Hannah stirred slightly and then settled back into sleep. Sadiq stood up and watched her, mesmerized, again feeling the strange flutter on his insides. He could have stood there all night if Naasir hadn’t come in.
“Sir, I’ve turned down your bed for you.”
“The queen?”
“No sir, the twin. I’ve turned the queen down for Miss Green, should she wake up and choose to sleep in it.”
Sadiq glanced at Hannah one more time before walking back toward the sleeping compartments. “Good man, Naasir, good man,” he said as he patted his friend on the shoulder.
“Goodnight, sir,” Naasir said, smiling.
“Goodnight, Naasir.”
SEVEN
The jet landed in El Shakanish just as the sun was rising. Sadiq and Hannah got into a waiting limousine that was emblazoned with a royal emblem and state flags, while Naasir and the bodyguards followed in a large black SUV.
Hannah tried to align herself with the time as she climbed into the waiting limo. She knew she’d slept, but she still felt exhausted.
Sadiq seemed to read her mind again. “You’re still tired, aren’t you?”
Hannah smiled, amazed at his ability to know exactly what she was thinking. “Yes, very.”
“Well that’s because you only got about three hours’ sleep.”
“Three hours? Really?” Hannah looked at him with wide, red-rimmed eyes.
Sadiq smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry. We’ll be at the palace soon. You can sleep as long as you like when we get there.”
Hannah nodded and smiled politely back at Sadiq. Palace. The word sounded so foreign to her. Her tired mind replayed what Sadiq had said. “Don’t worry. We’ll be at the palace soon. You can sleep as long as you like when we arrive home, dear, darling, honey, my love.”
She must still be sleeping, she thought. Because this was just all too crazy to be real. Hannah folded her
hands in her lap and pinched her palm. Nope, wide awake again.
Through the dark tinted windows of the limousine, Hannah could see the bright sun reflecting off of something in the distance as the limo sped through the desert landscape.
“What’s that over there?” she asked, pointing to a gleaming golden dome over on a hill to the west.
“Where?” Sadiq said, taking the opportunity to slide in closer to Hannah.
“Over there, just beyond that hill. It looks like it’s getting closer. That huge dome. Do you see it?”
“I can’t see anything from here,” Sadiq lied with a grin.
Hannah looked at him and then ushered him closer to her side of the limousine. “Come here,” she said, patting the seat.
Sadiq slid even closer to Hannah until their bodies were touching. He felt her warmth on his leg and the stirring in his stomach grew stronger. He breathed in deep and let the smell of her hair fill him.
“Right there. It looks like, wait, there’s more than one dome. See? There’s several. Oh my, it looks like one big…”
“Palace,” Sadiq’s breath was hot on Hannah’s neck as he finished her sentence for her.
She turned to look at him and saw that their faces were only inches apart. Hannah’s heart pounded heavy in her chest and she lost her ability to use words for a moment. Oh my God, he smells so good, she thought.
Wait, what was I saying? What was I thinking? Why is my finger pointing out the window? Hannah fought to regain her train of thought, her body stiffening as she looked at Sadiq.
“Palace?” She tried to speak normally but was pretty sure she might have been panting.
Sadiq watched her lips move and wanted to, he wanted to… No! He slid back from her as if she was on fire.
“My palace.”
Hannah eyes grew wide. She looked out the window again, not even noticing that Sadiq had moved away from her.
“That’s where you live?” she asked, her face practically pressed against the window.
Sadiq watched her from a distance. “Yes, that’s where I live.”
“With who? How many people live with you? Like, the whole population of El-Shakanish?”
“No one.” Sadiq said, laughing and looking down at his feet. He wasn’t used to people asking him about his wealth. Everyone knew he had money, and everyone he knew had money. The girls he dated didn’t hide the fact that they expected fine things. Hannah was so different; it was refreshing.
Hannah spun around, her long red ponytail hitting the window as she turned to look at him again. The morning light caught her eyes just right and for a moment Sadiq swore they could have passed for emeralds.
“Are you telling me that you live there,” she stopped and pointed to the palace, “all alone?”
Sadiq nodded and smiled. “All alone. By myself. No one else.” He watched her expression and tried to keep from laughing. “Except for Naasir. He lives there with me. And some of my staff. Well, all of the staff. They all have apartments in the staff quarters.”
Hannah shook her head slowly and turned back toward the window. “Wow,” was all she said as they drove toward the estate.
Moments later, the limousine pulled through the large golden gates of