Page 5 of The Sheikh's Defiant Girlfriend

“Takes after her mama,” Amir murmured just loud enough for Sara to hear. She smacked his knee playfully and stood to take her baby in her arms. Sara stroked her rosy cheeks. Leylah had Tariq’s nose and dark eyes under those long baby lashes. And, yes, her mother’s appetite. She smiled at her little blessing and took her to nurse.

Amir smiled as Sara left the patio with his precious niece. He’d never expected to feel such instant love for anyone, but Leylah had captured his heart and had him starting to think of children of his own. He wondered what a baby he and Soraya made together would look like. Of course, he was getting ahead of himself now.

First, he had to get her to agree to actually date him.

* * *

The morning after their family lunch, Tariq walked into Amir’s office without knocking, hands in his pockets.

“Here comes the family man,” Amir said with a smirk. He sat at his desk, and Malik occupied one of the guest chairs facing him. Tariq took the second, refusing to rise to Amir’s bait.

“I hear El-Sultari is doing well.” Tariq went straight to business as Adiva brought in a tray of coffee, tea, and pastries for the three of them. Amir dug in to his namoura, a delicate pastry made with semolina flour, almonds, and syrup.

“Our new surveys have indicated it will be far more productive than we previously imagined,” Malik replied with relish.

“Thank you,” Amir said to Adiva as she poured him some tea. He pushed the tray of namoura, baklava, and other delights forward on his desk. “Stop talking about business for a minute and have something to eat.”

Tariq did pour himself a cup of coffee, but he didn’t stop talking business. Halfway through their meeting, Dana, Amir’s new assistant, came into the office with some paperwork. She bowed to Amir before handing him the file. Amir studied her briefly before he dismissed her. He opened the file and glanced through it.

“She’s so stiff,” he said.

“Dana?” Malik asked.

“Yes. She’s so boring. I need a new assistant.”

“Boring is good for you,” Tariq said. “And she hasn’t been here long enough for you to get used to her, or vice versa. You can’t fire someone because they’re boring, not if they’re performing their duties well.”

“When is Sara coming back to work?” Amir asked.

Tariq frowned at him. “My wife will not be your assistant.”

Malik laughed.

“Why not? She was good at her job, and she loved it,” Amir replied with a grin plastered to his face.

“Those days are long gone, brother,” Tariq replied in a not-so-friendly tone. “The wife of the chairman of the board cannot be a mere administrative assistant. And definitely not for you.”

Amir and Sara had become close friends during the time they’d worked together, but they’d never been tempted to date or cross professional boundaries. Tariq still didn’t think putting them together was a good idea. He felt like a teacher who had to separate the two class clowns to keep order in the classroom.

Amir laughed. “You are so overprotective, brother. If you don’t let her out of the house, she’s going to break out. Besides, she needs a position in the company, even if she’s not my assistant. She’s a great asset to the company for a lot of reasons. Even if she weren’t intelligent and a skilled engineer, her demeanor brightens the office atmosphere, and she’d be a good ambassador in meetings with our international partners.”

“That is true,” Malik agreed. “She’s earned a place here. After all, without her, we never would have investigated the El-Sultari field.”

Tariq sighed. “All right. You both make good points.”

It was good to hear Tariq admit there was something to what they were telling him. Sara would never agree to be a stay-at-home mom. He knew one of the reasons Tariq loved her was her strong, independent streak. He’d be much better off giving her the freedom she demanded. Because if she took it for herself, she might never come back to him.

Amir had enjoyed watching his very serious brother fall in love and hoped that one day soon he’d have the kind of relationship with Soraya that Tariq and Sara shared.

3

Soraya touched up her mascara and tweaked her tunic top. The restaurant where she worked was hosting a private party this evening, and she wanted to look her best. She liked working these events. She always knew exactly how many people she’d be serving, and she knew they would be there for the whole evening. Even though tipping wasn’t a normal part of dining out, people at these events would often include a gratuity for their server at the end of the night.

The last group she’d served had left her enough of a tip to pay for a semester’s worth of books. She always volunteered to take these shifts and made sure to look and perform her best.

Just as she grabbed her handbag, her phone buzzed with a text message. Her boss’s name popped up on the screen.

Jehan:Party cancelled. Guest of honor is ill. You have the night off.

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