She wished he’d stroll around the corner of the veranda on which she sat and smile that lopsided smile that crinkled the skin around his eyes and caused her to catch her breath. Saunter over and sit casually in the chair, his dark eyes sending shivers down her spine as she lost herself in them.
She was becoming too involved with the man. He’d made it clear he was not interested in any relationship—short or long-term—and she’d do best to remember that.
Yet when she remembered the fun they’d had playing in the water, the drugging kisses that had her clamoring for more, it was hard to believe. Didn’t actions speak louder than words? His actions showed he liked her. She wanted to spend more time with him. It was the first time since Alexander’s death she’d had such an interest in anyone. Khalid was special. She felt stirred up every time they were together. When apart, she longed to see him again. Even if he never did more than talk about his work, she relished the moments together.
Frowning, she sat back in her chair and gazed toward the sea. She had a small glimpse of it from this place on her veranda. Normally it soothed. Today, however, she was more worried than before. She could not be falling for the man. She could list a dozen reasons why that would be such a bad idea—starting with she could get her heart broken.
Yet, testing her feelings as she might test a toothache, she had to admit there were a lot of similarities to falling in love. She wanted to be with him. Felt alive in his presence. Knew he was very special. Yet she didn’t believe he was perfect. He could be short-tempered at times. And his idea that no one would ever find him attractive because of the scar was dumb. Sure, it was disfiguring, but he was more than a swatch of skin on the right side of his face and neck.
When he spoke to her, she felt like she was the only person in the world. The flare of attraction wasn’t dying down. His kisses spiked her senses like nothing else had. And his protective view was intriguing. Her own family didn’t feel that obligation, yet he’d stepped in without being asked to try to thwart her brother’s goal.
She leaned back in the chair, trying to relax. She should just go along with things—pretend to be engaged and see what happened. Only it was hard to play that part when half the couple had vanished.
Perhaps vanished was a bit strong, she argued. He had not come to the beach last night nor stopped by today. He had no need to. Except she wanted him to.
She jumped up and cleared her dishes. After rinsing them off, she changed into a cool sundress, brushed her hair and headed for the main house.
Jalilah answered the door to her ring.
“Madame Ponti,” she said politely.
“Is His Excellency in?” Ella asked.
“No. He has flown to Egypt.”
“Egypt?” Ella hadn’t expected that. “When will he be home?”
“I cannot say. He took a large suitcase, so I suspect a few days at least.”
Ella thanked the maid and turned to return home. Walking slowly through the garden, she wondered why he hadn’t told her. She almost went back to see if he had responded to a fire. That would cause every moment to be precious as he packed and left and he might not think to let his fake fiancée know of his plans. But the maid had said he had a large suitcase and might be gone awhile. No sense of urgency in her tone. Had he just left?
Ella debated calling Bethanne to ask if she knew what Khalid was doing, but decided she would not.
Still at the front of the main house, Ella turned when a car drove down the driveway. She recognized her brother even before he got out of the vehicle.
“Ella,” he said.
“Antonio. What are you doing here?”
“I came to speak to Khalid al Harum. I’ve spoken with father and he entrusts me to handle things. Are you visiting, as well?”
“What things?” Did he not know she lived on the estate? If not, she didn’t plan to tell him. She was more interested in what her father wanted Antonio to handle.
“Marriage settlements,” Antonio said after a moment’s hesitation.
“Dowery?” she asked, walking closer to her brother.
He looked uncomfortable. “Not exactly.”
“Exactly what? I’ve moved away from home. I was married several years to another man. I can’t imagine why there would be any talk of settlements unless you plan to see if Khalid would give something to get out of the mess Giacomo caused. Which I absolutely forbid.”
“Forbid? You can’t do that—it’s between me and your future husband.”
“If you even speak to him about that, I’ll refuse to marry him,” she said recklessly. She would not put Khalid in such a situation. She was embarrassed to even think of her family asking the man for money. It would be bad enough if they were madly in love and truly engaged. But this was humiliating. She would not let Antonio do it.
He studied her for a moment. “If you don’t marry him, you can come home and marry someone else.”
“I may never marry again,” she said, stepping up to her brother and tapping his chest with her forefinger. “But I sure will never marry someone I don’t love. Giacomo got himself into this mess, let him get himself out of it. I am not a pawn to be used like in feudal days. I can’t believe even our father would consider such a thing.”
“Your family needs you,” Antonio said, capturing her hand and pushing it away. “The sheikh has more money than anyone we know. He wouldn’t miss a few thousand euros. Let him help us.”
“No! I mean it, if you talk to him about this, I’ll vanish and it’ll be years before you find me next time.”
Her brother stared at her for a long moment. “We need help, Ella,” he said softly. “Where else can we go? We cannot make it known in Italy or the business will suffer. If we don’t get an infusion of cash soon, it will come out. A company in dire straits loses business which could help it get out of trouble. Then take-overs are bandied about. The business has been in our family for generations, for centuries. Would you see all that gone?”
“No, of course not. Look for other ways. Mother’s jewelry—”
“Most already copied in paste and the originals sold.”
That surprised Ella. Things were worse than she envisioned.
“Is Giacomo still gambling?” Ella asked, horrified at the lengths her family had already gone. She felt herself softening to them. They had practically excommunicated her when she married Alexander. But they were still her family. The problem seemed larger than she’d realized from what Antonio said.
“No. But the fallout is lasting.”
“Go home, Antonio. If I can, I’ll send some money.” It was too bad her trust fund was not available until she turned thirty. Maybe she could borrow against that. Or she could see about selling some of her artwork. Madame al Harum had thought it had merit. Would others?
He looked at the house.
“Khalid is not home. He had a business trip to Egypt. I don’t know when he’ll be back.”
Antonio nodded. “Very well, then. Come visit, Ella. Your mother misses you.”
“One day.” It was hard to overlook the obstacles her parents had thrown in her way when she had married Alexander. But she knew her husband never wanted her to be parted from her family. He would not want her holding on to wrongs of the past.
She watched Antonio drive away and began to walk back to the cottage. Alexander would not have wanted her to be a widow all her life, either. He had loved life, loved her and would always want the best for her. Including another husband who could bring her happiness.
Wistfully, she wished Khalid had the same thoughts.
It was amazing the absence of one slightly standoffish man made. As the days went by, Ella gradually resumed her former routine. Working during the day, long walks after dark. Always alone. Only her enjoyment of being alone had been disturbed. She missed Khalid. Which only went to reinforce her belief she had to get on with her life and not grow attached to him.
The bright spot in the week was a visit by Bethanne. She was driving a new car Rashid had just bought for her and wanted to take Ella for a spin.
“It’s no fun to have a brand-new convertible and have no one to share it with,” she said as the two began driving away from the estate.
“And Rashid doesn’t want to go?”
“He has one of his own. I’m sure he’s not as enchanted with the convertible as I am. Isn’t it great?” She drove to the coast highway and flew along the sea. Ella glanced at the speedometer once and then quickly looked away. Obviously the pilot in Bethanne had no qualms about flying low. Instead of worrying, Ella relaxed and enjoyed the ride. The blue of the Persian Gulf was on their right. The road was straight and smooth. The wind through her hair made her feel carefree and happy. With sudden insight, she realized she was happy. In this day, in this moment. Worries were gone. Plans and projects on hold. Nothing held her back. She could enjoy this time and not feel sad or guilty.
It had taken a long time, but she knew she was ready to embrace life again. To find all it had to offer and enjoy every speck of the journey—even the heartbreaks and hardships.
“You’re quiet,” Bethanne said with a smile. “What are you thinking?”
Ella told her and Bethanne nodded. “I know the feeling. But I have an excuse. I’m in love. The colors in the sea seem brighter because Rashid’s in my life. The flowers more delicate and lovely, especially when I’m in the garden with him. But I bet coming out of grieving is like falling in love with life again. I’m so sorry for your loss, but time does heal wounds. I was so devastated when I learned my dad was really dead. I grieved both before and after I found out. Then I realized he had loved life. He had done exactly as he had wanted throughout and had no regrets at the end. That’s what I want.”