Sheikh in disguise - completed

Chapter Thirty-Three

"What are we doing here?" Annie asked warily, clutching at her arms.

Not sure she wanted this, especially from the last time she was here. Shakeel had insisted on it after she cleaned up breakfast, dishes in the dishwasher, changed and back to the pool.

"The best way is to show you how it went down and how it is my fault, not yours." Her eyes widened, shaking her head in denial. "First, I need to find a spot." He edged away from where he had fallen in, still close in the same area. "This will do. I need you about there," he pointed at the spot in front of him that she eyed off, stepping closer, where he told her, arms still closed. "Do not look so worried, we are going to reenact what had happened."

"You want me to reenact the worst day of my life!" she squawked, bewildered. "I want to forget it."

"I need to prove to you how it happened." Gently, he guided her folded arms down and claimed her hands to squeeze.

"How?" she asked warily.

"By pushing me."

"No! No way! Look what happened last time." She repelled at the suggestion, only to be guided back.

"You can push me and it will not happen again."

"Of course, it won't! I will never touch you!"

Lips pressed together, his brows knotted down. "Not touch me. Are you insane?" His hold on her hands tightened.

"Not in that way, I mean shoving, swatting," shaking her head. "Not happening."

Shakeel guided her closer, placing her hand on his chest, where it spread across. "I can handle anything you throw at me."

Her eyes widened. "I don't want to throw anything at you."

His lips curled, eyes twinkling. "I will remind you next time you have a moment."

"Moment!" her hand rose to hover mid-air, dropped and tapped his chest instead. "Don't push it, mister." His brows shot up. "And I'm not shoving you. What if you go down again, this time not into the pool but solid ground?" Her foot tapped the paving underfoot.

He released a long breath. "Fine, but let me show you something."

Guiding her to the actual area where she pushed him, tensing, turned her around where he had been, stepping back, only to gasp as her heel hit the back of something. She stumbled, only to be pulled forward into the safety of his body, clutching his arms, looking up at him, startled.

"Exactly. A tile had lifted that was supposed to be fixed, your shove did not make me fall. My balance is excellent. Your push repelled me into the pool, instead onto the tiles or pool edge. It could have been a lot worse. That will be fixed."

Her head tilted, searching, seeing where he was coming from, yet doubt still lingered. "I see. I need to go to Plan B."

"Plan B," Annie blinked at him.

"I always have a Plan B." Of course he did. "As for the tile, replaced today. I cannot have my wife tripping over it," he declared. She wished she had, better than what happened to him. "Annie, do not torture yourself. No matter what, it was an accident. I know you would never hurt me, as I would never hurt you, yet I had."

Shock rippled through her, shaking her head. "No, that's not true."

"Not physically, emotionally. When you needed me most, I was not there for you."

Annie slid her arms around his waist. "No. You haven't. You never could, visiting for coffee, when you didn't need to. You have always been there for me."