Page 56 of Earned Husband

The poor man had barely planted both feet on Egyptian soil when my family rushed him. Nawal kissed both his cheeks while Farah adjusted his collar. One of the housekeepers thrust a glass of juice into his hands and one of my uncles shook his hand in a grip so firm, I could almost see his knuckles going white all the way from here.

Colin smiled politely and exchanged small talk, but when he finally glanced up, his eyes landed directly on me, and suddenly, everything else just disappeared. One corner of his mouth lifted into that gentle half smile I’d thought about far more often than I cared to admit over the past month.

I smiled back, then mouthed,Sorry.

His shoulders moved with silent laughter, but three of my aunts swooped in again and Colin disappeared into a tide of Saads. For the next few hours, he might as well have ceased to exist. Every time I asked where he was, I was told in no uncertain terms that he was busy—in a meeting with my dad, being shown around the gardens by Khaled, or justhe’s with the men.

Eventually, I started wondering if my family had hidden him deliberately, but once the masses started saying their goodbyes, I realized this was my chance. Everyone was distracted and the blockade between us was finally thinning, so I slipped into the hallway and went to find him.

CHAPTER 25

COLIN

Iset my suitcase on the luggage rack at the foot of the massive carved bed and then just stood there for a minute, wondering how the hell I was going to survive my time in Cairo. Whatever I’d been expecting, so far, I’d been dead wrong.

For starters, the Saad family home was a palace, not a house. The ceilings in my room stretched at least another story higher, detailed with intricate patterns in the plaster and framed by golden cornices. My windows were huge, overlooking immaculate gardens that were complete with fountains and footpaths, and the bedroom itself was at least half the size of my entire condo.

I’d grown up around money, but this place still managed to impress me. I rubbed my hands over my face before loosening my tie, genuinely not sure what to expect from here on out. My arrival had been an event in its own right, and apparently, my day wasn’t even over yet.

The worst part was I hadn’t been able to see Deja.

Before Khaled had shown me to my room, he’d made it sound like they had a lot more planned. At least they’d given me a few minutes to settle in—and wash off the long day of travel. Every muscle in my back protested as I rolled my shoulders, myskin slathered in airplane grime that even private jets couldn’t eliminate from an international flight.

All I wanted was a shower and sleep, but I doubted the latter was on my agenda for several more hours—and that was at the very least. I was starting to suspect that despite all the hours I’d spent researching the Egyptian culture surrounding engagements, I was still very much unprepared for what was waiting for me.

Finally feeling strong enough to face my luggage, I hoisted a suitcase onto my bed and unzipped it, but a quiet knock interrupted my internal musings about whether jeans were acceptable attire in this house. I sighed, turning toward the door and doing my best to paste on some sort of game face.

“Come in,” I called, but I would be lying to say I wasn’t disappointed that my time to breathe was already over.

As I watched, the door eased open just wide enough for someone to slip through. My disappointment immediately vanished when I realized that the visitor wasn’t another random Saad. Deja rushed in, rested her back against the door to close it, then reached behind herself to lock it as her eyes lifted to mine.

An actual zing shot through me when I looked back at her, instantly transported back to that moment in Jane’s kitchen when seeing her had made me forget why I’d even gone in there in the first place. Somehow, despite twelve thousand miles, at least a dozen handwritten letters, and a month of aching to see her again, now that she was here, I couldn’t seem to remember how to form words.

She didn’t say anything for a long moment either, but then she tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear and offered me a sheepish smile. “I’m really sorry.”

I frowned. “For what?”

“Uh, let’s see.” She finally pushed off the door and tapped an index finger against her cheek, her eyes lighting up withamusement. “How about the parade that was waiting for you when you got here?”

I laughed. “They were excited to see me. I get it. I’m a big deal.”

She chuckled, taking a few more steps closer to me before she stopped, suddenly looking a little uncomfortable. “For the record, I had nothing to do with any of that. My mom is enthusiastic. I think she invited everyone she knows.” Her hands came up to cover her face as she shook her head. “I’m so embarrassed.”

“You shouldn’t be.” I moved a step forward myself, itching to finally slide my hands onto the curves of her hips and pull her into me, but I was also itching to keep living, and if her father caught wind of it, he would not be happy. “I thought it was sweet that everyone out there was so excited.”

“Sweet? They were circling you like sharks.”

“True. Are all those women your actual aunts? There are so many of them that it seemed unlikely.”

She burst out laughing. “I honestly don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” My eyebrows hiked up. “Are you serious?”

“I recognized most of them, but I also met half a dozen people today for the first time.” She shrugged a shoulder, then averted her gaze from mine to look around the room, pausing when she saw the collection of suitcases standing against the wall. “Wow. Did you pack your whole condo?”

“It feels like it, but I wanted to be prepared.” I raked a hand through my hair, desperately relieved that I hadn’t sneezed yet. “I’m still not sure how long I’m going to be here and I didn’t want to have to go shopping within the first twelve hours.”

“Good call,” she said after a long beat, then looked back at me. “Do you need any help unpacking? I’m not bad at organizing stuff.”