Page 31 of The Sheikh's Fake Bride Scheme

“I wouldn’t want them to lose a whole night’s profits.”

“They won’t,” Kareem said. “The crown reimburses businesses for things like this.”

“Do you mean you would have to pay for it? Because you’re sinking so much of your money into this race already, I hate to think of you sacrificing even more.”

“No, no,” Kareem said. “Not me. The money would come from my father. It’s all right if he knows we went out to dinner together, so we can let him pay for that. Actually, it’s a good thing if he knows we’re going out to dinner, since that’s exactly the sort of thing newlyweds would do.”

“I see,” Keira laughed. “We’d be helping our cover story.”

“Exactly.”

“Well, if it’s like that, how can I refuse?” She smiled at him. “Going out to dinner and allowing the crown to foot the bill sounds wonderful to me.”

“Perfect. I’ll send a message ahead to a restaurant and let them know we’ll be coming — that way they can make the appropriate preparations,” Kareem said.

“Do I need to go home and change? This sounds like a fancier affair than what I originally anticipated.”

“No, not at all. Remember, we’ll be the only ones in the restaurant, so we get to decide how fancy or casual the night is. If we wanted to, we could go in our pajamas.”

“Being a member of the royal family has perks I never imagined,” Keira confessed. “If you’d asked me, I would never have guessed that this would be an element of my life here in Qalmar — going out to nice restaurants on a whim and taking over the whole place. I mean, it’s the kind of thing you tell yourself will be possible when you fantasize about being a princess, but it also sounds like something out of a daydream.”

Kareem beamed. “I’m glad my country has made you feel like your dreams are coming true.”

Immediately, he felt as if he could have swallowed his tongue. What Keira had said hadn’t been nearly as dramatic as his response. Surely she would think he was foolish for making such a big deal out of it.

But if she felt that way, she gave no sign. She just smiled at him. “I’m glad to be here in Qalmar,” she told him. “This really has been the adventure of a lifetime. I’m glad I took you up on your offer.”

“I’m glad you did too,” Kareem said quietly.

The truth was, he was beginning to feel — already — as if he couldn’t imagine his life without her.

And that was a dangerous thing indeed. Because, soon enough, she would be gone.

CHAPTER 14

KEIRA

“Istill feel like I should have gone home to change,” Keira murmured.

“You’re fine,” Kareem assured her. “You’re dressed just as well as I am, after all.”

Perhaps that was true. Keira couldn’t be sure. It was true that her outfit and Kareem’s were similar — they were both made of linen — but men’s clothing and women’s were different in Qalmar, and she hadn’t yet mastered the nuances of how to dress appropriately in her new culture. She counted on Kareem’s staff to help her choose appropriate outfits each morning, and this one had been chosen for the office.

She would just have to trust Kareem. This was his country, after all. He was the one who lived a publicly scrutinized life. He would let her know if there was something wrong with the way she was presenting herself.

She had to admit that it came as a surprise to find herself worried about this at all. It wasn’t her usual way. Keira was more apt to dress for her own comfort, style, and pleasure, and as longas she wasn’t wildly inappropriate — something that had never happened — she was content to let other people think whatever they liked.

Turning her thoughts around in her head, she realized that what was really worrying her tonight wasn’t what the public at large thought, but rather, what Kareem thought. She didn’t want him to be disappointed — but she would have to take him at his word when he said that he wasn’t, that he thought her attire was perfectly fine.

“Good evening, Your Highnesses.” A maître d’ was waiting at the door of the restaurant to welcome them. “We’re so pleased that you’ve chosen to dine with us tonight. Our chef is preparing a delicious menu for you. Please, come in.”

Keira felt as if she had stepped into another world. The restaurant was draped in gauzy fabrics, and the tables were covered with rich velvet cloths. The style was so different from any place she’d ever eaten before that she thought she would enjoy spending an afternoon here, just taking in the sights. It was something she knew at once she would always remember.

Kareem didn’t seem anywhere near as stunned by the opulence and beauty of the place. He wore a neutral expression — smiling mildly, but other than that, looking as if nothing out of the ordinary was taking place. Of course, Keira was sure he had been here many times before in his life, so there was no reason it would be particularly special for him. She was the one who was having a unique experience.

If there were ordinarily a lot of tables in this part of the restaurant, someone had taken it upon themselves to clear those tables away. At the moment, there were very few. They were led to one in the center of the space. “Please take a seat,” the maîtred’ encouraged. “Someone will be along to go over tonight’s menu with you in just a moment.”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” Kareem said with a smile. “You can go ahead and tell the kitchen to get started. I’m sure we’ll be more than happy with whatever you have in store for us.”

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