Page 31 of The Sheikh's Temporary Girlfriend

Tomorrow he intended to show her falconry, he was certain she’d enjoy that, then he’d take her to the markets where she could shop till she dropped. They needed a day together. Maram’s father had already accepted Basam wasn’t interested in his daughter—he’d even admitted gruffly that Amber seemed like a wonderful, caring woman.

Once the ballroom was completed—it couldn’t happen soon enough!—he’d show her it before he proposed to her. Nothing could possibly change his mind about how he felt about her. He’d been in denial too long already. She’d captured his attention and now she’d captured his heart.

He was certain his people would love her as much as he did. She was caring and beautiful, as bright as a star and twice as radiant.

He slowed a little at seeing the guards at the front doorway to his suite of rooms, their nervousness all too apparent. He stopped in front of them, his pulse suddenly drumming in his ears. “Is everything all right?”

“Sheikh Basam,” one of them said, bowing his head. “Your guest, Amber Clayton, is no longer here.”

He frowned even as his heart bottomed out and left him reeling. “She’s…gone?”

“I believe so,” the same guard conceded. He cleared his throat. “A young boy came to see her. She followed him somewhere, then returned alone to her rooms before she dragged out one piece of luggage behind her.” He glanced at the other guard, then added, “She seemed…upset, and asked us to take care of you.”

“And you allowed her to go?” he growled.

“We had no choice, Sheikh Basam, not after you ordered us to leave her to come and go as she pleased.” The guard swallowed convulsively. “We didn’t dare try to stop her.”

Fuck.He couldn’t blame his men, they’d done as he’d asked. “I want you both to go and get me Abdul.” He was head of security. “Tell him I want every piece of footage showing Amber and anyone who was with her from today.”

They nodded and all but ran to do as he requested. He pushed open his door and stepped inside, aware immediately she’d gone. Her lack of presence in the suite of rooms was like a void, an empty vacuum. He stalked through the rooms, checking each one for any clues or information. Only once he stalked into the bedroom did he notice the jewelry he’d gifted her was left on the pillow of his bed, along with a letter.

He swore under his breath, his heart surging even as he stepped forward and grabbed the letter. Opening it with unsteady hands, he scanned her handwriting and read what couldn’t possibly be true.

He reread it again just to be sure.

Dear Basam,

I know even as I write this that I’m going to hurt you one way or the other, but believe me that isn’t and has never been my intention. I can’t tell you enough how much I enjoyed every minute I spent with you. Last night was incredible. But my heart doesn’t belong here, it belongs back home at the beaches I love and the children I teach. It belongs with the foamy waves that hit the sandy shore and the sun that shines bright on the ocean.

But most of all, it belongs with my brother and my niece. They’re my only family now and I can’t lose them, not even for you.

I know I’ve broken my contract and I fully expect and want you to take back the money you offered. I know you’ll find the woman of your dreams, whoever she may be, just as I know she’ll make you happier than I ever could. Your people will love her too, I’m sure.

I’m just honored to have known you for this brief but wonderful time.

All I ask is that you please don’t hate me.

Amber xxx

His heart contracted even as his vision misted with red and his hands fisted, crumpling the letter before he straightened the page and read it all over again. He was no masochist, but something didn’t add up. What had she meant byhurt you one way or the other? And why would she want him to take back the money when it was the one and only way to save her brother?

Nothing made sense and nothing added up.

Luckily he was a master at fixing problems and he intended to solve this one sooner rather than later, because he couldn’t lose his sunshine. He couldn’t lose the love of his life.

Chapter Sixteen

Amber looked through her binoculars as seawater touched her toes before it was sucked back out into the deeper ocean, where five of her students were doing amazingly well catching waves.

That they were teenagers didn’t mean she’d take her eyes off them. The ocean could be unpredictable and unforgiving even when every rule was followed to a T.

She adjusted her straw hat and flexed her toes in the sand as another wave surged toward her in full force, breaking apart seconds later and becoming a long stream of approaching water that was still incredibly powerful.

Three of her students caught the next wave in, their ability to ride their surfboards amazing to watch. They’d all come so far in a short time and she couldn’t be more proud of them.

She high-fived each one of them as they came out of the surf before they headed to the surf school building to wash off the boards and place them on their wall racks. It wasn’t until the last two came in and she watched them trudge across the sand and into the building that she tossed her straw hat and binoculars onto her towel, then picked up her surfboard jammed into the sand beside her.

The other surf school staff would ensure the teenagers were delivered safely to their parents, which meant she was free now to enjoy the waves herself.

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