Page 30 of The Sheikh's Secret Family

“I haven’t had much time to read lately, though,” Tariq said, a little sadly, after Emelia pointed out one of her old favorites.

“Me neither,” Emelia agreed. “Although I have more time now. It’s been nice.” She paused. “Thank you.”

Tariq stopped abruptly, turning to her. Suddenly, they were very close together, close enough for Emelia to feel Tariq’s warmth. Close enough that, if she leaned forward an inch or two, they would be kissing.

And then they were touching as Tariq reached for Emelia’s hands. He looked serious, his eyebrows drawn in. “Em,” he said, using her old nickname. “You have nothing to thank me for. Owen is my son. You’re my… You’re both important to me. I was gone from your lives for too long and all I’m doing now is trying to make up for that.”

“I know,” Emelia said, softly. She wasn’t used to getting anything for free, not a place to live in a palace or free time or even, especially, affection from someone who cared about her. It was hard to believe that Tariq really wanted them here and that he was asking for nothing in return. But Emelia would try her best to believe it. She would try her best to trust again.

Tariq bent his head down, just slightly, and Emelia’s heart started to race even faster, her breath hitching. His lips were so close to hers. Just a little closer…

Tariq pulled away and Emelia felt his absence sharply. She wondered for a split second if she’d done something wrong, but pushed the thought away. This was for the best. As she’d been telling herself ever since they arrived, romance had no place here.

Yet, despite all her best intentions, a small part of her was disappointed.

“We better continue the scavenger hunt,” Tariq said, his voice a little too deep.

“Yes,” Emelia agreed. She reached for a book at random and read the title. “The Art of a Successful Marriage.” Then she flushed. “Probably not this one, huh? Let’s move on.”

They wrapped up the scavenger hunt, leaving the last clue in a book on penguins, and headed out. Both were trying to fall back into their usual easy banter, but the tension that had almost led to a kiss stayed between them. Emelia felt like a rubber band stretched from her to Tariq, pulling them closer whenever they forgot to stay away.

When Tariq said he needed to head to his office on the way back to his room and asked if Emelia would be okay to walk home on her own, Emelia agreed quickly. She just didn’t know if she was more relieved or disappointed when they said goodbye and the rubber band snapped free.

CHAPTER17

TARIQ

Emelia found Tariq first. He was hiding in a linen closet, wedged between bedsheets and a stack of towels. She smiled, then stepped into the closet, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Tariq was very, very aware of how close together they were, how dark the closet was, and how the sound of their breath was the only thing he could hear. He was torn between wanting Owen to find them as soon as possible and wanting this moment with Emelia to never end. Emelia shifted and Tariq felt her bare arm slide against his, sending shivers through his whole body.

“There you are!” With a gleeful shout, Owen flung the door open and Emelia stepped out of the closet quickly, not looking back. Tariq followed.

“Congrats! Your turn to hide, right?”

“Wait,” Tariq said, his heart suddenly skipping a beat. “What time is it?”

“Just a little before three,” Emelia said, glancing at her phone. “Why? What’s up?”

“I have a meeting,” Tariq said, grabbing his bag and starting for the door. “I’m so sorry, but I have to go.”

“Will you be back for dinner?” Owen asked.

Tariq looked down at the little boy and wished he could promise that he would be. These family dinners had started to mean a lot to him, and he could tell that Owen felt the same way.

“I’ll try,” he said. Then he glanced at the clock again and knew there was no more time to waste. “See you later!”

As he half-jogged to the meeting, knowing that he was going to be late anyway, Tariq felt a strong sense of disappointment. His work was important. He’d always enjoyed feeling busy and productive. Yet now, all Tariq wanted to do was turn around and go play more Sardines with Emelia and Owen. Now that they were in his life, it was hard to do anything else.

When Tariq arrived, everyone in the meeting room jumped to their feet. He waved them back into their seats and took his own, drawing the printout of the policy they were discussing closer. It was a policy they’d been working on for the past six months to reform Al Salyah’s education system.

“I call this meeting into session,” he said, glancing around the table at his advisors. “My apologies for the late arrival.” He gestured for the meeting to begin and Leila, his education advisor, spoke up.

“Today we’ll be focusing on the provision for alternative schools, such as foreign-language academies and home-schooling,” she began. “As you can see, on page three we have a requirement that home-schooling and full-time tutoring can only be done upon the approval of an educational board. Are there any arguments?”

Tariq had a brief image of Owen sitting with Noora and proudly reciting the water cycle based on a poster he’d made. He cleared his throat. “I believe that we need to have a broader scope for home-schooling and tutoring,” he said. “If everyone has to approve it through a board, it could be very difficult and discourage families from seeking the best educational path for their children.”

Everyone turned to look at Tariq, surprised expressions on every face. Tariq raised his eyebrows, confused.

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