Single Mom

“Are you feeling all right?” Rashad came to join her. He noticed that, even though she appeared not to be feeling well, she kept most of her attention on her kids all the time. It must be tiring, being a parent.

“A little dizzy.” Nina made a face. “Sorry. Maybe it’s seasickness, maybe it’s lack of sleep, but either way, I have to admit that I’m not at my best.”

Rashad had a full afternoon of meetings scheduled. He’d planned to learn everything Nina would tell him about her company, then make her an offer — one way or another. By the time the sun set, he’d been hoping to toast to his success with a glass of champagne.

Things didn’t seem to be going that way, though. Nina was clearly not feeling that well, and even if she were in full form, the kids were here and didn’t seem eager to sit quietly while Rashad and Nina hashed out the basics of a business deal.

“How about this,” Rashad said slowly. “This afternoon, I have a bit of work I was hoping to do. Perhaps you and the twins can enjoy the yacht and rest a little. We can reconvene for dinner, and tomorrow we can have our meetings.”

“Really?” Nina frowned. “I don’t want to throw off your schedule.”

“It’s fine.” Rashad always had other work he could do, and there was no point pushing now. It would be easier to do what he had to do tomorrow. “Plus, I think the kids would enjoy an afternoon of playing instead of sitting in on boring business meetings.”

“I’m sure they would.” Nina still looked skeptical. “I just… Well. Thank you.”

“Of course. You know where everything is, so feel free to use the pool, help yourself to food from the kitchen, whatever you’d like. We can have dinner around seven.”

“Perfect. Thanks again.” Nina took a seat on one of the blue couches, resting her head on her hand, and Rashad slowly backed away. He had a strange urge to offer to babysit Miles and Kate so that Nina could rest, but he dismissed the thought before it could properly form. He didn’t know anything about children, and Nina seemed all right. Plus, he really did have work to do.

Rashad climbed the stairs to his office, where he opened his laptop and got to work. Usually, he would be completely absorbed in his job, but today he was distracted by the sound of giggles and voices downstairs. In the mid-afternoon, he spotted the kids playing in the pool while Nina sat on the edge, her skirt lifted over her knees, her feet in the water. She still looked tired, but she seemed all right. Hopefully, her seasickness was passing, and she’d be ready to get down to business soon.

Hopefully Rashad would be, too.

When seven o’clock rolled around, he met the trio back in the dining area for a simple dinner of pasta and salad. Again, the twins ate enthusiastically, but this time, Nina barely picked at her food. She drank plenty of water but didn’t seem hungry.

Rashad wanted to ask how she was, but he could barely get a word in edgewise. Kate and Miles were excitedly telling each other, Rashad, and Nina all about their day on the yacht — apparently, they’d swum, colored, played I Spy, and even watched an episode of their favorite TV show on the deck. Fromthe way they described their day, it seemed like they’d had as much fun as they would have on Christmas. Rashad was glad that he’d given everyone the afternoon off so that the kids could have fun. Tomorrow, he and Nina would have to discuss business, and Rashad would do his best to forget that she was a caring mother with adorable children and approach her simply as another enemy in business.

It might be harder than usual.

A few times, as the twins chattered and compared stories from their exciting day of yachting, Nina and Rashad’s eyes met and they shared a smile at the children’s antics. It was surprisingly fun to be one of two adults in the room, as though he and Nina were sharing an ongoing private joke. When little Kate announced that she was interested in being a veterinarian when she grew up, but only for octopuses, both Rashad and Nina fought to hide their smiles and had to look away.

Rashad wondered, for a fleeting moment, what he had wanted to be when he grew up, but he couldn’t remember. He’d never wanted to be a sheikh, as he’d always known that was his brother’s path, not his, but he wasn’t sure what he’d aspired to become. Perhaps a vet, like Kate. Or perhaps a soccer player, like Miles. Business hadn’t appealed to him until he was a teenager.

After dinner, Nina yawned.

“I think we’ll go to bed. Thank you again for the afternoon. Miles and Kate had a great time.”

“Yeah, thanks!” Miles gave a cute thumbs-up.

“No problem. Sleep well, and I hope you feel better in the morning.”

“I’m sure I will.” Nina smiled. “See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.”

Nina disappeared upstairs while Rashad poured himself a glass of wine. He leaned back in his chair and sipped deeply. This weekend wasn’t going the way he’d planned at all. By now, he should have had at least a handshake agreement with Nina on a takeover, or a strategy for outcompeting her company on the market. Instead, he’d gotten unrelated work done and joined Nina and her kids for two surprisingly pleasant meals.

Hopefully, Nina would feel better the next morning, and Rashad could put today out of his mind and get back to business. It might be harder than expected to be as ruthless as he wanted to be, now that he’d seen her with her kids, but he could overcome any hesitations he had.

He had to, or his company would suffer.

CHAPTER 6

NINA

The suite Rashad had prepared for Nina was beautiful. She’d caught a glimpse of it earlier in the day, during the tour, but it looked even nicer now that she was feeling tired and dizzy. The large bed, made with crisp white sheets and bracketed by gauzy curtains, was especially appealing. Nina had pushed hard to enjoy her afternoon with the twins despite feeling unwell, but now all she wanted to do was sink into that soft white bed for a nice long rest. In the morning, she’d feel better. She had to.

Apart from the bed, the room was furnished with a mahogany writing desk and a wardrobe, as well as a small seating area with a couch and an armchair. The room’s picture window looked out over the now dark ocean and starry sky, with the lights of coastal cities flashing in the far distance. Kate and Miles immediately jumped onto the bed and began to roll around, giggling.

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