Page 38 of The Sheikh’s Christmas Present

“Open it.”

With shaky fingers, Maria opened the box and reached inside to feel something soft and furry. Pulling it out, she was surprised to see it was a bear, dressed as a pilot. Staring at it, a slow smile spread across her face.

“Is this the same bear?” She couldn’t believe it. She remembered leaving it in Syria but couldn’t recall which child had received it.

Stepping closer to her, “For some reason, it was never given out last year and ended up back with the Christmas Crates’ supplies. I thought he deserved better. Do you like the outfit?” he asked her. His voice sounded strange, but Maria was too surprised to say anything.

“He’s adorable. Is he…mine?” she sounded like one of the children in the camps when they opened their presents. It wasn’t as if she never had a bear before—but for some reason, this one felt special.

“Of course, habibti. I think, he has something in his pocket. Would you check for me, please?”

Without questioning, Maria slipped her finger into the pocket of the bear’s leather bomber jacket. Her eyes grew round when she felt something inside. “Jarik, I…”

“Take it out, please.” His voice was quiet as he spoke.

Pulling the ring out, her hand shook as she looked at it. Comprised of a mix of diamonds and sapphires that almost exactly matched Jarik’s eyes, it was the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen.

Warm hands engulfed her shaking ones as Jarik took the ring from her. Lifting her left hand, he held it in front of her ring finger.

“Maria Walken. From the moment I first laid eyes on you, I knew you were someone special. You are smart, beautiful, and you have a heart of gold. Would you please do me the ultimate honor and consent to become my wife?”

Maria stared up at him, her mouth opening and closing but nothing came out. Dropping her head, she looked at the ring again before looking back up at Jarik.

“This is the part where you say yes,” Tessa shouted from the plane. Jumping out of her thoughts, Maria nodded frantically as Jarik placed the ring on her finger. “It doesn’t count, unless youactuallysay yes,” Tessa called out.

Laughing and crying at the same time, Maria threw her arms around Jarik’s neck and kissed him. “Yes, I say, yes. Oh, Jarik, yes. I love you.”

Hugging her tightly, he swung her around in a circle, both of them laughing, as he murmured in her ear. Setting her back down, she was surprised to see that she had managed to hold onto the bear. Clutching it tightly to her chest, she smiled up at him.

“I can’t believe it. This is going to be the best Christmas, ever.”

Wrapping his arms around her, he hugged her to him. “With you as my wife, every day will feel like Christmas.”

END OF THE SHEIKH’S CHRISTMAS PRESENT

SHADID SHEIKHS BOOK TWO

The Sheikh’s Christmas Maid, October 13th 2022

The Sheikh’s Christmas Present, October 20th 2022

The Sheikh’s Christmas Baby, October 27th 2022

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If you enjoyed this book, I'd be incredibly grateful if you could leave a quick review. Simply leave a review when prompted by Amazon at the end of this book. Alternatively, head over to the product page for this book on Amazon and leave a review there—look for the WRITE A CUSTOMER REVIEW link.

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