did… that wasn’t a mistake… was it?”
He crossed his arms, shifting his weight against his heels.
“Do you regret it?”
Elle opened her mouth to speak, but the air caught in her throat. There was too much. Far too much she didn’t know.
When she glanced away, Malik let out a slow sigh.
“Would you hate me if I told you I didn’t?”
Elle snapped back toward him, green eyes wide.
“Why? Aren’t you worried…? I mean, what do we do? Should I be worried about my job? Should I be worried if someone finds out? You probably have safety but I don’t. In the end, I’m still a nobody from Issaquah, and you’re a Sheikh from Dubai.”
Malik took a step forward, his jaw tight with mild self-restraint, “See, that’s what I don’t care about. Do you know how many people in my life constantly remind me and use me for my title? My status? Everyone, Elle. Everyone I’ve ever met has only been interested in me because I have what I have… But you…? You and Avani…” he broke off, thick brows furrowing together.
Avani…?
And then Elle remembered. She knew Malik had been hurting, she knew the pain he was feeling, because she recognized it intimately.
She remembered how Avani had a baby the day Elle had arrived for her first day, remembered Malik’s biting comment on the event instead of appearing happy for the woman. And it all clicked into place.
“You love her, don’t you?”
Malik turned a rueful smile up at her, and he let out a soft laugh.
“She’s not unlike you, you know. She was headstrong, always kept me in check. But she fell in love with some other bloke, and I was too late to tell her how I felt. That day when you walked in, I had been counting down the hours, hoping that she wouldn’t show up—that she would stay far away because all she could ever talk about was how happy she was for having this baby, and I could only hate myself for hating it.”
Suddenly he let out a short laugh.
“Then you walk in, wearing this awful two piece get-up and all I can think to myself is, my god there is no rest for me at all is there? You just waltzed in… and I liked you instantly.”
Elle shook her head slowly, not making a certain connection, “Hold on… then why didn’t you…?”
He filled in the words for her.
“Tell you that I was your boss? That I was the bloody Sheikh of Dubai? Because when you saw me you had no clue who I was and I couldn’t remember the last time someone talked to me like a normal person. So yes, I lied to you, I tricked you…”
He stopped for a moment, and she could feel a twinge of something begin in her heart that she hadn’t felt since before Alex left her.
“But that was because I didn’t want you to lie and trick me.”
Elle stared at him, stunned speechless as her mind traced his words and focused on the earnest gleam of his eyes.
In the pale sunlight of this dreary day, he still looked radiant, despite the wrinkled clothes and the bit of stubble growing over his jaw. How could someone so powerful look so vulnerable?
Slowly, Elle took a step closer, before nodding softly at him. Gingerly, she reached a hand out to catch his between her fingers.
It was odd, because she wasn’t sure if she was doing the right thing, but she could feel his pulse against her fingertips and it was racing just as hard as hers was. Linking their fingers, Elle blinked back up at Malik before giving him a shaky smile.
“No more lies and tricks?”
She asked meekly and Malik returned her smile just as he took another step closer. Pressing his forehead against hers, Malik sighed and Elle could feel a bit of relief ease the tension burrowing in her shoulders.
“No more lies and tricks.”
Chapter 13
It had taken the rest of the day to wait for someone to come help them. After finally reaching Alliana, the woman had asked them to turn on the GPS function in the car and use what little gas they had left to emit a signal—which was ridiculous to
He crossed his arms, shifting his weight against his heels.
“Do you regret it?”
Elle opened her mouth to speak, but the air caught in her throat. There was too much. Far too much she didn’t know.
When she glanced away, Malik let out a slow sigh.
“Would you hate me if I told you I didn’t?”
Elle snapped back toward him, green eyes wide.
“Why? Aren’t you worried…? I mean, what do we do? Should I be worried about my job? Should I be worried if someone finds out? You probably have safety but I don’t. In the end, I’m still a nobody from Issaquah, and you’re a Sheikh from Dubai.”
Malik took a step forward, his jaw tight with mild self-restraint, “See, that’s what I don’t care about. Do you know how many people in my life constantly remind me and use me for my title? My status? Everyone, Elle. Everyone I’ve ever met has only been interested in me because I have what I have… But you…? You and Avani…” he broke off, thick brows furrowing together.
Avani…?
And then Elle remembered. She knew Malik had been hurting, she knew the pain he was feeling, because she recognized it intimately.
She remembered how Avani had a baby the day Elle had arrived for her first day, remembered Malik’s biting comment on the event instead of appearing happy for the woman. And it all clicked into place.
“You love her, don’t you?”
Malik turned a rueful smile up at her, and he let out a soft laugh.
“She’s not unlike you, you know. She was headstrong, always kept me in check. But she fell in love with some other bloke, and I was too late to tell her how I felt. That day when you walked in, I had been counting down the hours, hoping that she wouldn’t show up—that she would stay far away because all she could ever talk about was how happy she was for having this baby, and I could only hate myself for hating it.”
Suddenly he let out a short laugh.
“Then you walk in, wearing this awful two piece get-up and all I can think to myself is, my god there is no rest for me at all is there? You just waltzed in… and I liked you instantly.”
Elle shook her head slowly, not making a certain connection, “Hold on… then why didn’t you…?”
He filled in the words for her.
“Tell you that I was your boss? That I was the bloody Sheikh of Dubai? Because when you saw me you had no clue who I was and I couldn’t remember the last time someone talked to me like a normal person. So yes, I lied to you, I tricked you…”
He stopped for a moment, and she could feel a twinge of something begin in her heart that she hadn’t felt since before Alex left her.
“But that was because I didn’t want you to lie and trick me.”
Elle stared at him, stunned speechless as her mind traced his words and focused on the earnest gleam of his eyes.
In the pale sunlight of this dreary day, he still looked radiant, despite the wrinkled clothes and the bit of stubble growing over his jaw. How could someone so powerful look so vulnerable?
Slowly, Elle took a step closer, before nodding softly at him. Gingerly, she reached a hand out to catch his between her fingers.
It was odd, because she wasn’t sure if she was doing the right thing, but she could feel his pulse against her fingertips and it was racing just as hard as hers was. Linking their fingers, Elle blinked back up at Malik before giving him a shaky smile.
“No more lies and tricks?”
She asked meekly and Malik returned her smile just as he took another step closer. Pressing his forehead against hers, Malik sighed and Elle could feel a bit of relief ease the tension burrowing in her shoulders.
“No more lies and tricks.”
Chapter 13
It had taken the rest of the day to wait for someone to come help them. After finally reaching Alliana, the woman had asked them to turn on the GPS function in the car and use what little gas they had left to emit a signal—which was ridiculous to
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