Her Older Sheikh (Sheikh Breaks My Heart #9)

Nine

H im: Good morning, Temptation.

Me: Good morning, Doctor.

Him: How are you feeling right now? Any discomfort or swelling?

Me: I was fine a while ago, but now that I've started talking to you, Doctor...

A goofy grin forms over my lips, and I'm unable to fight it off as I type the rest of my reply.

Me: The symptoms are back. *shocked face*

Me: What do I do, Doctor?

These words are so not me, and I think that's why I'm having so much fun texting them. Pretending to be someone like Temptation is just so strangely liberating that headaches have firmly become a thing of the past, and I've also been sleeping better the past few days.

I think this shows, too, since Nik's expression turns approving when I bump into him on his way out.

"You're looking a lot better these days," he comments.

"Um...yeah." I muster a smile without meeting the billionaire's gaze. I really don't like lying to him, but I also know telling him the truth will only make things worse.

And besides, it's not like I'm doing anything really wrong.

I'm just being treated by my doctor, you know?

Daria is sipping on a tall glass of pi?a colada when I join her at the pool deck, and she immediately straightens up on the sun lounger upon seeing me.

"I heard what Nik said," the older woman says slyly as one of the attendants hands me a watermelon shake. "I was so tempted to lean over the railings and yell out to him. He should know it's not a matter of what you're doing but who you're doing—-"

I sputter on my shake. "Daria!"

Nik's wife laughs. "But seriously, though. You're looking really great these days," she gushes, "and so happy, too . "

Cringe.

I've never seen myself as the kind of girl who looks 'happy' because of a guy, and Daria's words linger in my mind even when I finally leave for class. The thought just doesn't sit well with me, but maybe it's only because this thing I have with Dr. Somebody...isn't really a thing?

My friends and I meet up at lunch, and the two other girls are even worse than Daria with the way they nag and badger me in hopes that I'll eventually kiss and tell.

"C'mon, Lei." Andie gives my shoulders a shake with each word. "Give us something, please!"

I wriggle out of her hold. "We've just been texting."

Madeleine flashes a mischievous smile. "You mean sexting, right?"

I make a face. "Do you really think I'd answer that?"

My friends grin. "You just did."

Shit.

I keep my mouth shut after that, and it's a relief to hear the school bell eventually ring, and I finally have an excuse to escape my friends. I get why they're curious about how things are going between Dr. Somebody and me, but I really don't think there's anything for me to say...when I still don't fully understand how I feel about him.

Distraction-wise, he's been absolutely awesome. While this makes me feel so shamelessly wanton to admit, I've been consulting Dr. Somebody every night, and it always ends with me writhing in ecstasy under the covers.

He's just so good at turning me on, but more surprisingly than that is how he's just as good at making me laugh and distracting me in so many other ways every time we text.

Classes end for the day at four, and Nik's driver-slash-bodyguard is already waiting for me outside the gates of St. Francis College.

"Hey, Lou."

The older man's granite-like features soften just a bit. "You seem to be in a good mood lately."

I quickly get rid of my smile, and Lou laughs.

"It's a boy, I take it?"

I growl in denial, but this only makes Lou start whistling like he's gotten the better of me.

Grrr .

Lou drops me off at the clubhouse at my request, and I head straight to the locker room to swap my clothes for a one-piece. I always feel like a poser whenever I'm walking around the clubhouse, and today isn't any different. Nik is the only reason I'm a member here, and since membership comes with $1,000 worth of noncumulative consumables that renews every month, I don't ever want the billionaire to think I'm letting his money go to waste.

I make sure every dollar of my consumables is spent, but I'm also just as careful at not spending even a single penny over it.

One of the pool bar attendants immediately comes over to my table. "Welcome back, Ms. Raptis."

"Hey, Chuck." We're all on first-name basis here, with how often I've been coming here, plus Nik making it clear in an official work memo that I'm part of his family.

"Wanna give today's special a try?"

"Only if it fits my budget."

He grins at the way I use air quotes on the last word. "It does, don't worry."

My phone rings just as Chuck walks away, and the sound startles me into answering the call without checking the screen. "Hello?"

"Oh my God, Lei," a voice shrieks into my ear. "I just heard from Daria!"

I nearly drop my phone.

Io?

Why is she calling me all of a sudden? Isn't it still like midnight there? Can't this wait for next morning or—-

Trauma erupts out of nowhere to seize my throat in a chokehold.

Oh God.

I'm suddenly back where I'm started, and I'm frozen in my seat with terror.

What if this is it?

I've been hell-bent distracting myself so I can have a normal life, when all along I should've been focused on my sister and keeping an eye out for any signs of her cancer returning?

My head starts to pound, but I do my best to ignore the pain.

"Io?" My voice sounds shaky even to my ears. "Are you okay?"

Io only laughs. "Don't you try changing the subject." Her voice turns expectant. "Tell me then. Is it true? Andie says you've started dating ."

Why are we talking about 'dating' when she's dying?

"I can't believe my little sister is all grown up now," my sister exclaims. "And I know this is going to sound stupid, but I just have to ask."

My heart beats triple time.

Here it is.

She probably wants to know when she can meet this nonexistent guy I'm dating, and it's because her cancer is back, and—-

"It's not Nik, is it?"

Her words work like a slap in the face, and the sheer grossness of it has me emerging from my shock.

"Oh my God, Io. EEEEW!"

"I just want to be sure," my sister protests sheepishly. "You know what happened to Daria's friend—-"

"Please excuse me while I throw up—-"

"So it's really not Nik?"

"Gross, Io! Just gross!" My skin crawls at just hearing his name uttered in this context.

"I'm sorry," Io apologizes with a laugh. "I just really had to ask—-"

"Can we stop talking about this for now?" I'm desperately in need for a change of subject to preserve my sanity. "Let's talk about you, Greece, or anything else under the sun—-"

"Okay, okay, I get it. And I'm doing really great here, if that's what you're asking, and—-oh, has Nik said anything about our house?"

"Nothing yet," I lie without hesitation, "but I'm sure he'll let me know when it's safe to go back."

"Keep me posted on that, okay?"

"Yeah, sure."

I hear Io cough as she says good night, but she's already hung up before I can ask her if she's okay.

Shit, shit, shit.

Chuck comes back with my order, and I thank him in a daze.

You're paranoid. Just paranoid.

But pain is already squeezing the sides of my temple, and my lungs are struggling to function yet again.

Calm down, calm down.

After everything she's been through, my sister knows better than to hide anything about her illness.

She'll tell me if something's wrong.

But she hasn't.

And so that means she's okay.

Do you hear that, Leah?

Io is fine, and it's me who'll be in trouble if Nik finds out I'm having headaches again.

So go away, stupid headache!

But it only gets worse as time passes, and I'm forced to take some painkillers when it's time for me to go to bed. My skull feels like it's about to explode, and I just know there's only one way to put an end to this.

I need to forget I'm Leah for a moment and ask—-

What would you do, Temptation...if you were in my shoes?