Chapter 29
Ramit smothered his irritation when his sister stepped into his office. Ciara was lovely, but she was planning out a future that was wrong and he couldn’t seem to get her to see that.
“How was your trip?” he asked, not showing any of his irritation. “Did you destroy any new trade agreements?” He poured them each a cup of coffee. He didn’t want coffee though. He wanted to see Maggie. Why hadn’t she stopped by? Or sent a message that she wanted to see him? Was she finished with him? Had their two weeks together been all that she wanted?
Ciara accepted the cup and held it in long, slim fingers. “First of all, I’d like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to represent our country. It’s nice that you trusted me with the trip.” She took a sip of her coffee, then set the cup down. “I spoke with the leaders of all six countries. I also worked out deals with several new manufacturers. They want to build factories here in Ditra, but warned them that our minimum wage was going up in six months.”
“And what did they say?” he asked, settling down in the leather chair as he listened.
“They were more hesitant, which is a good thing. We don’t need low wage jobs, Ramit. You’ve improved the university system here in Ditra. We want the research jobs. We want to attract the higher paying companies that will allow the people here to have more power for their voices.”
“I think they have a powerful enough voice in you, dear sister.”
Ciara rolled her eyes. “I don’t know all of the battles that need to be fought. And don’t be sarcastic. You want the higher paying jobs too.”
He sipped his coffee, wondering if he should switch to tea. It would be a sort of mental support for Maggie, since she still couldn’t drink caffeine. Were there other ways he could support her? He made a mental note to tell his assistant that he wanted to cancel any meetings tonight. He needed to see Maggie more than he needed to speak with anyone else. Plus, what would she think about a position as an advocate for those who don’t have a voice? Maybe she would feel more useful if she had a mission? She was certainly passionate about women’s rights, he though, remembering her impromptu lesson at the museum the first day he’d met her.
“Zayed and Falk are here. Did you forget about them?” Ciara asked, bringing his attention back to the current issue.
Ramit groaned. “No, I haven’t forgotten about them. We’re talking about the bridge system over the Yazee River this afternoon.”
Ciara snorted. “You’re playing poker for the rest of the night,” she countered.
Ramit tilted his head slightly. “That might have been our plans in the past, but I want them to meet Maggie tonight. Will you join us for dinner as well?”
She contemplated that offer for a moment, then nodded. “Sure. I can bore all of you with news from my trip.” With that, she stood up and grinned down at her brother. “And since I’ll be seeing all of you tonight, I’ll take my leave and go meet my new niece.”
Ramit was jealous. He missed Nadia, ached to hold her in his arms. He’d have to tell his assistant that he needed time with Nadia every day. That had to be non-negotiable. These back to back meetings that took up eighteen hours of every damn day had to stop. He had a wife and a daughter now!
Speaking of wives, he called out, “When are you setting the wedding date?”
That stopped Ciara’s momentum. She turned, opened her mouth to say something, then changed her mind. “Soon,” was her only reply, then she headed out of the office.
Ramit sighed with frustration. Did she not know that she was engaged to the wrong man? Ciara was a smart woman! Why was she persisting in hiding behind this ridiculous betrothal to Zayed? Falk was becoming impatient as well. He wondered if the other man was finally going to take matters into his own hands.
Or maybe there was a way to make that happen sooner, Ramit thought. Perhaps if he created a project where Falk and Ciara had to work together…?
Before he could come up with a plan, his assistant pushed into the room. “Your Highness, the matter you asked me to monitor…!”
“Yes?” he demanded, turning to the shorter man. “What’s happening with Todras?” The man had been threatening to hurt Maggie. He’d made several very distinct threats, which was why he’d had to get Maggie and Nadia out of harm’s way. The pictures Todras had been threatening him with were gone, the idiot was deeply in debt, and his social circle was made aware of the man’s lack of funds. Unfortunately, Humphrey and Barney were desperate and desperate men made bad decisions.
The shorter man hesitated, then said, “Mr. Humphrey Todras stumbled down a flight of stairs yesterday evening, Your Highness. His blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit.” There was a pause, then the man said, “He was killed instantly but….”
“But what?” Ramit prompted, his shoulders tense as he waited for whatever his assistant was hesitating to say.
The man took a deep breath, then said, “There is some speculation that the fall wasn’t…accidental,” he finished.
Ramit stared at the man for a long moment. Yes, he should be saddened by the loss of life, but he was also intensely relieved that Maggie and Nadia no longer had that pathetic excuse for a man threatening their lives. Not that Ramit would have allowed the slime to get close to his family.
Then he thought about the information that his security team had discovered about the man. “That’s very unfortunate. Please send flowers and condolences to his grandmother. I know that they were close.” Actually, Ramit didn’t know that fact at all. He knew that the man was living with his grandmother, but he wasn’t aware of the extent of their personal relationship.
His assistant nodded and looked down at the tablet in his hand. “I will have flowers delivered immediately.”
Ramit sighed, relieved that the threat was over and saddened that the man hadn’t done more with the life he’d been given. Except that the man had threatened his family. Still, he nodded his acknowledgement of the news. “Thank you for telling me.” He thought for another moment, then made another snap decision. “When is my next meeting?”
“It is in five minutes.”
“Push it back thirty minutes. I need to inform my wife of this news.” He didn’t. Telling Maggie about Humphrey was merely an excuse to see her.
When he walked into their suite a few moments later, it was to find her holding Nadia on her lap, clapping the little girl’s hands together and making silly faces. Nadia was happily laughing and playing along.
“Maggie,” he called, his tension easing when she looked up and he saw the excitement in her eyes.
“Ramit!” she exclaimed and lifted Nadia into her arms as she stood and hurried across the room. But halfway to him, she stopped and looked at him. “What are you doing here? I thought you had a whole pile of meetings today.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “I was told that you had a meeting right now.”
He closed the distance between them. He’d seen her excitement as well as her hesitation. Now he needed answers. He needed to understand Maggie. “Is that why you haven’t come to my office to visit me?”
“Visit you?” she asked, startled by his question. “I was under the impression that I wasn’t to disturb you during the day.”
Ramit lifted Nadia out of Maggie’s arms, cradling his daughter to his chest. “Not only are you allowed to interrupt my schedule at any time during the day,” he told her. “You are highly encouraged to do so. I would love to see you.” He looked at Nadia. “And you too, my little darling.”
“Really?” Maggie whispered. “I just…I didn’t want to be a distraction.”
“You wouldn’t be a distraction. Not even a little,” he vowed. His features shifted then. “I have some news.”
“What’s that?” she asked, following beside him as he led her to the sitting area.
“Humphrey Todras is no longer a threat.”
Maggie blinked at him, not sure she knew what he was talking about. “Humphrey?” she repeated. “The jerk from the club?”
“Yes,” he replied. “Humphrey Todras was the man who had threatened your life and wanted to kidnap Nadia.”
She stood up and moved away. Maggie thought about what he was saying. When she turned around, she looked down at Ramit. “So Humphrey is the reason you swept me away? The reason I was in danger?”
“Yes,” he replied. “But that threat is gone now.”
There was a sudden shine to her eyes as she blinked at him. “So…are you saying that you want me to leave?”
Ramit’s eyebrows shot up. “Hell no!” he snarled and stood up, holding Nadia securely as he moved towards her. “Maggie, that’s not what I’m saying at all!”
Maggie rubbed her forehead, sighing and her shoulders slumped forward. “I don’t understand, Ramit. What does all of this mean?”
“It means that Todras is no longer a threat. It doesn’t mean that I want you to leave me.” He paused, anger simmering now. “And I’m not letting you go, Maggie!” He walked over to one of the bells. Instantly, a servant appeared. “Would you take Nadia to her nanny?”
“Of course, Your Highness,” the servant replied, taking Nadia into her arms and cooing to the little girl as she carried her out of the suite.
When they aware alone again, Ramit turned to Maggie. “What the hell is this about, Maggs? I thought you were happy here. I thought that we were finally working things out.” He didn’t wait for her response. Ramit fisted his hands on his hips, glaring down at her. “I’m not letting you go. Not this time.”
She stared at him for a moment, then a slow smile started to appear. “I don’t want to go anywhere, Ramit. I just thought…since you were back at work and I didn’t get to see you, that you weren’t interested in me any longer.”
“Not intere…!” He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Maggie, I am in love with you! You drive me wild whenever I’m around you. How the hell could you think that I’m not interested?”
Maggie huffed impatiently, fisting her hands on her hips. “Because, for the past several days, you’ve left before I wake up in the morning and I don’t see you unless I wake up in the middle of the night!” she snapped at him, tired of being subtle. “If you want me to stick around, then you need to put in the work, Ramit! I can’t read your mind. If you aren’t around to tell me, then I can’t know what you’re feeling or thinking!”
Ramit stared at her, stunned by her angry reaction. But at the fire in her beautiful eyes, he nearly laughed with relief. “Oh Maggie,” he groaned, then pulled her into his arms. He buried his face in her neck. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how to do this.”
She tried to pull out of his arms, but he wouldn’t let her go. She shifted so that she could look up at him. “What don’t you know how to do?”
“Relationships,” he replied. “I don’t know how to do relationships.”
She snorted. “And I do? I spent my whole life avoiding an abusive father. Then I worked at a job where I learned to dodge lascivious men’s wandering hands!” She grabbed his shirt. “Ramit, I avoid conflict.”
He sighed, leaning his forehead against hers. “And I confront conflict, expecting everyone to do the same.” He smiled down at her. “How are we going to figure this out?”
She slid her hands against his chest. “How about if…I…invade your day a little more often?” she suggested. “And you make time to join me for breakfast and dinner?”
He thought about that for a moment, then nodded. “Deal.”
“And…” she continued, slipping a finger in between the buttons on his shirt. “Maybe you could…skip some of your evening meetings as well?” She laughed when he lifted her into his arms, already hurrying towards their bedroom. “What are you doing?”
“I can’t skip my evening activities tonight, so I’m going to show you how to be more confrontational right now,” he explained, as he kicked the door closed behind him.
Maggie thought that sounded wonderful. And no, he didn’t make it to his next meeting. In fact, he missed several of his afternoon meetings that day!