One Hot Desert Night (12 page)

“For how long?”

“Until we determine if we are suited for each other.”

Not quite good enough, but close. “I can’t throw away my career and run off with you on the chance that you might want to seriously pursue a relationship.”

“You could still work and be based in Bajul.”

Damn his logic. “That still doesn’t diminish the risk I’d be taking, especially since you’ve never really said how you truly feel about me.”

“Would you take that risk if I told you I love you?”

Exactly what she wanted to hear, but could she believe him? “How do you know you love me?”

He rose from the chair to join her on the sofa and wrapped one arm around her shoulder. “For the past few weeks, my nightmares have been replaced with dreams of you, when I happened to actually sleep. You are all I have thought about, and the ache over the loss of you has been unbearable. I know I do not deserve your forgiveness for my disregard, but I implore you—”

“Shut up and kiss me, Rayad.”

He did as she asked, melding his lips to hers in a meaningful, heartfelt kiss.

Once they parted, she asked the question foremost on her mind. “If I do decide to return with you, where will we stay?”

“That is a dilemma. I would offer the cavern, but it will soon be filled with military trainees. Perhaps I should stay here for a time. I have seen little of the United States, and I have never explored Georgia.”

“That sounds just peachy,” she said, even knowing the Southern reference would be lost on him. “Do you honestly believe we can make this work after knowing each other such a short time?”

“Do you still love me?”

She laid her head on his shoulder. “Yes, I do.”

“Will you always accept my faults and failures?”

“If you’ll accept mine.”

“Then I do believe we have a chance at a bright future.”

“So do I.” And she did.

“Someday I hope to have another child.”

Only then did she know for sure he was ready to move on. “I’d like to have children, too, at some point in time.”

“I am happy to hear that. And in the very near future, you should know I plan make you my bride.”

She reared back and stared at him. “Hold your horses, Arabian cowboy. Let’s slow down a bit. First we need to get each to know each other better before we even consider going down that road.”

He pressed a kiss on her cheek. “I agree, yet I will warn you I am not always a patient man, and I can be very persuasive.”

“That might be true,” she said. “But it’s going to take more than pretty words and a lot of good sex to convince me we need to get married anytime soon.”

He gave her a wink and a patently sexy smile. “We shall see.”

She winked back. “Yes, we will.”

* * *

“By the power vested in me by the great state of Georgia, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

And there, a scant three months later, while standing on the lawn of a gorgeous antebellum mansion before a few friends and family, Sunny McAdams-Rostam swallowed her pride and ate her words.

Fortunately, the kiss her new husband planted on her lips made the harried decision to jump headlong into wedded bliss seem completely worthwhile. So did the fact he looked incredible in a tuxedo. And he was rich as chocolate. So rich he’d bought her the house serving as the majestic background. Not that his money ever mattered, nor would it.

But that wealth did enable them to take an extended honeymoon in Milan following the ceremony, as suggested by Adan, who as Rayad’s best man, now followed behind them as they walked back down the aisle, the matron of honor—her twin—on his arm.

When they passed the last row of chairs, Sunny leaned over to Rayad and whispered, “Do you think they have caves in Italy?”

“I am certain if they do, we will find them.”

They shared a laugh as they strolled to the gazebo where the reception was being held. Once they arrived, they paused for a picture with the attendants, greeted a few guests then unfortunately parted ways when Adan took Rayad aside for an impromptu military conference.

Piper approached her then and gave her a hug. “You look fantastic in that wedding gown, Sunshine. Satin and strapless suit you well.”

Sunny surveyed the bridesmaid gown from hem to neck. “You don’t look so bad yourself, Pookie. And you said you couldn’t wear red.”

“I look like a large tomato,” she said, her hand automatically going to her belly. “It’s only going to get worse when I move into the second trimester.”

She gave her sister a squeeze. “I can’t wait to have another nephew or niece.”

“I can’t wait to stop throwing up morning, noon and night.” Piper’s features turned solemn. “Are you happy, Sunny?”

“I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am. I never thought I would find anyone who is so much in sync with me, and in many ways, like me.”

“So he’s stubborn and bites everyone’s head off in the morning?”

“Very funny, Pookie.”

“Bite me, Sunshine.”

“Honestly, I’d rather have something to eat. Lately I can’t seem to get enough food.”

Piper eyed her suspiciously. “Is there a reason for that?”

She should have known her twin would unearth her biggest secret. “Yes, there is, but I haven’t told Rayad yet.”

“You’re going to have a baby, too?”

Sunny grabbed Piper’s arm and pulled her away from the guests. “Please keep your voice down. I don’t want to have to explain this to Nana and Poppa, and I sure don’t want my husband to learn the news from a stranger before I have a chance to tell him.”

“What news would that be?”

Sunny took her attention from her sister and gave it to said husband, who was standing to her left. “Just something I learned a couple of days ago.”

Piper stepped back, a sheepish look on her face. “I believe that’s my cue to give the bride and groom some alone time.” She then had the nerve to give Rayad a hug and tell him, “Congratulations on the wedding, and what you’re about to find out.”

When Piper practically sprinted away, her low ponytail swinging in the March breeze, Rayad turned to Sunny, his face fraught with confusion. “Would you please tell me what she meant by that comment?”

She set her bouquet aside on a bench and hooked her arm through his. “Yes, I will gladly tell you, while we’re taking a walk.”

They took a stroll through the manicured gardens washed in gold due to the setting sun. “I still can’t believe you gave me this place as a wedding gift,” Sunny said after a time.

“Nothing is too good for my bride,” he replied. “I personally cannot believe you continue to avoid telling me this news.”

That would take a great deal of courage, and moving on to the topic slowly. “I’ve been thinking I’d like to put in a pool in the back of the house. It gets really hot in Atlanta during the summer, kind of like the desert.”

“That is your news?”

She swallowed hard. “I’ll get to that shortly. I’ve also been thinking the side yard would be a good place to put a play yard with swings and slides and maybe monkey bars. Of course, we’d wait until we get back from the honeymoon before we do that.”

“Why would we need a play yard at this point in time?”

She lifted her bare shoulders in a shrug. “Well, Sam will be using it when Piper and Adan bring him for a visit. Zain and Madison would appreciate having a place for the twins to play when they come later this summer since they couldn’t make the wedding. And of course, Rafiq and Maysa and their little boy will surely stop in at some point in time. Also, we’ll need to add a baby swing for our son or daughter within the next year.”

He stopped dead in his tracks and turned her toward him. “You would be willing to conceive a child within a year?”

The moment of truth had arrived. “We’ve already conceived a child, honey. That’s my real news.”

Myriad emotions passed over his face, beginning with puzzlement and ending with awareness. “You are pregnant.”

“Yes, I am. About six weeks. And just so you’re clear, I didn’t plan this. I did forget to take my pills two days during all the wedding planning chaos.” When he didn’t offer a response, she grew worried. “How do you feel about this bombshell?”

“Concerned,” he said. “Afraid.”

Not at all what she’d wanted to hear. “What are you afraid of?”

“That I might not be able to keep you both safe at all times.”

She formed her palm to his face. “Rayad, life doesn’t come with guarantees, but mothers have babies every day without incident. Look at Maysa. She gave birth to a nine-pounder naturally. They’re both doing fine.”

“I understand that, yet I still cannot help but remember my failures.”

She didn’t have to ask about those presumed failures. “It’s going to take time to work through this, honey, and I’ll be there with you every step of the way. I only hope that when you hold our baby in your arms for the first time, you’ll realize you’ve been given a second chance.”

He clasped her hands and touched the band he had placed on her left finger less than an hour ago. “I promise you now I will not go back.”

“To the military?”

“To that place where I became trapped in a hell of my own making. I will move forward with my life, as long as you are by my side. And I will endeavor to protect you to the best of my ability.”

“No guns involved, I hope.”

He finally smiled. “No more guns from this point forward.”

“I love you, my sweet, strong husband. Always.”

“As I love you, my beloved wife. For eternity.”

After they sealed their commitment to each other with the second kiss of the evening, Sunny felt truly blessed to have found a really nice guy beneath that stoic exterior. Her remarkable lover. Her retired assassin. Her one true love, now and forevermore.

* * * * *

If you loved this novel, don’t miss these other sexy sheikh stories from Kristi Gold:

ONE NIGHT WITH THE SHEIKH
THE SHEIKH’S SON
EXPECTING THE SHEIKH’S BABY
THE RETURN OF THE SHEIKH

Available now from Harlequin Desire!
Keep reading for an excerpt from CARRYING THE LOST HEIR’S CHILD by Jules Bennett.

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One

T
he masculine aroma. The strength of those arms. The hard chest her cheek rested against...she'd know this man anywhere. She'd watched him across the grassy meadows, dreamed of him...made love to him.

Lily Beaumont struggled to wake and realized all too quickly she didn't have a clue how she'd gotten here.

Or more to the point, where was “here”?

The straw rustled against the concrete floor beneath her. She lay cradled in Nash James's lap, his strong arms around her midsection. What on earth had happened?

“Relax. You fainted.”

That low, soothing voice washed over her. Lily lifted her lids to see Nash's bright blue eyes locked on hers. Those mesmerizing eyes surrounded by dark, thick lashes never failed to send a thrill shooting through her. No leading man she shared the screen with had ever been this breathtaking...or mysterious.

But, she'd fainted? She never fainted.

Oh, yeah. She'd been walking to the stables to talk to Nash...

“Oh, no.” Lily grabbed her still-spinning head. Reality slammed back into her mind, making her recall why she was in the stables. “This isn't happening.”

Rough, callused fingertips slid away strands of hair that had fallen across her forehead. “Just lie still,” he told her. “No rush. Everyone is gone for the day.”

Meaning the cast and crew had all either gone to the hotel or into their on-site trailers. Thank God. The last thing she needed was a big fuss over her fainting spell, because then she'd have some explaining to do.

Just a few short months ago Lily started shooting a film depicting the life of Damon Barrington, dynamic horse owner and a force to be reckoned with. The Barrington estate had become her home away from home and the quiet, intriguing groom whose lap she currently lay in had quickly caught her attention.

Before she knew it, she'd been swept into a secret affair full of sneaking around, ripping off clothes and plucking straw pieces from her hair...which led her to this moment, this life-altering moment when she was about to drop a major bomb in Nash's life.

All the trouble they'd gone through to keep their escapades a secret were all in vain. No way could this news stay hidden.

“Nash.” She reached up to cup his face, the prickle of his short beard beneath her palm a familiar sensation. “I'm sorry.”

His brows drew together, worry etched across his handsome, tanned face, and he shook his head. “You can't help that you passed out. But you scared the life out of me.”

Lily swallowed, staring at such an attractive, spellbinding man could make a woman forget everything around her...like the fact that she was carrying this man's child.

“Are you feeling okay?” he asked, studying her face. “Do you need something to eat?”

Just the thought of food had her gag reflex wanting to kick in again. Weren't pregnant women supposed to be sick in the mornings? What was this all-day nonsense?

Lily started to sit up, but Nash placed a hand over her shoulder. “Hold on. Let me help you.”

Gently, he eased her into a sitting position as he came to his feet. Then he lifted her, keeping her against his firm, strong body the entire time. Strong arms encircled her waist again and Lily wanted to seek the comfort and support he was offering. This might have been the first tender moment between them, considering anytime she'd come to meet him after dark they hurried to the loft where their passion completely took control.

How on earth would he react to the news? She was still reeling from the shocker herself, but she refused to keep this a secret. He had a right to know. She honestly had no clue what Nash would say, what he would do. A baby didn't necessarily affect his line of work. Hers, on the other hand...

She'd been burned so badly before and had fought hard to overcome the public scandal that ensued. How would he handle being thrust into the limelight?

Lily groaned. Once the story broke, the press would circle her like vultures—and they would make her private life a top headline. People were starving, homeless, fighting wars and the media opted to nose their way into celebrities' lives and feed that into homes around the world rather than something that was actually newsworthy.

Lily loved being an actress, loved the various characters she got to tap in to and uncover. But she hated the lack of privacy. A girl couldn't even buy toilet paper without being spotted. Lily prided herself on being professional, doing her job and doing it well, and staying out of the media's greedy, sometimes evil, clutches...a nearly impossible feat.

“You okay now?” he asked, his breath tickling the side of her face.

Nodding, Lily stepped away, immediately missing the warmth of his body, but thankful the dizziness had passed. Over the past couple months she'd actually come to crave his touch, miss him when he wasn't near her. She should've known then she was getting in over her head where this virtual stranger was concerned. Their passion had swept her into a world she'd never experienced before. How could any single woman turn away from a man who touched her beneath the surface, who looked so deep within she was certain he could see in to her soul?

A physical connection was something she could handle. But all of those nights of sneaking around, of giving in to their desires had caught up with them. Now they would have to pivot away from the sex-only relationship and actually talk about the future...a future she'd never expected to have with this man.

With her back to him, Lily tried to conjure up the right words, the words that would soften the blow, but really was there a proper way to tell someone they were going to be a father? No matter how gentle the words were, the impact and end result would still be the same.

“Nash—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Nash took hold of her shoulder, eased her around and framed her face with his firm hands. Hypnotized by those vibrant blue eyes, she said nothing else as his mouth claimed hers.

And that right there was the crux of their relationship. Passion. Desire. Instant clothes falling to the floor.

Some might have said having a secret affair in the stables on a film set was not the classiest of moves, but Lily didn't care. She'd been classy her whole life...now she wanted to be naughty. The secret they shared made their covert encounters all the more thrilling.

Who knew Hollywood's “girl next door,” as they'd dubbed her, had a wild side? Well, they'd caught a glimpse of it with the scandal, but she had since reclaimed her good girl status. She certainly had never been this passionate with or for a man. Definitely not the jerk who had used her and exploited her early in her career.

Before she'd become a recognized name, she'd fallen for another rookie actor. He'd completely blind-sided her by filming her without her knowledge. Their most intimate moments had been staged; everything about their relationship had been a lie. After that scandal, Lily had to fight to get to where she was now.

Nash's arms enveloped her and Lily was rendered defenseless as his mouth continued its assault on hers. Her arms slid up the front of his shirt, taut muscles firm beneath her palms.

He eased back slightly, resting his forehead against hers. “You sure you're feeling okay? Not dizzy anymore?”

“I'm okay,” she assured him, clutching his T-shirt.

Nash's lips nipped at hers. “I missed you today. I kept seeing you and Max together. It was all I could do to ignore the way his arms were around you. His lips where mine should be.”

Chills spread over her body. Tingles started low in her belly and coursed throughout. That hint of jealousy pouring from Nash's lips thrilled her more than it should...considering this was supposed to be a fling.

“We were acting,” she murmured against his mouth. “You know we're playing a young couple in love.”

Lily had wanted to play the role of the late Rose Barrington since news of the project had first spread, and having Max Ford as the leading man was perfect. She and Max had been friends for years...so much so that he was like a brother to her.

Nash's hands slid between them, started peeling down the top of her strapless sundress.

“If Max weren't married with a baby, I'd think he was trying to steal my time with you.”

Baby
. Just the word threw a dose of reality right smack-dab in the middle of their minor make-out session.

Lily covered Nash's hands with her own and eased back. “We need to talk.”

Vibrant eyes stared back at her beneath heavy lids. “Sounds like you're breaking things off. I know we never discussed being exclusive.” Nash attempted a smile. “Don't take my Max joke so seriously.”

Shaking her head, Lily took a deep breath and pushed through her fear and doubts. “I didn't take you for the jealous type. Besides, I know what this is between us.”

Or, what it had started out being.

“Oh, baby, I'm jealous.” He jerked her against his body. “Now that I've had you, I don't like seeing another man's hands on you, but I know this is your job and I love watching you work.”

“I can't think when your hands are on me,” she told him, stepping back once again to try to put some distance between temptation and the truth.

A corner of Nash's devilish mouth kicked up. “You say that like it's a bad thing. Because I'm thinking plenty when my hands are on you.”

Smoothing a hand through her hair, Lily tried to form the right words. Since seeing the two blue lines on the stick this morning and confirming what she'd already assumed, she'd been playing conversations on how to break the news over and over in her mind. But now it was literally show time and she had nothing but fear and bundles of nerves consuming her.

“Nash...”

Abandoning his joking, Nash's brows drew together as he reached for her once again. “What is it? If you're worried about when you leave, I don't expect anything from you.”

“If only it were that easy,” she whispered, looking down at his scuffed boots, inches from her pink polished toes.

Nash was a hard worker, so unlike the Hollywood playboys who always tried to capture her attention. Money and fame meant nothing to her—she had plenty of both. She preferred a man who worked hard, played hard and truly cared for other people...a man like Nash.

This wasn't supposed to happen. None of it. Not the deeper feelings, not the lingering looks that teetered on falling beyond lust and certainly not a baby that would bind them forever.

“Lily, just say it. It can't be that bad.”

She met and held his questioning stare. “I'm pregnant.”

* * *

Okay, maybe it
could
be that bad.

Pregnant? What the hell? Suddenly he felt like passing out himself.

Nash stared at Lily, knowing full well she wasn't lying. After all, she looked just as freaked out as he felt and what would she have to gain by lying to him? She didn't know his true identity, or how something like this would be perfect blackmail material.

In Lily's eyes, and the eyes of everyone else on the estate, he was a simple groom who kept to himself and did his job. Little did they know the real reason he'd landed at the Barringtons' doorstep.

And a baby thrown into the mix?

Talk about irony and coming full circle.

“You're positive?” he asked, knowing she wouldn't have told him had she not been sure.

Lily nodded, wrapping her arms around her middle and worrying her bottom lip. “I've had a suspicion for several days, but I confirmed this morning.”

Well, this certainly put a speed bump in all the plans he had for his immediate future here at Stony Ridge Acres. Not to mention life in general. A baby wasn't something he was opposed to, just something he'd planned later down the road... after a wife came into the picture.

“I have no idea what to say,” he told her, raking a hand through his hair that was way longer than he'd ever had. “I...damn, I wasn't expecting this.”

Lily kept looking at him as if she was waiting for him to explode or deny the fact the baby was his. Of course, she could've slept with someone else, but considering that they'd been together almost every night for nearly the past two months, he highly doubted it.

Besides, Lily wasn't like that. He many not know much about her on a personal level, but he knew enough to know she wasn't a woman who slept around. Despite that whole sex scandal she'd endured years ago, Nash wasn't convinced she was some crazed nympho.

But he also wasn't naive and he wasn't just an average groom, so he needed to play this safe and protect himself from all angles.

“The baby is yours,” she stated, as if she could sense where his thoughts were going. “I haven't been with anybody since months before I even came here.”

“I thought you said you were on birth control.”

“I am,” she countered. “Nothing is foolproof, though. I'm assuming it happened that one time we...”

“Didn't use a condom.”

One time in all those secret rendezvous he had thought he'd put one in his wallet, but they'd used it already. They'd quickly discussed how they were both clean, amidst clothes flying all over the loft floor, and they'd come to the mutual decision to go ahead... Thus the reason for this milestone, life-altering talk they were having now.

Emotions, scenarios, endless questions all swirled through his mind. What on earth did he know about babies or parenting? All he knew was how hard his mother worked to keep them in a meager apartment. She'd never once complained, never once acted worried. She was the most courageous, determined woman he'd ever known. Traits she'd passed down to him, which gave him the strength to carry on with his original plans, even with the shocking news of the baby. He would not let his child down, but he had to follow through and take what he had come for.

“I don't expect anything from you, Nash,” Lily went on as if she couldn't handle the silence. “But I wasn't going to keep this a secret, either. Secrets always become exposed at the wrong time and I felt you deserved to know. It's up to you whether you want to be part of this baby's life.”