The Sheikh's Irresistible Proposal (6 page)

After spending a while meandering through cavernous rooms and hallways, Hannah and Sadiq finally reached the palace kitchen, where a short, very round woman who looked to be in her sixties was preparing food.

“Maala,” Sadiq said. “This is my friend, Hannah.” The cook looked up from the dough she was rolling out as Sadiq turned to Hannah. “Hannah, I’d like you to meet Maala. The best cook this side of the Dead Sea.”

“This side of every sea,” Maala quipped. She walked around the counter and looked Hannah up and down. Then she placed her chubby hands on Hannah’s cheeks and kissed each one. Hannah smelled flour and spices on her hands and smiled as she pulled away.

“Sadiq, I’m glad you brought this one here. She looks like she needs to eat!” Maala said sweetly as she scooted back around the counter. “You two sit down. I’ll have her fattened up in no time.”

Sadiq shrugged at Hannah and she smiled back. She felt so comfortable around him and his staff—even if they certainly didn’t act like staff. Hannah wondered why Sadiq lived alone in such a large palace. She wondered where his parents were, if he had any siblings, and how come he had such a close relationship with the people that worked for him. She had so many questions, and she hoped that during the next six weeks, she would get some answers.

After Maala had filled them up with some of her favorite breakfast dishes, Sadiq and Hannah walked out of the kitchen and through the west wing of the palace, where his ancestors had lived for centuries before.

“The palace was built in 1732,” Sadiq said, as they entered a room filled with portraits. “These are some of the people who lived here before me; some of them were royalty, some dignitaries, some criminals.”

Hannah raised her eyebrows. “Criminals, huh?”

“Yes, every family has them, even ours.” Sadiq walked over to the portraits and started naming the people in them. Hannah watched his face fill with emotion as he recounted a brief history of each of his ancestors.

She followed him along the wall and noticed that when he got to the newest of the portraits, he passed right by them without stopping.

“What about these?” Hannah asked, pointing to the faces looking down at her.

Sadiq looked at the wall and his face hardened. “Another time,” he said impassively. “Let me show you the temple.”

Hannah followed Sadiq out of the hall, adding yet another question to her list. He led her through wide passageways with glittering walls and down a long hall to a set of rounded doors.

“Here it is,” he said, with a smile on his face. “I’m assuming you’re not religious?” he asked.

Hannah looked at him thoughtfully. “Well, you should never assume. But you’re right; I’m not.”

“Well, ordinarily, non-believers aren’t permitted inside temples in our country. But that’s just a custom, not law. If you want to enter, though, you must take off your shoes and keep your voice low.”

“But I thought you lived here alone?” Hannah said.

“I do,” Sadiq said as he slipped off his shoes and laid them on the mat outside the door. “But my staff members worship here,” he said, pointing to the other shoes on the mat.

Hannah nodded in understanding and slipped off her heels as Sadiq slowly opened the door.

Hannah had never been inside a temple before and was totally unprepared for what she saw. Even though this one was rather small, the architecture and design of the exterior was breathtaking.

The doors swung open and Sadiq stepped inside. Hannah’s breath caught in her throat as she took in the sight in front of her. The room was as large as a basketball court and the walls were made of orange concrete, embellished with finely detailed cutouts and columns. Thick, red velvet mats formed rows across the marble floor. Archways and railings lined the perimeter and the ceiling was rounded and trimmed in gold and blue.

The most stunning part of the room was the light; stained glass windows ran from floor to ceiling along the two long walls. The back of the room was adorned with an even larger panel of stained glass that formed an arch underneath the rounded dome ceiling. The late morning sunlight pierced through the windows and cast brilliant cascades of light across the walls and floor, flooding the room with an atmosphere that was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

“Wow,” Hannah whispered as she stood at the door.

Sadiq watched as her eyes roamed the room, soaking in every detail. He wondered what was going through her mind. Was she thinking about the acoustics? Was she wondering what her voice would sound like echoing off the high walls of this glorious place. He certainly was.

“Come,” he said quietly as he grabbed her hand and walked along the back wall of the room.

Hannah slid her fingers into his, once again feeling the heat of his grip and sensing the same flutter inside her stomach. Sadiq led her to the front of the temple where she could look back on the room. There she saw how the light, and the reflection of the windows, the chandeliers and the gold and ivory appointments made patterns on the doors. It was truly a sight to behold.

Hannah looked around again from her new vantage point, trying to take mental snapshots of how beautiful it was. She couldn’t wait to share her experience with Chloe, with her parents, and others who might never get the chance to see something like this.

She leaned over to whisper something in Sadiq’s ear, but was stopped when he put his finger up and pointed to the floor, a few yards away from them.

There, in the middle of the room, were a few of Sadiq’s bodyguards, kneeling and praying. They were chanting in hushed tones as they sat up and then put their heads to the ground. Hannah watched them, fascinated, and wondered exactly what they were praying for. After a few moments, Sadiq squeezed Hannah’s hand and led her along the wall to the back of the room and out through the door.

When the doors were closed tightly behind him, he turned to her and asked, “So, what did you think?”

“I, that was, I can’t,” Hannah was too overwhelmed to speak.

Sadiq smiled widely, excited at her reaction. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Beautiful is definitely one word to describe it,” she said as she slipped her shoes back on.

Sadiq slid into his shoes and then placed his hand on her elbow, leading her away from the temple and down another hall.

As they walked, Hannah thought about the men and their practice. “Sadiq,” she said as he led her through a set of chambers she hadn’t yet seen. “What do you think they were praying for?”

Sadiq looked at her and laughed. “Probably for me,” he said. He looked over at her and saw that she wasn’t laughing. “Oh, you’re being serious?” he said, hoping he hadn’t offended her.

Hannah nodded, and Sadiq thought about it for a moment as they walked. “I would guess that they were praying for the same thing all of us pray for. Health, happiness, safety for the ones we love. That kind of thing”

“Is that what you pray for?” asked Hannah.

Sadiq dropped his hand from her elbow and his tone turned cold. “I don’t pray.”

“But you have a temple in your home.”

Sadiq’s responded in clipped tones. “It’s not my temple. It was built centuries ago. And just because it is here does not mean that I have to use it.”

Hannah sensed a distance grow between then and felt bad that she had asked. “I’m sorry,” she said.

Sadiq stopped walking and let out a long breath. He turned to face her. “No, I’m sorry, Hannah. I know you have a lot of questions, I guess, I’m just not used to answering them. I’m the boss of my home. I’m the boss at work. Even when I date, women expect me to be cool and aloof. I guess I’ve gotten used to that.”

“I get it,” Hannah said. “You don’t have to explain anything to me.”

Sadiq reached out and took her hands in his. “That’s just it. I know I don’t
have
to. But I want to.”

He didn’t know why he had said that. He didn’t know why he was saying any of what he was saying. But it felt right. He had kept to himself for so long, kept his feelings, his fears, his everything bottled up inside, not allowing anyone in or anything out for so long that sometimes he felt like he could just burst. And when he was with Hannah, he felt at ease. There was something about being in her presence that made him feel like he could share some of what had held in for so long; something about her kindness, her authenticity, that made him want to share them with her.

Sadiq looked into her eyes and for a moment wanted to tell her everything. But as quickly as that feeling came, it left again.

Hannah saw it. She sensed the fear in his eyes. Not wanting to ruin the moment or push him further away, she squeezed his hands and smiled, trying to make light of a tense situation.

“Listen, I appreciate that. But my mind is on overload already,” she said, releasing his hands and letting her arms fall to her sides. “I mean, I’m just a country girl from Georgia. I’ve never been in a temple before, let alone a palace. So I think it’s good if we keep things simple.”

Hannah stood still as she waited for Sadiq’s response. “Agreed,” he said and smiled back, still wanting to tell her everything, but knowing she was right.

“Agreed,” she said, hoping she hadn’t implied that she wasn’t interested in hearing about his problems—she just wasn’t sure she wanted to hear them now. Besides, was that really part of her job description? Or was he leaning on her because he felt something for her? She shook her head and tried to rattle the thoughts away.
Easy, girl. Just focus on enjoying the next few weeks. Whatever happens, will happen
.

“You okay?” Sadiq asked as he watched her shake her head.

“Oh, yeah,” she said nervously, feeling like an idiot. “Just trying to take it all in. Now, what’s next on the tour?”

***

Sadiq and Hannah spent a full day touring the palace and the grounds. They headed back inside just as the sun was beginning to set.

“Perfect timing,” said Sadiq as they walked up the marble steps to the large sitting area on the back patio.

“Perfect timing? For what?” asked Hannah.

“For dinner on the roof!” Sadiq said with a smile. “Wait here!”

He disappeared through the hall that led to the kitchen as Hannah flopped onto one of the plush chairs. She had been on her feet all day, walking the miles of palace and grounds.
Note to self
, she thought.
Next time, wear sneakers.

Sadiq returned a few minutes later and saw Hannah sprawled out on the chair, rubbing her feet. “Are you okay?” he asked, concerned he had worn her out.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she lied, but it was clear that he wasn’t buying it. “It’s just that I wore the wrong shoes, that’s all. My feet are a little sore from all the walking. I’m used to standing still on stage in these things, but I never realized how uncomfortable they would be to walk in.”

Sadiq laughed and sat down across from her. “I bet. They look like instruments of torture to me. I’ve never understood why women would cram their feet into those things anyway.”

“The price of being beautiful,” Hannah said, rubbing harder at her toes.

“Well, you certainly don’t need those. You’re beautiful already,” Sadiq said lightly.

Hannah lifted her eyes up and saw Sadiq smiling at her. His eyes were so dark, so deep and his face was soft. She looked at him and wasn’t sure if he realized what he had just said. She straightened her back as she felt another tingle work its way up her spine.

“Thank you,” she said, feeling suddenly awkward.

She was about to slip her shoes back on when Sadiq jumped up and took them out of her hands.

“Hey! What are you doing?” she asked, not wanting him near her shoes; she was pretty sure after walking in them all day, they didn’t smell like roses.

“Nope, nope, you don’t get these back.” Sadiq said, holding them high above his head as Hannah tried to jump up and reach them. “Not tonight, anyway.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your feet are killing you, right?” Sadiq asked.

Hannah dropped her arms, too tired to fight him. “Yes,” she said, defeated.

“Then no more of these. You will walk barefoot to the roof and then I will have Fatima bring you a pair of the most comfortable slippers you have ever worn. How does that sound?”

It sounded wonderful to Hannah. She nodded and smiled warmly. Sadiq nodded back at her and then tossed her shoes across the room out of her reach, grabbing her hand so she couldn’t chase after them.

“This way, Miss Green,” he said, using his formal voice.

Hannah giggled in spite of herself, and with her hand in his, she tiptoed barefoot across the cool marble floors and into the elevator that led to the roof. The doors opened with a swoosh a moment later, and, their hands still clasped, Hannah and Sadiq stepped out onto the rooftop terrace.

“Now this is a terrace,” said Hannah, thinking about her little fire escape at home.

She dropped Sadiq’s hand and walked to the edge, looking over the vast expanse of lawn below. The shimmering pool, the ponds and the fountain all caught the setting sun perfectly and the flowering fruit trees cast long shadows across the lush grass.

Hannah saw a clutch of tables and chairs set up under a sun sail, one of which was filled with silver serving dishes and glasses. She turned and looked at Sadiq with questioning eyes.

“Yes, that’s for us,” he said, smiling. He had shown many women the rooftop before, but none of them had acted like Hannah. She was so curious, so childlike with her enthusiasm and gratitude.

“This is amazing,” she said as he pulled her chair out for her.

The elevator doors opened again and Fatima and Maala came out. Maala pushed a large serving cart over to the table and nodded at Sadiq as Hannah took a fluffy pair of slippers from Fatima and slipped them onto her feet.

Sadiq watched with a grin as Hannah closed her eyes and opened her mouth, letting out a long groan.

“That feels soooo good,” she said slowly.

Fatima smiled up at her and then disappeared back into the elevator.

“You weren’t kidding, Sadiq; these are the most comfortable slippers ever!”

Sadiq laughed at her enjoyment.

“And you’re never getting them back!” she added.

“Nope, they’re yours to keep. Think of them as a souvenir.”

Souvenir? What’s that supposed to mean? Is this like a trip to Disney World or something? ‘Okay lady, you can come ride the ride and see the show, but all you get to take home is a pair of slippers. Oh, and a half a million dollars.’

Hannah didn’t know why she was upset about what Sadiq had said, but she felt like he was doing everything in his power to let her know that her stay here was only temporary.

Maala bustled around the table serving soup and steaming hot dishes of rice and fish, Sadiq explaining each dish as she did. When their plates were full, Maala disappeared back into the elevator and left them to eat alone.

They ate quietly, making small talk about Hannah’s in-depth tour of the palace, and what Sadiq had in store for the next day. Hannah let the rich food fill her belly and watched contentedly as the sun fell behind the mountains. The sky turned a burnt orange and the distant city lights flooded the grounds like twinkling stars floating on a desert sea.

“This is one of my favorite places,” Sadiq said as they sat back, full and satisfied.

“I can see why,” said Hannah. “It’s beautiful. The view is amazing.”

Sadiq looked over at Hannah as she watched the last of the sun dip behind the horizon. “Yes, it is.”

***