Free The Sheikh's Accidental Bride by Holly Rayner Page A

you’re so afraid of, I want.”
     
    There were so many things she wanted to say. She wanted try and tell him that he didn’t need anything to be arranged for him; that maybe it would be better if he just went looking on his own. But she couldn’t say that if she didn’t want him to realize the truth. She certainly couldn’t say that and keep going on pretending that she still wanted the wedding. And if she didn’t want the wedding, then why was she still there?
     
    She felt sweaty from the walk, and her feet, while glad to be out of the sandals, still felt warm at the pressure points, where before much longer her skin would have turned to blisters. It was better out here, as far as the heat went, but it was still summer, and she still wanted to escape it.
     
    She stepped forward, into the water, letting out an involuntary cry at the temperature.
     
    “Nadya?” Salman said, and she could hear the concern in his voice.
     
    She turned around to look back at him, simultaneously stepping a bit further out, and a bit deeper in. “It’s colder than I thought it would be,” she said, a smile on her face as she saw his consternation.
     
    It wasn’t easy to bother him. He wasn’t easy to tease. He was too solid, and too sure of himself, generally. But he didn’t want her out in the water.
     
    She took another step backwards, pretending to nearly lose her footing, and saw him instinctively reach out as though to grab her. She steadied herself easily and laughed. “What, can’t you swim?” she asked him, and he frowned.
     
    “Technically, I can. I’m a good swimmer. My swimming teacher told me so.”
     
    Another step back. The hem of her dress was well soaked, now, but the fabric was light, and resisted being drowned in the water; as she went further out, the water lifted it up, making it look like a flouncy teacup-shaped skirt. This, more than all the people calling her “Your Highness”, had a way of making her feel like a princess.
     
    Nadya’s obvious joy was eroding his concern, but he still wasn’t quite ready to go along with it.
     
    “You look ridiculous,” he said, undercutting his own words with a smile.
     
    She gasped. “You’re right. Halfway in is no way to be.”
     
    To his protestations, she let herself fall backwards. The cool water sent a rush of adrenaline through her system. The world was all crisp and disorienting, but the insufferable warmth of the day was gone, and her feet felt soothed.
     
    She came up, and saw him looking back towards the house, as though someone was going to come and rebuke them.
     
    Nadya’s dress was soaked through, now, and she had to look down and check to make sure it wasn’t completely transparent. Probably something she should have done beforehand she thought gleefully. But it had turned out fine. She floated in the still water, feeling joyous.
     
    She began paddling backwards, out into deeper water. “That’s your problem, you know,” she called back at him.
     
    “I don’t have a problem.”
     
    “Sure you do. Everyone has a problem. You said that, yourself. Last night.”
     
    Even from here she could see the moment of confusion and the moment of recognition.
     
    “That wasn’t exactly what I said.”
     
    “Close enough. Anyway, do you want to know what your problem is?”
     
    She noted that he was as close to the water as he could get, now, without actually touching it.
     
    “Ok, what is it?”
     
    “You can’t let go. We’re miles and miles and miles away from your family, and you still care more than anything about what they think. You’re worried that they wouldn’t approve.” She dipped her head under the water, so she could smooth and control the unruly wet hair that had escaped her braid. “It shouldn’t matter,” she said.
     
    He shrugged. At least he didn’t refute it, she thought.
     
    “Come in with me!”
     
    “No!” He said it loudly, like it was a kneejerk reaction. But he didn’t really seem to