Page 46 of At the Sheikh's Bidding
“It’s fine,” said Amare, glancing at Janey, who still sat stiffly in the corner. Claudine followed his gaze thoughtfully.
“It will give you some respite from my mob, anyway.” She smiled encouragingly at Janey. “I know they can be overwhelming.”
“They’re fine.” One look at Claudine’s expression and Janey realized she needed to pull out something more positive. “I mean they’re wonderful children, it’s just…” She glanced for help at Amare, who turned to Claudine.
“It’s just Janey’s not used children, and it’s been a long day.”
“Of course,” said Claudine quickly. “There’s a casserole in the oven, wine in the cellar, so we’ll leave you in peace. I hope you sleep well. If there’s anything you want, just let me know.”
“Thank you, I will,” said Janey, profoundly thankful for Claudine’s tact and also because she, and her lovely family, were leaving for a few hours.
Janey heaved a relieved sigh as soon as the door closed. “Why have you brought me here?” she asked.
“It’s where I live,” he said guardedly.
“I know that. But you led me to believe we’d be staying in a hotel.”
He shrugged. “What does it matter? A hotel, my home. It’s somewhere to stay during our visit. If you’re concerned about privacy, don’t be. The top floor penthouse is where I stay.”
“And you let your friends take over the rest?”
“Of course. Why would I not? They were here before me, in fact. I used to live elsewhere.”
There was something in the way he spoke, something in the way he wouldn’t look her in the eye, which made her suspicious.
“Where did you live before?”
He licked his lips, and the silence grew.
“Closer to the city center. Anyway, it’s worked out fine. Claudine and Pierre are great friends and the kids are great, if noisy.”
She raised her eyebrows. “They are that.” She frowned. “I’d forgotten…”
“What?”
She grimaced. “I’d forgotten about children. About families. About noise and laughter and anger and crying and… all of it. I’d…forgotten.” She blinked at the flood of emotion which she just managed to suppress.
He didn’t move, just looked at her. The silence lengthened, and she felt the stir of emotion nudge her control, threatening to break through. She blinked again. The sound of children at play and the muffled barks of a dozen dogs echoing from every corner of the neighborhood came together into one foggy wash of sound that pressed in around her. The walls in the old house seemed to close in on her, and panic mounted inside of her—her last defense against the emotion.
Janey’s heart raced as she looked around the room, trying to figure the quickest way out. The walls were lined with family photos, and the air was thick with the scent of home-cooked meals. Everything reminded her of a family life on which she’d turned her back so many years ago.
She stood up abruptly, the chair scraping loudly against the hardwood floor. Amare looked up at her, concern etched on his face.
“Are you okay?”
Janey shook her head. “No, I’m not. This is too much for me. I need to go to bed, I think.”
Amare stood up too, his hand outstretched. “Wait, Janey, please. What’s wrong?”
But she couldn’t stay there, in that family living room, a moment longer. She had to get out. She grabbed her bag and headed towards the stairs, the walls closing in on her with every step.
“Janey, please!” Amare called after her, but she didn’t stop. She needed to escape the suffocating embrace of the family home, and retreat to the bachelor apartment she knew was upstairs.
As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard Amare’s footsteps behind her. He caught up to her and grabbed her arm, turning her around to face him.
“Talk to me, Janey. What’s going on?”
“I’m having a panic attack.” She gasped for air, the tears rolling down her face. “It used to happen a lot, but this… has brought it on.” She shook her head. “I can’t do this, Amare, I can’t.”
