The Sheikh's Stolen Bride-To-Be(20)

"I feel like I have some explaining to do," Elora began, and Steph  remained silent, allowing her to speak. "I never had a mother who really  listened to me. I was to do what I was told, when I was told, and that  was the end of it. It was the reason I married your father, and while  our beginning was a tad rocky, it became one of the best decisions of my  life. I'd always secretly wished it had been my decision."



Steph's eyebrows narrowed in confusion. "Then why did you put me through all this, knowing it wasn't my choice?"



"Because when you're a mother, you will do anything to protect your  child. You have fought me on things that were good for you all your  life. You didn't like vegetables as a child. You didn't like math. I  pushed you to realize the value of those things. Do you regret those  decisions?"



Steph pondered her comparison for a moment. "Of course not, but liking  vegetables and marrying someone are two pretty different things."



"That is true," Elora agreed. "However, you have to acknowledge the  positive changes that came from a little pressure from us as your  parents. To me, this was no different than that. I see now that,  perhaps, in this instance, I was wrong."



"In this instance?" Steph said with a smirk.



Elora's grin was sheepish. "Don't push it. You're getting one of my rare  apologies, and I've been very angry with you these past few days."



"I'm sorry," Steph said, and she meant it.



Elora reached out a hand and grabbed Steph's, squeezing it gently. "Now,  tell me what Sadiq was talking about when he said you were already in  love with someone. As far as I knew, you didn't have any love interests  back in Vermont."



Steph blushed a little, but she decided to tell her mother everything.  After what she had just put the woman through, she deserved to know the  whole truth.



"The other night, when I went out walking, I got lost. A man found me  crying by a fountain, and he gave me a tour of the aquarium before  showing me the way back to the hotel. He is the person who sent the limo  to take me away, and he is the reason I didn't show up to the wedding.  Otherwise, I would have gone through with it."



"You were kidnapped?"



The worry in Elora's eyes was real, and Steph shook her head.



"It wasn't a kidnapping. Well, it kind of was. The truth is, Mehdi  offered me my freedom from an arranged marriage, and I took it. I didn't  have to stay at the palace. I chose to."



Elora's eyebrows shot up. "The palace? Do you mean to tell me that the  man you have fallen in love with is..." She sputtered, unable to find  the words. The teapot began to whistle, but Elora ignored it, waiting  for Steph to answer her question.



Steph grinned. "Sheikh Mehdi of El Farah? Yeah, that's the guy."         

     



 





FOURTEEN



Steph





Deciding to give her mother some time to absorb that information, Steph  rose and removed the screaming teapot from the burner, filling two mugs  and bringing them out to the living room, where she set them on the  coffee table. By the time she sat down, Elora seemed to have recovered,  somewhat.



"You know I would have approved of such a match, right? You would be royalty, Stephanie!"



The thought hadn't really occurred to her, though Steph realized that  marrying Mehdi would come with its fair share of royal obligations. She  wondered if she would have a hard time adapting to that life. Then she  thought about Mehdi's face and couldn't care less about the challenges.  She would be with him, and that was what mattered.



"Yes, I suppose I would."



"You speak as though your chance with him has passed. Has it?"



Steph hesitated, reaching for her hot teacup and blowing on the steaming  liquid before taking a tentative sip. It burned her tongue, so she set  it back down.



"Not necessarily."



"What does that mean?" her mother asked.



"It means that I left him to come resolve our situation, but he's left  me a window. He said he'd wait for me on the beach tomorrow evening at  sunset, if I could find a way to change my fate."



Elora plucked her own teacup from the table and took a sip.



"And what are you going to do?"



Steph sat back, realizing she actually had a choice now. A real one. She  could pick Mehdi and spend the rest of her life with him, if she  wanted.



And, God, did she want to.



When Steph looked back at her mother, her smile was radiant. "I suppose  I'll just have to wait until sunset tomorrow and see if my king is  waiting for me on the shores of El Farah."



Elora grinned, gripping her daughter's hand once again. "I should have  allowed you to make your own choice. In the end you picked better than I  ever could."



Steph laughed. "In the end Mehdi and I picked each other. At least, I hope so," she said, looking out into the night.



Elora took a breath, letting out a gusty exhale. "I suppose we'll have  to wait until tomorrow to see. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go  check on your father. I'm afraid I might have scared him a bit when  prying information about your whereabouts from him."



Steph winced a little at that statement, but Elora shrugged.



"We've been married long enough. He knows it's all out of love."



"I'm sure he does," Steph said, her lips twitching ever so slightly.



"Get some sleep, my love. Tomorrow is another day, and you are safe and  sound. That is all that matters. Unless, of course, you'd like to head  back to Vermont?"



Steph stood and stretched. With a few sips of warm tea and a comfy  couch, it hadn't taken long for her exhaustion to catch up to her.



"Let's see how tomorrow plays out, first. But I certainly hope the answer to that question is a resounding ‘no.'"



"So do I, sweetheart. So do I."



Elora wrapped Steph in one last embrace before sending her off to her  room to get some sleep. With no set obligations for the following day,  they could afford to sleep in and get some much needed rest.



Steph closed her door behind her and stared out at the El Farahn  skyline. The glowing domes of the city buildings gleamed against the  inky black sky above. Steph walked over to her veranda and opened the  door, taking a deep breath.



The air held that unique scent of ocean and desert. Two different kinds  of sand melded together to make one perfect place. Steph allowed her  mind to drift back to the island, to the gleaming caves that shimmered  above as she held Mehdi's hand. She cupped her hands together, imagining  his touch.



"Sleep well, Mehdi," she whispered into the night.





FIFTEEN



Mehdi





Mehdi stood on his veranda, staring out at the horizon. The city was far  enough away that he could only catch a glimpse of the shining domes,  but it was enough to focus on while he sipped his drink.



Steph was out there somewhere.


         

     



 
Mehdi frowned. It was quite possible that upon her return, Steph's  parents had instantly set her back up with her fiancé, that she had  already been married to him. Mehdi shook his head, not wanting to think  about that.



When he had come across her at the fountain, something about her had  struck him in a way he had never felt before. She was different, and  he'd wanted to know why. As he'd spent more time with her, he'd felt a  connection he didn't dare name but couldn't imagine giving up. It was  then that he had decided to take her fate into his own hands, if only  for a little while.



Having her with him in the palace had seemed so … natural. And that kiss they'd shared?



Pure magic.



Mehdi tipped his glass back, finishing the hard alcohol in one gulp. The  liquid burned down to his stomach, calming him as he stared out into  the night. He thought he heard Steph's voice, but he reminded himself  that there was a strong chance she was lost to him forever. What they'd  had was far too much like a dream to be real.



"Good night, Steph. Sweet dreams," he said, instantly scolding himself for being such a romantic fool.



Mehdi stepped inside, where he was met by his butler.



"Are you ready to turn in for the night, sir?"



"Yes, Kalin. Thank you. I will no longer be needing your services."



"Very good, sir," Kalin said, giving a slight bow before making his exit for the evening.



Mehdi cleaned up for bed before lying down, staring at the ceiling for  longer than he dared to check. He rationalized that the sooner he fell  asleep, the sooner he could wake up to a new day. The sooner he could  see if Steph would find him on that beach, and perhaps give them a  chance at a life together.



That logic did not work on his busy mind, and Mehdi lay awake for many  hours before finally losing consciousness in the early hours of the  morning.





SIXTEEN



Steph





Steph woke leisurely, taking her time. She knew that day would be one of  the longest of her life, so she spent as much time in bed as she  possibly could. Then her mother was knocking at the door.