Her Older Sheikh (Sheikh Breaks My Heart #9)

Chapter Five

O ver a week has passed, and I find myself reluctantly caving in to to another one of Grandpa Paco's matchmaking attempts. Since he hasn't been as nagging as before, he really had me fooled into thinking he's finally seen the light, and he's letting me marry a man of my choosing.

Obviously, I should've known better.

The old man is a master at manipulation, and this time it's his threat to stop taking his meds that has me waving the white flag.

"His name is Brian," Grandpa Paco tells me. "He'll be waiting for you at Paradijs' lobby."

Paradijs is a membership-exclusive club, and this isn't the first time Grandpa has tried to pair me with a young man whose parents (or grandparents) belong to the same club. Sadly, all five dates have ranged from meh to bleh, and while I didn't think #6 would be any different—-

Brian surprisingly proves me wrong, and I find myself actually having a good time as we chat between sips of juice (mine) and beer (his). He's good-looking and smart, funny and outdoorsy, too. I think I could've liked him a lot more...if only I didn't meet Mr. Mine before him.

And speak of the devil, self!

This is going to sound gross, but it did feel like for a moment that shock could've made my eyes bulge out of its sockets. I just have a hard time believing I'm not imagining things. Is that really Mr. Mine walking towards me...in the company of Dr. Adam Al-Masri?

"Not good, babe."

Brian startles me when he cups my chin to gently make me face him again, and I feel genuinely embarrassed and ashamed when I realize he's caught me staring at another man while we're on a date.

I apologize profusely, but Brian assures me we're "cool", and I'm not sure how to take that. Is he saying it's just his ego that's hurt, but he actually doesn't mind if I'm interested in other guys?

"Is he your ex?"

"No, nothing like that," I hastily deny. "I just know him...from around."

"He looks familiar, though."

"Really?" It takes everything to keep my tone casual. "Where do you think you've seen him?"

"I can't seem to recall. But I'm sure I've seen him before." Brian glances over his shoulder as he speaks, and I'm unable to resist stealing a look myself.

Oh.

My breath catches at the way his handsome face immediately hardens upon seeing us, and I have to fight against the urge to run up to him and tell Mr. Mine he has nothing to worry about.

Have some pride, self.

Thoughts of him have haunted me every night, and he had me tossing and turning in bed while I tortured myself with questions I had no way of answering.

Could I have done something different to make him stay?

Does he remember me still?

If he could do things all over again, would he still have chosen to walk away?

You hurt me, Mr. Mine.

You truly did.

There hasn't been a single instance that the rain doesn't remind me of him, hasn't been a single instance that I don't think of him every time I pass by a cafe or just about any place that has flowers gracing its entrance.

I know this makes me sound like I'm the biggest loser on earth, but I've spent every morning hanging out at the B&B where we met, just hoping and hoping that he'd one day show up.

But he never did.

It's as if he found it so easy to cut me out of his life, and so for me to see him now—-

"Rashad?"

It's Dr. Al-Masri who's speaking, and my senses reel a little when I realize it's Mr. Mine he's addressing.

Rashad.

I finally know his name, but it's too late, and I can no longer let myself care about this.

Over and done with, remember?

I pin a smile on my face and reach forward to touch my date's arm. "Brian?"

Brian's cheeks are flushed when he looks at me, and the last thing I see is Mr. Mine's expression turning thunderous—-

But we don't care about that, do we, self?

No, we absolutely do not, and so I yank my gaze away from Mr. Mine and focus on my date.

Focus, focus, focus.

It's a struggle to be honest, especially with the two men taking the table directly behind Brian's, and Mr. Mine making no effort to hide the fact that he's staring at me the entire time.

I'm sure he has his reasons for pushing me away, but what's done is done, and I've never been the type to knock my head endlessly against the wall.

You made your choice, Mr. Mine.

You knew I wanted you, and I knew you wanted me back. But you did what you did, and all we can do now is move on.

Over and done with, a.k.a. The End.

Or so I tell myself with foolish, hurt pride, but barely half an hour has passed since then, and I'm reduced to mumbling an excuse to Bryan before practically running to the ladies'.

I'm sure my date thinks I'm about to poop or something, and while there is something my body wants to release—-

It's something a lot grosser, and it's called tears.

You're so unfair, Mr. Mine.

I should probably stop calling him that, but how can I when the part of him that's Rashad isn't something he's let me see? All he is to me is a handsome stranger, just that, but as pathetic as it is, the mere sight of said stranger also has tears running down my cheeks.

When did you turn into a crybaby, self?

Grandpa Paco raised me better and stronger than this, and I mustn't waste my tears on a man like him.

We can do this, self!

I repeat the words in my mind as I spash cold water on my face, but when I step out of the ladies', the first thing I see is the man I was hoping to forget .

Remember your promise!

Having him this close is torture, with the way it reminds me of how his sheer presence alone can make me hot and wet. I wish I can say it's different now...but it's not.

"Are you trying to make me jealous?"

The way he snarls the words out makes me want to strangle and kiss him at the same time.

How dare you, Mr. Mine?

I may want him terribly, and maybe I'm even a little in love with him, but I can't let him play hot and cold like this with my feelings, and so I force myself to answer him without even meeting his gaze.

"No."

It's my turn to walk away, and I don't let myself look back. When it's over, it's really over, and I learned that from Mr. Mine himself.

When I return to my date, I see right away that the table behind Brian is empty, and my heart sinks at the sight.

Stupid, stupid heart.

Didn't we just have a talk about this?

We're better off without him.

Truly.

"They left a while ago."

Brian's words startle me into looking at him again, and the wry expression on his good-looking face makes me cringe.

"I'm so sorry." What else is there to say?

"If you really like him—-"

I quickly shake my head. "I don't—-"

"You can always make him jealous by spending more time with me."

I forget what I have to say when his motive becomes clear, and I end up laughing despite everything.

Bryan winces. " Ouch . Am I that inferior to him?"

"You know I don't mean it that way—-"

"Then it's a date," he says with a grin.

Did I just get guilt-tripped into a date?

"Brian..."

"It's just one date," he cajoles. "And it's for a good cause, too."

It's my first time to hear making another man jealous described in such a way, and I find myself smiling helplessly despite everything.

"If you go out with me again, your grandfather will lie low on the matchmaking."

He makes a pretty good point, but is it really alright for us to go on another date when we both know I like someone else?

"We'll have fun, I swear."

I take a deep breath and finally relent. "Just one date then."

Brian grins and clenches his fist in a gesture of victory. "Yes!"

His reaction is flattering, but just when I'm starting to think there's a chance for me to like him a little more, Brian's phone starts ringing and I see the name 'Jennifer' flash on his screen just before my date quickly shoves his phone deep into his pocket.

Brian clears his throat. "I wish I can spend more time with you, but I have to meet up with my study group..."

"Oh, sure." I smile at him reassuringly. "Please don't let me keep you."

Relief flashes over his face, and I feel more amused than offended as I cheerfully wave him off. With #6 being another epic fail, I think it's time to tell Grandpa Paco that these boys from Paradijs just aren't for me.

Oh well.

I'm sure other girls would've still given him a chance, but I want what Mama and Papa had. I know my standards are pretty unrealistic and unreasonable, but I don't care. I want to be with a man who'd pursue me with passion and obsess over me and me alone—-

(Like Mr. Mine, perhaps?)

The thought comes out of nowhere , but I quickly brush it aside and distract myself by checking the time.

Mm.

Since it usually takes Grandpa Paco at least an hour before he's done playing backgammon with his old pals, I guess that leaves me free to just wander aimlessly around the club, and that's exactly what I end up doing until my feet eventually take me to a gardenside cafe.

It starts to rain just as I take one of the tables by the window, and my fingers tremble as I wrap them around my frothy hot cup of latte.

Déjà vu, self.

A twinge of pain squeezes my heart, but I force myself to ignore it. I reach for my cup, but just as I'm about to take a sip, someone slides into the chair next to mine, and I end up choking instead.

Mr. Mine.

I lower my cup back on the table rather clumsily, and when I look up, it's to see his tiger-gold eyes glittering at me in a way that has my body reacting with shameless haste. My breasts are now swollen and aching, my nipples erect, and my pussy quivering and oh-so-wet.

"Hello."

The purr in his voice makes me want to close my eyes and savor it...even as I have this really stupid urge to cry.

I hate you, Mr. Mine.

Do you know how many times you've caused me to curl up in bed, all agonized and terrified because I couldn't bear thinking that I could never hear you purr again?

His gaze darkens. "You're angry at me."

"Shouldn't I be?"

"Is that why you were trying to make me jealous?"

I only shrug this time, and his tiger-gold eyes blazes with fury.

"Who is he?"

He isn't shouting, but he almost is, and I never, ever thought it was possible for a man like Mr. Mine to loose his shit like this.

"Is he your new boyfriend?"

"Why do you care?"

"Just answer the fucking question, damn you!"

Mr. Mine is definitely no Brian. He won't ever think it's 'cool' if he were to catch me looking at another man, but—-

"You pushed me away, remember?"

"And you said you wanted to be mine, remember?"

My heart pounds against my chest even though his words leave me furious and frustrated, but more than anything else I'm also fascinated against my will by the savageness of his tone and the way rage is etched over the sculpted lines of his face .

"What is it do you want from me?" I ask helplessly. "You flirt with me, but you push me away. You disappear from my life, but now—-"

His fist pounds the table, and I nearly jump out of my seat.

"Do I really have to spell it out for you?"

I don't know whether to feel impressed or worried that Mr. Mine doesn't seem to care he has other people around us staring.

"I thought I could live without you," he says between clenched teeth, "but the moment I saw some boy dare touching what's mine, I knew I was wrong."

Oh, Mr. Mine.

"I need you, and just you."

"Because you were jealous?"

"Possessive."

"Which also means... jealous. "

"Damn you."

All I can do is look at him this time, and not just because our rapid exchange of words has me temporarily out of breath.

I'm dying, self.

And it's all because of the way he's said those words. It's almost like he's telling me...

I love you.

Tiger-gold eyes narrow at me. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Because I think you're in love with me.

That's really what I think.

What I feel.

But since I also know it's too early to drop that kind of bomb—-

"Because it's my first time to have a man jealous over me."

It's the truth, but not quite the truth either.

Mr. Mine studies me broodingly. "So you were trying to make me jealous."

"I wasn't—-"

"It doesn't matter."

"But I really wasn't—-"

"I'll make sure to take the necessary steps so you will have no reason to make me feel jealous again."

I know I should insist on clarifying that I truly wasn't trying to make him jealous, but his words have me successfully distracted. " Steps? What kind of steps?"

His tiger-gold eyes gleam, and I realize too late I've fallen for his trap.

"To start with...I'll take you up to my suite."

Holy—-

"Remove your clothes."

Holy—

"And make you cum again and again until you understand that you are the only woman I'm craving for."

Holy fuck-a-poley.