Free A Christmas Bride by Susan Mallery Page A

she could see a bit of garden out of her tiny window, but mostly the view was a stone wall. Now she followed Princess Lina into an impossibly large suite in a palace that overlooked the Arabian Sea.
    “This can’t be right,” Kayleen murmured as she turned in a slow circle, taking in the three sofas, the carved dining table, the ornate decorations, the wide French doors leading out to a balcony and the view of the water beyond. “These rooms are too nice.”
    Lina smiled. “It’s a palace, my dear. Did you think we had ugly rooms?”
    “Obviously not.” Kayleen glanced at the three girls huddled together. “But this stuff is really nice. Kids can be hard on furniture.”
    “I assure you, these pieces have seen far more than you can imagine. All will be well. Come this way. I have a delightful surprise.”
    Kayleen doubted any surprise could beat a return address sticker that said El Deharian Royal Palace but she was willing to be wrong. She gently pushed the girls in front of her as they moved down the hallway.
    Lina paused in front of a massive door, then pushed it open. “I didn’t have much time to get things in order, so it’s not complete just yet. But it’s a start.”
    The “start” was a room the size of a small airport, with soaring ceilings and big windows that let in the light. Three double beds didn’t begin to fill the space. There were armoires and desks and comforters in pretty pastels. Big, fluffy stuffed animals sat on each bed, along with a robe, nightgowns and slippers. Each of the girls’ school backpacks sat at the foot of her bed.
    “Laptop computers are on order for the girls,” Lina said. “There’s a big TV back in the living room, behind the cabinet doors. There are a few DVDs for the girls, but we’ll get more. In time, we can move you to a different suite, one with a bedroom for each of the girls, but for now I thought they’d be more comfortable together.”
    Kayleen couldn’t believe it. The room was perfect. Bright and cheerful, filled with color. There was an air of welcome, as if the space had been hoping for three girls to fill it.
    Dana turned around and stared at her. “Really? This is for us?”
    Kayleen laughed. “You’d better take it, because if you don’t want it, I’ll move in.”
    It was the permission they needed. The three girls went running around the room, examining everything. Every few seconds one of them yelled, “Look at this,” because there was so much to see.
    A ballerina lamp for Nadine, a throw covered with teddy bears for Pepper. Dana’s bed had a bookcase next to it. Kayleen turned to Princess Lina.
    “You’re amazing.”
    “I have resources and I’m not afraid to use them,” her friend told her. “This was fun. I don’t get to act imperious very often and send servants scuttling to do my bidding. Besides, we all enjoyed pulling this together in a couple of hours. Come on. Let’s go see where you’ll sleep.”
    Kayleen followed Lina past a large bathroom with a tub big enough to swim in, to a short hallway that ended in a beautiful room done in shades of green and pale yellow.
    The furniture was delicately carved and feminine. The bedcovering was a botanical print that suited her much better than ruffles and frills. The attached bathroom was more luxurious than any she’d ever seen.
    “It’s silk,” she whispered, fingering the luxurious drapes. “What if I spill something?”
    “Then the cleaners will be called,” Lina told her. “Relax. You’ll adjust. This is your home now that you’re a part of As’ad’s life.”
    Something else that just plain wasn’t right, Kayleen thought. How could she be a part of a sheik’s life? Make that a sheik prince?
    “Not a happy part,” she murmured. “He didn’t want to help.”
    “But he did and isn’t that what matters?”
    Kayleen nodded, but her head was spinning. There was too much to think about. Too much had happened too quickly.
    “Our bags! Kayleen, hurry! Our