The Sheik’s Expecting Bride by Erin Snihur
5
The sound of a shower running wakes Hasna from her dead sleep almost in an instant. Instead of hearing the sound of her uncle shouting at her to get up before their plane left without them, she is met with the scent of a woodsy musk. Stretching in the luxurious bed, Hasna instantly regrets the motion as her arms and lower body clench deliciously in a dull stab of pain.
Gasping, Hasna sits up immediately, wincing in pain as the silk sheets fall off of her naked body. Naked? And why is someone using my hotel shower?
Then her memories come rushing back to her in a fluid picture, much like a movie. Nashat. The ball and then his suite. Scanning the room, her realization that she is inside Nashat’s bedroom and hotel suite instead of her own has Hasna’s soft, downy hairs on her arms standing on end.
Gaze drifting downward, she takes in her naked form. Kicking away the silk sheets that linger on her legs, Hasna scrambles to her feet and stands before the tall, floor-to-ceiling mirror across the room. Gasping at the sight of her reflection, Hasna pushes away her mass of curly hair to scan her naked reflection from head to toe.
Bruises litter her upper arms and thighs. Flushing at the sight of obvious teeth marks around one of her nipples, Hasna gasps again when her core clenches tightly around nothing and she immediately moans softly at the emptiness there. Glancing back at the bed, she winces at the sight of speckles of red blood staining the sheets where she had been sleeping.
The shower running in the ensuite bathroom finally sounds again in her ears as her breathing begins to become erratic. Stepping towards the bathroom door, her eyes land on the digital clock flashing next to the door and she freezes when the time registers in her jumbled mind.
Mahdi!Hasna inwardly screeches and then pales at the realization of how truly late in the morning it was. Uncle Bandar!
As best she can, Hasna scurries around the room and throws on her golden gown. Grabbing her heels and sparkly crown, not bothering to put them on, she scrambles out of the bedroom, completely forgetting the man in the shower until she is already outside of the hotel suite and the door locks behind her.
Damnit, now Nash is going to think I freaked out and left because of him.
“Good morning,” Mahdi’s deep and concerned voice mutters from the hallway. Jumping in surprise, Hasna places a hand over her heart and flushes as the older man she had often thought of as a brotherly figure scans her from head to toe. Feet shifting as he takes in her bare feet and rumpled hair, Hasna forces an innocent smile on her face.
“Good morning, Mahdi.”
Mahdi suddenly lifts up a black, square object and extends it out to her with a quirked eyebrow. “You might want to hold onto this.”
My cell phone!Thanking him with a genuine smile, Hasna taps away at her phone, sending Nashat a quick text to thank him for the evening. Without thinking, she adds a little heart emoji as well to the end of the text before once more focusing on Mahdi.
As she does, an image of her angry uncle flashes through her mind. Gasping, Hasna opens her mouth, “I woke up way too late. Uncle Bandar is going to kill me and then Nash.”
Mahdi motions towards the elevator and as she follows him, he shakes his head. “I informed him that Sheikha Seline offered for you to spend the night at the palace. Then she wanted to have a late breakfast with you before you fly home this afternoon.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, Hasna shoots Mahdi a grateful smile. “Thank you, Mahdi.”
“I also have a change of clothes for you in the town car,” Mahdi remarks and spares a glance at her dress once more as they both step into the empty elevator.
“I don’t know what I would do without you, Mahdi.”
As the elevator begins its descent towards the back entrance of the hotel, Hasna releases a sigh of relief. Her mind flashes back to the night before, the passion and tenderness she had experienced for the first time. For the last time, Hasna’s mind corrected her, if her uncle’s predilection for picking suitors was still obvious.
Swallowing, she checks her cellphone to see if Nashat received her text message. The little indication that he had read it was clear, but no three dots to indicate he was messaging her back.
Heart wilting at the realization that Nashat was treating her as he did every young woman in his life, Hasna blinks rapidly to keep her tears at bay. The more reasoned part of her brain scolds her sensitive side. You knew this could happen going in. You must accept that you and Nashat will never be and that your crush was a simple fantasy of a young, foolish child.
Forcing her gaze away from her phone, Hasna glances upwards and meets Mahdi’s gaze as the man blocks the doors to the elevator with his back. His dark eyes are intense and with a tilt of his head, he peers down at her curiously, if a little suspiciously.
“What is it?” Hasna whispers and reaches up to tamp down her unruly hair.
“Nothing, you just… looked different a moment ago. Are you sure you’re alright?”
Flushing, Hasna forces herself to nod, even though her heart is breaking with every second that Nashat doesn’t respond to her text message. “I’m fine, Mahdi.”
“And he agreed to one night with no strings attached?” Mahdi asks, clearly uncomfortable with the situation and worried about Hasna and her state of mind.
Inwardly, Hasna attempts to smother her outward wince, but only manages to keep back a grimace as she outwardly nods and forces a tight smile on her face.
“That’s how Nashat is,” she whispers, heart breaking as she admits those words. I will always cherish these memories.
* * *
If becoming a wrinkly prune was your objective, congrats, you’ve accomplished it.
Kamran shakes the water out of his hair as he steps out of the shower and begins toweling off. Sighing, he scans the expansive bathroom before his gaze finally settles on the door that will take him back out to the bedroom.
And to Hasna.
Wrapping the towel around his waist, Kamran swipes a hand across the mirror hanging above the double sinks and stares into his dark eyes. Closing them for a brief moment, his mind drifts back to the night before and everything he and Hasna experienced as one.
What have you done?a more sensible part of his brain asks, while the other part, the more relaxed part, urges him to take a deep breath and march back into the bedroom. Maybe Hasna will think this is funny or like some sort of irony.
Opening his eyes, Kamran glares at his reflection and growls, “You’re going to go out there and tell her the truth. I mean, she’s going to see the truth as soon as she takes one look at you, but the least you could do is try and apologize before she runs screaming from the room.”
Then Kamran snorts to himself, “Maybe she’ll order Mahdi to pound me into the sand.”
Cursing under his breath, Kamran runs a hand through his hair, pushing the wet strands aside as he tightens the towel around his waist. Wincing when his back twinges from the physical exertion of the night before, Kamran sighs again.
Maybe being abstinent for over a year wasn’t such a good idea, his mind wonders, but then his sensible side takes over. No, it was.
Then his mind drifts to his night with Hasna. Kamran curses again at his reflection. “You basically mauled her.”
Stepping out of the bathroom into the cool bedroom, he freezes when the empty bed takes up the center of his vision. Instead of seeing a beautiful woman sprawled out, sleeping off their erotic night, the emptiness of the room crashes down around him.
“Shit!” I knew I shouldn’t have pushed her so far last night, Kamran inwardly groans.
Rushing out of the bedroom and into the suite’s kitchen, he halts at the sight of his brother, Nashat, drinking from a steaming mug. Glancing around, Kamran lets out a breath of relief at the sight of the empty area.
Maybe he didn’t see her or she didn’t see him. Try to act normal, a part of Kamran’s conscious urges.
“Good morning.”
“Is it?” Nashat asks mysteriously as his hooded eyes glare back at Kamran.
“Yes?” Kamran offers in confusion and steps further into the open concept living room and kitchen area, breathing another sigh of relief when Hasna’s beautiful form does not appear.
“Looking for Hasna?” Nashat suddenly asks behind him.
Tensing up, Kamran turns back to face his brother with a grimacing face. “Did she see you?”
“No,” Nashat begins and tilts his head slightly as if examining Kamran like a scientist would a specimen. “She looked like she was in a rush to get out of the room and didn’t see me on the balcony.”
“Good,” Kamran mutters as his mind scrambles to think up an excuse he can give his brother or even an excuse to give Hasna if she ever finds out the truth.
“No. Not good,” Nashat growls and shoves his black cellphone against Kamran’s chest as he pushes past, heading in the direction of the sofa in the living room. “As soon as she left, I got a text message from her.”
“Oh?” Kamran mutters and swipes the cellphone on, eyes widening when the text message appears instantly.
“Go ahead, brother. Read it,” Nashat growls. When Kamran turns to face his brother, Nashat’s glare intensifies as he hisses, “Out loud.”
Swallowing his nervousness, Kamran manages to bite out, “Nash, thanks for last night. Talk soon. Heart emoji.”
Setting the phone down as his brother whistles in a low pitch, Kamran groans in frustration. Managing to collapse into a plush armchair across from his brother, he runs a hand through his damp hair and curses under his breath.
“Well, I know I had a good night schmoozing with our continent’s elite, but clearly not as much fun as you did.”
“I was going to tell her the truth this morning,” Kamran begins, but Nashat’s angry shout halts him.
“What exactly were you going to say, brother? That the man she clearly fucked was you and not me?” Nashat curses and jumps to stand, pacing in front of Kamran like their father used to do when either of the brothers were in trouble. Finally Nashat’s curses wane and he comes to a stop a few feet away as his look of disappointment slides over Kamran.
“Damn it, Kam, what were you thinking?”
“I wasn’t,” Kamran offers and then sighs, leaning back in his chair in defeat. “We were talking and laughing. She made the assumption that I was you and I didn’t correct her. Then she kissed me at the party and we ended up back here.”
“She is going to kill you.”
“No, she isn’t, because she is never going to find out,” Kamran argues back, his mind formulating a plan, even though his heart aches at the thought of never seeing Hasna or being able to touch her soft skin again.
“What are you even saying? Have you gone insane?”
“This was just a one-time thing. She said something like that last night.” Kamran shrugs, “Besides, she was only at the party under strict orders of her uncle to find someone.”
Kamran’s fists involuntarily clench at the reminder of Hasna’s greedy uncle. The man’s only concern was for himself and clearly not the niece he had been granted custody of after his brother’s death.
“Right.” Nashat nods, his face turning grim and for a moment, Kamran senses his brother knows something more than he is letting on.
“What is it? What do you know that I don’t?” Kamran demands and stands up when his brother refuses to meet his gaze.
“I don’t think I should tell you. Especially not now, after you and Hasna…” Nashat gags slightly and shakes his head in disgust as he manages to sputter, “Consummated.”
Rolling his eyes at his brother’s wording, Kamran reaches out and grabs at his brother’s simple t-shirt and orders, “Tell me, Nash, now.”
Pushing Kamran’s hand away, Nashat curses softly and manages to explain, “Well, after it was announced that Kaleem wouldn’t be considering Hasna or any other eligible bachelorette, Bandar got a tad bit angry. He blamed it on Hasna and her apparent lack of qualities that a man was interested in.”
“What qualities is he referring to?” Kamran shouts, his temper rising as he growls, “Hasna is perfect. She is kind and generous with her time. She cares about people and donates as much of her time as she possibly can to charities. Even her laugh is perfect.” Inside and out.
His brother shoots Kamran a strange look for a moment and he quickly stammers out, “Well, don’t you agree?”
Nashat holds up his hands in a show of peace as he calmly explains, “I do, but Bandar doesn’t see those qualities as enough to produce a profitable marital match.”
Shrugging, Kamran pinches two fingers along the bridge of his nose as he sighs in confusion. “So what? She was trying to trap you into a marriage last night?”
Scoffing, Nashat shakes his head. “No. More than likely, Hasna was hoping to have one night of freedom before Bandar married her off to some aging oil tycoon that he could easily control.”
Kamran quickly turns away from his brother to keep his temper and clenched fists hidden under his crossed arms. The thought of another man sharing a bed with Hasna caused his stomach to roll and he instantly shook his head to replace the image with a memory of the night before. Holding Hasna as they both slept had been an experience he would never forget, something he wondered if she ever would as well.
“So, you and Hasna?” Nashat mutters the question behind him and then sighs. “I never would have thought it would happen.”
“She thought I was you,” Kamran protests.
Nashat chuckles softly and relaxes back into the sofa once more in Kamran’s line of sight. Shaking his head, his brother pierces Kamran with a knowing look.
“I always thought she secretly liked you. Especially when we were kids.”
Rolling his eyes, Kamran sighs and collapses back into the arm chair. “If that were true, she wouldn’t have called out your name last night.”
Grinning, Nashat waggles his eyebrows cheekily and teases, “That must have hurt.”
“Fuck off,” Kamran mutters and turns his gaze to the glass windows that overlook Musat’s capital city’s skyline.
Instead of the beautiful blue sky, Kamran’s mind instantly goes back to Hasna’s sea green eyes and the way they darkened when they both came together the night before. Swallowing the dryness in his throat, Kamran clears it and mutters, “Let’s just forget this ever happened.”
This may be harder than I thought.