the palace and down the long driveway. It parked in front of a wide set of marble steps as the SUV pulled in directly behind them.
Naasir jumped out of the SUV and immediately ran to the limo to open the door for Sadiq and Hannah. They stepped out into the bright morning sunlight and Sadiq stood still as Hannah looked up and down and side to side, trying to take in the enormity of the place.
“I’d be happy to take you for a tour,” Sadiq said softly as he reached out and grabbed her hand in his. “Tomorrow, I mean. As for today, you rest.”
Hannah was too tired to argue. She let him lead her up the steps and into the enormous entry hall. Chandeliers, marble, gold and ivory dripped from every wall and ceiling. Hannah felt overwhelmed by the extravagance of it all and squeezed Sadiq’s hand a little tighter.
It was only then that she realized she was holding it. Her first reaction was to pull her hand away. But it felt too good. She hadn’t held a man’s hand in a very long time. And even if he was just being polite, the warmth and strength she felt in his touch were more than she sensed in any man in years. As those thoughts ran through her head, she felt Sadiq squeeze her hand back.
Hannah smiled shyly as she walked with him down long, extravagantly-decorated hallways. Naasir had already called the servants to have them prepare a suite of rooms for her, and when they arrived at the double doors leading to the suite, they were greeted by a thin, older woman in a maid’s uniform.
“Good morning, ma’am. My name is Fatima and I am your housemaid. I will be at your disposal for the duration of your stay here at Palace al-Halam. Welcome.”
Hannah nodded and smiled as Sadiq opened the double doors into a large sitting room complete with some of the finest artwork, furniture and appointments she had ever seen.
“Come,” he said softly, his voice stirring emotions Hannah hadn’t felt in forever.
He led her to the bedroom where she gazed onto what was surely the largest, most opulent canopy bed that had ever been built.
She wanted to say, “Is that all for me?”, but she thought better of it, fearing it might sound like an invitation for Sadiq to join her there. That wouldn’t exactly be a bad thing, but wasn’t what she was there for. Or was it? She was so tired she couldn’t think straight. All Hannah knew for sure was that she was standing in the most magnificent place she had ever visited, holding the hand of an extremely sexy man.
“Hannah,” Sadiq asked, for the third time. “Earth to Hannah!”
Hannah shook her head and pulled her hand out of Sadiq’s grasp. “I’m sorry, what?”
“I said, I’ll be on the other side of the palace taking care of some business. But Fatima is here for anything you need. Your bags are right there,” Sadiq said, pointing to the far wall by the sofa.
“Is there anything else I can do for you before I leave you?”
Hannah thought of a thousand things, but knew better than to say any of them out loud. “No, thank you. I’m fine.”
“Okay then. And remember, you can call me if you need anything as well.”
With that, Naasir and Sadiq left, leaving Fatima to help Hannah get settled. A few moments later, the curtains were drawn, the room was cool and Hannah was under a cotton sheet, reminding herself that this was just a job; just a really awesome, well-paying, unbelievably fantastic job. It was not her real life. But it was definitely a life she could get used to.
EIGHT
Hannah awoke the next morning to the sun cascading through the bedroom windows, glistening off of the gold and marble fixtures throughout her room. She peeled the sheet off slowly and took a deep breath as she opened her eyes, still amazed at where she was. She had slept so well that she didn’t want to get up. She wasn’t sure if she was still tired, or just jet-lagged from the time difference.
A moment later there was a light knock at her door. “Miss Green? Are you ready for breakfast?”
Hannah smiled. Yeah, she could definitely get used to this treatment. She rolled out of bed and pulled on the silk robe that Fatima had laid out for her before she fell asleep. It fell against her skin like cool water and hung on her slender frame perfectly.
“Good morning, Fatima,” she said as she opened the door and met the maid’s smiling face. “What’s on the menu today?”
Fatima looked at her curiously for a moment. “Oh, on the menu. Yes, well, whatever you would like. His Highness is waiting in the lounge for you. There is coffee there as well.” She smiled politely. “Is there anything else you need at the moment?”
Hannah looked around the gigantic room. “Just an escort,” she said, realizing she had no idea where the lounge was.
Fatima smiled again and bowed slightly. “As soon as you are ready, I will take you to him.” She nodded slightly and disappeared out of the room, closing the heavy double doors behind her.
Minutes later, Hannah was showered, dressed and more than ready for a steaming cup of coffee. She met Fatima in the sitting room and the two of them left the suite and made their way through the vast halls of the palace, Hannah’s low heels echoing softly on the polished marble floors.
A few moments later, they arrived at the lounge to a freshly showered and smiling Sadiq. He stood up from his chair at the sound of their footsteps, setting his tablet and coffee down as he rose.
“Well, good morning Hannah,” he said, smiling from ear to ear.
Hannah looked at him from across the room, amazed at how he just got better looking every time she saw him. She self-consciously ran her fingers through her hair and smiled back as she walked over to him.
He reached out his hands and took hers in his and then bent in to kiss her on the cheek. Hannah wasn’t expecting that. But it certainly was a great way to start her morning. She breathed in his scent and her stomach flipped over.
It’s just hunger, she thought to herself. I have nothing in my stomach, no coffee, no food. But as she took the cup of coffee Fatima poured for her, she knew it wasn’t hunger. She was reacting to Sadiq and his… His good looks? His power? His kindness? His irresistible, musky yet fresh smell?
“Oh, thank you,” she said as she took the cup and sat down in the large leather chair across from Sadiq.
He sat back down and took a sip of coffee, his gaze returning to her the second he put the cup down.
Hannah eyed him suspiciously over the china as she let the hot liquid warm her throat. “What?” she asked, feeling a little uncomfortable under the heat of his glare.
Sadiq grinned slowly, as if he were trying to tease her with his amazing smile.
Her stomach flipped again and Hannah cursed herself as she gulped down more coffee, hoping to wrestle her insides into compliance. “What?!” she asked again as she put her coffee down.
“How did you sleep?” Sadiq asked, paying no mind to her discomfort. Or maybe he’s just enjoying it. Hannah reminded herself that this was probably all part of his game. But she wasn’t going to be one of playthings.
She sat up straighter, ran her fingers over her skirt and looked him in the eye. “I slept like a queen,” she said, realizing the inappropriateness of the words no sooner had they left her mouth. Darn it, she thought. Here comes the nervous jibber jabber again. But Sadiq rescued her before she could do any more damage.
“Good,” he said, smiling again as he reached for his tablet. “I hope so. Because that’s how I want you to be treated.”
Hannah felt the flip-flop again. Did he mean that he wanted to spoil her? Was he implying that she was going to be his queen someday? The crazy train started to rev its engine, but Sadiq stopped it before it could even pull out of the station.
“I make sure all my guests are treated like royalty when they stay here.”
Hannah felt her hopes dashed; he was thinking about her the same way he would any other guest. She smiled at him and turned away to look out the window. She hadn’t even noticed the pool and incredible gardens when they had arrived at the palace last night. Or was it this morning?
“What time is it?” Hannah asked, realizing she had no idea what time of day or night it might be. She suddenly started feeling a little out of her element.
Sadiq looked down at his tablet and opened his mouth to speak, but Naasir answered for him.
“It’s 11:45 in the morning, miss.”
Hannah looked at Naasir and then at Sadiq. Eleven forty-five? She hadn’t slept that late since, well, she couldn’t remember when.
Sadiq noticed the look on her face and smiled again. “Don’t worry. It’s totally fine. I had plenty of business to catch up on. Besides, your performances don’t begin until next week.”
“Next week?” Hannah asked, surprised by this new information.
“Yes, next week.”
“So why am I here now?” she asked, remembering to keep her thoughts to business and business only.
“Well,” Sadiq said, as he stood up and stretched. “I thought it would be nice if you got to see some of the country first.” He saw Hannah’s stunned expression and then quickly added. “I mean, if that’s okay with you.”
“Um, yeah, of course. Yes,” she stammered. “That’s fine. It’s just that I could have arrived later. I mean, you don’t have to take the time to show me around, to…” She fought to get control of her words. “It’s just that I could have worked an extra week at the club, is all.”
She realized how pathetic she sounded. Here was a man, a sheikh, getting ready to pay her half a million dollars, and she was worried about taking a week off of her lousy-paying job back home.
“Well,” Sadiq took her hand as he lifted her up from the chair, “correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you just quit your job?”
Hannah felt the heat rising in her cheeks. He was right. She had just quit her job at the Blue Moon. But she had a catering job, and it paid the bills, more or less. Sadiq didn’t know about that yet, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to tell him.
She flashed a smile at him. “Well, I guess you’re right about that,” she said, unwilling to concede that he was absolutely spot on. “So, anyhow, I’m here now. What is it that you want to show me?”
Sadiq’s face lit up. “Well, there’s so much to see. I mean, I could show you the ruins at Balaar, the City of Katnuk, also known as the Brilliant City, Shimab, the Holy Dome…”
“Okay, okay,” Hannah said as she raised her hands and laughed. “I get it. There’s a lot to see here.”
“An awful lot,” Sadiq said, failing to curb his enthusiasm. “Where would you like to start?”
Hannah thought about it as her stomach rumbled again. “How about we start with you showing me the kitchen. I’m starved!”
“Of course, I’m sorry,” said Sadiq. “We’ll start with breakfast. And then, when you’re good and full, I’ll take you on a tour of the palace. How does that sound?”
“Perfect.”
***
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.