Page 33 of The Sheikh's Fake Bride Scheme

And being with Kareem… that was proving to be even more fun.

It was hard to believe there had been a time when she’d found him unbearable and wished that he would leave her alone. It was true that he could be annoying from time to time, of course. She still burned inside whenever he got caught up in his worries about what his family would do if they found out about the race. But at the same time, she understood the way he felt. It was very difficult to try to do something on your own for the very first time. She could imagine the anxiety it must cause him to knowthat at any moment, his father might intervene and put a stop to all their plans.

After all, what if her own father had had the kind of power King Hassan did? What if he’d been the ruler of a country, able to push people in any direction he wanted them to go?

Keira knew the answer. If her father had had his way, she would be behind the wheel of an F1 car right now, and she would never have been able to discover her true passion.

Kareem might be a privileged member of the royal family, but Keira knew he was much more constrained by his position in life than she had ever been by hers, and that fact made her heart ache with a desire to help him.

She would do all she could to ensure that his race was a success.

CHAPTER 15

KEIRA

“Are you sure it’s all right for us to walk home?” Keira asked as they left the restaurant.

“Of course it is,” Kareem said. “Like I said, someone will come to pick up the car. We don’t need to worry about that. I do this all the time, Keira.”

“It’s not the car I’m worried about.”

“Is it the neighborhood? Because I can assure you that it’s very safe.”

“No, it isn’t that,” Keira said. “Though I do feel as if all of Qalmar is very safe! That’s been one of the most pleasant surprises to me about my time here.”

“Yes, you’re right about that,” Kareem agreed. “Qalmar is ranked among the ten lowest countries in the world for instances of violent crime, and we’re also on the top-twenty lists when it comes to safety for women and tourists. It’s something we’re very proud of.”

The way Kareem spoke about his country warmed Keira’s heart. Not for the first time, she wondered how his family had allowed themselves to pass up the opportunity to put him into a political position. Kareem clearly loved Qalmar, and he was a wonderful person to represent it.

“It’s not safety I’m concerned about either,” she said. “It’s publicity.”

“Publicity?”

“Having our picture taken. I know we run the risk of that every time we step outside, but to walk along a public street like this… it seems almost inevitable, doesn’t it?”

“I didn’t realize it was something you felt so negatively about,” Kareem said, stopping mid-stride. “Should we summon the car?”

“No, we don’t need to,” Keira said quickly. “I didn’t mean to imply that I minded having my picture taken. I was under the impression thatyoudidn’t like it. Or that maybe you’d want to avoid it with me.”

“Getting my picture taken isn’t my favorite thing,” Kareem admitted. “But it’s kind of unavoidable when you live this life, and I’m not about to let that stop me from enjoying a nice walk in the warm weather sometimes. If you want me to call the car back, I will. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable. But if it’s me you’re worried about then don’t be. I’m more than happy to take the risk of being photographed.”

Keira smiled. “All right,” she agreed. “As long as you’re comfortable with it, I think a walk home sounds like a great idea.”

“Did you enjoy your meal?” Kareem asked as they made their way along the footpath that ran parallel to the road.

“Very much,” Keira enthused. “You were right about that restaurant — it was wonderful. And I’ve never had an experience like that before. I felt a bit selfish, having them shut down the whole restaurant just for us, but it did make things feel very special. You should do that when you take women on dates.”

Her gut clenched as she spoke the words. She’d meant to be light-hearted, but it didn’t feel that way now. It felt as if she had spoken something into being — something she wasn’t sure she wanted. It was like she’d given Kareem permission to date other women.

A ridiculous thought. He didn’t need her permission to do anything. They weren’t really married. Or rather, theywere, but only as a formality. The relationship wasn’t one that required any sort of loyalty to one another, and Kareem was at perfect liberty to do whatever — with whomever — he wanted.

There was no justification for how sick that made Keira feel. It was as if she was grieving something she’d never even had.

Kareem didn’t respond to what she’d said. Keira didn’t know what to make of it. Was he imagining being with other women? Picturing the dates he would take them on? In three months’ time, would he be sitting in that same restaurant, but this time opposite someone else? And Keira would be far away, back in the US, all of this just a memory.

Of course she couldn’t come back for this race again next year. Eventually, Kareem would have a girlfriend, or perhaps even a wife. It would break Keira’s heart to see him with someone else. She couldn’t do it.

Kareem cleared his throat, breaking the silence. “Why don’t we walk down by the river?” he suggested. “I don’t think you’ve seen it at night.”

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