Sheikha's Determined Police Officer (Botros Brothers Series Book 4) (3 page)

It was very late when they arrived back at the hotel, and they were all eager to retire to their rooms. Aaliyah had so many unanswered questions in her mind about Joseph. She knew she had to talk to him soon, but she wanted to wait until she had cleaned up her appearance a bit before she did. Amir returned with Soraya back to her room.

He threw himself on the bed. “Come here, my little convict,” he said to her with a grin. She looked at him with a narrowed gaze.

“Amir, it's not funny and I wasn’t even charged,” she protested.

“I wish I had seen you in action. I bet you can throw a mean right-hook.”

Soraya shook her head. Amir grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. She landed on top of him as she squeaked in surprise. He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and searched her eyes. “You will always be beautiful to me, inside and out,” he said to her. He could tell that she was worried about how he would see her after being arrested, but he found the whole thing hilarious.

“Really?” she asked. He smiled and pulled her even closer to his face.

“Such a small matter would not make my feelings waiver,” he said and kissed her. Wrapping her arms around him, she kissed him back. “Although, I am glad to know that should I ever need back up, I know that I can call on you and Sara,” he teased as she punched him in the chest. “Ow!” he exclaimed as he rubbed the spot where she hit him. “That hurt.”

“Keep that in mind the next time you decide to tease me. I have experience now,” she replied mockingly.

“I would rather you did other things with your hands, wife.”

Raising one eyebrow, she trailed her hand down his body to cup his erection. “Something like this?” she asked him.

Groaning, “That’s a very good start.” Soraya laughed as she reached for his waistband.

***

The next morning, Sara left after breakfast and headed out to the oil site.  Meanwhile, Aaliyah took her time getting dressed. Today, she was going to confront Joseph. She chose a white pencil calf-length dress and high heels. She combed her hair out in long waves and added a little make-up to cover the dark circles under her eyes from their long night. She got into a taxi and headed to the police station. On the way there, she wondered what she would say to him. How was he going to react? What if he knew it was her and did not care?

Unfortunately, the ride was not long enough for her to figure out her thoughts. She arrived before she had determined what she would say. Aaliyah got out of the taxi and sat on a bench outside the station trying to muster up enough courage to walk inside.
Did he even remember her?

About an hour later, Joseph walked out of the station. He stopped abruptly when he saw Aaliyah sitting on a bench. He had been thinking about her all night and was happy that she had come back to the police station. He strode towards her, not sure exactly what he was going to say.

“Miss Botros,” he said. At first Aaliyah did not respond. He called her again, before she turned to face him. She gasped and rose to her feet as she straightened out her skirt.

“Joseph,” she said.

“What brings you by?”

Aaliyah cleared her throat. “I came to see you,” she said, feeling awkward. Now that the words were out, she could not take them back.

“Did you?” He raised his eyebrows. She looked at him and nodded. He has changed. He was taller than she remembered. More muscles. Definitely more muscles, she thought. And so much more attractive.

“I see you haven't stopped causing trouble,” he said as Aaliyah frowned.

“I wasn't the one who started the bar fight,” she protested. She stopped when she realised what he had said. “What?” she asked. He smiled at her and touched her face. “You remember me?” she asked.

“How could I ever forget you,” he replied. He caressed her face and searched her eyes. He remembered how much he loved her. He regretted ever letting her go. He tried to move on but it never worked. No matter who he was with, it was never the same. There was no one like Aaliyah. “Your finger is empty,” he pointed out.

“What?”

“You are not married?”

“Oh, no.” She glanced down at his hand, “neither are you.”

How could he have ever married when there was only one woman in his heart? His heart ached just looking at her. So much time had passed. Time that they could have spent together. However, he was no fool. He was from a different background. It would have been hard for them, which was why he tried to give up on her. What was the point if it hurt so much?

He pulled Aaliyah into an embrace and held her tightly. He never thought that he would be able to hold her again, it was unreal. She felt so fragile and delicate in his arms. He inhaled her scent, it was still the same. She wore the same perfume that he bought her for their first Valentine’s Day together. He was surprised that after all these years she still wore the same scent.

“You still wear that perfume?” he asked her.

Aaliyah smiled. “Of course. It reminds me of you. I couldn’t wear other perfumes.” His chest was as warm as she remembered, but it was harder and bigger.  She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest. Even with her high heels on, he was still so much taller than she was.

Joseph finally let her go as they stepped back. She felt so emotional, it was like a tidal wave of feelings hitting her all at once. She hadn't known that she was going to feel this way. This was not the reunion she was expecting. He offered to take her for coffee as he was on a break, and she nodded in agreement. Walking her to his car, he opened the door and waited for her to get in.

“I see that someone has turned into a gentleman,” she teased as she got into the car. Joseph laughed as he shut the door.

“I have always been a gentleman,” he said, as he slid behind the wheel.

“No, you have not.” Joseph smiled as he drove out of the parking lot. Suddenly seeing Aaliyah again after all these years was incredible. It was as if all those years without her never happened. He wanted to relish this moment, as he did not know how long it was going to last.

Aaliyah watched him drive. His strong hands gripped the steering wheel and made her wish they were on her instead. How had he grown into this man? In school, he did not have a car, so he took her around on his bicycle. When she offered to use her car, he declined. She loved riding on his bicycle. She got to sit behind him and wrap her arms around his waist. She always thought it was so romantic.

They stopped at a quaint little café and ordered coffee and some pastries. “So what happened yesterday?” he asked her.

“Exactly what we told you. Some man was harassing me and became overly offensive,” Aaliyah replied.

“Who struck first?” he asked her. Aaliyah hesitated. “Relax, we are off the record and you have not been charged with anything,” he reassured her.

“Sara.”

“Tariq's wife?”

“Yes.”

“That doesn't seem right.” Joseph remembered Tariq as being very strict and rigid. Whenever they saw him, they pretended not to know each other or if they were lucky, they would hide from him. He assumed that his wife would be very inflexible, elegant and would never hit someone, never mind being seen in a bar.

Aaliyah smiled and sipped her coffee. “She is not how you would expect his wife to be. She is very funny and kind. She is the best thing that has ever happened to him,” she said. Joseph raised his eyebrows.

“Really?”

“Yes, because of her, he has become… softer.”

Joseph laughed. “Really? How long have they been married?”

“Almost five years. They have three children.”

“Wow.”

“What about you?”

“I have no kids, never been married.”

“Aren't you of age now?”

“Woman, don't rush me,” he said to her. He bit into his pastry and stared at her as he chewed. She was so beautiful. He could not take his eyes off her.

“What?” she asked. She was feeling uncomfortable under his watchful gaze.

“You have finally grown into your head.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” she asked, as she put her cup down.

“You had a big head,” he teased. Aaliyah's jaw dropped open. He laughed whilst she tried to deny it. She had not changed much. She still reacted the same way when he teased her.

“You're not funny,” she said to him when she realised that he was teasing her. Some things never change; she thought to herself. Perhaps it was a good thing. Then maybe they could go back to the way things were.

Joseph and Aaliyah exchanged accounts of their lives as they shared stories about what they have been doing over the past six years. Aaliyah could not help but admire how much Joseph had accomplished since graduating from high school. In some ways he was still the same though, he still made her laugh and get that warm, butterfly feeling inside. As he drove her back to her hotel, Joseph told her how much he had missed her. Despite their time apart, they still held a deep connection.

When they arrived, they exchanged numbers and promised to meet up again. Joseph was going to be off in two days and they decided to get together. As Aaliyah kissed his cheek before walking away, she wanted to pinch herself. She hoped that she didn’t come across as some lovestruck teen, but that is exactly how she felt.

When she got back to her room, she collapsed on the bed with her hand on her heart. She was filled with so many emotions, it was overwhelming. She was so happy to see him, but she was afraid of what the future had in store for them, as she knew that her aunt and uncle would not approve of their relationship even though she was of age. And she still ached for him, it was all too much. She wasn’t sure how she was going to wait two days until she could see him again - at least without breaking the law!

A knock on the door made her jump. She opened the door to find all the girls standing there smiling mischievously, especially Sara.

“What?” Aaliyah asked.

“How did it go?” Soraya asked. Aaliyah shrugged her shoulders and let them into her room where they made themselves comfortable.

“Where is Amir?” Aaliyah asked.

“He had to get back to the office,” Soraya replied. She was already missing him. Although it was under unfortunate circumstances, she was glad that she had gotten to see him.

“How long will you keep us in suspense?” Sara asked.

“He had to work, so we did not get to spend much time together,” Aaliyah said. Kaleena and Sara both frowned at her.

“Stop holding out on us.”

“I was just about to say the same thing,” Kaleena said to Sara. Aaliyah laughed. She walked over to the bed and sat between Sara and Soraya.

“Well, before I could even tell him who I was, he already knew.” Aaliyah was so lively as she spoke. Her face lit up and she had a huge smile. “We went for coffee. It was so nice to see him. It was just like old times,” she added.

“Look at this glow she has,” Sara pointed out. Keira took Aaliyah's hands in hers.

“Isn’t it amazing when an old romance can be rekindled?”

“My sister reads too many romance novels,” Kaleena said sarcastically. Sara laughed and agreed, but Keira dismissed them with a wave of her hand.

“We have to go to the spa,” she said as she jumped to her feet.

“What for?” Aaliyah asked.

“You need a full body makeover. The next time you see him, you need to look perfect.”

“I agree,” Kaleena chimed in.

“I am sure he loves you for you not for your make up and stuff,” Sara pointed out. She disliked makeovers. It was too difficult to sit still for that long.

“You need one as well,” Keira pointed out. Sara raised her eyebrows. “When you return home, your husband will be pleasantly surprised,” she added.

“My husband does not care for all that,” Sara protested. “But I will buy some new lingerie, I am not opposed to that,” she added and laughed mischievously. Soraya laughed with her.

“He is a man, of course he cares.”

“We have three children without me having a makeover, how do you think that happened?” Sara wiggled her eyebrows as Soraya laughed. “That will be you too, missy. I know you and Amir go at it all the time,” Sara said to Soraya.

“And I am leaving the room now,” Soraya said and rose to her feet. Aaliyah laughed and grabbed her arm.

“Come with us to the spa. I will go if we all go. It will be fun,” Aaliyah said.

“A woman needs to look after herself and keep things interesting for her husband. I agree, let’s all go. No one is allowed to stay behind,” Keira said as she helped Sara to her feet.

“I keep things neat and tidy,” Sara said.

“Neat and tidy? What are you talking about?” Soraya asked.

“Down there.”

“Oh gosh,” Soraya regretted asking as everyone started laughing. Leave it to Sara to bring up something like that. When they arrived at the spa, Keira went through the menu of items available and chose one of everything for all the girls. Laughing, they headed into the changing rooms for a day of pampering.

***

Finally, two days had passed and Aaliyah couldn't wait to see Joseph. Unfortunately, the girls were returning home. Sara had managed to prolong her work trip for as long as possible but everyone had to get back to work and their spouses.

The girls came to bid Aaliyah farewell before they left. “Good luck,” Soraya said before hugging her.

“Thank you,” Aaliyah replied.

“Stop worrying so much and just go with the flow,” Sara said to her. She could see how worried she was. Aaliyah smiled and nodded as Sara hugged her.

“Don't you feel amazing? The spa was worth it,” Keira said as Kaleena rolled her eyes.

Sara was eager to return home to her family. Tariq was having a hard time with the children and he had refused to call the nanny. Now that Leylah was four and the twins almost three, they had a penchant for getting into trouble and Tariq could not catch them when they split off in different directions laughing, as daddy gave chase.

***

Aaliyah looked at herself in the mirror. She had chosen a printed pencil dress and high heels. Her hair was extra silky because of the treatment she had gotten at the spa and her honey-colored skin was glowing. She headed downstairs to the lobby to await Joseph. They were going to spend the day at his house. He was already waiting for her when she exited the elevator. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a white shirt unbuttoned at the top, which showed off his amazing torso.

Aaliyah could feel his gaze before she spotted him. She immediately felt shy but tried not to show it. “You look beautiful,” he said to her as she approached him.

“Thank you,” she replied and kissed him on both cheeks.

“Your hair is different,” he pointed out as they headed to the car.

“Huh?” Aaliyah laughed. She was surprised that he noticed straight away.

“Did you do all this for me?” he teased.

“I did not!” Aaliyah lied. “We decided to have a spa day, that’s all.” There was no way that she was going to tell him that it was all for him.

“It's okay, no need to deny the fact that you wanted to impress me.”

“Stop!” Aaliyah giggled, but could feel her cheeks turning red. Of course he would find something to tease her about. He opened the door for her.

“Look at you getting all shy.” He was glad that he could still affect her this much. After all these years, he thought her interest in him would have died. Aaliyah slid into the car and ignored him.

“Where do you live?” she asked him as he started driving. She needed to shift the attention from herself.

“Safad Village,” he replied. That was only a forty-minute drive from the city; Aaliyah thought to herself. He did not live that far away. She could easily drive out to meet him.

“But then, why work out here?” she asked him. “Why not the city?”

“So that I could be nearer to you?”

“That is not what I meant.” It would not be a bad idea though.

Laughing, he shrugged his shoulders. “It takes twenty minutes to drive to work and there is never traffic out here.”

The drive only took ten minutes from the hotel to his house. As they drove through the gates, Aaliyah admired the house. While it was of modest size, the architecture was impressive as it blended well with the landscape. As they walked inside, Aaliyah was secretly excited at the fact that he was going to cook for her. No man had ever cooked for her on a date before.