SHEIKH'S SURPRISE BABY: A Sheikh Romance (125 page)

He already had begun to collect the things he wanted. He pushed his hand into the pocket of his slacks and removed the slender box that held the gift he had planned to give her tonight. He opened it and looked at the beautiful setting of emeralds in the bracelet. The gift could wait, as could everything else he had planned. He would keep making his feelings clear to her, and keep her wanting his touch, and when the time was right, she would give in to him, and he would have what he craved, what his heart told him was all he needed for the rest of his life…her love.

Three more weeks went by after her unexpected oasis visit, and Alex fought with herself over when to tell Amir about Simon. He had come by to see her each night, inflaming her with his touches and his kisses and the promises of what he had in store for her when she trusted him completely. He had not come for the last two nights, however, because he was away on business. She did not expect him tonight, either, because he had told her that he would be away for four days. She went to bed after waiting an extra hour, as always, to ensure that her charge stayed asleep. In the morning, after she had settled Simone and he had had his bath, she sat with him and read to him, at his request, from the book of poetry he loved. He dozed, and did not ask to be taken out of bed. Alexandra let him rest, though she was somewhat concerned at his lack of energy.

Leaving him to sleep, but turning the monitor up to full blast, she went to get Simone ready for school. After a quick snack, she cleaned the child and dressed her before taking her down to the waiting limousine. Another car pulled up behind it, but she ignored it, leaning down to kiss her daughter’s cheek.

“Be a good girl today, baby, okay? Mommy loves you.”

She kissed her again and watched the car until it disappeared down the curving drive. She turned and walked back into the palace, but as she was about to turn down the hallway that led to the king’s suite, a very feminine voice called her name. Turning, she found herself face to face with Princess Amina. She had no idea what the princess could want with her, but she waited politely, tamping down a growing unease as the woman came closer. Today she was dressed in a jewel-toned blue caftan, decorated with silver thread and sequins. She was heavily made-up, though the artistry was flawless. Alex felt dowdy standing next to her in her pink scrubs and Keds, her hair pulled back in a ponytail.

“How may I help you, Princess Amina?” she asked quietly.

“How is the king today?” the woman asked, eyeing her.

“He is resting, Your Highness,” she said, remembering to be respectful, though why the princess wanted to know about the king’s health was a mystery.

“You have been here almost two months, no?” she wanted to know next.

“Yes, Your Highness.” Alex saw no need to provide any information she was not specifically asked to give, and in fact she was annoyed at being interrogated by a stranger.

“Amir told me he was going to hire a caregiver for his father. I did not realize that that was you when we last met. He treats you well, I see.” She cast a careless eye in the direction in which the car taking Simone to school had gone.

Alex maintained a placid face, though she was now seething inside. How dare this total stranger try to belittle her by pointing out her position in the royal household? What was she…Amir’s mistress? The thought rocked her where she stood. Did he have a mistress? And was she being a fool to think he wanted her exclusively? The woman was still talking, and she forced herself to pay attention.

“I hope you are not mistaking Amir’s kindness to you for more than that,” she said, gazing innocently at Alex. “I have found him to be an infinitely thoughtful man. It is his nature to treat everyone well, including those who work for him, and it is just one of the qualities that makes us so compatible.”

Alex’s blood ran cold at those words. Whatever this woman’s relationship was to Amir, it was clear she had set her sights on him, and intended to keep him. Or at least, what she wanted Alex to believe was that there was something more intimate between them. But the man she had been coming to know these past weeks was not the kind of man to play with two women at once. Something told her this princess was not as in as she would like to be. Knowing she needed to end the conversation before she said something that would likely get her fired, she said,

“Yes, I have also found him to be so, Princess.” She plastered a fake smile on her face. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must get back to the king.”

She turned to walk away, and the woman’s next words made her shiver with dread.

“I would be very careful how you respond to Amir’s attentions, if I were you. The prince is a charming man, but he does not take kindly to being deceived, nor does his father. You would do well to remember that, and keep your distance.”

Alex whipped around, her face registering her fury, but the princess merely turned away, gesturing for a servant and ignoring Alexandra as though she had not just threatened her. She felt hot and cold, and stood there for a moment longer to catch herself. She would have to tell Amir, before this dreadful woman told him whatever she thought she knew, and made things worse for her. She needed this job, even more than she needed a dalliance with a prince. She had to tell him the truth, and hope that he would forgive her. Walking back to the king’s suite, she began to fret about what she would do if she lost this job. She would have to cross that bridge if she ever came to it before the king passed away. In the meantime, she still had work to do, and needed to stay focused. She could not afford to let a jealous stranger rattle her composure.

The king was awake when she got back, and sitting in his wheelchair looking out at his garden. His lunch was untouched, and she knew he was weakening. He did not eat much, but he still seemed to enjoy what he did eat. That he was off his food now was just another sign to her that things were coming to a head. She tried to coax him to take even a small amount, but he adamantly refused, and she stopped trying before he became truculent. Instead, she sat with him quietly, and allowed his silence to soothe her jangled nerves.

“My son thinks I should not have a celebration of my birthday this year,” he said suddenly. His voice was shaky but clear.

“He fears it may be too taxing for you,” she said.

“And you agree with him?” He turned sharp eyes to her face for a moment, his gaze belying the frailty he fought against.

“I think it might over-extend your strength,” she temporized.

He sniffed, clearly recognizing what she was doing and disapproving of it. “I want to have one last joyful moment before I die,” he declared forcefully. “Is that too much to ask?”

Alex’s heart broke at the question. Here was a man who, in his lucid moments, knew he was drawing ever closer to death, and who was fighting to keep some scrap of his former self to the end. She understood that need. She would persuade Amir to let him have a quiet reception to celebrate his birthday. It would be her gift to the man who had everything else.

Thoughts of Amir brought Princess Amina’s words back to her, and she decided that the next time he came to see her, or summoned her to his office, she would come clean about Simon. She hoped she would see him before the princess did. She sighed and turned her attention back to the king, who was once again dozing in the chair. She touched him gently on the shoulder so as not to startle him when she spoke.

“Would you like to go back to bed, Your Majesty?” she asked. “You would be more comfortable.”

He looked up, gazed at her, vacant-eyed, and then closed his eyes again without answering. She fetched a thin blanket for his legs, and let him rest where he was.The rest of the day passed slowly, with the king’s appetite not improving, though she did manage to get him to take a little of the broth that had been sent up for his evening meal. After he was cleaned for the evening, she tucked him in and watched him fall asleep, as though he had not been dozing on and off all day. She missed Amir, with whom she wanted to discuss her charge’s condition, and whose arms she wanted to feel around her again. He would be back tomorrow night, and she both dreaded and welcomed it.

By the time he did arrive to see his father and visit her the next night, Alex was a bundle of nerves. Simone had been under the weather the night before, and she had kept her home from school, which meant that she was tending to two patients, both equally unable to do much for themselves. Each time the king woke, he asked for water, which she helped him to drink. By dinner time, she was able to get him to have the small bowl of broth sent up with his evening meal. She had given instructions that the broth be made with meat stock and vegetables, so he would receive their benefit without having to eat the food, which he was refusing, anyway. When Amir arrived, his father was already in bed, dozing as usual. She stepped out of the room so he could have some privacy, but after a few minutes, he found her where she was sitting.

“Good evening, Alexandra,” he said, smiling at her as he sat next to her. “How have you been?”

She swallowed. She was too nervous to return his smile, and she knew he noticed it, but there was nothing she could do about it.

“What’s wrong,
habibti
?” he wanted to know, studying her face intently.

“I need to talk to you,” she said, gathering her courage around her like a cloak. She pulled her hands away when he tried to hold them. “I have a confession to make.”

She watched his brow furrow deeper, but he said nothing, so she continued. “Simone’s father is dead, but…”

She never would have thought saying the words would be so hard. Never until she had met and fallen in love with Amir — oh God, she was in love with him! — had she ever had a problem telling anyone that she and Simon had not been married. Perhaps it was because so few people had wanted to know, so she had mostly been able to avoid the explanation. But this was the man she was growing to love…the first man she had ever loved, as it turned out, and he was also her employer. His being a Muslim also meant the information could be very significant to him. And she knew she had let herself down, and him, by leaving it out. She should have corrected the misunderstanding from the beginning.

“But…?” Amir’s voice was calm, almost expressionless. He did not try to hold her hands again, and she sniffed, willing the tears to subside.

“We were never married,” she said, and hung her head.

The silence stretched between them, and Alex died a little more inside as she felt the growing tension. When he spoke, she could hear the anger in his voice.

“Did you live with him in a common law relationship?” he asked coolly.

“No.” She could barely speak.

Another silence, and then he asked, “Did he rape you?”

No!” It had never occurred to her that anyone might even think that.

He exhaled impatiently. “Then please tell me how you came to be with child by him, Alexandra.”

She stood up, unable to bear being so close to him knowing he was angry with her. And what she was about to tell him would make him even angrier, she knew. He would see that she was not the woman he thought she was. Her heart broke, and a sob escaped her, but she turned away to hide it from him.

“Simon was my best friend,” she said, turning back to him when she managed to compose herself. “He was kind to me, he understood me, and he supported me when I felt like throwing in the towel all those college years. I was doing it to honor my dad, but I didn’t really know what I wanted to become in life, and I had no one but Simon to talk to.”

She closed her eyes briefly, trying to find the right words to explain. “I graduated with a very general bachelor’s degree and no sense of a direction I should take. He persuaded me to let him host a graduation party for me. He knew that that was what would have happened if my parents hadn’t been killed. I agreed, and it was a smashing success. We both got very drunk, and when he took me upstairs and whispered in my ear that he loved me…well, anyway, we had never been French kissing friends, but that night we began to make out, and…”

She couldn’t say it. Surely he got the picture? She inhaled deeply, and looked him in the eyes for the first time, but could not read his feelings. They were shuttered, and her heart sank to her toes.

“Afterwards, I fell asleep, I guess, but he left to drive home, and no one stopped him. He didn’t make it there. He crashed his car into a tree and died there. Six weeks later, I discovered I was pregnant.”

She walked away to the window then, looking out onto a dark garden, closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around herself. She knew exactly how bad it sounded, and what sort of woman she must sound like.

“Why didn’t you tell me before, Alexandra?”

Amir’s voice was right behind her and she jumped like a startled doe.

“At first, because I didn’t think it mattered. And then, after we…” she hesitated, then plunged on. “I didn’t want you to be disappointed in me. And I didn’t want to lose my job.”

He turned her around to face him, his hands hard on her arms. “And why did you tell me now?”

Alex hadn’t prepared an answer to that question. She had hoped he would not care about the why. But there was no way to hide her reason.

“Princess Amina came for a visit yesterday, and reminded me that you and your father do not like to be deceived. I don’t know what she knows, but she seemed to be issuing some kind of…warning. I didn’t want her to get to you with a twisted version.”

HIs eyes darkened when she said the princess’s name, but he said nothing until she stopped speaking. His next question surprised her…it was not what she had expected.

“Did you love him, Alexandra?” His voice now was harsh with repressed emotion.

She looked into his eyes again, glad that at last it was all out in the open, and she no longer had to hide her feelings.

“As my best friend, yes. As a lover, no. There was only that one time. And it was a drunken mistake.”

She looked away again, because he refused to let her go when she tried to move away from him. She couldn’t bear his silence, and his hands burned her where he held her. She felt the tears slide down her cheeks, and though she had tried to stem the tide, they poured down the more she tried to slow them. She reached up, trying to clear her cheeks of the evidence, and he caught her hand in his and pushed her chin up so he could see her face.