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“Mila.”
He reached for her, but she stepped back. “I’m going to go now. You won’t have to worry about me again.”
As she stepped away from the door, panic took hold of him. She could disappear, and he would never find her again. “Mila, please stop. I love you!”
She did stop and turn. He put his hand in his pocket to pull out the ring, but it wasn’t joy he could see on her face. It was pure misery as she burst into tears.
Alarmed, he reached for her. “No. Don’t cry. Please don’t cry. I love you.”
“Stop.” She wrenched out of his arms. “God, please stop saying that. I know that you don’t mean it, and it k
ills me to hear it.”
Pain squeezed his chest. “Mila, I do mean it. How can I make you believe that? What can I do? You want to visit a castle? I’ll buy you one. I’ll buy you castles in five different countries. You want to visit the Louvre? I’ll rent it out for the day so you can have it all to yourself. Baby, please.”
“Stop.” She shook her head and took a step away from him. She was getting farther and farther away, and he didn’t know how to stop her. “That’s just money. Everything that you do is for money. You wanted to marry me because you needed to save your reputation. You needed to save your arena.” Her voice broke on the last word, but somehow she managed to sob out the rest. “You needed to prove yourself in the business world. That’s not what love is about.” With a gasp, she straightened, wiped her face, and said, suddenly and frighteningly calm, “If you really want me to believe that you love me, you’ll find a way to do it without money.”
Rashid stared at her. He had no idea what to say or do to make her stay. “Tell me what you want. I’ll do it,” he whispered desperately.
“Goodbye, Rashid.” Wiping the tears from her eyes, she walked away until the darkness covered her.
Leaving Rashid all alone.
15
“You’re an art lover?” Mila smiled fondly at the bombshell beauty beside her. “You are going to love Dubai. I swear, everything about this city looks like it was carved by an artist.”
Katie, the new traveler taken in by Sahaar, looked almost dazed by Mila’s whirlwind welcome. After not hearing from Rashid in three weeks and having no job to take her mind off things, she’d eagerly awaited the arrival of her new roommate.
Temporary roommate.
From the moment Katie’s plane had landed, Mila had been a whirlwind of warm welcome and information. Now with Katie trapped in the taxi on the ride from the airport, Mila had found an outlet for some of her nervous energy.
“I have heard wonderful things about it. I’ve been a little nervous about coming here,” Katie admitted as she stared out the window. “But I am so excited to be here.”
“Why did you pick Dubai?”
“I have roots here on my mother’s side. Her grandparents traveled from the Emirates to America. I honestly thought about throwing a dart at a map, but this suits me better. I can understand my mother a little more, and I can work.”
Mila couldn’t help but admire the woman. “So you applied for a job here?”
“At the art gallery, yes. I work one-on-one with the artists. Cater to their needs, keep them motivated and working, crack the whip if it looks like they’re slipping. I’ve worked with some of the toughest artists out there, and the gallery was looking for someone like me.” She turned and faced Mila. “What’s Sahaar like?”
“She’s like a mother hen,” Mila admitted. “Warm. Loving. An amazing cook. You’ll gain a hundred pounds if you stay with her for too long.”
“My work visa is only for three months. After that, if I decide to reapply, I might look for a place on my own. Not that I think having a roommate like you won’t be a blast.”
Mila swallowed hard. “I actually think I’m leaving soon. My time in Dubai has come to an end.”
“Really?” Katie frowned. “I was told that I’d have two roommates.”
“Liyah actually got married a little more than a month ago to Asad Sharif. This was just my first stop in my travels. I’d always planned on moving on.” Just not this soon.
“Where are you going next?”
According to Mila’s bank account, not far. “I have a college friend currently living in Ireland, so I’m going to stay with her for a while. After that, I’m not sure.”
“That sounds amazing!” Katie stared out the window as the city flew by. “Everything looks so romantic. Straight out of a fairy tale.”
