Page 20 of The Sheikh's Defiant Girlfriend

“I can’t wait!” Alex said. She turned to the twins. “Is he as yummy in real life as he is in pictures?” she asked.

“Yes,” the twins said in unison. Sara smiled to herself. He was yummy, and he was all hers. The maid returned with Soraya, and Sara got up and hugged her. Sara couldn’t help but notice that Soraya looked a bit uncomfortable and out of place.

“Thanks for coming,” Sara said, took her hand, and led her to the sofas.

“Thank you for the invite,” Soraya said. Sara quickly introduced her to everyone, and they all greeted her. Aaliyah and Soraya already knew each other.

“So are you getting cold feet?” Alex asked Sara.

“Nope! None at all,” Sara replied.

“Okay, that’s good, but if you do start getting them, tell me, and I’ll drive the getaway car.” Sara laughed. She knew Alex was serious though. Alex had always been there for her. She was her ride-or-die friend. Whenever there was a situation, they would face it together.

“She is excited to marry my cousin,” Aaliyah said. “It’s obvious they love each other,” she added, and Sara rolled her eyes.

“He better love her!” Alex said.

Sara noticed the other girls were getting along fine, but Soraya sat there quietly. Sara stood up and went to sit next to her. This was her opportunity to break the young woman out of her shell. She handed Soraya a drink and smiled at her.

“Are you always this quiet?” Sara asked her.

“I’m sorry,” Soraya said. “I’m not great at parties, it’s true.”

“No, it’s okay. We’ll have to shake you up a bit.”

* * *

Although everyone had been very nice and welcoming since she’d arrived, Soraya couldn’t seem to shake off the nervousness plaguing her. Sara had a mischievous look on her face. It was usually Amir who had something up his sleeve. Soraya could see how the two of them had formed such a fast friendship. It seemed they shared similar traits.

Sara started asking simple questions about Soraya’s work, her school, and her family, and Soraya tried to answer them all as calmly as she could. Alex came over to sit with them. She was as bad as Sara was. She too started asking Soraya questions. Alex was not subtle or tactful. She even asked if Soraya was seeing anyone. When that subject was brought up, Soraya immediately thought of Amir.

“I want you.”

His words replayed in her head. She hadn’t seen him since that day on campus. She was going to see him tomorrow at the wedding though, and she knew he would speak to her. Did he really wanther? Or was he just in it for the chase and the novelty of a woman who was saying no to him and not instantly bending over backward to give him what he wanted the moment he showed any interest? She was full of questions. When it came to Amir, there was no certainty. He was full of surprises. And that was frustrating Soraya to no end.

* * *

Tariq sat with Jason, answering an endless stream of questions. It seemed that as Sara’s eldest brother, Jason felt like it was his duty to check him out. Tariq had had a few conversations with Mr. Matthews over Skype, and he’d gotten the feeling the older man had concluded he was a good person, but it seemed like Jason needed to know for sure. He was taking full advantage of the chance to interrogate Tariq face-to-face.

“So why do you want to marry my sister?” Jason stared Tariq down as he asked the most clichéd question.

“Because I do not wish to live my days without her,” Tariq replied. He was not a simple man and could not give simple answers. He couldn’t simply say he was marrying Sara because he loved her.

“Sounds like you’re lonely.”

“You doubt my intentions?”

“Should I?”

“I am a man with everything in the palm of my hand. I’m not using Sara for personal gain because there isn’t anything to gain.”

Jason frowned. He could tell that answer wasn’t the least bit appealing.

Tariq sighed. “What I am saying is that all I want is her. All I need is her. Before I met her, I didn’t realize anything was missing from my life. Now, my life would be empty if she were gone. My intentions are honest.” Tariq said.

“So she will be taken care of?”

“No one can do the job better than I can.”

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