The Sheik And The Pregnant Bride

Chapter Eleven

Maggie waited what seemed like a lifetime before Qadir responded to her kiss. She was just starting to think she’d made a huge mistake when he drew back and stared at her.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he admitted.

Relief was as sweet as it was intense. “I can handle it,” she said with a smile.

“So you claim.”

“Test me.”

He took her hand in his and led the way to an open French door halfway down the long balcony. They stepped inside what she assumed was his room, but didn’t get much of a chance to explore.

The second the door closed behind them, he pulled her close and claimed her with a kiss that burned her down to the soles of her feet.

His lips took all she offered and more. His tongue swept inside, exploring, claiming, urging. She met him stroke for stroke as need grew, filling her, making her ache and want.

He touched her everywhere, first up and down her back, then down her rear where he cupped the curves. She moved against him, feeling his erection, loving how hard he felt, wishing he were inside her already.

He broke their kiss long enough to pull off her T-shirt, then he cupped her bare breasts in his hands.

Even as his fingers worked their magic on her sensitive nipples, he kissed her all over her face. His mouth moved along her jaw, then down to her neck where he licked and nipped and made her gasp.

Liquid desire poured through her. She was already wet and swollen and when he bent down to suck on her breasts, she gasped her pleasure.

She touched him where she could. His hard muscles rippled in response to her caress. She was about to tell him to take off his shirt when he dropped to his knees. At the same time he unfastened her jeans, then jerked them and her panties down to her ankles.

She was trapped by her clothing, unable to step away or spread her legs very far apart. Still he kissed her stomach, then parted her with his fingers before kissing her intimately.

The feel of his lips and tongue was exquisite. She had to hang on to him to keep from falling to the floor. He found her center and licked it over and over again as he moved his hands behind her and squeezed her curves.

“Qadir,” she breathed, wanting what he was doing to go on forever, but needing more. A bed, she thought frantically. A sofa. The floor.

Still loving her between her thighs, he helped her out of her shoes, then eased her clothes from her body. She opened her legs more, giving him access, desperate to give in to the building pressure.

She put her hands on his shoulders and hung on for the ride. But just as she was about to surrender and lose herself in pleasure, he stood.

“You can’t stop,” she gasped.

“I’m just getting started.”

He led her down a hallway, into a large bedroom. She had a brief impression of dark, masculine furniture and a bed that could sleep twenty. Then Qadir pulled back the covers, turned to her and began to touch her.

“You are so beautiful,” he murmured, stroking her back. “All of you. It’s maddening to watch you prance around in your coveralls with those little fitted T-shirts. I have dreamed about you in that T-shirt and nothing else.”

Heat filled her as his words aroused her to the brink. He’d fantasized about her? Was that possible?

“I don’t prance,” she said, trying to tease rather than give in to unexpected tears. She couldn’t figure out why on earth those words would make her want to cry, but they did.

“You excite me beyond what I can say.”

He was doing a pretty good job of exciting her, as well.

She reached for the buttons on his shirt, but he pushed her hands away. As she watched, he undressed, revealing his hard, honey-colored skin.

As he pushed down his briefs, she saw his arousal-all jutting maleness that called to her. Her pulled her close and they tumbled onto the big bed, a tangle of arms and legs and need.

Even as he took her breast into his mouth, he reached between her legs and stroked her.

He found that one sensitive spot instantly and circled it. She didn’t know what to think about first-his mouth or his fingers. Both were exquisite, pushing her higher, driving her closer to her release.

The steady rhythm-his sucking, his touching, her body pulsing-threatened to push her over the edge. She held back, not wanting to give in so quickly. Then he shifted so he was between her thighs, kissing her with his tongue again. He pushed a finger inside of her, circling, thrusting, rubbing and she was lost.

Her release carried her to the edge of the world and let her go. Every muscle shuddered with pleasure, making her cry out. On and on until she floated back to earth, back to his bed where she opened her eyes and found him watching her.

Despite the fact that she might never be able to move again, fire still burned. Without saying anything, she held open her arms. He eased between her legs, his hardness filling her, stretching her, making her cling to him.

He made love to her like a man starved. Deep thrusts claimed her as his and she held on for the ride of her life. His excitement pulled her along, making her hungry, as well. Her body tensed and ached and when he stiffened, she, too, cried out, feeling more satisfied than she’d ever been before.

Later, when they were together under the covers, her body pressed against his, his hands stroking her head, he kissed her.

“I am sorry,” he said. “I tried to hold back. I did not want to hurt you.”

“You didn’t.”

“I took you roughly.”

He wouldn’t meet her gaze, as if he was ashamed.

She rolled on top of him, pressing her body to his, then kissed him. “Qadir, didn’t you feel me responding? I’m not saying I want to be hurt. Your passion excited me. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?”

“I should have more control.”

She smiled. “No, you shouldn’t.”

He put his hands on her hips and eased her down. He was hard again. She slid over him, taking him inside of her. She gasped at the pleasure of it.

“Perhaps if you were in charge,” he told her, need once again burning between them.

She braced herself on the bed. He reached for her breasts, then lightly teased her nipples. Sensation shot through her. She rode him up and down, then moving faster and faster. They both groaned.

It was, she thought as her body clenched in anticipation, going to be an amazing night.

Maggie supposed that technically she walked back to her room the next morning, but in truth it felt like floating. Her whole body seemed to hum with contentment as individual cells continued to sigh their pleasure.

Qadir sure knew his way around a woman’s body. She felt as if she’d stepped onto a new plane of sensual pleasure and she couldn’t wait to go back again.

“Not a good idea,” she told herself as she stepped through the French doors and back into her room.

Last night had been amazing and fifteen kinds of a mistake. She’d been determined to hold her heart safely out of reach. Making love with Qadir for hours on end was not going to help her cause.

She couldn’t get over how concerned he’d been about hurting her. He hadn’t, of course, but the worry had been sweet. And the passion had been mind-altering.

“I am a mature woman,” she told herself as she headed into the bathroom. “I can handle this.”

She didn’t have much choice. Despite how amazing the lovemaking had been, nothing had changed. She was still who she was and Qadir was still a prince.

She showered, then dried off and dressed. After combing out her hair, she reached for the blow-dryer, but before she could turn it on, someone pounded on her door.

She moved through the living room and opened it. Victoria stood in the hallway.

“There you are,” her friend said. “What is going on with you? I’ve been calling and calling and knocking and you haven’t…” Victoria’s blue eyes widened. “Oh my God. What happened?”

Maggie felt herself flush even as she said, “Nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. There’s something totally different about you.”

Was that possible? Did last night show?

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she lied.

Victoria leaned closer and stared into her eyes. “I swear, there’s something. It’s-” Her mouth dropped open. “No way.”

The flush increased. Maggie stepped away from the open door and returned to the bathroom. “I have no idea what you’re going on about.”

“You are so lying. You were with Qadir last night. You were with him big-time.”

As she spoke, Victoria trailed after Maggie into the bathroom. When Maggie tried to turn on the blow-dryer to drown her out, Victoria simply pulled the plug.

Maggie looked at her in the mirror. “It just happened,” she admitted. “It was probably crazy, but I can’t regret it.”

“I want details,” Victoria said. “Even more important, I’m here for you.”

“I appreciate that, but I feel fine.”

“You won’t for long.” Her friend took a deep breath. “Jon is here. He arrived in the middle of the night and he’s been raising hell downstairs, trying to find you.”

Maggie wished she were the kind of person who could faint on command. This seemed like an excellent time to pass out. But she stayed annoyingly conscious as Victoria led her to the private room Jon had been assigned.

“How much hell?” Maggie asked, not sure she wanted to know.

“When we couldn’t find you right away, he started accusing the palace guards of holding you prisoner. They didn’t know who he was or what he wanted. When he started on the ‘I’m an American’ rant they called me. I assured him you were fine, which he almost believed, but then I couldn’t find you, either. Honestly, I never thought to check in Qadir’s room. I thought you were with the car, or taking a midnight jog or something.”

“I can’t believe he’s here,” Maggie muttered. “I can’t believe he’s here now.”

“At least your life isn’t boring.”

“I wouldn’t mind boring,” Maggie said, refusing to feel guilty for what had happened with Qadir. She was sorry everyone had been put out because they couldn’t find her, but she had the right to a life. Jon had sure moved on. She could, too.

“I can’t believe he didn’t tell me he was coming,” she said.

Victoria stopped in front of a door and pointed. “Good luck.”

Maggie didn’t want to go inside by herself. “You could come with me.”

“I could, but I think you need to do this on your own.” She hugged Maggie, then hurried away.

Maggie stared at the door. She had a feeling she knew why Jon had arrived in El Deharia. After last night, she would have said gathering the energy to fight was impossible, but knowing Jon as she did, she was going to have to get her mad up or he would be making all the decisions. The last thing either of them needed was a situation that would impact the rest of their lives. Of course the pregnancy had already done a good job of that.

She knocked once and the door flew open. Jon stood there, looking as he always had.

“Where have you been?” he demanded. “I got here hours ago and no one could find you. Are they keeping you hostage somewhere? What’s going on here, Maggie?”

She stepped into his room, a space much smaller than her own. It faced the garden rather than the sea.

She looked at him, at the kind brown eyes, the mouth that curved into a crooked smile, the unruly brown hair he kept cut short so it didn’t get too wild.

This was Jon. He’d been the boy she’d grown up with, the man she’d fallen in love with. She deliberately remembered good times they’d shared and buried herself in those memories. She dug through her heart and felt…nothing.

Until that moment she thought it was over, but she hadn’t had proof. She did now. Whatever she and Jon had once shared had changed and faded until there was only a friendship she hoped would never go away.

“I’m sorry you were worried,” she said. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“It was a last-minute decision,” he admitted.

She thought about pointing out that there were no direct flights to El Deharia. That he had to stop somewhere and he could have easily called. But he had obviously wanted to surprise her. Which he’d done.

“I’m here now.” She crossed to the sofa and sat down. “Why don’t you tell me why you’re here.”

She spoke calmly, hoping she was wrong in her assumptions.

“You’re pregnant, Maggie,” he said as he paced in front of her. “I’m here to bring you home. You don’t belong here. You should be home. With me.”

“Married to you,” she clarified.

“Yes. We’ll get married.”

She wanted to hold on to her temper. Getting angry wouldn’t help either of them.

“I’m not leaving anytime soon,” she told him. “I came to El Deharia to do a job and I’m going to complete it.”

He looked at her, impatience tightening his features. “It’s just a car.”

That really pissed her off. Her hands clenched, but still she held on to her calm. “It’s my work,” she corrected. “It’s what I do. Prince Qadir is paying me a lot of money to restore his car and I will finish the work before I leave.”

“I won’t allow it.”

That got her to her feet. “Fortunately it’s not your decision to make.”

“You’re having a baby. You shouldn’t be around cars.”

“That’s ridiculous. I’m restoring a car, not working in a toxic waste dump.”

“Come home with me now.”

“No.”

They stared at each other, a small coffee table between them. But the distance felt much greater.

Had Jon always been like this? she wondered. Had he always tried to boss her around? Why hadn’t she noticed before?

Her anger faded as sadness took its place. “This isn’t what I want,” she said quietly. “If nothing else, we have to stay friends.”

“I’m not interested in being friends.” His voice was a growl. “I’m here to marry you.”

“You keep saying that and I keep telling you no.” She walked around the coffee table and touched his arm. “Jon, just stop. We don’t have to be like this. I’m only a few weeks pregnant. We have months ahead of us. No decisions have to be made today. I appreciate your concern, because I know what this is about. You want to do the right thing. That’s the kind of man you are. But there are a lot of different right things we can do. Let’s explore them. Take a breath. Go home. I’ll be back in a month or so and we can figure out what we want to do.”

“I want to marry you.”

She held in a scream. “I don’t remember you being this stubborn before.”

“You were never carrying my baby before. Getting married is the right thing to do.”

“Right for who? Do you really want to spend the next eighteen years tied to me? You don’t love me. I appreciate that you’re concerned about the baby, but how happy will this child be knowing his or her parents don’t want to be married to each other?”

His stubborn expression didn’t change. “We were in love before. We’ll be fine.”

“No, we won’t. We’ll be miserable. I won’t do it. I won’t marry you because of the child. You can’t make me.”

“I’m not leaving until you agree.”

Maggie thought longingly of the dungeons Victoria had mentioned. “Then we have a real problem because I’ll never agree.”

Whatever he was going to say was lost when someone knocked on the door. Victoria stepped inside.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but there’s been another twist in your life.”

She held the door open and Qadir entered, leading a young woman Maggie had never seen. She was petite, with dark blond hair and features that were probably pretty when they weren’t blotchy. Tears filled the woman’s eyes when she saw Jon.

“I had to come,” she told him.

Elaine, Maggie thought, wondering how the situation could get worse. Then she met Qadir’s gaze. What must he think of all this? Of her? Last night had been so perfect, but this morning was a disaster. Did he think she wanted to marry Jon? Was he feeling that she had simply used him?

Too many questions that she had no way to ask.

Elaine hurried over to Jon. She clutched his arm. “Don’t do this,” she pleaded, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Please, don’t do this.”

“It’s the right thing for the baby.”

“How is that possible? How can something that hurts this much be right?”

Maggie looked away, feeling as if she were intruding on a private moment.

“Don’t you love me anymore?” Elaine asked, her voice trembling.

“Elaine, please.” Jon sounded strained.

“Just tell me the truth,” she pleaded. “Tell me I don’t matter.”

“I can’t do that.”

Maggie wanted to crawl into a hole. While she knew in her head she wasn’t the only one to blame for the disaster, she felt the heavy weight of responsibility in her heart.

Still not looking at Jon or Elaine, she hurried out of the room and into the hallway.

Someone came after her. She half expected it to be Victoria, but then she felt strong hands settle on her shoulders.

“Who needs daytime television when they can just watch what’s going on in my life,” she said, trying to make light of the situation.

Qadir turned her to face him, then pulled her close.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” she said as she snuggled into his chest. “I can’t believe Jon is here and Elaine followed him. He wants to marry me.”

“I expected no less. If you were carrying my child, I would not let you get away.”

Words to make her tremble, she thought sadly. If she were carrying Qadir’s child, she wouldn’t want to get away.

“I’m not going to ruin all our lives because I’m pregnant. You saw Elaine. She loves him desperately. He’s wrong to push for a marriage with me.”

“He’s a man who is trying to do the right thing. His conscience wars with his heart.”

“His heart better win.”

Victoria slipped into the hallway. “I’m going to find Elaine a room. Apparently she’s staying, at least for now.”

Maggie winced. “Here? That can’t be okay. We should all move to a hotel.”

“The palace has many rooms,” Qadir told her. “Your friends are welcome.”

They weren’t her friends, but there was no point in getting into that. And she sure didn’t want to think what the staff must be thinking about her.

“This is all my fault.”

Qadir touched her cheek. “It is not.”

Elaine came out of the room and looked at Maggie. “He wants to talk to you.”

Maggie nodded. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want any of this to happen.”

“I believe you. I wish things were different.”

Victoria led the other woman away. Maggie stared at the half-open door. “I guess I need to go back inside.”

“I will come with you,” Qadir said.

“No, that’s okay. I can handle Jon.”

Qadir hesitated, as if he wasn’t going to give her a choice. Then he nodded. “If there is any trouble, you will get in touch with me.”

It wasn’t a question.

“I promise,” she told him.

He bent his head and brushed his mouth against hers, then walked away. Maggie braced herself and walked into Jon’s room.

He stood by the window, looking out onto the garden. His body was stiff, but his shoulders seemed bowed, as if they carried too heavy a weight.

“I didn’t know Elaine would follow me,” he said without turning around. “I’m sorry about that.”

“I’m impressed. She obviously loves you very much and isn’t willing to let you get away.”

“She doesn’t understand.”

“She understands perfectly.” Maggie waited until he turned to face her before continuing. “She understands that you’re willing to throw away everything important to you for no good reason. She understands that while no one would have chosen this situation, it’s here now and we have to deal with it. But what she doesn’t understand-and I have to say I’m with her on that-is why you think there’s only one option.”

“Because there is. There’s the right thing to do and there’s everything else.”

Had he always been this stubborn? “Is it because I suggested you give up the child altogether?” she asked. “Did that make you feel like I was cutting you out and pushing you away? Is that why you’re so insistent?”

He didn’t say anything and she couldn’t read him anymore. Their intimate connection had been broken.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have gone there. Maybe it is the right thing for both of us, but it was wrong of me to assume anything. We need to come to a decision together. Maybe the three of us should talk.”

“This doesn’t involve Elaine.”

“Of course it does. It’s her future, too. Her life. Chances are, she’s going to be a stepmother.”

“You and I are the ones getting married.”

Maggie rolled her eyes. “Listen to me very, very carefully. I will not marry you and you can’t make me. I don’t love you. You don’t love me. In fact, you’re in love with someone else. Now quit being an idiot and start looking at other alternatives.”

“No.”

“Then rot in this room. I’m done talking to you. When you’re ready to be rational and reasonable, come find me. Otherwise, I don’t want to see you again.”

By seven that night, Maggie had a pounding headache and a deep desire to ride into the desert and never be heard from again. She sat alone in her room wondering how on earth she was supposed to fix the disaster that was her life.

She heard a light tapping on her French door. When she stood, she saw Victoria standing there with a pint of ice cream in each hand. Maggie hurried to let her in.

“I’m sneaking around,” her friend admitted, holding out the cartons. “I don’t want to see anyone or talk to anyone. Except you, I guess. Which one do you want?”

Maggie grabbed one of the cartons without checking the flavor, then frowned. “What’s wrong?”

Victoria’s blue eyes were swollen and red, her mouth puffy. “I’ve been crying. Me and Elaine. It’s our day. Neither of us seem to be pretty criers. I’m hoping you won’t be judgmental.”

“Of course not. But what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Everything. It’s so stupid. It’s not like I really care. It’s just I had this plan, you know. Then I tell myself I never thought it would happen, so what’s the big deal? I mean, who am I kidding? A prince? Marry me?”

Maggie led her to the sofa and urged her to sit. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Victoria scooped out some ice cream and licked the spoon. “I hope you appreciate that my escape of choice would be margaritas. But I hate to drink by myself and you’re pregnant, so I’m stuck with ice cream.”

“Still confused.”

She sniffed again. “Nadim is engaged. His father found him a perfectly nice young woman. She comes from a respectable family with little in the way of financial success, but the lineage is impressive enough on its own. They apparently met last week, spent the weekend away to determine if they were compatible. All went well and now they’re engaged.”

Tears filled her eyes. “I know it’s ridiculous. Who wants to be with a man who is that emotionally disconnected? He can’t know if he likes her or not after a damn weekend. It’s just I had this silly dream, you know? One where I could be financially secure and not have to worry, like I did when I was growing up. But who am I kidding? Stuff like that doesn’t happen to women like me.”

Maggie didn’t know enough about Victoria’s past to know what she was talking about. She only knew that her friend was in pain.

“Nadim is really engaged?”

“They’re going to make the announcement in a couple of weeks, after As’ad and Kayleen’s wedding. They don’t want to take away from the happy event.” She wiped her face with the back of her hand. “He didn’t even tell me directly. I found out because he gave me some letters to type and they mentioned his engagement. He doesn’t even know I’m alive.”

“Then he’s not worth even one of your tears,” Maggie said. “Come on. You didn’t love him. I’m not even sure you liked him.”

“It wasn’t about liking. It was about being safe.”

“You are safe. You have a great job, you live in a palace.”

“Until I get fired.”

“Why would Nadim fire you? Don’t you do a good job?”

“Yes.”

“You have savings?”

“Uh-huh. I’m a big saver.”

“So you’re okay. Nadim was never the man for you. Maybe it’s time to go out and live life.”

“No, thanks. Life hurts.” She jabbed at her ice cream. “I suppose the bright side is at least you got a proposal today.”

“From someone I don’t want to marry.”

“It’s the thought that counts,” Victoria said, then started to laugh.

Maggie joined in. The two of them leaned back on the sofa and laughed until they started crying, then they tuned the TV to a shopping channel, leaned back and ate their ice cream.