Free The Contract by Zeenat Mahal

worthy of that honeymoon you promised me?”
    Without looking up from the check he was writing, Hussain laughed, and added another zero to the
    number he’d already filled in. Throwing her another sultry glance he handed Nudrat the check. She
    took it and gasped.
    “My, my, you were planning a fancy honeymoon weren’t you?” Her voice sounded brittle.
    On the one hand Shahira wanted to reassure Nudrat that there was nothing between her and
    Hussain, and on the other, there was also a certain sense of satisfaction at seeing Nudrat’s obvious
    discomfiture. But Hussain and his adulterous predilections were none of her concern, so she checked
    the thought firmly and took out her ire on the perpetrator of the situation.
    “Hussain just doesn’t know where to stop, Nudrat.”
    Tartly Nudrat replied, “Oh, I think you’re wrong. I think it’s a woman’s job to keep her man in line,
    Shahira darling, and you’re obviously not up to the task.”
    A little surprised that Nudrat was finally coming out into the open with her attack, she was
    speechless for a moment.
    Hussain’s smile vanished and he said coldly, “Or maybe, Shahira doesn’t believe that a man needs
    to be ‘kept in line’. Shahira’s…special. In fact I can’t say that I’ve ever seen a more fascinating
    combination of beauty, brains and strength of character.”
    He spoke quietly, but it was hard not to catch the note of sincerity in his voice. She stared at him
    open-mouthed, right along with Nudrat.
    Shahira smirked and said through clenched teeth, “Isn’t he the sweetest?”
    Without another glance at anyone she sped out. What the hell was that? She didn’t want any
    Romeo-like tendencies growing in this contractual husband, especially now that they were going to
    Europe. Or was he just pretending? He had to be just saying it. Of course he didn’t mean it. She
    sighed in relief at the realization, debated going up to her room, but then decided she couldn’t take the
    coward’s way out, so taking several deep breaths she grabbed a spoon from the kitchen as an excuse
    for her sudden departure, and dragged her feet back to the purgatory that was her sitting room.
    “…Please Hussain…don’t do this. She’s nobody! She’ll never fit in your life or your social
    circle…” Nudrat sounded shrill and desperate.
    She heard a rather rude word that Hussain seemed to be partial to, small wonder that, and then his
    response too.
    “She’s my wife. That’s who she is, and anyone who can’t remember that isn’t my friend and is
    certainly not welcome in this house.”
    “You’re making a big mistake.”
    “I think my whole life’s been a mistake, Nudrat. This is the one thing I may have done right.”
    He sounded deadly serious. From the safety of the shadowed passageway, she saw Nudrat leave in
    a huff and Hussain climb the stairs to his room, looking grim.
    Her heart thumping and breath hitching, she retraced her steps back to the kitchen and held onto the
    counter to regain her balance. His words still echoed in her mind. She shook herself. There was no
    way she was going to believe anything he said. Nor was she going to allow this sudden soft, melting
    feeling inside her to take root.
    ≈

    EIGHT

    As far as Hussain was concerned, the matter was settled. He told his travel agent to book the hotel
    and their flight for the coming week. Shahira had no option but to go. What the hell was wrong with
    her? Most women would kill for a free trip to Europe.
    He was more twisted about his own reaction to her. Especially that sudden surge of anger he’d felt
    because she’d shown disappointment at the possibility that he might accompany them. Hussain
    considered himself a rational man. But with Shahira he hadn’t been very rational. From the very first
    she’d made it clear to him that she didn’t want this relationship as anything more than a business
    transaction. At the time he hadn’t even given it a second thought, but gradually