9. Rashad
CHAPTER 9
RASHAD
R ashad winced at the sight of the first email in his inbox. Amira had written, with a copy to Abdul, to ask about updates on the meeting with Nina. The problem, of course, was that Rashad didn’t have any updates — he’d spent the last day and a half bonding with Nina and her kids instead of looking for ways to take over her company.
Usually, Rashad would have answered immediately, but today, he just closed his email without replying. He’d get back to his business partners when he had something to tell them. Otherwise, they would just question his process, which wouldn’t help anyone — especially since Rashad was questioning himself .
The sound of high-pitched laughter echoed from the dining area, and Rashad smiled to himself. He’d enjoyed the day with the twins and their beautiful mother more than he’d expected to. He knew that he should have pushed to have a business meeting with Nina after lunch, but he hadn’t wanted to. She needed time to recover after her illness, and Rashad had wanted to get to know her a little better.
The sound of laughter faded. Rashad did a little more work, though it was hard to concentrate, before allowing himself to get up and wander out of his cabin. Nina and the kids were nowhere in sight, so she must be putting them to bed. He spotted a neat stack of coloring books, the panda princess he’d been working on lying on top, and two identical boxes of crayons — the only sign that his boat was inhabited by young children.
While he waited for Nina to emerge, Rashad took over the kitchen, whipping up a quick but delicious menu of fish tacos with fresh cabbage slaw and crispy potatoes. It was his own recipe, just like almost everything he cooked. By the time Nina returned, he’d set the table with two plates, two wine glasses, and the food. Even better, the sun had begun to paint the sky with vibrant oranges and reds as sunset approached. The colors reflected off the waves, which stretched unbroken to the horizon, offering a view so beautiful Rashad wished he could capture it in his memory forever.
“Wow.”
Rashad turned from the railing, where he’d been standing to enjoy the sunset, and caught sight of Nina. She was still in her skirt and top, but she’d taken her hair out of the braid so that it fell in loose waves around her shoulders. The sunset caught golden undertones in her blond curls and highlighted her sky-blue eyes, making her look like a princess from one of Kate’s books. Now, he noticed that she had a few faded freckles across her high cheekbones, just like the twins had.
“If you’re talking about the sunset, I made that just for you.” Rashad winked, and Nina rolled her eyes.
“Right, I’m sure. Something smells delicious, though, and I believe you did make that.”
“I made some fish tacos while you were putting the kids to bed. Are they asleep?”
“Yes, at last. They really wanted to watch Paw Patrol , but they settled for three picture books instead.”
“They’re good at bargaining. Did they get that from you?”
“I won’t give away my secrets before we enter into a negotiation.” Nina smiled and took a seat at the table, crossing her legs at the ankle. “Shall we get started over dinner?”
“Let’s eat first.” Rashad was still putting off the difficult conversation he knew they’d have.
“The food does smell good, so that’s all right with me.”
“Would you like some wine?” Rashad asked, lifting the bottle.
Nina hesitated. “I don’t drink often, but sure. One glass won’t hurt.”
Rashad poured some wine for each of them. He watched as Nina took a taco and bit into it.
“Mmm.” She swallowed the first bite. “Delicious. I’d ask you to send me the recipe, but I’m sure you don’t have one.”
“Correct.” Rashad took a taco for himself. “This kind of culinary magic only happens naturally.”
“Culinary magic.” Nina chuckled. “You think so highly of yourself. But you’re right — this is amazing.” She took another bite.
“Thanks.”
“Who taught you how to cook?”
“My uncle.” Rashad bit into his own taco. “Like me, he’s a second son, so we had a bond from the beginning. He taught me to cook, took me on trips, and always made me feel special.”
“Is it hard, being a second son in a royal family?” Nina asked.
Rashad hesitated. Part of him wanted to open up to Nina about the difficulties of growing up as a spare, but a stronger, smarter part knew that would be a mistake. He and Nina were still rivals, even if they’d had a nice day. Even if talking to her was a rush far different from the ones he experienced at work.
“Sometimes,” he admitted. “Do you have siblings?”
“No, I’m an only child. I’m glad Miles and Kate have each other, though. I imagine there must be difficult things about having a sibling, but I’ve seen the way those two love each other. I think they’ll both be better off for having each other.”
“I think so, too.” Rashad sipped his wine. “Even when they’re disagreeing, it’s clear that they still care about each other. Do they have that twin connection where they can read each other’s minds?”
“Hm.” Nina took another bite. “Sort of. Although I think it’s less that they can read each other’s minds and more that they’re together so much that they kind of know what the other one wants and needs.” She smiled. “I appreciate you taking an interest in my kids, but we really don’t have to talk about them now.”
“What would you like to talk about, then? Deep secrets? Hidden desires? The pros and cons of following a recipe in cooking?” Rashad hadn’t flirted with Nina since that first night at the event — until now. Now, though, he wasn’t flirting with her because he wanted something from her, but simply because he enjoyed the way she laughed when he said something over-the-top.
“If you don’t want to start on business, perhaps the best thing we can do is talk about something that’ll take our minds off business and kids and everything.” Nina wasn’t quite matching his flirtations, but she was smiling, and that was enough for now.
“Like what?”
“If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?”
“Right here,” Rashad answered without missing a beat. “On the yacht. I love Al Soub, but I think it would be amazing to live on the water. Perhaps I’d sail around to visit new places, or perhaps I’d stay moored somewhere. Either way, it seems very peaceful, doesn’t it?”
“It really does.”
“How about you? Where would you live?”
“Well, I think that if I ever stop working, I’d want to live somewhere rural. Somewhere with trees and lakes and friendly deer who come by in the morning to try stealing the cabbage from my garden. Somewhere you can hear the birds trill in the mornings and watch the sun go down each night, like we did now. Somewhere the kids could run and play.”
“That does sound lovely. Do you want to stop working?” Rashad asked. Perhaps this was a chance, an opening. If Nina wanted to step back from her company, Rashad could offer her a very generous buyout, enough that she and her kids could move to some beautiful rural area and chase a new kind of dream.
“No.” Nina raised her eyes to Rashad’s, all the playfulness suddenly gone. “I don’t. I like to daydream about having more time to spend with my kids. And someday, yes, I would like to retire and have a little garden and go for long walks and all that. But right now, my work is far too important, and I can’t give it up. I can’t let anyone else do it for me. And I certainly can’t allow it to be stolen.”
Rashad sighed internally. It looked like he wouldn’t have the easy out he’d hoped for. He wondered why Nina’s work mattered so much to her, but decided it was better not to ask.
“I understand. My business is extremely important, too, and I couldn’t give it up.”
“I think that brings us to the real purpose for this trip.” Nina set aside her empty plate, folding her hands on the table and raising her blue eyes to meet Rashad’s. Instead of looking like a friendly, easygoing young mother, she now looked like an unwavering businesswoman who wouldn’t back down for anything.
“We don’t have to discuss that right now.”
“I think we should.” Nina bit her lip, drawing Rashad’s attention there. “I wanted to approach this differently, but we’ve gotten to know each other a bit over the last few days, so I’ll be as direct as I can be. I know about your reputation, Rashad. I know that you put companies out of business so that your own can thrive. I know you bring your rivals on trips like this so that you can plumb them for information. I know that the deals you offer are rarely adequate but are always accepted. Really, the only thing I really need to know from you is this: are you planning to buy Heartbeat, or are you just going to drive me out of the market?”
Rashad hesitated. The real answer was that he wasn’t sure yet — he needed more information about Nina’s company before he’d know if it was worth trying to purchase it from her. Yet he didn’t want to give her that answer, not after he’d spent the day with her and her kids. Not after he’d seen her radiant smile as she scooped one of her kids into the air or met her eyes over the kids’ heads when they said something funny. Not after he’d seen how her hair blew in the breeze or watched her twirl around the kitchen, teasing him effortlessly.
“Rashad,” Nina said, her voice soft, “I like to think that we had a nice time together today. Don’t we owe it to each other to be honest?”
“You’d like me to be honest?” Rashad sighed. “I’ll do my best. You’re right; I’ve driven a lot of companies out of the market and bought several others. But that doesn’t mean I’ll do the same thing to you. Perhaps we can work something out that will benefit us both.”
Nina raised her eyebrows. “Really?”
“Why not?” Rashad’s thoughts were racing, even as he made suggestions he wasn’t sure he could keep. “Tomorrow let’s sit down with all our information on the table and see what we can work out. But tonight, let’s just enjoy the stars and the water and the company.”
“All right.” Nina raised her glass. “We can do that. But don’t think that a nice dinner and a little small talk will make me easier to manipulate.”
“I would never.” Rashad pressed a hand to his heart. “I’m not always the scoundrel you seem to think I am.”
“I suppose not.” Their eyes met, and Rashad felt as though everything was standing still, just for a fraction of a second. Then Nina looked away, and he stood to stack the plates. He needed some air, which must be Nina’s doing, since they were already outside.
“Can I interest you in dessert?”
“Sure, what do you have?” Nina looked as flustered as Rashad felt.
“Mostly ice cream.”
“Perfect. What kind?”
“I have chocolate, mint chip, and pistachio.”
“I’ll have a scoop of each, please.”
“Great, I’ll be right back.” Rashad carried the plates into the galley, set them on the counter, and took a deep breath. It was all he could do not to put his head in his hands. He’d made a mistake — one that would cost him.
Rashad was ruthless — it was one of his best tactics and had always served him well. Yet today, looking at Nina across the table, he hadn’t been able to be as ruthless as he would have liked. And as a result, he’d probably given them both false hope. The best-case scenario was offering Nina a generous buyout, which wouldn’t be satisfactory for her since she wanted to keep working, nor profitable for Rashad, who would have to spend a lot to give her an equitable buyout. If both apps were on the market simultaneously, it would mean that neither could achieve as much reach, which would reduce Rashad’s profits and mean that he’d failed in his new market.
There wasn’t a solution that could benefit them both. Or, if there was, Rashad couldn’t find it.
Rashad loaded the plates into the dishwasher before serving a few scoops of ice cream for himself and Nina. His misstep might cost him in the long run, but it would allow him one more pleasant evening with Nina before everything fell apart tomorrow. At least that was something.
When Rashad returned to the table, Nina was on her phone. As he approached, she slid the phone into her pocket and looked up at him with a smile. She looked surer of herself than she had a few moments ago.
“Here you go.” Rashad set her ice cream in front of her. “You know, it’s rare to meet a woman who likes both mint chip and pistachio.”
“I’m here for any green ice cream.” Nina took a spoonful of the pistachio and popped it into her mouth. “Pistachio, mint, lime… they’re all good. Although I once tried a spinach ice cream at an artisanal ice-cream shop in San Diego and it was horrible.”
“It sounds horrible. Why did you try it?”
“I had a bet with, um, the twins’ father that I couldn’t finish it.”
“Did you win?”
“I did.” Nina grinned and took another spoonful. Rashad hesitated, but his curiosity won out.
“The twins’ father isn’t in the picture.” He knew that already from what Nina had said on the first morning.
“No. We dated for a while, but when he found out that I was pregnant, he decided he didn’t want to be a father and left. We’re better off without him.” Nina smiled again, and Rashad got the feeling that she really believed that.
“I’m really sorry that happened.” Rashad felt a burst of righteous indignation on Nina’s behalf. “I can’t believe he would walk out on you when you were pregnant.”
“Well, these things happen.” Nina shrugged. “He wasn’t the love of my life or anything, and the twins and I have done well on our own.”
“Clearly. Your kids are amazing.” There was more Rashad wanted to say — about how impressive Nina was, running a business and raising kids. About how intrigued he was by the fact that she was single. About how gorgeous she was. Yet he had already made a big enough mistake when he told Nina there might be a way for them both to win, and he wasn’t going to double down now.
“Thanks. I like them.” Nina winked. “So, you know that the twins’ father isn’t in my life. Do you have someone special in yours?” Her expression was innocent, but there was an undertone to her question that made Rashad’s heart flutter.
Rashad shook his head. “I’m too busy with work to date much, so, no, there isn’t anyone.” It was true, but there was more to it — Rashad also knew he’d never be as dedicated to a woman as he was to his work. He wasn’t just busy; he spent almost every waking moment thinking about how to improve Health Trackr. Except, strangely, today, when he’d barely thought about business at all.
“I understand that. Although you must get a lot of interest, seeing as you’re a businessman and a royal.”
“I could say the same for you.”
“I’m not a royal.” Nina smiled.
“No, but you are pretty extraordinary.”
“Hmm.” Nina took another spoonful of her ice cream. “Sure. I suppose if you count rarely sleeping for more than five hours or coding while cooking dinner to be extraordinary, I suppose I am.”
“Both those things are pretty impressive,” Rashad replied. “I’m amazed by how well you function on not a lot of sleep. And coding while cooking is amazing. Do you really do coding for your own app?”
“Of course. I try to do as much of the work myself as I can.”
“I thought you studied biology, not computer science.”
“I did. My biology background helped me design the medical parts of the app — pulse tracking, sleep-cycle evaluation, all that. But I also taught myself coding so that I’d understand as much about my app as I could. Do you also do your own coding?”
“No, not at all. I understand some of the basics, but I mostly run the business side.” Rashad shook his head. “See? Extraordinary. Why do you do so much of the work yourself instead of hiring a team, if I may ask?”
“I try to keep costs down so that more people can afford the app,” Nina explained. “By doing as much of the work as possible myself, I can do that.”
“You’d make more money if you increased the app prices, though,” Rashad pointed out.
Nina chuckled and leaned back, raising her hands. “Wow, thank you for that insight. I’ve never thought of that before.”
“Sorry.” Rashad made a face. “I’m sure you’ve done all the calculations.”
“Of course. I just decided that some things are more important than profit, at least right now. Anyway, let’s not talk about business. That’s a conversation for tomorrow.” Nina leaned forward again. “Tell me more about your cooking.”
Their conversation meandered through easy topics as the stars grew brighter in the sky above and the air took on a gentle chill. Rashad found that he enjoyed talking to Nina very much, whether they were chatting about cooking or about their businesses. In fact, he liked everything about her, from her easy confidence about her work to her blond curls that lifted slightly in the warm ocean breeze.
Just before midnight, they both caught sight of the time and agreed that it was time to sleep.
“I’ll walk you to your cabin.” Rashad got up to clear their bowls.
“Oh, that’s really all right; I think I know where I need to go.”
“Please, it would be my pleasure.”
So, they walked together to Nina’s cabin, their pace unhurried. Rashad wanted a few more minutes with Nina before they both slept, and she seemed to feel the same way.
“I really enjoyed this evening,” Nina said as they turned into her hallway. “And thank you again for all your help with Miles and Kate today.”
“It was my pleasure.” They stopped in front of Nina’s door. She reached for the handle, then hesitated, turning back to Rashad.
“And it’s been really nice getting to know you a little.” She looked down, then up at him.
“Trust me, the feeling is mutual.” Their eyes met, and Rashad felt a spark of warmth grow in his heart. Nina was so close, just a few inches away, and he could easily reach out and tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. Her pink lips were slightly parted, and her blue eyes were bright. She smelled faintly of vanilla and ice cream. The tension built until it took all Rashad had to not lean closer and press his lips lightly to hers, the kind of light, fleeting kiss that would let him know if she shared the attraction he felt.
“Good night, Rashad,” Nina said softly. Then she opened the door to her cabin and was gone. Rashad stood in the hallway for another moment before he turned and strode back to the deck. He needed some fresh air to clear his head.
Today, the lines between business rivals and friends had become blurred. Worse, standing outside her cabin, Rashad had been tempted to blur the lines even further with a kiss, which would have made everything far more complicated.
He needed to pull himself together. Now. Tomorrow morning, first thing, he’d sit down with Nina and hammer out a plan. He would be ruthless and straightforward, no matter how hard it was, and the following morning, Nina and the twins would disembark. That would be it — he’d never see them again.
It was the only way. Kissing Nina simply wasn’t an option.