Page 306 of The Skeikh's Games

Angry, he reached over and grabbed her arm. “Do not ever call yourself that. You know what you mean to me. Don’t cheapen our relationship like that. You would not return as my girlfriend. You would return as my wife.”

Sara’s head shot up, and her jaw dropped. “Kamal, did you just propose to me?”

“Sara, I love you. I would spend the rest of my life with you if you would have me. If you returned as my wife, there is nothing my family could do. They may not approve, but they will respect you.” He felt almost desperate as he waited for her to reply.

She tugged at her arm, and he released her. To his dismay, she took a few steps back and shook her head. “Kamal, I am twenty-four years old. I’m not ready to be anyone’s wife. I’m certainly not ready to be a princess. You’re destined to be a Sheikh. Doesn’t that put boundaries on who can you can and can’t marry?”

His heart broke at her words. Feeling his dreams slip through his fingers, he advanced. “I don’t care about that. Sara, I know you’re scared. But we can be together. Isn’t that what you want?”

Sadly, she smiled softly. “Kamal, I’ve had fun with you. We’ve had an amazing time together. But I think it’s best if we just say goodbye here. I will miss you, but we both know that we aren’t meant to be together.”

She turned her back, and he clenched his fists. Heartbreak. It was a new sensation for him, and he didn’t know what to do. Part of him wanted to throw pride out the window and beg for her to stay with him, but that wasn’t how he was raised. He didn’t chase after women.

Instead, he turned and walked out of her room.

It wasn’t the last time he saw her. Over the next couple of weeks, they passed each other on campus. He always tried valiantly to convey his feelings when their eyes met, but she always turned away. It was over.

After the semester ended, he boarded the plane. He would never see Sara again. He would never see the only woman he had ever loved again.

* * *

Three weeks after the party, Kamal’s mother was in wedding planning mode. Money was no obstacle, and the truth was that Kamal hadn’t actually seen his mother in days. He was beginning to fear his wedding day.

As he sat at his desk and put the finishing touches on his presentation to the company next week, he put the pen down and shook his head. Every time he went over it, he saw more that needed revising. At this rate, he would never be ready.

“You have to trust your gut instinct.”

Kamal jumped and turned to see his father leaning over the shoulder. “You should not sneak up on people,” he snapped angrily.

Nahid wasn’t concerned. “Stop making adjustments or you’ll overanalyze everything. Why will you not let me help you?”

Kamal hastily closed the folder. “This is something that I have to do on my own.”

“Yes, but I’m the one that you have to convince,” Nahid said with an amused smile. “I could save you a lot of trouble by simply looking over your ideas now.”

“No.” Kamal shook his head. “I want to present this in front of the board like everyone else.”

“I will treat you like everyone else, then,” Nahid said softly. “Are you prepared to face rejection?”

Rejection was nothing to Kamal. He nodded his head. “I want to do this right.”

“Very well,” Nahid said mildly. “My advice still stands. Trust your gut instinct. The simplest solution to the problem is usually the correct one. If you keep making changes, it will look nothing like you imagined.” He lounged on the arm chair in Kamal’s office.

Kamal watched his father impatiently. It was clear he wanted something. “Yes?” he asked as he tried to keep his temper in check.

“I’m pleased with your choice in Jada. She’s make a good wife for you both as a person and as Sheikh. I am not, however, pleased with your actions this week. You have not visited her, given her a tour of the place, or shown her off in public. Instead, you lock yourself in here and work. May I ask why?”

“She ran theses halls as a child. She has no need for a tour. And I do not need to show her off the people. Thanks to the press, everyone knows of our impending wedding,” Kamal said tiredly. “We spoke at the party. She’s adjusted to this arrangement. I see no need to visit her before the wedding.”

His father’s face tightened in anger. “Kamal, you are marrying a woman. Simply because she has adjusted does not mean that she doesn’t require your attention.”

“I am marrying the woman that you picked out for me. And she’s getting everything she wants in life. She’ll have my attention for the rest of our lives,” Kamal said stiffly.

“Everything she wants in life? And what exactly do you that will be?”

Kamal gave his father an incredulous look. “She’ll soon be the Sheikh’s wife. She’s fulfilling the role she’s been bred to have. She’ll be rich, at the side of a powerful man, and she’ll have everything she needs to maintain her beauty. I see no reason to parade her around before the wedding simply so she can simper over me.”

“I did not suggest you marry her so that you could insult her,” Nahid said. His face was dark with anger, and his tone was low.

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