Two hours later, Daveed sat with the guys at a restaurant across from the skyscraper at 124 West 52^nd Street. Media vans lined the curb of the street in front of the building, with their antenna raised and satellite dishes aimed skyward. Mel had been inside for about a half hour now, having managed to snag a press pass from some friend of her father’s, who worked for a local village paper. Hopefully, no one would look too closely at it, since he doubted any security guard would buy that the Quilting Corner Register would be at all interested in covering a story about new advances in hydro-thermal energy.

“God, they got that placed bedecked in so much Christmas crap it looks like a holiday hard-on,” Murphy said, scowling into his coffee. “Bah humbug.”

Heath snorted. “If anyone’s got a reason to be anti-Santa this year, it’s you, buddy.” Then his smile fell and his expression turned deadly serious. “We’ll find Aileen, I swear. Before the holiday too, if I have anything to say about it.”

“It’s not Christmas without her, man,” Murphy said. “It’s been just the two of us for years now.”

Feeling the heartache himself, Daveed reached over to pat his buddy’s arm. “Heath’s right. We won’t rest until we find her. You have my word too.”

“Thanks, man.”

“So, what’s the deal with you and Mel?” Heath asked, his gaze far too perceptive for Daveed’s liking. “You guys a couple now or what?”

In my dreams. Daveed hung his head. “No. Not a couple. I wouldn’t do that to you. Besides, we’re too different. She deserves someone who’s settled and secure and can give her what she deserves and that’s not me right now.”

“First off, don’t bring me into this.” Heath sat back, coffee in hand. “There was never anything between Mel and me other than our arrangement. You know that. And second, if the two of you click and are compatible, don’t underestimate that. After watching my old man go through yet another divorce from a woman he has nothing in common with, I’d take a good connection and compatibility any day of the week. And if you’re lucky enough to have more, then that’s awesome.” He chuckled. “Quit selling yourself short, Sheikh Rafik. Mel would be lucky to have you.”

At the use of this nickname he loathed, Daveed flipped Heath off. Murphy laughed and some of the gloom surrounding them dispersed. They were about to order breakfast when Mel came bustling in through the front doors, all but bursting with excitement. She slid into the empty chair at the table, her smile triumphant.

“I did it!” she said, nearly squealing. “I know who’s got more information on Murphy’s sister. It’s the energy company. They know something about what happened to Aileen.”

Daveed frowned. “Someone talked to you?”

“Not exactly.” Mel shrugged out of her pink coat and gave him a look. “But I managed to get upstairs during the press conference and checked out those two firms again. I went to the law firm first and told the receptionist I was with the Times and that I was there to investigate the disappearance of journalist Aileen Coen. She didn’t bat an eye. Just picked up the phone and called out a couple of the attorneys there who gave me the whole “no comment” spiel. Typical lawyer crap. They acted completely bored by my appearance.” Mel winked. “So then, I went to the energy company. This time, when I told the receptionist who I was, she freaked out. I barely got Aileen’s name out and she was running from her desk back into the offices. She never did come out again. While I was standing in their lobby alone, I took a good look at their directory too. Only five people work in that huge cushy office.” She looked around at the guys then threw her hands up in exasperation when no one seemed to respond. “C’mon. Five people for an entire floor? I don’t know that much about start-ups, but downtown Manhattan real estate is expensive. Isn’t it a little weird they’d have that kind of money to burn on space they don’t use?”

“Hmm.” Heath frowned. “Does seem weird. We’ll check it out.” He stood and pulled on his coat. “Murph, you want to come with me?”

“Sure.” He downed the last bite of his doughnut then pushed to his feet as well. “Daveed, you coming with us too?”

“He’s got other things to deal with,” Heath said. “Take care, you two. I mean it.”

Daveed watched them go, his appetite gone. Beside him, Mel perused the menu, chattering away, but he was only half listening. Heath and Mel had made up. Heath had all but given him his blessing to pursue Mel, if he wanted. They had a new lead on Aileen. It seemed the day was looking up. Then Mel’s last words penetrated his jumbled thoughts.

“…stuff from the apartment and I’ll be out of your life for good.”

* * *

It damned near killed her to say those words, but she did it. Even managed to flash him a quick, if shaky, smile. Mel swallowed hard, gripped the edge of the table, then scooted out of the booth. She needed to get out of the diner and fast, if she was going to keep it together. Her eyes and throat burned from unshed tears.

“I guess this is it then,” Mel said, extending her gloved hand. “Thanks again for everything. Letting me crash at the condo, coaching me through finding a new job…” Making love to me so sweetly that I’ll never, ever forget you…

Daveed looked a bit dazed as he reached over and shook her hand, a furrow deepening between his dark brows. “I can come with you and help—”

“No, no.” She took a step back from the edge of the table. This was hard enough the way it was. If he came with her, she’d end up breaking down in front of him and then Daveed, being the gentleman he was, would feel obligated to comfort her and maybe offer to let her stay longer and then she’d never know if it was because he truly cared for her or if he was doing it out of pity and oh, damn.

Her chest squeezed with sadness and she blinked rapidly against the moisture gathering in her eyes. I won’t cry in front of him again. I won’t. She forced what she hoped was a confident smile and backed toward the exit. “I only have the one bag. It’s fine. I hauled it there myself, I can haul it over to Shayma’s too.” Mel raised a trembling hand in a small wave goodbye. “See you around.”

She darted out the door and into the wintery New York day. Typical weather on the Eastern seaboard. One minute the sun was shining, the next gray clouds had rolled in and it was spitting snow.

As she walked, Mel tried to console herself with the fact that she’d done what she’d set out to accomplish this morning: getting the guys more information on Aileen’s possible whereabouts and now moving on with her life. It’s what any self-supporting woman would do. Daveed had never promised her more than a fling while she was staying at the condo. To expect more now was silly. And she’d vowed to leave her silly days far behind. As she walked on ahead through the lightly falling snow, she gave in to her tears at last, craving the release of all her pent-up emotions. And sure, she got some strange looks from people passing by. She didn’t care. Let them look. She was done living her life to please other people. Done with living her life by someone else’s rules. If she gave herself one gift this Christmas, it would be the gift of freedom.

Her new job at the MAC store started the following day. She’d stay with Shayma, save her money, get a place of her own. Maybe someday, if she sold enough cosmetics, she could even enroll in some night classes at NYU, go back to college for her dream career in marine biology. Mel waited at the corner for the light to turn green, a sea of tourists flocking around her, all of them with rapt expressions as they stared up at the holiday decorations.

“Melody?” a deep, male voice called out from behind her. “Mel, wait please.”

Daveed.

All it took was a few rough words spoken in his low timbre and her knees went all weak and tingly. She closed her eyes and sighed. Time to admit the truth. She had it bad for her reluctant sheikh. Even though it was stupid and crazy and wrong, she loved him. Way more than she ever thought possible.

The light changed and the crowds pushed forward, carrying Mel along in their wake. She glanced behind her and caught a glimpse of Daveed’s gorgeous face, snow stuck in his dark hair and his warm mocha eyes looking as soulful as she’d ever seen them.

Part of her wanted to stop and run back to him. But if she did so now, she’d either get trampled or run over by the traffic. Already car horns were honking and the light had turned yellow and when she looked across the street again, Daveed was gone.

Heart aching, she leaned against the nearest building to catch her breath. A candy store, she noted absently. Too bad sugar was the last thing on her mind right now. Deep down, she knew that no matter how badly she hurt now, it was just as well. They’d made a clean break. Now they both had a chance to start over again. An opportunity to…

“You are a hard woman to catch, habibaty.”

Stunned, Mel looked up to see Daveed standing in front of her beneath the store’s cheery red and green striped awning. In the window beside her brightly colored, animatronic lollipops twirled alongside dancing truffles with huge grins and swaying candy canes. “You didn’t have to—”

Daveed held up a hand, stepping closer to her to avoid getting jostled by the masses of shoppers entering and exiting the candy shop. “I know I didn’t have to. I wanted to.” He looked as dumfounded as she felt. “That first night, when you showed up on my doorstep looking like a drowned designer rat, I never would’ve imagined that beneath all those layers of makeup and hair and questionable fashion, there was a woman who would steal my heart away.”

Hope swelled inside her at his words, but before she could say anything, he held up a hand to stop her.

“You see, I figured something out. You were running away from Heath and Jefferson and all the demands your parents were putting on you, but I was running away too. Away from my past, my responsibilities.” He reached over and took her hand. The heat of him penetrated through her leather gloves to her chilled fingertips and straight to her core. He laced their fingers together and met her gaze. “I think it’s time we both stopped running, don’t you?”

She blinked up at him for several seconds, not wanting to sound too desperate by hurling herself into his arms and kissing him until they were both satisfied. So, instead, she narrowed her gaze. “You think my fashion is questionable?”

He frowned. “What?”

“You said my ‘questionable fashion’.” With her free hand, she made air quotes. “Is that some kind of personal dig? Because I’ll tell you right now, buddy. If we’re going to be together, I won’t stand for anything less than complete acceptance of who I am, warts and all. I’ve lived my life for too long trying to please everybody else while I—”

Her speech was cut off by his lips on hers. He let go of her hand to slip his arms around her waist and pull her closer into a deep, drugging, delightful kiss. By the time he finally pulled away, they were both breathless.

Unable to string more than two words together with all the desire swirling in her mind, she gazed up at him, wide-eyed. “Why?”

His smile, slow and sexy and oh so enticing, widened as he pointed above them in the window. Sure enough, there was a sprig of fresh mistletoe there. “It’s tradition, yes?”

“Yes.” Heat prickled her cheeks as a few tourists around them snapped their photo on their phone and a couple of kids giggled. Mel placed her hands on Daveed’s chest, feeling his heart pound along with hers.

“It’s tradition,” she said, unable to hold back her grin any longer. “Does this mean what I think it means?”

“That I love you? That I want you to stay at the condo with me until we can find a place of our own? That I want to make our fake relationship that’s in all the tabloids a reality?” He pulled her closer again and rested his forehead against hers. “Yes. That’s exactly what it means.”

Mel’s mind was still stuck on his first words. “You love me?”

“Yes, I do. Crazy as that sounds.” He kissed her again fast, then took her hand and pulled her away from the congested store front and back out on the sidewalk, where they headed for home. “I know we don’t know each other that well, but we’ve got all the time in the world to remedy that. We can take our time, date, do all the things normal couples do, and when the time comes, maybe you’ll consider marrying me—your choice.”

She couldn’t help chuckling. “I should’ve expected a planner like you to have all the details set, but even I’m surprised. And in case it matters, I love you too.”

Daveed stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and hoisted her up in his arms, chest-to-chest, turning in a slow circle while the holiday crowds parted around them. “She loves me too. She really loves me.”

Several passersby shook their heads at the display, but most whooped or applauded or called for them to kiss again, which they did. This time, when Daveed finally let her feet touch the ground, Mel clung to him in case her shaking knees wouldn’t hold her. Finally, he took her hand and started off for the condo.

“When the time comes, I think we should have a wedding at the Plaza Hotel. I read that’s where your mother had originally planned things, is that correct?”

“Yes.” Mel kept pace beside him, thankful for him adjusting his longer stride to her shorter one. Just one more show of his chivalrous nature. “But you seem awfully sure that’s how all this will end up. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I thought we weren’t rushing things.”

“Not rushing at all. Just throwing ideas out there.” He kissed her hand through her glove and smiled. “Sorry. It seems that once I popped the cork on my emotions and dreams, there’s no stopping the flow.”

“Nothing to be sorry about at all.” She grinned and patted his arm. “It’s adorable.”

“It is?” He waggled his brows.

“Oh, yeah. It is.” Fresh warmth blossomed inside her and she suddenly couldn’t wait to get him alone again in the condo. To distract herself, she asked more questions. “The Plaza’s not cheap, though, you know.”

He scoffed, leading her across another street. “If you think Heath’s family is rich, their wealth is nothing compared to the sheikhdom of Al Dar Nasrani. Besides, my parents will be over the moon at having such a lovely daughter-in-law brought into our fold.”

“Really?” She’d not even gotten far enough to think about meeting them. “You think they’ll like me?”

“They’ll love you. Just as much as I do.” He leaned over and kissed her again. “Oh, and if you want to take that job at the MAC store you can, but only if it’s what you want.”

Mel thought about it for a minute. She loved Daveed and appreciated his offer, but she wanted a chance to earn her own money, to stand on her own two feet. “I do want it. I want something that’s just mine. Does that make sense?”

“Absolutely.” His affectionate gaze warmed her clear to her toes. “I’m very proud of you, habibaty.”

“You are?” Her smile widened. “I’m proud of you too.”

He looked surprised. “Why?”

“Because you finally opened up to me, told me how you really feel. I know that wasn’t easy for you and it shows me how much you care.”

They stopped at another light and he pulled her close again. “I intend to keep on showing you how much I care.”

“You do?” she asked, snuggling into his chest and sliding her arms around his neck.

“Oh yeah, I do.” He bent his head to kiss her again, whispering, “For many years to come.”