Khizar raised an eyebrow in question, and when Jacqui nodded, took the diamond out of the case and sat it on the long, low dresser against the wall where they could admire the beauty of the precious gem.
Jacqui sat on the bed and watched him as he watched the diamond.
“Starting to regret your idea to sell it?” she asked him, teasing just a little bit.
Khizar laughed and turned from the diamond. He leaned over the bed, and over her, and kissed her deeply. Jacqui put one hand on his chest, wrapping her fingers in his shirt and pulling him down.
“No. Bill obviously wanted you to have some kind of financial security, and you do, now. I will give you everything you need. Everything you want, too, for that matter,” he said between kisses.
“How much do you think the diamond will sell for?” Jacqui asked, curious even as she was distracted by Khizar’s fingers and mouth on her skin.
She could feel his grin against her neck.
“Enough to endow several of your favorite charities with significant funds. You’ll probably have a building or three named after you in the near future.”
Jacqui laughed and pushed him away slightly so that she could carefully, slowly unbutton his shirt. He tried to move her hands so he could do it, and she kissed him again, long and slow, until his hands got sidetracked with something else. She went back to unbuttoning his shirt and loved the groan he made when she took her sweet time doing it.
“I think I’d like the buildings to be named after my parents instead, or maybe my great-grandmother, Rose.”
Khizar said, “That’s a wonderful idea.”
Jacqui sweetly kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
He grinned roguishly.
“To be fair, I think every idea of yours is wonderful.”
Jacqui kissed him, relishing the thought that this man was hers and she was his, and as the plane took off into the night, the only thing that mattered was that they were together.
The End
Their treasure hunt ended with finding one another, but what will the next year bring for Jacqui and Khizar?
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The Sheikh’s Bride Bet
Time for a tease!
Up next I’ve included the first few chapters of my most recent sweet romance, The Sheikh’s Bride Bet, which is available in full now.
Happy reading!
Copyright 2018 by Holly Rayner
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part by any means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the explicit written permission of the author.
All characters depicted in this fictional work are consenting adults, of at least eighteen years of age. Any resemblance to persons living or deceased, particular businesses, events, or exact locations are entirely coincidental.
Chapter 1
Angie
The phone blared in my ear as I gazed across the classroom. The students were feeling boisterous after two hours of testing, tossing their toys and puzzle pieces out onto the carpet. It was their free period, and I was giving them a bit of extra time. At just eight years old, the children of Al-Jarra needed this opportunity to be unruly and loud.
When she answered the phone, my mother’s voice was music to my ears. Despite her illness, her voice was still a stronghold for me. Something I needed to feel alive.
“Mom? Oh gosh. It’s so good to hear you,” I said, turning away from the children for a moment. It felt almost too intimate, speaking to my mother in front of them. Revealing so much of myself.
“Angie.” My mother’s voice croaked slightly, showing her fatigue. It was only six in the morning all the way in South Dakota. “How are the kids today?”
Sweeping my hand through my raven-black hair, I flashed a smile at one of my smaller students, who tossed a pile of markers from the shoebox, letting them roll across the ground.
“Chaotic, as usual,” I said, chuckling. “They just finished their testing. Can you believe they need two hours of testing at eight years old?”
“They would never have kept you in a chair that long as a kid, Angie,” my mother said, growing warmer. “You always had such a fire about you.”