Page 24 of The Sheik's Pretend Fiancee
She inhaled, held the breath for a moment, then smiled up at him. “I guess it isn’t such a horrible secret.”
“What is it?” Helaced his fingers through hers. “You don’t have to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable.”
“No, it isn’t that.” She looked up at him, then out the window. “It’s just that…well, I thought I was so brave as a kid. And I wanted to be justlike Fiona.” Her eyes lifted to his now. “You know, like the character in the movie?”
He shuffled through all of the childhood movies his nanny allowed him to watch. “The one with the big,green guy? And the donkey?”
“Yeah,” she laughed. “That one.”
“What about that movie is embarrassing to you?”
“I wanted to be just like Fiona as a kid. I wanted to be strong and powerful. I begged my father to teach me martial arts so I could fight the bad guys, like Fiona did in the movie.”
“That’s not such a horrible goal. I’m guessing that you really just wanted to be strong and empowered. Someone who couldn’t be pushed around or bullied.”
“Yeah. But…” she stepped away from him, and he immediately missed her touch. Her skin was surprisingly soft.
“Tell me.” He crossed his arms over his chest in order to keep his handsto himself.
“Because I wanted to be like Fiona, I used to…color my face green.With my aunts’ and my mom’s eye shadow.” She groaned, running her hands over her hair, which was still pulled back in a sleek ponytail. “When they started hiding their makeup, I knew I had to ration my stash. So,I’d only color my nose.” She turned back to face him, her hands hidden behind her back. “That’s the secret they were going to tell you. Everyone thinks it’s a hilarious story.”
He recognized the discomfiture in her eyes and something in his chest softened. He smiled down at her. “I think it sounds adorable,” he countered, coming closer. He took her hands again, relieved when she didn’t pull away.“Why Fiona? Why not one of the otherfemale characters in a different movie?”
She shrugged, almost as if the answer weren’t important. But he saw the expression in her eyes. “I’m not sure. I guess because she just…captured my imagination.”
He looked at her with renewed respect. “Maybe you preferred her character because, in the end, she embraced her assumed lack of perfection and found someone wholoved her just the way she was.” He pulled her closer, wanting to kiss her soft, sweet lips. “Maybe it was because you were terrified that your father wouldn’t love who you really were, so you wantedto emulate a character who found someone who loved her regardless of her background or her appearance.” Hestroked her cheek gently.“You’re lovely, Angela.” And those words were absolutely true. “You’re a good person, inside and out. I’ve read opinion articles on the deals you’ve brokered between the various factions of different countries.You’re negotiations are fair to all parties involved.” He kissed her lips lightly. “I think that’s the most beneficial way to negotiate. Every party comes away with something, but not everything. A lot of political parties would benefit from that kind of thinking.”
Angela stared up at him, shocked by his interpretation of a childhood memory that her entire family loved to regale and laugh over at every opportunity. For her, it wasn’t funny. She’d never understood why it pained her so much when her family teased her about it. Until now, she’d always smiled and silently endured their teasing. They thought it was just about how Fiona was strong and vanquished the creepy, woodland singers in the forest during their trek to her wedding day.
But Tiro’s explanation gave her childhood obsession with Fiona a whole new layer.
Before she could thank him, or even better, thank him with a kiss, the door to the salon burst open. In the doorway stood Zayn, Rafi, Laith, and Saif. Behind them, Nahla was trying to pull them back out of the room, her angry, blue eyes shooting daggers at their backs. “Leave them alone!” she hissed, trying to be subtle and failing utterly. But the males of her family never really catered to subtlety. They were more of the “in-your-face” kind of men.
“Let’s play pool,” Rafi suggested. “And don’t let Angela make a fool of you.She’s a shark when it comes to pool.”
Angela’s hands tightened their grip on Tiro’s arm. She didn’t want to play pool. She didn’t want to discuss her childhood traumas. She wanted to be alone with Tiro! But her family, damn them, were interrupting at every opportunity, and she suspected it was deliberate.
“You’re all assholes!” she snapped.
Her relatives laughed as Rafi herded her and Tiro to the billiards room.
In the end, they played pool and Angela went out of her way to destroy her cousins, keeping them from scoring even a single point. After pool, Laith suggested card games. Then someone else suggested a movie. Angela was allowed to sit next to Tiro, and she was allowed to hold his hand. But there was no other touching allowed. She couldn’t even whisper to him.
And that’s the way the next two days went. Every time they had even a brief moment alone, Tiro would try to kiss her.But before their lips could meet, someone, usually her male cousins, would interrupt.!
So, by the third day, Angela and Tiro had given up trying. But whenever their eyes met, he would send her a silent signal.One that said, “Pretend I’m kissing you now.” And she’d send the message back along the lines of, “They’re coming to interrupt us!”
Perhaps he had other interpretations of their silent communications. Angela enjoyed speaking to him in a language that no one else understood, nor could they interrupt.
When he finally left the palace with just a kiss to her fingers, Angela vowed that she would repay her cousins for their constant disruptions over the past few days.
Chapter 16
“Where is Dad?” Angela asked, boarding the plane that would take them to Ginisia.
Helen smiled and thanked the flight attendant who stored her bag. “I told him he wasn’t allowed to come.”
Angela sat down and watched as her Aunt Tila and Aunt Tasha thanked the flight attendant for the hot cup of coffee as they settled down into deep, leather chairs.
