Their Virgin Concubine(61)
Again, she felt the weight of her new position on her shoulders, and she didn’t even truly understand the scope of a shaykhah yet. “I think I would only have the influence Talib allowed me to have.”
Khalil huffed, an aristocratic sound. “So that’s the way he’s decided to go. I wondered why he selected you. Please don’t get me wrong, dear Piper. You are lovely. I really do understand what they see in you. But I was surprised when I learned of your background.”
She sent him what she hoped was a nasty little smile. “Am I a little common for your tastes?”
His eyes flared. “Not at all. You misunderstand me. I am common now, Piper, and I am quite proud of my status. What my grandfather did, he did for love. He gave up his crown for my grandmother because they were the only two people in the world who mattered to them. I was merely pointing out that all the women he has vetted before now have been royal or very wealthy. But I’m afraid Rafiq and Kadir have always shot them down.”
“How many women?” She knew the answer to that question. The internet had been a treasure trove of pictures of her men with various beauties. She hated the fact that she was one in a long line of willing women.
“Many. They have been searching for a very long time.” He leaned forward, his eyes soft. “Are you ready for this?”
No. Absolutely not. Nope. But she wasn’t going to say that to him. In fact, it was time to start using that brain of hers. She wasn’t exactly sure why Khalil was here, but she knew darn straight it wasn’t for her benefit. She might be angry with the al Mussad brothers, but she wasn’t going to sell them out. “I’m as ready as I can possibly be. You’re right, of course. I didn’t grow up with a ton of money, but I understand this economy in a way all those pretty debutantes can’t. I believe the sheikh was simply looking for his version of perfect. He’s a picky man, my Talib.”
Her stomach churned. She wasn’t used to these games, but she also wasn’t ready to give up. If she hadn’t decided to go home, she better start playing the game, and that included a little deception.
“You understand that Talib was ready to marry any one of those women, Miss Glen?” Khalil’s mouth turned slightly cruel. Finally she was seeing a bit of the real man.
“I understand that he didn’t marry them. He’s chosen to marry me.” He just hadn’t bothered to tell her. But then Khalil knew that. Khalil had been the one to contact the press, and most likely he had many spies in the palace. And that made her a little mad. “And you should refer to me as Mrs. al Mussad.”
He stood, his eyes going cold. “You are just a concubine at this point. Nothing is settled until the marriage is celebrated in public four weeks from today. You will learn a lot in those weeks. You will learn that you are not capable of being a sheikh’s wife. My country doesn’t need more American influence.”
As her daddy would have said, that man was completely full of bull crap, and he needed a serious cleansing. “The people in the square didn’t sound unhappy this morning.” She stood up, ready to be done with this unctuous man. Maybe Mindy had been right to remind her of a few things. She’d stood up to scrutiny before. The worldwide press couldn’t possibly have a thing on Miss Adeline Hawkins of the First Baptist Church. She’d survived a bunch of old women who wanted nothing more than to destroy her. “They were quite happy that the sheikh and his brothers have decided on a bride.”
She gave him her most polite smile. It was the one she’d learned to use on every single woman who came by to make sure Piper was taking proper care of little Mindy. Most of them had called her Cindy because they didn’t really care about anything but causing trouble. “I appreciate your coming by. It’s so good to meet my husbands’ family.”
Piper was deeply pleased to see the way Khalil’s cheeks flushed, and he stood, his fists at his sides. “We’ll see about that, Miss Glen.”
He strode out of the room.
“That’s shaykhah to you, sir.”
A burst of applause caused her to turn, her heart nearly stopping.
* * * *
Kade watched Piper turn, his whole body filled with pride for her. Rafe stood at his side, silent, but Kade could feel his emotion.
She’d stood up to that fucker. She’d been a queen, so much stronger than he’d imagined. It wasn’t that he’d believed her to be weak. He’d just thought she would need more time. Not his Piper. She’d risen to the occasion.
“Where did you come from?” Her voice was breathless, so unlike the commanding tone she’d used the moment before to completely dismiss his cousin.