The Sheik's Jealous Princess(11)

But there was no way she was going to give in to Ramzi’s suggestion. Nope, Shantra refused to sign up for that kind of heartbreak!

“I need to go to Paris,” she announced totally out of the blue.

Turk and Rais were walking in right at that moment, and Rais stopped cold as he looked over at her. “Paris? You need to go shopping now?”

Turk looked at his baby sister, then at Ramzi. “Didn’t you tell her about the idea?”

Ramzi nodded his head, keeping his eyes on his sister. “Yes. I told her about our idea, and that’s why she wants to go to Paris.”

Turk and Rais both turned to look down at her. “Running away won’t help, honey,” Turk told her with more compassion than he’d ever shown her.

Shantra’s shoulders drew back with that comment. “I’m not running away!” she told him firmly.

Rais, stepping in as the family peacemaker for the moment, smiled gently at her. “Of course you’re not. You just need some time to figure things out, right?”

Shantra could have slapped his shoulder for his patronizing tone, but it was a good enough excuse if it would get her away from here. If they were stupid enough to accept it, sure, why not?

“Yes. I need to get away and think about things,” she lied.

“When do you want to leave?” Turk asked, his hands on his hips as he considered the idea.

Shantra bit her lower lip. “I can hold off for another few weeks,” she told them with a sparkle in her eyes.

Ramzi chuckled. “Not happening, honey. Leave today so that you can be back here to accompany me to Piora next month.”

Shantra felt her lungs constrict just at the thought of going to that man’s home territory. Here in Kilar, she tripped at the mere mention of the man’s name! Go to his country and stay in his home? Sleep closer to him than…Goodness, did he possibly sleep in the nude?

Shantra shook her head, trying to banish that thought from her imagination. Unfortunately, it was there and not leaving!

“Um…No. I don’t need to travel to Piora with you. I’ll just interrupt the conversation and start talking about…” she looked at the ceiling, grasping for conversational ideas, “the relationship of hemlines reflecting the state of the economy!”

Nor did she want to visit the man on his home turf. Already, she had endured those eyes silently laughing at her. Besides, he had been too confident here in Kilar. She couldn’t imagine the arrogance that she’d have to deal with if she were to visit with him in Piora. So no, she wasn’t committing to anything. Her brothers could gang up on her all they wanted, but she wasn’t going to visit that man!

“We’ll see. I’ll leave tomorrow. Can Jo come with me?” she asked hopefully.

“Not a chance,” Rais replied. “She needs to stay close.”

Shantra’s eyes sparkled with excitement, glad that her brother loved her best friend so much. “Close enough for you to be with her, eh?”

He didn’t say a word, but they all knew that their wives wouldn’t travel without them. These men were all tough and rough until their wives weren’t with them. When Mia, Joline or Raven couldn’t travel with their husbands, Ramzi, Turk and Rais rushed through business, acting like grumpy dogs with a sore foot until they were reunited. It would be comical if it weren’t so hard to keep up with them.

Fortunately, their wives all felt the same way, not wanting to be too far away from their husbands either. So it worked out well for everyone. Shantra never would have thought it of her friend Joline, but Jo was just as thunderstruck towards Rais as Mia and Raven were about their husbands.

Shantra shook her head, not sure how to get out of their trap. “I don’t want Sheik Hassam,” she stated very plainly. Walking out of her brother’s office, she ignored the shiver at the idea of being the man’s wife. It just couldn’t happen. “Paris is calling,” and she almost ran out the doorway.

“Be back in a week, Shantra,” Ramzi called out to her before she disappeared. But she didn’t agree or disagree. She had plans to make and she wasn’t going to let her brothers railroad her into a bad relationship.





Chapter 4




Shantra stepped into the boutique and breathed in the smell of wonderfulness. The store and all of its operations might be Joline’s baby, but the view in front of her was all hers. She’d designed all of this! Every dress, every blouse…all the clothes on all of the beautiful racks and shelves had come out of her imagination and creativity. She’d labored over each ruffle and zipper, every fabric choice and fold in the design. She’d done this, she thought as she stepped closer to the dresses. She ran her hand along the fabric, feeling the smooth silk or the wool of a skirt. This was who she was. No one but Keith and Joline knew about her work, and that was exactly how she wanted it.