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She was still asleep when Rashid awoke. He took a moment to watch the rise and fall of her chest beneath the sheets. She looked so peaceful and happy. He liked watching her like this. It seemed that more often than not, she had a frown and a furrowed brow, and it was always because of him. He had a sudden
desire to see her smile more.
His phone lit up and vibrated on the nightstand. Grabbing it, he eased out of bed and hurried from the room so he wouldn’t wake her. From the tablet in his kitchen, he texted instructions to have breakfast brought to his room, and he moved out of his suite to deal with his morning callers.
Arvio and Karam.
“Rashid!” They were both laughing drunkenly on the other end of the line when he called the number back. “We just heard the horrible news! You just bring your wife-to-be over to us, and we’ll make sure she never wants to go back to you.”
Rashid gritted his teeth. The thought of either one of them touching Mila made him want to put his fist through the wall. “Get a hold of yourself,” he snapped.
“Don’t be mad, bro. We’re here to support you,” Karam hiccupped.
“Yes, I know all about your support. In case you’ve forgotten, you’re the reason that I had to take a wife to begin with. Lose this number. Don’t call. Don’t text. Don’t even speak to me when we’re in the same room, do you understand me? I’m done.”
That sobered them up. “Rashid?” Arvio slurred. “Are you angry about something?”
“Furious doesn’t even begin to describe what I am. You two need to grow the hell up and quit embarrassing yourselves and your families. It was funny when we were twenty, but now I cringe whenever I see either of your numbers on the caller ID. Get your shit together, and leave me the hell alone.”
Hanging up, he sagged against the wall. Arvio and Karam were—had been—his two best friends. It made him angry to think that things had finally come to this, but if he were being honest, it was something that he should have done a long time ago.
Before he’d gotten saddled with a wife.
He’d turned Mila’s head, wooed her, and convinced her to wear his ring. He’d seduced her into his bed, but now that he had her, he realized that his little act of rebellion was going to follow him around for the rest of his life.
Mila was going to be his wife. His lover. The mother of his children.
And she was nothing short of a wildfire blazing a path through the palace. He feared that nothing would contain her. How was he going to keep her in the palace? She was born to roam and be free. How long until she realized that all of this had been nothing more than a middle finger to his parents?
What would she do then?
Icy fear bloomed in his chest as he wondered if she’d have the guts to leave him.
Of course she would. She was Mila. She’d do anything that she set her mind to.
He had to be careful. Last night, he’d seen the hurt in her eyes. He’d been overcome with the need to dominate her, and he’d almost lost her.
He needed this marriage to go through. Now, with the illegal betting ring looming over his head, he needed to prove that he wasn’t the irresponsible playboy the media portrayed him to be. The sports complex was his baby, and he’d do anything to keep it.
Heading back to his suite, he found Mila back in her dress and eyeing the breakfast cart in distaste.
“You don’t like fruit?” he asked with a grin.
She jumped and put a hand over her heart. “I thought you were gone,” she muttered. “I woke up alone.”
“My phone was blowing up. I didn’t want to disturb you, so I took the call across the hall.”
“Anything important?”
“No.”
She raised an eyebrow. “So you always take unimportant calls this early in the morning?”
“Ah, yes?” He frowned. “You seem a little on edge. I’m not sure what to say.”
Tying her hair back, she scanned the floor for her shoes. “The truth, Rashid. We’re going to be married. I’m not going to be some trophy wife on your arm. I want you to tell me about your life. About your day. I heard about the illegal gambling bets, but I didn’t hear them from you.”
“That.” He reached over and snagged a strawberry. “I didn’t think telling you about my problems was the right way to court you. The police are investigating, and I’m not under suspicion.”
